GWR to operate short 'HSTGTi' sets

It's a 150 and which prompts comments on here from time to time regarding the length of the journey on a 150. Later in the diagram it works to Gunnislake ruling a 158 out.

 

In my opinion, that service should be a 158 due to the distance but like you say with the Gunnislake part later on in the diagram, it cannot be a 158...

 

Exeter sent a 143 a few months ago from St James’ Park towards Cardiff but it broke down at Tiverton Parkway!

IMO it could be good to send some mini HSTs from Cardiff to Newquay on Summer Fridays and Saturdays instead of Penzance. Newquay could really do with additional long distance traffic.

 

Safe 150 for the time being as it is a Plymouth hIgh speed driver from Bristol to Plymouth and sprinter wise we only do 150 and 153

 

You would think that priority would be given to using the mini HST’s or 158’s on the longest journeys - such as the 8am from Cardiff to Paignton and the 9am from Cardiff to Penzance. If the diagrams are set for later trips to Gunnislake, then they should darn well sort it out so that this branch line has a proper branch line train = a 150. Using the Cross Country services between the south-west and Bristol and then changing for south Wales often results in maybe 30 minutes or so being wasted hanging around Bristol TM. Therefore, some customers might just stick with the slow stopping through service. All the more reason therefore to provide decent trains.

 

HST GTi on Gunnislake services?

 

Yeah good luck on the 10mph curves. Would look impressive on the viaduct though, assuming the shunt neck at Bere Alston was made longer.

 

I was well aware that there'd be problems with it, hence the wink.

 

I know it was a tongue in cheek suggestion, just highlighting the issues to those that don’t know the line.

 

Mk3 stock not passed on Gunnislake line!

 

It appears that the GTi diagram yesterday 6/2/19 was 150207 from a photo at Totnes can anyone verify.

Cheers Nat.

 

From what I saw, 150207 was on 2C43 from Bristol Parkway to Penzance yesterday morning...

 

Fair enough, I think someone got there gen wrong when posting the photo.

 

The first classic 2+4 set has been announced
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43056

 

What will this be used for?

 

To allow Pacers to be scrapped and 150's to replace them. They are the short term plan for the GTI sets as they are late being introduced. I guess they will either be used on PZ-Exeter or Taunton-Cardiff services.

 

All the way or bits and pieces between Cardiff and Penzance. Posted several times on the Forum

 

Are these formed of vehicles which will be converted or simply shortened HSTs that will go off-lease? I assume the former?

 

The latter (at least in the case of this first set). The vehicles for conversion will be going through Doncaster so they will need other vehicles to cover for them. Power cars may be different as most of the retained vehicles have been modified.

 

I should never have assumed anything it seems!

Was this always planned or is it due to the delays in the refurbishment programme?

 

It’s due to Wabtec being so far behind on refurbing the MK3 coaches.

 

As I stated in post #1157.

 

Of a more pressing nature is the fact that the remaining GWR 153s transfer to TfW in May. 143s can stay in service to December if needed.

 

Nothing new there.

Apologies, I missed that.

 

I thought it was March they were leaving GWR...

 

Leaving GWR in March but not entering service with TfW until May perhaps...?

 

On the Bristol corridor, even slam door HSTs will be good to provide extra seats until the power door HSTs arrive. Extra seats are needed, even with the mainly 3 carriage Turbos used on most services. Although, this is allready vastly better than a year ago with the 2 carriage sardine can 150/1s.

It’s an excellent interim measure using rolling stock which would otherwise be sat in a siding doing nothing. Hopefully enough of the proper mini HSTs will be in service to replace these by the end of the year.

 

Wabtec are behind refurbishing the MK3 coaches due to the following:

1) Loss of skilled welders.
2) Excess or unforseen levels of corrosion.
3) Each or most of the MK3 coaches are different because they were hand built in the 1970's.

 

True, that bit about the 153's going to TfW I never new that. I haven't been reading the unit cascade's, only interested in loco's and HST's .