Mike_Walker

I left home yesterday around 07.30 and had a trouble free trip up an almost deserted M40 and free flowing M42 to arrive at Marston Green station about half an hour earlier than I'd planned so I sat in the car an listened to the radio. Parking is free here and there were only about a dozen other vehicles when I arrived (although it had filled up a bit by the the time the train left but still not full) whilst the return fare to Birmingham International is an eye-watering £2.70 although it will probably be closer to £3 next year! Going home around 5 was a bit slower particularly on the M42, congestion for no apparent reason apart from sheer volume of traffic. Thought the show was generally excellent although my "bit and pieces" shopping list wasn't entirely fulfilled. The only sour note was to find this morning I'd been overcharged by 150% by a leading scenery supplies company - one of the dangers with contactless and no receipts - I've been in contact with them and await their proposals for refunding the excess.

I was just about to ask if they were taken on a strike day. Never seen Reading so devoid of people let alone trains! 😀 Yes The Three Guineas does survive.

Yes but thankfully without all the errors and shortcomings of Hornby's which were originally Airfix.

Just read elsewhere that Roger Ford is awarding the Golden Spanner for the most reliable repurposed train this year to the IoW 484s so they can't be all that bad.

I have to defend Pacers. Having ridden umpteen miles in 142s in the North West they were rough on jointed track and across complex junctions but they would purr along on CWR at 75mph as smoothly as any other 2nd generation DMU. The cab of the 142 was by far the best of modern units, a nice seat, big windows and a large desk on the right hand side to spread my documents out on, It was just a pain that where I most needed to take notes the bl**dy things went into full "nodding donkey" mode - not easy to write when your pen and paper are going in opposite directions! They only existed because the government of the day was not prepared to make available sufficient funding to make something "more upmarket!" possible. As always, decisions involving our railways are too often made in the DfT or treasury not by those who operate the system and have to make do with what they are given.

Would it not be a good idea to offer it in unlettered NBC green and red so purchasers could add their desired livery or are Rapido intending to cover every option in due course? Taking Alder Valley as just one example, I can think of around half a dozen variants of the standard NBC livery alone.

But have you actually been on one? There is little reminder of the old LU stock inside and most passengers who use them seem pleased with them that's certainly true on the Marston Vale line - when the operator can be bothered to provide a crew to work them, the technical issues were largely resolved during the lockdowns. They might not be ideal but they do provide a low cost alternative to operating branch lines which will likely never see a brand new train - although the good folk of Blaenau Ffestiniog would disagree with that after last week! I repeat, the whole concept came about through the actions of a now discredited SoS not the rail industry itself which now has to do what it is told by the DafT and is not allowed to make it's own decisions.

Before you gloat, just spare a thought for the 70 or so remaining VivaRail employees and their families now facing unemployment in the run up to Christmas in a period of almost unprecedented economic strife. Sadly this was looking increasingly like the outcome. The original concept of recycling old LU stock came about when Adrian Shooter was led by Failing Grayling to think he could get a large order to replace the Northern Pacer fleet. Thankfully, pressure from MPs and the public brought about a better solution but left VivaRail with the need to find a new direction which was, largely, coming up with a solution then finding the problem. The fire aboard 230001 at Kenilworth and the subsequent discovery of the cause dented the company's reputation and the delays in getting the LNWR, TfW and Isle of Wight fleets into service didn't help. The latest delay, in getting the battery trial of 230001 on the Greenford branch is down not to problems with ViavaRail, the train or the technology. All are working successfully but there is a problem in arranging a suitable power supply for the rapid charger at West Ealing which, apparently, is a symptom of a wider problem involving the National Grid which has said it is unable to supply enough power for this or other major demands in west London. Hopefully, the administrators will be able to find a good home for the IP of the battery trains and charging system as they do seem to work. For some time I've thought that VivaRail would be better off working with one of the big boys to provide equipment packages for new build trains rather than going down the rebuild path.

Just a thought... If Rapido are really clever in their design they will allow for future runs with 9' bogies and, he presto, a E145 variant.

Brilliant! Just when I've given up on H ever replacing the old Airfix ones (they will now!) along comes this. Put me down for two sets

It might have been, for example, to test the DVT was "talking" to the loco correctly with the coach included as part of that test. The Chiltern/WSMR DVTs were fitted to work with the AAR mu equipment fitted on the 67s having previously used the TDM system when working with the electric locos on the WCML. Another reason might have been a simple stock move. Chiltern/WSMR stock often went to Doncaster for attention and getting them between Wembley LMD and the ECML might include a reversal or two so using a DVT would remove the need to run round. The balancing move might have a coach or simply be the loco and DVT. Such moves did happen. More recently Chiltern Mk3s have gone to Arriva Traincare at Bristol and are dragged by one of the spot hire contractors. The route into OOC was in the Chiltern route diagram package to access the wheel lathe there but I'm not sure it was ever used or if any Chiltern drivers signed it - although I can think of a likely suspect.

