Great Western Coffee Shop

As far as I'm aware not all are being taken out of service. I believe it's a gradual reduction until March when they should then all be taken out.

Could be wrong.

yep final 180 service in march

The 15.51 will not be a fun train to use as a result of this set swop. There may be even more Adelantes out there than redskin125 suggests, as the 05.42 HST from Hereford was apparently terminated at Didcot. It was running 40 or so late at Oxford with a faulty train.

More Ola Adelante than Adios Adelante in these parts today....

FGW website at 1pm

12:21 London Paddington to Oxford due 13:18
This train will run short formed with 5 carriages.
13:21 London Paddington to Oxford due 14:18
This train will run short formed with 5 carriages.
14:30 Oxford to London Paddington due 15:28
This train will run short formed with 5 carriages.
15:30 Oxford to London Paddington due 16:27
This train will run short formed with 5 carriages.
15:51 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 18:09
This train will run short formed with 5 carriages.

The 15.51 will not be a fun train to use as a result of this set swop. There may be even more Adelantes out there than redskin125 suggests, as the 05.42 HST from Hereford was apparently terminated at Didcot. It was running 40 or so late at Oxford with a faulty train.

Scheduled turns appear to still include the 05.42 London-Worcester and 08.37 return - at least it was an Adelante this morning when I used it into Oxford.

Bear in mind that that only makes up two diagrams

At least one diagram today was a scratch rake of anything that would move, as the 07.51 London to Malvern was apparently operated by a set made up of four open firsts and three open standards.

Probably was running with a TGS and buffet, but you get the idea. Not exactly high-density anyway. I didn't actually see it myself.

...as the 05.42 HST from Hereford was apparently terminated at Didcot. It was running 40 or so late at Oxford with a faulty train.

An HST cannot operate without a TGS due to the fact this vehicle contains essential safety equipment

No thanks for running 2 days worth of services with it, just a curt reminder from 'senior' management not to do it again.

HST's have to run with a TGS, whether the vehicle is in or out of passenger use. I had an HST running for 2 day's without a TGS, having arranged for all the equipment carried in it to be transferred to the staff closet in the buffet car. No thanks for running 2 days worth of services with it, just a curt reminder from 'senior' management not to do it again.

I think you must be mistaken about HST sets running around minus the TGS, to put it simply this coach is fundamental to the operation of the CDL System so without a major rewire it aint possible

Wots TGS?

HST's have to run with a TGS, whether the vehicle is in or out of passenger use. I had an HST running for 2 day's without a TGS, having arranged for all the equipment carried in it to be transferred to the staff closet in the buffet car. No thanks for running 2 days worth of services with it, just a curt reminder from 'senior' management not to do it again.

Trailer Guard Standard

That coach that is nowhere near First Class that the guards little hidey-hole is ;)

They usually hide in the buffet

because whilst running out of London they need to be towards the rear of the train to despatch

because whilst running out of London they need to be towards the rear of the train to despatch

Well you know, it's not as lonely in the buffet with the customer host.

If I was a train manager I wouldn't want to stay in the TGS either.

Agreed, Mookiemoo: In my humble opinion -

1. Safety equipment (and indeed the train manager/guard's cabin) is probably better located in the middle of the train (away from front or rear impact collisions, for example);

2. It would indeed be stupid to remove the buffet carriages - restyle them, maybe, with standard seats in reverse format, but do not remove them!

 ;)

1. Are any staying with FGW?

2. Are Arriva Trains Wales taking any or not?

3. Are Hull Trains talking any?

FGW are keeping three 180's for Cotswold line work, 2 diagrams apparently, thats from May onwards though so they may all go into store for a while.

And what will happen to the 3 HST?

Surely it only releases 2 HST diagrams? I understand summer Newquay is going to run for longer this year, so that's one set. Could usefully use another to make London-Weston half hourly in the evening peak, but I expect there are other causes equally as worthy.       

So, if HT take on 2, and FGW keep 3, that leaves 9.  That will nicely provide enough units (with cover) to meet the WAG's stated intent to provide an hourly North-South Wales service from December. And with a mini-cascade a few 150s drop off the bottom and voila, FGW has its 5 units. It's all making sense now.

