Great Western Coffee Shop

Considering a trip, but I have a question.

On arrival at Paddington at 5am are you turfed out, or is there an allowance to stay onboard for period after arrival.

Secondly if I turn up what is the likelihood of getting a seat? I have a complimentary return ticket to go anywhere on FGW services.

I may even go tonight.

On arrival at Paddington you're not turfed out straight away, don't know how long you can stay onboard but the set doesn't go out to Old Oak until about 0730.

You should have no problem getting a seat.

Penzance to London Paddington
Monday to Friday:

Departs Penzance at 21:45
Arrival at London Paddington 05:23 (Passengers may remain on board until 0700).
Sunday:

Departs Penzance at 21:15
Arrival at London Paddington 05:06 (Passengers may remain on board until 0700).

Copied from FGW site

Thanks. I think I will go tonight.

What loco is on the up tonight?

57604.

If you travel tonight it's up via Yeovil.

I have gone tonight Mainly because I saw on real-time trains it was via Yeovil.

Hope you had a good trip.

The empty stock out of platform 1 was an hour late going back to Old Oak Common after you got off after problems following the coupling of the loco to the country end.

I did notice it didn't leave until about 830. we reversed at exeter, and they were very quick changing the end of the loco.

Tintagel Castle worked the down, we had quite a wait for it to pass at Yeovil junction.

Arrived in to paddington about 10 early.

Not using the hire in locos and no breakdowns for a few days, maybe even a week now!

I caught the 1006 back, and crowded doesn't even start to describe it in standard. Rather glad I was travelling first. First was full. The train manager did well moving people around where a couple of families were not reserved sitting together. In fact she was great throughout, on approach to exeter she listed every connection in every direction thinkable with times and platforms.

I didn't sleep last night so now I am home probably Best catch up on some sleep.

Enjoyed the trip very much.

Saw the 10:06 at Newton Abbot. Gather 17 took brunch in the Pullman. That's a full house. Were you one of them?

It did look busy when it came in.

Sorry you didn't sleep. I'm on the Caledonian Sleeper tonight. A wee tot will help me sleep. However after all the controversy on here before I'm not saying if it will be neat or with a mixer or water!

Not sleeping was my own fault, in fact I tried to stay awake to enjoy the journey. I also wanted to try and shift my sleeping patterns into going to bed early, as I tend to be awake until 3 or 4am most nights anyway and then don't wake up until 10am. My aim is to be asleep by 9 or 10 tonight and then start getting into the routine of waking at 6 or 7.
I've been awake now since about 10 am on Sunday morning.

The Pullman was turning people away.

Standard class was standing room only from Paddington, and got worse at Reading. "Unusually large passenger numbers boarding" at Reading being given as the cause for the approx. 4 minute delay.

It is the service that runs fast from Reading to Exeter. It was also missing either carriage E or F today, and was announced over the tannoy before leaving Paddington that coaches A,B,C & D were fully reserved. I grabbed the only unreserved first class seat in coach L. (I had a head start - Real time trains gave the platform long before the boards at Paddington, and I knew it would be made up from the incoming Swansea service due to the Pullman restaurant)

Were you the man with a camera at Newton Abbot by any chance?

I tweeted FGW regarding how good I thought the TM was. I wasn't the first though as I saw at least one other passenger tweeted before me how great she was.

No I wasn't. I did see him though.

I was the one in the flatcap on the opposite platform shouting to the catering crew thought the window!

I did notice it was a coach short. There's a few of them running round today.

I did see somebody shouting to somebody but didn't know who at.

Have you been taking fashion advise from Bignosemac?  :D ;D

I was stood only a few feet away from you last night then, as I was chatting to the TM doing the shunt on the up train at EXD.

I was in Coach B, seat 4 I think. I'm guessing you were the chap stood in the vestibule between coach A and B?

Seems like there were a few Coffee Shop 'brief encounters' last night and this morning then?  ;D

No, I was on the platform.

Trevor and Celia actually met though, BNM!

(I amazed a lady travelling to Carnforth this week when I asked if she was going to meet Trevor; it's not that uncommon knowledge is it?)

No he has far more street cred than me.  ;D