Could that be a distraction that caused a Chiltern driver to pass two signals at danger? 🤣

Regarding the WSMR operations, having been heavily involved with that sadly short-lived operation, I think you'll find that was a stock move. All the route learning I was involved with used either a single 67 or Chiltern's dedicated bubble car 960014 (55022) which was in blue/grey and at one time sported Wrexham & Shropshire branding. WSMR's drivers had a mind boggling array of route knowledge. Not only did they have to know every possible permutation between Leamington Spa and Oxley but also a bewildering variety of routes around west London. One day, Steve Roast (Chiltern's recently retired chief instructor) and I spent a happy day with 67002 exploring those ahead of diversions. WSMR driver training was confined to route and traction learning as they were all fully qualified before joining the company and it was mostly carried out on the main route with a full train initially top and tailed until the DVTs arrived.

Sounds pretty typical of that part of the Keystone state in my experience...

The current maximum permitted speeds are: 100mph Alphington 195m 40c to Powderham 200m 60c 75mph Powderham to Cockwood 203m 00c 80mph Cockwood to Dawlish Warren 204m 60c 70mph Dawlish Warren to 205m 10c 75mph 205m 10c to Dawlish 206m 00c 60mph Dawlish to Parsons Tnl (W. End) 207m 55c 75mph Parsons Tnl to approaching Teignmouth 208m 45c 60mph Teignmouth to 209m 65c (just west of Shaldon bridge) 80mph 209m 65c to 210m 20c 90mph 210m 20c to 212m 60c approaching Hackney Yard There is a 60mph limit throughout for trains running "Bang Road" between Dawlish Warren and Teignmouth - that is in the the Down direction on the Up Main. The permissible speeds would have probably been lower in the steam and early diesel eras.

Hopefully the strikes will be resolved by then but perhaps we shouldn't hold our breath!

The WMT website suggests they will be running a "normal" service on Sunday but that might prove optimistic. You might find that short-haul local services resume normally more quickly than some long-distance services.

Elf n Safety would have an attack of the vapours.

A reminder of happier times for 2102. Passing Five Locks Farm near South Hamburg PA on the original Blue Mountain & Reading (later absorbed into the Reading & Norther) on 28 June 1987. Approaching the crossing at Lockport on Conrail's Lehigh line with an excursion from Reading to Jim Thorpe on 16 October 1988.

I recently spent the best part of a day "playing" with the GWR IET simulator at Reading. As part of this, we worked through the whole sequence starting with a "dead and cold" cab to getting the unit ready to go and I was amazed how long it took and how complicated the procedure is unlike the old days of, say, an HST - almost jump in and go by comparison. My hosts were the first to admit much of the equipment on the IET is overkill and not really necessary in their view. They just create potential problems. I think part of the problem is that today's designers are too remote and have no experience of actually operating and living with what they create. There also seems to be a marked lack of consultation during the design phase with the end user who basically has to make the best of what he's given. Remember, the IET was, in effect designed and specified by civil servants, the operators were largely excluded from the procedure.

I have a "thing" about IET loo doors! On my first trip on one, only a week after their introduction, the TM told me how she was involved in an embarrassing incident on Day 1. She went to press the main door opening button (this is in the Driving First) which is to the left of the door but being right handed she instinctively pressed the button on the right hand side of the door. This, you've guessed it, is for the loo and sadly it opened to reveal an occupant on the throne. They'd gone in, pressed close but not lock! A few days later a friend, a GWR retiree, got locked inside an IET loo and it required the attention of a sHitachi fitter to free him! I'm an unashamed fan of the KISS doctrine.

I agree. Is it really necessary to have all that complicated electronics working the loo door on an IET for example, which regularly seems to fail stopping the whole train, rather than a good old fashioned bolt? The latter is simple, reliable and costs peanuts.

The contract with Hitachi is for 27 years. How long they will last beyond that is anyone's guess. If left to the operators the answer is probably not long.

DY444 has pretty well summed up the situation. There are currently two GWR sets at Eastleigh, 802003 is under repair and 800026 is awaiting final sign off of the repair method. 802003 may be out in December. As mentioned above these two will take longer as the processes required are worked out then there's the signing off to be done before the main fleet can be treated. Hitachi are a very secretive organisation so it's not clear whether or not the more recent builds and those currently in build are to a modified design and/or incorporate different, correct, grades of aluminium. One would hope so but only time will tell. If they too start visiting Eastleigh or Newton Aycliffe...

I do and I would...