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I have copied this from my post in H-o-W. FGW fleet - take notes!!!

There are 7 diagrams on the line. I am going to keep 1 spare for maitenance. So 8units are needed.

So, 158760-67 could be the base units. Remember 158798 is allready 3 car. So:

52760   57760
52761   57761
52762   57762
52763   57763
52764   57764
52765   57765
52766   57766
52767   57767
are the 158's then you would add 1 car to each:

52760   57760   52768
52761   57761   57768
52762   57762   52769
52763   57763   57769
52764   57764   52771
52765   57765   57771
52766   57766   52776
52767   57767   57776

That leaves: 158745/6/7/8/9/50/51/78. Enough to cover the Brightons and other stuff like Malverns.

However, it may be needed for 762 not to be included, due to it having richmond seats.

I think the Richmond ones should be split up. Give each of the 3-car units 2 cars with the nice seats and 1 with Richmond, that way the other 158's can have nice seats as well.
As for one of the other 158's, surely one will be BTM-PNZ.

I disagree, I think that would only get confusing!

Those figures are looking worrying and I can't see 1F27 being popular at 3v4!

Well, 1 could do the 06.52 diagram. Also, 2 needed on the Brighton and 2 others on GMV.....

Others are probably better informed diagramme wise than myself, but I was also wondering about the current Bristol 17.22. If not all were to become 3 car can diagramming still allow the 4 car to remain, or would that leave some over full 2 car diagrammes elswhere in the day?

Although to be honest the 17.22 is rarely excessive except on a Friday.

I am told that there may be solutions available to allow the 1722 to remain 4-coach.

Many of the current 2-coach Cardiff-Portsmouth trains are full during the day now, and I think universal off-peak 3-coach is required, both to counter this, and to provide for growth.

I have seen some very busy 1722's on other days of the week.

Easiest solution would be to stop the 17.30 Bristol-Paddington at Oldfield Park then running a 3-car 17.22 would more than cover things. Lee is right, the 17.22 is a very busy train.

It may well be a 3 car 158+153???? with the 153 coming off at WSB or something??

Todays 13.30 from Cardiff to Portsmouth was 4 carriages with 1 ex TPE 158 and 1 ex Wessex 150.

Todays 16.30 from Cardiff to Portsmouth was 2 carriages with 1 ex TPE 158. This train looked to be quite full but not overcrowded at Cardiff.

The 13.22 from Portsmouth to Cardiff was also an ex TPE 158.

16.30 would of packed out from Bristol, but I *think* it became 4.

Oopdate.

158751 and 158761 are allegedly now not in TRUST - replaced by the 3-car units which will be in the series 158950 through to 158959.

158950 is shown as 57751, 52761 and 57761.
158951 is shown as xxxxx, 52751 and xxxxx at present (ie, only one coach shown in formation!)

Tom

Interesting. IIRC 158751 was an ex-Wessex units, was it one of the three car units then?

Yep!

Did the 10.22 Pompey - CAridff today.

798 was on Weymouths!

Well it is a bank holiday weekend so good to see FGW running extra capacity on the Weymouth line even though its more like winter out there! There has been much debate in the media about the timing of Easter and having it at a fixed time of year. I suggest June or July would be a good time to have it so at least if the weather is good people can get out enjoy it more  :)

Despite it actually not existing.  ???

Timmer any chance you are forgetting what Easter Weekend is related to :P

For reference purposes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter

You what?

It ran throughout bang to time.

And here she is...

http://southwest-railways.50webs.com/158950.htm

Not at all Ollie.

Sorry, I thought it ran as 158751 not 950. This is brilliant news though, I take it this was compensated by the Arriva 150's which we have received early.

158 refurb and Arriva were on a jolly to Ports today along with a very comfortable on a Weymouth ;)

Meanwhile the 1630 CDF-PMH was 2 car and rather busy  :-\

The other Arriva unit formed a 4-car 150 combo on the 06:52 BTM-PNZ.