Formation of the 1929/30 "Night Riviera"

[Clearwater]

Just to add to Edwardian's comprehensive post I had a look at the 8.50 pm Penzance to Paddington in 1925.

 

The consist is as per 1932/33 except reversed and with a full third in place of the sleeper third (as per the above post). Just in case the OP is modelling East of Plymouth I have attached the full Carriage listing:

 

GW sleeper Up.jpg

 

I've also included the TPO just in case it is useful for you.

A (probably) dumb question on the picture in the above picture. What does "balance" mean? Is that the return working of the stock?

 

Also, where there is a note for the route, how do you decipher the actual route.? I'm sure not unambiguous to a seasoned reader of such tomes but some routes, eg via Oxford heading north, look so to me. Looking at maps, trains could run to Worcester and thence to Stourbridge through to Wolverhampton or would they run via Leamington, Snow Hill?

 

David

[The Fatadder]

I have found a working timetable for the same year as the carriage working list, and matched the start / end times between the two

 

This gave me both the times it stopped / passed through Brent as well as the formation.

 

The same will apply for working out which route workings went on where there are multiple options

[The Stationmaster]

A (probably) dumb question on the picture in the above picture. What does "balance" mean? Is that the return working of the stock?

 

Also, where there is a note for the route, how do you decipher the actual route.? I'm sure not unambiguous to a seasoned reader of such tomes but some routes, eg via Oxford heading north, look so to me. Looking at maps, trains could run to Worcester and thence to Stourbridge through to Wolverhampton or would they run via Leamington, Snow Hill?

 

David

 

Normally for northern trains (that is 'northern' in GWR terms) 'via Oxford' meant exactly what it said and the route was via Reading, Oxford and Banbury.  trains from Paddington would otherwise be shown with no comment at all or via the 'New Line' or 'Joint Line' or via Bicester.

 

And don't forget that 'via Oxford' for a train from Paddington to, say Birmingham could also literally mean via Princes Risborough and Thame such were the various permutations of routes available.  Fortunately the tickets took care of it for passengers as they showed Shifnall as the routing station - which covered the lot as it was the longest mileage.

[Adrian Wintle]

A (probably) dumb question on the picture in the above picture. What does "balance" mean? Is that the return working of the stock?

 

 

 

David

 

Yes. These are (mostly) excerpts from the Programme of Working of Coaches for various dates and the balance working gives a reference to the corresponding return working. Exceptions and special cases were indicated in the notes.

 

Adrian