Great Western Coffee Shop

I took this photograph yesterday evening, just for a basic Facebook status update: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151590760184853&l=76f723a7f8 (no need to be logged in or friends with me)

Examining it, there appears to be some sheeting held down by bricks in the "four foot" on the line through Platform 12.

Does anyone know what the purpose of this would be?  Can't say I've noticed it before and use Platform 12 every weekday evening.

(Changed title from "Bricks on the line at Waterloo?" to reflect the later discussion)

Could it be in preparation for those nasty foreign FGW HST's with non retention toilets that will be visiting over Easter?

oooh, you might I think have a point...

Oil/fuel leaks from stabled HST stock?

The FGW services are all booked to use Platform 11, so if that has also had the sheeting added it seems likely that's the reason, with Platform 12 done as back up.

Spot on all. HSTs booked into 11, but can also be put into 10 and 12 if necessary, so I think all three have been sheeted. It's to catch the effluent from any lavs that get flushed in the station and will be removed once the HST diversions have ceased.

Ah, that seems like a very good idea (except for the person who has to remove the sheeting).

I assume someone doesn't trust us Waterloo lot not to flush the toilet in the station.

Just been looking on  Open Train Times  (http://www.opentraintimes.com/location/WAT/2013-03-29/0900) and noted they are all booked to use Platform 11.  I also spotted that while their public departure time is XX.59, the working timetable has them at XX.07 past the next hour.  That has to be one of the biggest variances I have seen between the two.

Interesting point Brucey if you Waterloo lot normally have all retention tank trains wouldn't you be more likely to flush HST loos in the station not realsing they didn't have tanks.

Bobm wonder whether the 8 minute descrepancy is to get the doors shut. Waterloo staff not being use to slam doors. Although I reckon it's excessive even for that.

Another possible answer do the HSTs stand past the platform starter signals? Therefore, the train has to be started against a red signal.

When I saw this thread title, Brucey, I thought it was going to be a tale of another Reggie Perrin-esque delay!  ;) ;D

That is very true.

How many coaches are being used on the HSTs from Waterloo.  Platform 11 and 12 can just fit a 12 coach 450, which is about 245m.

It wouldn't surprise me at all, given some of the excuses we've had in the last few weeks. :D

2+8 HST is approx 220m in length. 8x 23m Mk3s and 2x 18m power cars.

It leads to the odd situation whereby the booking engine will advise you to catch the xx05 Weymouth service and change at Basingstoke onto the FGW service, even though the FGW service is booked to follow the SWT service all the way, actually departing later. The HSTs are unlikely to be able to leave at xx59 because of conflicts with the xx00 Portsmouth Harbour and xx05 Weymouth services.

We've been advised to expect platforms 10-12, although HSTs are also cleared for 18/19 (can't remember off hand) and can be used in an emergency.

Last time the diversions ran the HSTs were only route cleared into the high numbered Windsor side platforms, IIRC the intention then was also to use only the one preferred platform, P18, but they sheeted up others just in case. 

However under normal routine circumstances the layout of the Waterloo approaches means that trains using the up and down mains (as the diverted services are this time) would not be expected to use P18 etc as the ensuing crossing conflicts in the throat would lock half the station up. 

I don't think the point made above about Waterloo staff being unfamiliar with slam door stock is necessarily valid, because if they follow the same routine as last time FGW will provide all their own despatch and platform staff.

Paul

What is the situation with regard to the trailers with long swing link (LSL) fitted bogies that are supposed to be out of gauge for the third (live) rail?

A creme egg for the first jpeg of an LSL marked carriage at Waterloo.

OTC

They are still barred from third rail as before I believe. As we discussed a few months back, there is no real evidence that LSL bogies have suddenly been cleared over third rail, the issue that prevented the SSL fitted HSTs running up the main line and into the central platforms (such as P11) was a 'normal' gauging issue.

Paul

I have modified the title of this thread to "Technical implications of HSTs at London Waterloo" to reflect the later discussions that are not necessarily related to bricks on the track.

The vast majority of the FGW Mk3 fleet is SSL. Shouldn't be any great issue ensuring only SSL sets go to Waterloo.

FGW have done these diverts before, in December 2010, so they have experience in ensuring only sets that consist of SSL coaches run over third rail.

Correct: FGW will be providing their own despatch and customer service staff.

I'll see if I can find out anything about the eight-minute discrepancy between the GBTT and WTT departure times.

In terms of platform lengths, platforms 8 - 16 and 18 are all theoretically capable of accommodating a twelve-car train made up of 20 m vehicles, which means they can also easily take a ten-car 444 (23 m vehicles) and therefore would have no trouble with a 2 + 8 HST formation.

I 'heard' that we now have to leave Waterloo behind the Weymouth service, so rather than retiming the public departure, it was kept as it was with the WTT being adjusted.

Some Paddington platform staff are at Waterloo and Reading platform staff are at Basingstoke.

The services were always like that from when they first appeared, with the huge PTT and WTT differential, it's very strange. There never could have been a path at xx59 either, it's too close to the xx00 service.

The PA at Basingstoke was playing a recorded message prior to down trains arriving this afternoon reminding everyone that an old fashioned train with manual doors was approaching, and could everyone please remember to shut the doors properly after getting on!   (That's paraphrased - it wasn't exactly those words.)
 
Then in the case of up direction arrivals, and just as they did last time, they kept them off the PIS displays, and announced that the next train to arrive was 'not in public use' presumably in an attempt to enforce the set down only rule.

Paul

Waterloo services appeared to be running like clockwork this afternoon and evening: no-one in Control seemed to know why the discrepancy between the GBTT and WTT times, although interestingly the last departure to Plymouth was 1907 in both timetables and left at exactly that time.

As if SWT staff havent seen slam door trains there before in recent years!