Great Western Coffee Shop

It came up on another thread that traincrews have been informed in writing that Weymouth services will not be strengthened this summer.  That would suggest that First communicate with frontline staff and that is a bit unrealistic!

All we've had is copies of the diagrams for the timetable changes from mid-May to mid-July and they certainly don't show any planned strengthening - at least for Westbury crewed trains.  Perhaps there will be some for the summer holidays.  If not, I shall have my letter of resignation in my pocket to fax to control and the taxi fare home in my pocket ;D

I had a conversation with a senior control manager in January and as an ex-Wessex man he said he was seriously worried about First's lack of planning for the summer timetable stress points.  I was recently in a position to pass on my concerns at Director level about the Weymouth and Portsmouth-Cardiff summer peaks.  I pointed out that Wessex had been forced to heavily strengthen these services in the past and their experience should not be ignored or we will have very serious problems.  My comments were taken seriously and noted, but whether or not it is too late we shall have to see.

I'd forgotten Glastonbury - but that will be the next big problem that Wessex had learnt to cope with but FGW probably hasn't considered :-[

Westbury crew only have 2 Weymouth turns now IIRC, maybee even 1!

The 1 that springs to mind is 1704 Bristol (1600 from Cardiff) - Weymouth & 1959 Weymouth Westbury (To Bristol)

Saturdays they have a 0653 Westbury Weymouth but I don't know what happens on the end of that

This Easter weekend will give us a tast of what's in store for Weymouth.  Thursday evening was very busy, apparently and coaches had to be used to strengthen the two car 1721.  Yesterday - Good Friday was a lovely day, if a bit chilly for the beach.  FGW had prepared an amended diagram to use a four-car for the 1721 but due to coupling problems at Westbury it didn't happen.  At least they had the foresight to pre-order coaches so the two-car 1721 left full and standing and they used two coaches for back-up.  The 1958 was very quiet.  The SWT staff at Weymouth are very concerned and have made representations to FGW saying that they can't cope with shortformed services.  It's not fair on them to be left with hundreds of angry and abusive passengers that are not even theirs!

The only thing I saw on the 1958 (when I got on it at Westbury was half a beech on the floor :P O and a few passengers!

I understand that FGW are planning to stregthen the Cornish branch lines this summer by deferring refurbishment work on units until after the height of summer - allowing (for example) a 4 car train rather than a single coach on the St Ives line.  I'm not sure if those extra resources are all being put into Cornwall where the local authorities seem to work well with First, or whether some will make it onto the Weymouth line which runs through areas such as Wiltshire, where the County Council seems to be more interested in building new roads that using the rail resources it's already got.

^Bad example there, Looe can only take 2 coaches

My post seems to have been mis-understood on several counts (email and here).   I'm not suggesting that the Looe line would of could be strengthened to the same extent as St Ives, nor that the St Ives doesn't need 4 coaches - it utterly DOES in the summer, I understand.

I contended that summer strengthening is need down in Cornwall, and also elsewhere - Weymouth comes to mind.  I was asking if there were enough extra resources being generated by maintainance being deferred to cover the whole seasonal extra need.

Indeed Looe can only take two cars, but a 153 seemed to cope last summer, and this summer FGW are putting back the hourly service (which was removed in December) so it wont need strengthening. St.Ives will NEED to be 4 cars or chaos will ensure.

Wessex have always hired in two extra 2 car units for the summer peak (off CT). Surely FGW could do the same off Central or maybe even Arriva? If not Cotswold Rail (who already do alot of work for FGW moving power cars to Loughborough for MTU fittment) could more than likely provide a loco hauled rake for the Weymouths??? Or theres always the stored 153/158 at Eastleigh??

Loco Haulage I would doubt, even though I would love it to happen, as chances are they would need to trian most the drivers on the loco, if they use in house drivers, as much as I would love it to happen, I doubt it

I don't thinmk they ever hired 2 CT 158's  during the summer, the 1's that we had last year had been on hire for 6 months, the only reason they went was vbecuase Nat Ex wanted them back.

Yes, St Ives does need 4 car, along with Newquay for all the IroningSurf boards!

Portsmouth - Cardiff NEEDS 3 CAR ALL YEAR, but it did seem to cope with 3 car last year

 You may have to stop doubting!! Look out for 'proper' trains in the peak 9 weeks.

I have my hopes, but m doubts are bigger! But they will need to do something!

Sorry to come in on this subject , but there is a real possibility , not just rumour , that there will be loco hauled trains between Bristol and Weymouth for nine weeks of the summer service. They are in the advanced planning stages to run a train a day , 7 days a week between Bristol and Weymouth using 47's and coaching stock ! If it happens it happens, if it doesn't , it wasn't through lack of trying !!


pete

Fair enough. It wasn't that I didn't belive Scooby, but I just didn't seem the likelyhood off it, but it would seem as though you may be right, as it is not the 1st time I have heard this now. Look forowrd to the confirmatiion though ;D

Cheers

James

Why not hire some Mk2s and use a fGW class 57! There are plenty spare.

