Great Western Coffee Shop

A mini quiz. Nothing too taxing. One guess each please. Ollie - you're barred from answering, seeing as I bumped into you today en route.  ;)

1.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/CMFKDM/100_0247.jpg)

2.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/CMFKDM/100_0254.jpg)

3.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/CMFKDM/100_0262.jpg)

4. (Service details please!)
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/CMFKDM/100_0266.jpg)

5.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/CMFKDM/100_0272.jpg)

3. Swindon?

3. Correct. Swindon. ellendune.

Now I have to ask. What is this 'Sensory Garden' all about? A few benches and five planters with what appeared to be mostly dead plants in them.  ???

Supposed to be a garden that has things to smell and feel rather than just see.  Not its best time of year I suppose, and it has only just been put back after some building work.  However, I have never seen anyone go in there.

5.  Melksham.  ;D

5. Correct. Melksham. Chris from Nailsea.

First time I've stepped off a train there. The 30 mins before the return to Chippenham was just time enough to pop to ASDA MKM for necessary items.  ;D

4: 17:40 Cheltemham Spa to Southampton, photographed between 18:41 and 19:11 if it was running on time.

1. Clifton Down...

4. Correct. 1740 ex Cheltenham, photted just after departure from Swindon en route to MKM. grahame

(Declassified) First Class to Melksham. Lovely - weren't expecting that.  ;D

1. Clifton Down. Correct. inspector_blakey.


Just #2 to identify.....

Pretty sure I know, but I'll keep quiet for now...

2 : Bonaparte's cafe-bar on Temple Meads station?

That was going to be my guess...

2. Correct. Worcester_Passenger. Bonapartes, Bristol Temple Meads (side entrance).

Seem to be spending far too much time in there recently. Not good for either my bank balance or liver. The BiTE card comes in handy and Boney Parts now have four real ales on tap. Yesterday's sample was Butcombe's Old Vic Porter. Well kept and sparkingly clear on serving. A dark and moody very bitter bitter.

Almost worth the extra 54p a pint (even with BiTE discount) over the price 'Spoons were charging for the same seasonal ale in the Knight's Templar. Sometimes though you just don't have the time to leave BRI and come back while waiting on connections. And if Bonny Farts keep serving excellent ale then I'm more than happy to pay the premium to remain rail side.

They just need to sort out their food now.....

So. My late afternoon jolly was a trip form Clifton Down to Melksham. ^5.55 with railcard, although I was slightly disappointed to discover my ticket was 'via Bath Spa' only. No Any Permitted fares from Bristol area stations to Melksham.

Yet another anomaly featuring Melksham. Meant I couldn't return to Bristol Parkway (convenient for me mid evening when the bus from BPW is better than SVB Line) as would be the case if I had a Clifton Down to Swindon ticket. In fact, if I'd held a Bristol Parkway to Melksham ticket I would still be forced to go via Bath Spa, rather than the more logical BPW-SWI-MKM  ::)

Given that it's not often that I recognise anything in the picture quizzes, the fact that I do recognise  the entrance to a bar doesn't look good.

I was going to say the same myself!

Just out of curiosity, why would there be an SWT train going through Melksham. Looking at their route map they don't appear to have any passenger services on that line.

FGW still hire in an SWT 158 each weekday...

Paul

Indeed, the hired in SWT 158 is normally to be seen operating the alternate hour services between Swindon and Gloucester/Cheltenham Spa throughout the day. One of which is extended through to Southampton to form the evening Melksham service.

I enjoy using this particular unit as the 1st Class section is declassified!

Do they declassify it when you board, or is it already declassified?  ::)

... and sometimes it gets all the way to Worcester Foregate Street:

Me personally?  :P

It is indeed rather interesting that the "local" daytime Swindon -> Cheltenham service, which runs on the odd hours between the London -> Cheltenham trains, is entirely sourced with local trains arriving up via Chippenham into Swindon - with the 07:48 arrival from Westbury, and the 09:04 (?) arrival from Temple Meads.   The latter is now comprised of 2 units, so that's 3 units for Stroud Valley use.

Seeing as so few of the 15x trains based in Bristol go to Swindon via Chippenham, and so many make an appearance at Gloucester / Cheltenham, one wonders why the sourcing is done from the south.  But there is a certain logic, looking back at the discussion of the train on the TransWilts, in basing units that run a Salisbury / Swindon service at Salisbury.  Hmmm ... perhaps that's too radical!

No sign of the SWT 158 any day this week at Swindon, so can we assume that the hiring in has finished? If so, wonder what the unit is now doing, given that there are some possible opportunities in 2013 to utilise a unit on the southern part of its recent diagram.

I've often seen it on WEY - BRI services on weekends :)