Great Western Coffee Shop

FGW have lost their 'Grandfather' rights to HSTs stopping at many Cornish stations by introducing SDO.

I am trying to find out and be certain which stations HSTs CAN stop at with malfunctioning SDO. This cannot be very many. I have checked Wikipedia which tells you loads of information but not platform length.

Please will someone let me know. Thanks

Penzance and Newquay ONLY

If SDO fails then it's non-stop Pnz-Ply with a 2+8 set, and with a 2+7 I think it's Pnz, Tru, Sau, Lsk, Ply.

Forgot about Newquay! However, the other day a TM who wasn't SDO trained worked a train in Cornwall with the rear 2 coaches locked out of use, it was a 2+7 set so 5 coaches were left open, the shortest platform is Hayle on the down which holds 5 coaches. Lostwithiel on the up is the shortest but that service didn't stop there.

Lostwithiel used to hang over the LC by a mile, used to be a bit trecherous at night.

2+7 can do most stations as reguarly its only the last coach thats locked out of use.

Thank you for the information. So hopefully it will mean that some carriages will be locked out of use until Ply rather than leaving station stops out. I do hope common sense prevails.

When travelling on HST's through lostwithiel heading east that stop. The train managers use different doors ranging from the front two coaches through to the front four coaches. Before selective door opening was introduced there was always four carriages platformed according to the train manager. Why is there not a standard stopping pattern for Lostwithiel like there is at Menheniot, St Germans and Saltash that all have short platforms as these stations are typically the front four coaches.

Lazy TM's is probably the answer or TM's that now that it can hold 4 coaches instead of the 2 which they are told it can hold, I don't know how many they are told it can hold though.

Officially it's the front two coaches (G and H) as there is no door panel at the buffet end of Coach F the next panel back is the rear end of "E" which is just about off the platform, officially the "up" at Lostwithiel holds 3 coaches.

So that will be A, B and C when it gets changed round to the back on the platform.

IF it happens! rumour is now that "SDO 2" is to be scrapped!

So what will we have instead?

Yesterday SDO2 was still on the cards.

Well, Exeter crew were on a training course Tuesday for it!

SDO 2 starts 18/05/08 when all training is completed.

Thanks for the answer to my question and warning about changes to door opening policy.

So if a wheelchair bound customer wants to board a train at Lostwithiel as coach E is not officially platformed what would happen as coach E is not currently unlocked officially and will not be in the future?

Good point.

Back the train up and open just one door?

Probably easier at the moment, as moving forward is easier I understand than going backwards which requires permission.

Moving trains backwards does need premission, and in some places WON'T happen as it can cause Signal systems to Fail Safe with ALL signals turned RED

SDO 2 was meant to start on the 10th March but rumour was that it was on hold "indefinitely" but that was only rumours from varios traincrew.

Anyone else noticed that Guard seemed to have given up on SDO in Cornwall exceot when they have to?

Camborne now seems to be done from the Buffet, all doors, as do most stops which aren't considered to be dangerously short.

Have TM's been told this or are they getting lazy.

Better than one the other day who did Doors Forward from Coach E at Truro, quickly realised his mistake and let A,B,C and D on though.

::)

Useless system. Even with perfectly competent staff, it causes delays. Ban it! Ban it now!

Apparently SDO '2' comes into force on monday. What that means i don't know, but did see a TM today leafing through a rather thick briefing booklet. Watch this space!

Basically means the TGS is platformed *nearly* everywhere instead of platforming the front power car. Means a change in policy to cycle loading, gets a bit confusing as if you put your bike in TGS then want to get off at one of the few exceptions where the TGS isnt platformed....

I take it Evesham is one of the exceptions?

In normal formation if TGS is platformed on the up service then the front power car has to go past the signal

At the moment its the only station on the cotswold line that is not effectively SDO 2

Actually Btline, that was a staff mistake.
Why? He was checking tickets and just didn't remeber he wasn't at A like usual.
And I am greatful to him because it was an additional service and wouldn't have to work as it was a bank holiday.

The other day I saw a poster in Camborne Station with a person putting a bicycle in Coach E, I think.
But the Ticket Office was closed and I couldn't get a better look.
Camborbne has a similar situation to Evesham, TGS is just off the back unless you go past the signal and on to the level crossing.

There will also be problems at Wrcstr Frgt Strt! Sometimes, Coach A will be adjacent, sometimes not.

This will make 5 min + dwells more common. >:(

Does anyone know why? It is not as if a signal is at the end of a platform.

I suppose one reason is when the train terminates at Wrcstr Frgt Strt, the front power car has to be adjacent to let the driver off. At least people can switch the position of bikes at Shrub Hill, but dwells will then increase there!

Some stations have now been classed as normal platforms again, and TM's to release doors that are platformed at the time rather than sticking to what the book says-i.e. it says that Truro on the up only front 7 coaches to be released even though the only door of the platform is the TGS door which isn't CDL anyway!