Went to Windsor yesterday and have a technical question now. I noticed all the signals on the branch are bagged up unused. How are trains controlled ? And don't they have some a day from Paddington direct to or from Windsor?
Not quite correct, there will be signalling but it wasn't ready in time for the Easter blockade. There is a train staff which the driver uses as his authority to travel
The branch from Slough is just "one engine in steam" I believe, no signalling needed. I suspect there is probably a train staff or similar.
"One engine in steam".
How terribly quaint.
Interesting. The signal posts that were bagged up seemed not new, as if they had been in place for ages. Have they been used before? And I am SURE I got a train from Padd direct to Windsor Eton Central (but got off before the terminus somewhere) in the past, maybe about ten years ago!
Can anyone shed any light on this. How would this staff thing work for a train coming off the London line to the branch? Can anyone explain the process?
Back in Thames Trains days (from mid 1990's) there was a direct Turbo, once a day, from Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central. I think it left London at about 10.00. There was no corresponding return through train - you always had to change at Slough.
It ran for a number of years, but I'm not sure when it was dropped, perhaps when Great Western took over the franchise?
Back in Thames Trains days (from mid 1990's) there was a direct Turbo, once a day, from Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central. I think it left London at about 10.00. There was no corresponding return through train - you always had to change at Slough.
Interesting. The signal posts that were bagged up seemed not new, as if they had been in place for ages. Have they been used before? And I am SURE I got a train from Padd direct to Windsor Eton Central (but got off before the terminus somewhere) in the past, maybe about ten years ago!
Can anyone shed any light on this. How would this staff thing work for a train coming off the London line to the branch? Can anyone explain the process?
The direct service made sense. The via Slough route is much faster than the riverside from Waterloo service. There are so many tourists going to Windsor for the day from London most of which use the slower more expensive SWT route I think cos the change puts them off. More through services especially in summer would be a huge step in the right direction.
Anyone shed any light on the signal post questions?
In the past there was one direct train a day at 10:18, Padd to Windsor, it did a trip to Windsor and then back to Slough via the East Loop. The branch unit stabled on the Branch Line just outside Slough station then did an ECS move back to Reading. The reason the signals are bagged up is that none of the signalling is in use at present. The old signals will be recovered, and new ones installed. Before the Easter remodelling started, there were a number of signals that had been bagged up for years, these were Emergency Stop signals operated by buttons on the platforms at Windsor and Slough.
There are also large numbers of tourists who use the route to Windsor via Slough despite the need to change. The Paddington area has large numbers of hotels, so obviously it is a convenient route for people staying there.
Was the provision of these signals something to do with the trial of DOO slam door trains that didn't last very long ?
once the winsdsor rail link starts construction ive wondered where the train is suppsosed to stop cant see any space for ten cars at slough
The branch from Slough is just "one engine in steam" I believe, no signalling needed. I suspect there is probably a train staff or similar.
When is that due to be held?Are SWT putting any extra trains on this year for the horse show next month to Riverside
When is that due to be held?
Dave