1 spare

Lets hope, if this is true, that it does work out. Would be a bit like old times a 47 operating on this route again. Certainly a more powerful and reliable piece of traction to use. The 31s a few years back really struggled to keep to the timetable but the power of a 47 should give a better performance. Certainly get FGW back in my good books again for now at least.

Whistleblower, anyone mutterings about this amongst your colleagues?

But I prefer 31's :P

I think you'll find that the work maybe "sub-contracted" out to another operating company !!

Pete

More than likely, but with 8 weeks? till the start, they will need to use there drivers as well

Oh frigging hell :(

(Front door operation for small platforms, drawing the guard's van forward for bikes or push chairs, guards van operation for the short Castle Cary platform 3, hanging out the window in the pouring rain waving a red lamp to tell the driver to stop at request stops...please have mercy  :'()

Haven't heard of this one.  The only conductors trained on coaching stock are at Westbury and most of the Weymouth turns are diagrammed for Bristol crews.  As Jim says, I doubt there are any drivers who have route knowledge and traction.  Several of the 31 drivers have left since we ran them.  To wet lease a train and crew for one round trip a day would be prohibitive.......wouldn't it?

I'll let you know if I hear anything (above the hysterical laughter ;D)

Of course, the man who brought in the 31s for Wessex as the ultimate solution to all their overcrowding problems is now Senior Controller, FGW West and is a rail enthusiast.............  Imagine a scenario where the board of directors suddenly find themselves in a total panic about Weymouth and turn to their most senior operations man and ask "What can we possibly do, Jon?" ;D

I'd better iron my green flag just in case.  One question - whenever the 31s moved anywhere there was always half a coach load of 'enthusiasts' on it (sometimes they would be the only passengers!).  Would 47s generate the same amount of people?  If so it might need extra strengthening!

As already suggested the crew (well drivers at least) will be hired in. Guess it could end up with FGW guards, at least for revenue, if not the whole job. Set should be top and tailed and spend the day at Weymouth running seven days a week for nine weeks. Its not just a rumor.

OK.  I've checked the date and it's not April 1st, so I'll have to accept that you guys are serious.

(Short break while whistleblower weeps into his coffee and thinks desperately of ways to get out of operating it).

Next thing to do is announce this news in Westbury mess room when I book on later. Looking forward to this bit ;D  If anybody has any more details before 1300 please post them to give me more ammunition.

I suppose there must be a more unsuitable line somewhere in the country for coaching stock trains, but I can't think of it............ ;D

Ummmm possibly but I don't think 47s have the same following as all the other old locos from yesteryear. Having said that, anything that consists of a loco and coaches will attract 'enthusiasts' because it is such a rarity nowadays...I may even take a trip on it!!! ;D

Be interesting to see what stock is used and whether or not FGW still have their rakes of MK2 stock down at Laira that could be used.

Well so far Whistleblower this is the only place that I've heard it but the posts on this site seem pretty definate about this happening I must say. I did ask if anyone knew on ukrailway last night but so far no one has replied, which is nothing new as you really have to pick the right topic on that site or say something provocative to get a reply.
Will be interesting to hear what the reaction is...if it's printable :o . Suggest waiting till everyone has finished their coffee first so they don't either spit it across the room or cry into it  ;)

Anyways hope you have good afternoon and if I hear or see anything I will of course post it on this site.


Good point but it's been this way since the days of steam. There just seems to be something about this line that loco and coaches just love and they just keep coming back for more. I do realise that to work them isnt as straightforward as a DMU set and you have my understanding on that one.

Thanks, Timmer.  Just off now to see if anybody's heard.  There will probably be some spotters on the platform - they might know!  I'll post tomorrow if I hear anything ;D

It seems to be fairly common knowledge now, trains to be provided by Riviera Trains as part of their 'charter allience' involving EWS who will provide the crew. Traction should be Riviera 47/8s, although EWS 37s have also been rumored. It is confirmed this WILL happen.

Brilliant! Whistleblower must be looking forowrd to working some PROPER trains  ;D

Maybe you won't need to iron your green flag after all Whistleblower. Jon Porter, who posts on ukrailway and looks to work for FGW, replied to my post saying 'No sorry' to this happening. All I will say is someone is wrong on this one and until I see something official either from FGW or in the railway press then I won't believe it. Does anyone have any links to sites where this is being discussed? We've seen rumours like this before and nothing has happened.

We will find out in a few weeks! The thing is I have not seen any of these rumours on "Railway gen groups" so Timmer could well be right, but only time will tell

 :( :'(

None of the Westbury crew had heard anything, but that's not surprising as nobody tells us anything anyway.  And as it's a BH weekend there are no managers within 20 miles of a railway station!  Using EWS drivers makes sense.  We worked out that there are about 8 drivers at Westbury who have experience on locos and, assuming they volunteered, they would need a conversion course.  Split over two shifts, I'm not sure it is enough to cover sickness, leave and all the other stuff that has to be covered.

