Great Western Coffee Shop

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this forum in 2014, and a "thank you" too to everyone who's read what we have here, and to those who've told others about us. As a forum that's run on spare space on a server, without any income (free to join, no paid adverts), it's our members and guests who are also our ambassadors, spreading the word about who we are / what we do / the service we provide.   And clearly, based on traffic levels, there's a demand for that service.

In 2014, there were 1,998,663 page views in 370,598 sessions by 135,937 users - that's according to Google Analytics which does a pretty good job of counting "real person" accesses rather than search engines visiting the page and other traffic such as automata probing for security holes. Our own forum logs have counted 22,868 new posts (up from 22,285 in 2013 and from 18,632 in 2012) and 1,705 new subjects started.   That indicates there's a lot to talk about, and a lot of people wanting to talk as there are an average of 12 replies to each new subject. Here's a traffic graph (Google Analytics, sessions by day):
(http://www.wellho.net/pix/ga2014_coffee.jpg])
and I note with interest that sharp traffic rise in February, when the main line to the South West was breached at Dawlish and the Bristol to Taunton line was out of service for a considerable period, also due to the after effects of the weather.   As a site that has both campaigning and service information elements, I would expect to see such a rise in traffic when services aren't running correctly, and indeed in the world of a perfect and stable rail system I would expect to see a much quieter forum.

Top accesses for 2014 were from London, Bristol, Oxford, Bath, Cardiff, Plymouth, Maidenhead, Trowbridge, Reading and Exeter, with those 10 locations accounting for around 50% of "real person" traffic. For the record, my home town on Melksham, only about 25% smaller that Trowbridge in population, came in 32nd with 22% of the number of accesses from Trowbridge - yet another indirect hint / indication that thsi town, with its new service just a year old, still has a very long growth curve ahead of it.   94.61% of accesses were from within the UK (and to give you something to compare against, just under 15% of accesses to our training site which includes significant worldwide resources is from within the UK).

The biggest THANK YOU, though, goes to the seven active global moderators and two active administrators who help so much - making a huge contribution with their own free time, and doing a job which is usually greatly rewarding and fun, but sometimes can involve stepping in and taking difficult decsions that won't please everyone.   Lady and gentlemen, I salute and thank you!

The hottest topics from 2014 (number is post count, all thread with over 50 posts in last 365 days shown) ...

899 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13544) to Re: Weather disruption across the FGW network, February and March 2014
638 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4600) to Re: FGW 1st Class - ongoing discussion of the benefits and their apparent reduction
589 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14689) to Re: Thames Valley signalling problems causing delays - ongoing, since October 2014
452 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6405) to Re: Reading Station improvements
390 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5508) to Re: First Great Western on-board catering, HST buffets, Travelling Chefs and Pullmans
334 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3098) to Re: Dawlish Avoiding Line - ongoing discussion, merged topic
270 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14258) to Re: Thames Valley signalling problems - big delays - July 2014
175 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5066) to Re: Great Western Main Line electrification gets go-ahead
166 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10150) to Re: Intercity Express Programme (IEP) - ongoing discussion
163 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13396) to Re: Electrification - what are the real benefits?
156 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=818) to Re: Crossrail - ongoing discussion, merged topic
154 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1109) to Re: Extending Crossrail to Reading - ongoing discussion, merged topic
144 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13540) to Re: Loadings, cancellations and other issues
136 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15079) to Re: Boxing Day Trains
128 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3266) to Re: Swindon to Kemble re-doubling - ongoing discussion and updates
119 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13635) to Re: Daytime Traffic on the TransWilts
103 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13640) to Re: DMU cascade
100 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=11558) to Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate news articles
100 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2338) to Re: Okehampton-Tavistock. Discussion on reopening and potential use as a diversionary route
96 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12042) to Re: Warning - Pedant alert
86 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5560) to Re: Squirrels - red or grey, on the railways or otherwise: merged topic
86 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14459) to Re: POLL: Scottish Independence?
80 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13870) to Re: Hedge fund manager 'in ^42,550 train fare dodge'
79 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13068) to Re: Whiteball Tunnel blockade - January / February 2014
77 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10737) to Re: Bristol Temple Meads Station redevelopment
75 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13754) to Re: Picture Quiz - March 2014
75 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=231) to Re: Portishead Line reopening for passengers - ongoing discussion
74 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12861) to Re: 15.51 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill
74 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1684) to Re: Worcester Parkway project
70 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14104) to Re: Short formations/failed trains
70 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14411) to Re: Failed freight train,  Reading West - 20 August 2014
70 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12974) to Re: Bus discrimination case
70 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13554) to Re: Caption competition.
69 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14716) to Re: Picture Quiz - Bumper selection. October 2014
67 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14284) to Re: Hot trains
65 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14359) to Re: Odd one out?
63 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12718) to Re: Trainspotters "banned" following vandalism at Cheltenham Spa railway station
62 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5138) to Re: HS2 - Government proposals, alternative routes and general discussion
61 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13737) to Re: RMT to ballot for industrial action.
60 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14930) to Re: Train hits fallen signal between Reading and Newbury - 17 November 2014
54 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13428) to Re: Flooding Disruption January 2014
52 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14659) to Re: Bristol-Oxford Direct Service
52 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14330) to Re: Imperial and/or metric units. Discussion on the use and teaching of
51 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14119) to Re: Perils of ignoring Pick Up only at Reading
50 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14021) to Re: Mobile friendly site
50 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13855) to Re: Weekend Traffic
50 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13704) to Re: Saturday HST to Weymouth
50 - link to (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13578) to Re: Future of the Railways in Global Climate Change Conditions

Note - a handful of these post links may lead you to member-only areas.  We have
* - a "Frequent Poster Club" where members who have made more than a threshold of posts can discuss things with other regulars
* - a "TransWilts CRP board" for supporters of the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership where we place messages back and forth between ourselves - please ask if you want to be added to that area; we keep it separate as we're aware that some members don't wish to be flooded with information about a relatively small (at the moment) service, and we don't want to worry newcomers / guests with talk about issues that need resolving / improving, but in reality are pretty obtuse or specialist matters that effect only a small number of people.