Great Western Coffee Shop

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7322399.stm


You can take your surfboard but not your bike!  At least some decent capacity for the Newquay line in the summer again, not sure if these are 'Hire ins' again or whether they will utilise the HST's that Cross Country is getting soon.

Good news, I expect they won't be hire-ins. Shame there aren't enough HSTs to completely replaces the Voyagers!!

But isn't the service dreadfully slow (25 mph on the branch for example)?

Come on Network Rail, shut down the branch for a fortnight and rebuild it as 75 mph!

-----

What about London to Newquay HSTs? Won't the branch be a little congested?

London trains should be 0805 and 1135 services as per last year.

There's a Newquay to Padd in 4 1/2 hrs this summer, think its the 1122 Nqy-Pad, calls at Nqy,Par,Ply,Exd,Rdg,Pad.

Still don't understand why they choose to serve Par over Bodmin & Liskeard

Going back to the article, isnt Surfers Against Sewage a wonderful name for a campaign  ;D

So people can change for going west, the Newquay trains are F&S leaving Newquay so you don't want yet more passengers joining at Bod and Lsk!!!!

True

The BBC make it sound like summer saturday HST serrvices to Newquay are something new! they've been running for years!

I thought that and was under the impression they were on about weekday XC services - which wouldn't go amiss!

Reading the XC press release, you could be forgiven for thinking that HST services were new. Really not sure where their press office got 1986 from.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/SiteImages/Assets/3/More_XC_seats_for_holidaymakers_27-03-08.pdf

Two of the trains will be hired in from National Express East Coast, the other two are from the five to be used by XC. They are ex-Midland Mainline and will be used unrefurbished over the summer, before overhaul in time for the December timetable change.

What is it with this "refurbishment" nonsense.

XC- just get your 5 HSTs and slap 'em on the rails now!

Ok - apply your livery. Do some necessary electrical work. But do not rip out table, buffet cars, luggage space etc! Just leave them, andstart the services (not to mention the double formation voyagers, which will result from this; which for commuters, will be just as welcome!

Good point. The ex-MML sets were only recently refurbed but the ex-Virgin Mk3s would need work on them before entering service. They also need a lot of work on their electrics to allow them to be operated with HST power cars as they are on a different power system to diesel/electric locos.

I remember the days when a 47 had to haul HST stock on the GWML in lieu of HST power cars, that it had to have a generator carriage to provide the carriages with power.

A good point XC.

Please do not 'upgrade' the internal layout of the Mk 3s.

Do not whatever happens make them like the appalling FGW HST upgrades.

They used to be wonderful vehicles to travel in.

Main Difference between HST and Loco Hauled MKIII Coaches are the electric systems,

HST  MKIII 415volt 3phase AC.

Loco MKIII 850volt AC/1000 volt DC SINGLE PHASE.

This means a Total Rewire to convert.

That BBC news report is making things sound better than they actually are anyway:

Well its one train running Manchester - Newquay - Manchester.


Incorrect one set runs Plymouth - Newquay - Newcastle, other set runs Newcastle - Newquay - Plymouth.

So as the past 10 or so years Newquay only has two long distance cross country departures, one to Newcastle and one to Manchester. Journalisim eh......

Same as this year then  ;D

i can never understand why people want to take there bikes on the train. they should be riding them!  :'(

They say in the press release, that Surf Boards will be placed in the front power car.

Why can't bikes be put in the rear power car and/or the guards' van? ???

The front power car will always be on the platform at Newquay ;) - the TGS may not be able to, nor may the rear power car!

Saves the problem with crowding.

Newquay platform will EASILY accomodate a full HST, its the longest platform in Cornwall used to take a loco plus 13 mark ones......

*relooks at Quail*

*looks again*

*looks again*

Doh, blind. Thought it said 3 for a second.... it actually says 13.  :-[

I'm sure it's still to do with the crowding problems that could result though!

the FGW services used to have an extra TGS put on the rear of the Newquay services in the summer and th whole coach was used for luggage, no problems then with crowding!

vacman, where was that put in the formation? Against the other TGS back to back or at the entire other end of the formation? I would assume the TGS would be set next to the other one but I'm not going to risk a guess. Must admit it's quite an inventive idea. Sounds like something Grand Central could do as all their safety critical equipment is in the buffet coach whatever that's identified as now...

The 2+9 HSTs that FGW ran had a TGS each end with the TGS at the FC end used purely for lugguage.

Newquay platform is massive, sadly the trains are not big enough with luggage litterally piling up in the vestiable asking for trouble, particularly on a weekday, when forming a peak hour train from Plymouth. Doh.

Better than a 153!!!!

So basically, FGW could use the power cars/another guards van, but they are not!

Banning bikes and making people cram luggage onto the overhead racks is a lot easier.... >:(

No this is Cross Country HST's not FGW's.

Whoops! Ok, imagine my comment with XC instead of FGW.

Same point.

There is no point for tourist taking bicycles on holiday in Newquay.
If one took them then the whole family would need to.
That would be about 4 per family, which a HST couldn't take, might as well say none.

One small point about Newquay platform is that it's the longest in Cornwall, (and IIRC longer than any in Devon) so Rear Power Car is on the Platform.

Exeter Central?