Guards would be OK as most Westbury and all Weymouth conductors are trained.  But it might take a manager with a blunt instrument to get them on board!  Somebody suggested throwing a ^20 note into the guards van (on a bit of elastic) and slamming the door behind them might do the trick ;D

Weymouth are trained on LHCS are they, didn't know that!

I remember all the Westbury Guards hated working the 31's, excpet 1 or 2

Despite the 'doubters' this is 100% happening. It will not involve FGW crew in any way. The almost official comment is:

This is in effect a charter from Riviera, part of the attraction is that it saves us finding a crew as crew shortages rather than unit failures now the main reason for cancellations. Officially traction is EWS 37s, rather than the Riviera heritage fleet. The aim is to break even, which seems a tad ambitious, even if full of neds as well as the bucket & spade brigade. 

Thanks, Scooby, that's good enough for me.  The flags can stay screwed up at the bottom of the bag.  So I can now say:  What a good idea!  A perfect solution to the shortage of units and the peak Weymouth problem!

I might even go for a ride myself (yeah, right!  ;D) 

Well this will do me...looks very much like this is happening and well done to FGW for being brave to bring back loco and coaches to this very busy and popular line. I hope that FGW do at least get a return on their money on operating this service. Certainly improve their popularity if nothing else.

And good news for Whistleblower too as he doesnt have to work them. So cheers allround. Now all we need is a long hot summer to get the punters on board!

No, hope it is cloudy, because then there is no bucket & spade brigade

...and rubbish photos ;)

This really is good news, First Great Western doing something right! All it needs now is the same to happen to Portsmouth-Cardiff!

...Paignton might be nice too :p

Virgin Class 57 through Trowbridge this morning. Crew training?

Yep, but for the divorsionary route that VXC sign, nowt to do with this :P

Also required ... a service that's worth calling a service from Salisbury / Westbury / Trowbridge / Melksham to Chippenham and Swindon. Growth Rate according to the Rail Regulator - 35% per annum compound. Service ust last December - 60%.

I have heard it is confirmed by 2 people now, 0834 from Bristol 174X back from Weymouth

Anyone know the start date? Days operating? Limited stop between Bristol-Weymouth?

I belive SO, no clue on the stopping though

I heard that too. We have been looking at running some sort of special event from Melksham to Weymouth, and I approached FGW about starting the early train off Westbury back at Melksham for just one day;  I got a flat "No such specials AT ALL are being considered this summer", so we're looking instead into running a road trip to connect into it one day at Westbury, with connection back at Westbury by train to Melksham on the Sunday evening. 

Someone "in the know" said that we should go for a Saturday as we would be able to use the locohauled train.  Not practical, alas.  The current service from Westbury to Melksham on a Saturday concludes with a last train at (from memory) around 14:30, whereas on a Sunday the two trains of the day are both in the evening.  A very peculiar piece of timetabling indeed!

The loco hauled set will work for 8 Saturdays only, not sure when the first is but cant be far off. Works an additional 08:34 BTM to WEY and 17:49 WEY to BTM. Not sure on stops yet, would imagine limited.

Motive power will be top and tail EWS class 67s. A preview of this type of train will be seen later this week when two sets are used by FGW on Taunton and Swindon to Castle Cary shuttles for Glastonbury.

July's Modern Railways says it is due to run from 7th of July thru 25th of August with traction and times as above.

As good as the news is on this, I can't help thinking it may have been good to run this type of traction also during the school summer holidays as well. Not as an additional train but to replace either the 08.04 or 9.04 ex Bristol 150s/158s with this hired traction and the 17.21 return as I don't know if FGW have the spare stock to strenghen these services during this busy period on the line, I could be wrong!

I hope so because 2 car trains on these services won't be enough! In previous years the 8.34 ex Bristol used to run as two 150s or a 150/158 and the 9.34 ex Bristol used to be a 150 with a 153 bolted on. Anyone know if FGW have any plans to lengthen these trains over the summer holidays?

Right, I did the 1800 from Weymouth Sunday night, and got 4 car, along with the 0900 from Westbury, which was 4 car, the 2000 from Weymouth was 2 car

The 0834 which was the 09XX from Trowbridge, used to be 5 car at 1 point, that was between 37's running it & 31's running it, however I have only been to Weymouth twice since the 31's!

The 0934 was 3 car indeed, as the set used to do the 0714 Warminster - Filton via Dr Days curve, as opposed to via Bristol

5 coaches top and tailed by 67's were moving around BTM this morning on the way through, must be one of this lot.

http://www.tauntontrains.co.uk/NEWS-INFO.htm

Everybody seems be getting in on running more trains, if Butlins can do it why can't Wiltshire County Council.

http://www.butlinsmemories.com/forums/attachment.php?s=e7f9dd6fa2049ecd1b5e11313c71abc3&attachmentid=7985&d=1180456321

"Rail" claimed the Butlins trains were off

The 67's are indeed on Glast. ex's

The Butlins trains are 100% off.