The only bit that doesn't quite make sense is that if I were ATW I would let a few pacers drop off the end of the cascade, but maybe there's a bit of industry cooperation to ensure that FGW get something half decent.

If this is correct, then compare and contrast the North & West route with Cardiff-Portsmouth. They are very similar in history, both had 7 or 8 trains a day of Class 33 + Mk 1 stock in the 80s. Both became hourly with the introduction of Class 158s in the late 80s. Now one will have moved to a half hourly service with Adelantes and Class 175s..... and the other will have clawed its way back to 3 car 158s. Admittedly it will be a bit political. There's not quite the same political will to link Cardiff and Portsmouth as there is Cardiff and Holyhead. Though the traffic potential of the latter route is much greater given the centres of poulation en route. 

Fair comment Vacman, though there is a difference between ATW which is constantly adding to its fleet and FGW, which hasn't been. If you add to your fleet, then the trains may be old but at least you haven't taken away anything which you currently have, and you have some more besides. If you reduce your fleet, or swap 158s for 142s, then you are (rightly) more exposed to the BBC talking about bringing back old trains.

Having tried an ATW Class 150 on the long journey from Central to Queen St on Saturday, I preferred them to the refurbed FGW 150s. Warmer feel to them, instead of the ice blue walls and deep blue seats of FGW units. Still, this is getting off topic for the subject of Adelantes... whoops! 

I have to admit that a warm 150 has to win over a freezing 158 at 06.00 any day.

A ride home on 180 tonight  - 17.04 Reading to Exeter St Davids. Saw several passing through Reading while I was waiting.

A ride home on 180 tonight  - 17.04 Reading to Exeter St Davids. Saw several passing through Reading while I was waiting.

Welcome to the forum, amiddl.

Several adelantes?

So what^s all the moaning about, I hear you ask? Well, let me tell you: once a week, I travel into work late having dropped my daughters off at nursery and primary school, in that order. Now before the days of the timetable reshuffle, I could catch the 9.06am from Chippenham to Swindon and then change onto a Welsh HST heading for the Big Smoke, or I could catch the 9.25am HST from Chippenham. But, alas, that nice little routine has been rent asunder by the timetable planners in FGW^s Swindon bunker.

The 9.06am is no more: it is bereft of life, gone to meet its maker, it has ceased to be. And the 9.25am? Nightmare of nightmares, it has been adelanted! (Note to self: contact Oxford English Dictionary to see if it^s feasible to register ^adelante^ as a new verb as in ^to adelante^ meaning to drastically reduce in size and cram full of things. For example: ^Gosh, I^d love to adelante your garden!^ or ^When did you get your wardrobe adelanted? Also consider secondary meaning: to set a large tank of diesel on fire.)

The upshot of all of this is that now, when the 9.25am Adelante pulls into Chippenham, being just five carriages rather than eight, it is already standing room only having started its journey at Weston Super Mare. From Chippenham to Paddington it^s a matter of finding a corner to wedge yourself in upright ^ and it^s not even peak time!

I dropped a complaint to FGW^s customer service team about this and received the usual whitewash back, but was particularly struck by one particularly choice phrase. I quote:

^We believe that customers who board a crowded train are telling us that they would rather stand on the train than wait for the next service.^

What planet are FGW customer services staff on? I board a crowded train because generally I have no choice. I^m already running late and simply can^t hang around waiting 30 minutes for another service which may, or may not, have some seats free. I would much rather sit in the station caf^ or just go home again, but I doubt my colleagues at work would be very impressed.

The only suggestion FGW customer services could make was that I should reserve a seat at a price of ^5. You know what I have to say about that? They must be adelanted!

Quote from Economy Klaus (link below) :
http://firstlatewestern.blogspot.com/2008/02/youve-been-adelanted.html

He also said that the trolley services had been canned for the moment and buffet cars reinstated because of an accident in which one fell over.

LOL.
Methinks they may be compensation to people who got burnt by boiling hot water being poured over them.

Excellent. For once I hope someone DOES SUE, and stamp out this HST trolley nonsense!  ;)

Normally, I hate this "compensation culture" the USAns have given us.  >:(