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Penzance to Taunton Friday only train

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Halsebee

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I was in Taunton station tonight. A service arrived from Penzance (1644 dep) terminating at Taunton 2022. I was not aware of any train from the south terminating at Taunton normally. It appears this is a Friday only service, it normally ends at Exeter St Davids I think.
The station staff made all the passengers get off, whist another unit arrived from the north, the two coupled, passengers got back on, and went off to Bristol at 2030.
Questions:
why does this service "end" in Taunton only on a Friday, and Exeter on other weekdays.
Why is it not advertised as going to Bristol, when it continued 8 minutes later with a lot of the same passengers on board. I assume they had to get off so the units could be coupled, but I've been on many trains where passengers don't have to get off when joining/decoupling trains.
Where did the unit from the north come from?
 
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221129

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I saw it too at TVP and have never seen it other evenings so im guessing its generally a friday only
 

Cherry_Picker

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I have no idea where the sheds are in that part of the world so I this is wild speculation time but is the unit/loco booked in for an exam somewhere on weekends, hence it doing a somewhat unusual movement on a Friday?
 

louis97

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This service operates to Taunton on a friday because of the differences in the HST diagrams on this day, this is because PAD - EXD services are extended to PLY, one of which would normally form a service back to London. However another service is used for this London service on a Friday which can only make it to Taunton, so the service you mentioned is extended to Taunton to continue to make this connection.

Normally the stock from this same service on a Monday to Thursday will form a service to Bristol anyway, however on a Friday this stock goes up earlier from Taunton, and to balance the units for the weekend extra stock goes up to Bristol in its place on the later service.

As for the reason the service is not an advertise through service, is mainly down to the fact the service does not have to join all of the time, short notice alterations can mean the service will not join, and could form a different service. The service which you saw it attach to would of been a shunt of a terminated Cardiff to Taunton service.
 

louis97

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The one through TVP was i was just seeing if we were on about the same train

I'm refering to the 2006 from TVP on a Friday, which stands in for the 2010 to PAD which operates Mon-Thur Only.
 

TEW

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No idea, believe the service is booked a 150/2 though.

Used to be a 150/1 diagram when it was just the ex-LO 150/1s around, no idea what it is now though. In practice /1s and /2s don't keep to the correct diagrams anyway.
 

OxtedL

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how if you can read its easy

I had to read this four times before I could understand what it meant.

"How? If you can read then it's easy!" is what I came up. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Punctuation is crucial if you intend to communicate effectively with people, and hope to avoid people making rude comments.
 
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Greenback

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All members are asked to make their posts legible and readable. This includes punctuation to enable anyone viewing a topic to understand what is being said without the need for multiple readings.

Now, please return to the topic on hand or further action my be necessary.
 

louis97

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Back on topic, this service tends to be a 150/2 due to its earlier operation in the day being a Cardiff to Plymouth service, however as TEW has said this does not always happen...
 

TEW

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It did used to be a fairly solid 150/1 diagram but the arrival of the LM 150s has changed things around a bit, and it is a 150/2 more often now.
 

12CSVT

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Used to be a 150/1 diagram when it was just the ex-LO 150/1s around, no idea what it is now though. In practice /1s and /2s don't keep to the correct diagrams anyway.

Do FGW operate their 150/1s and 150/2s as separate fleets ?
 

louis97

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Do FGW operate their 150/1s and 150/2s as separate fleets ?
Yes, in theory 150/1 diagrams avoid coupling to other units whenever possible. Although at present while units are refreshed and reformed 150/1s and /2 diagrams do get mixed up.
 

TEW

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They are diagrammed separately, 150/1s are meant more for use around Bristol and Exeter because they have 2+3 seating. The 150/2s should work on longer distance services to Weymouth and Cornwall because of the 2+2 seating. In reality they don't stay separated very well at all.
 
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