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Greenford South to West Junctions

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Baxenden Bank

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Had a trip to London today, intending to do 2M29 London Paddington to West Ruislip. The train is scheduled to run direct via Park Royal, instead we went via the Greenford Branch. :o

How often does this occur?

Nice bit of rare track for me to get unexpectedly :D, but I shall have to make a return visit to get the direct line!
 
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Nippy

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Happens very rarely. The reason today was a TOC request for driver route knowledge.
 

Class 170101

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You are more likely to get it with FGW when they divert via West Ruislip, High Wycombe and Banbury to reach Oxford.

The more challenging bit is is the west curve at West Ealing.
 

DelW

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The more challenging bit is is the west curve at West Ealing.

I managed that a few years ago on a railtour out of Paddington that was scheduled to go onto the Chiltern route via Park Royal. Leaving Paddington we soon saw we were on a south-side track (down fast?) which didn't have suitable crossovers to get us onto the single line towards Ruislip. We came to stand around Southall and after a pause, presumably for a discussion with the signaller, the driver changed ends and we reversed over a series of crossovers to get onto the west curve and onto the Greenford loop. Fortunately we had top-and-tail locos ready for reversals later in the tour.

Unfortunately one of the reasons for my choosing that tour was to do the single line! In the end I went back a few years later and did it on the Chiltern route knowledge working as used by the OP. On that occasion I was the only passenger and was lucky enough to get a cab ride over part of the line, but obviously I won't add any details on how or when that occurred.
 

Baxenden Bank

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I can't imagine it is ever a well used service, in either direction, but there were four passengers on the train on Tuesday (plus traincrew). All four being rail enthusiasts I would guess.

I have now booked another trip to the southern wastelands to make my second attempt to get the Park Royal section. Southbound this time so I can have a third attempt the same day if necessary!
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I managed that a few years ago on a railtour out of Paddington that was scheduled to go onto the Chiltern route via Park Royal.....

That is the way of life. Sometimes good s*** happens rather than bad. Many years ago I got the curve from the WCML to the East Lancashire line (Farrington Junction to Lostock Hall) on a Preston to Colne train which went unexpectedly south towards Leyland then had to reverse to regain the normal route. As the traincrew seemed equally surprised, I suspect it was a signaller mistake!
 

tsr

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I can't imagine it is ever a well used service, in either direction, but there were four passengers on the train on Tuesday (plus traincrew). All four being rail enthusiasts I would guess.

I have it on good authority that there are a few semi-regular customers who use it to bypass a Paddington - Marylebone (or vice versa) leg as part of occasional journeys to see family. The exact longer-distance origins and destinations would not be information I am privy to.
 

Baxenden Bank

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I have it on good authority that there are a few semi-regular customers who use it to bypass a Paddington - Marylebone (or vice versa) leg as part of occasional journeys to see family. The exact longer-distance origins and destinations would not be information I am privy to.

Makes sense if the times of the infrequent service match up with their journey requirements, or they can flex their journey to fit the infrequent times. Saves the hassle of interchange and the pain of slow underground all-stations services. You can catch the first off-peak service out of Aylesbury (via High Wycombe), transfer to the Ruislip - Paddington service, then head out west with a simple level walk between platforms at Paddington - no lifts, no escalators, a nice quiet train and toilets. Slower, but if you're not in a rush, it doesn't necessarily matter.
 
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Cherry_Picker

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In years gone by that train has been in passenger service from High Wycombe or Gerrards Cross. If it's convenient from a diagramming point of view then it wouldn't surprise me if it makes it outside the M25 again one day.
 
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