Great Western Coffee Shop

Hi,

I've just got back from a trip up to Penrith from Reading (XC Voyager Reading to Man Picc and then TransPenn Man Picc to Penrith).

I was delighted that my journeys there and back went smoothly with one exception on each journey on the same piece of track.

I noticed on our outward journey from Reading that we were on the relief line up to Didcot seemingly stuck behind a local service whilst FGW HST one after another passed us on the main line.  We arrived about 10minutes late at our first stop at Oxford.

Then on the way back with no hold ups anywhere after passing Didcot we were again put on the relief line and had a halting journey all the way to Reading whilst several FGW HSTs passed us by with us arriving late at Reading.

The thing is is that it wasn't for about 10minutes that any train passed us on the way back which makes me wonder why the XC Voyager couldn't have been put on the main line instead.

Does anyone know if there is a policy to keep the XC trains off the main line in that area so that the FGW HSTs aren't held up?

Thanks,

Boppy.

P.S.  I did have a look at the other forums and wasn't sure where to post this.  Also apologies if this is a known/already debated subject!

Most Voyagers are booked to use the relief lines, I presume there are clashes at Reading which mean the Reliefs are easier to use. Besides; Swindon B (The Panel that controls Didcot) uses ARS which sets routes as per the timetable automatically.

Hi,

Thanks for the prompt reply!

Boppy.

Yes, thanks, d_m!  ;)

Something occurs to me, in light of your post.

I was on the XC Voyager 0846 from Nailsea & Backwell to Durham (well, it goes there eventually!) this morning, and I noticed that, yet again, we went up the relief past Bedminster.  There was no apparent reason for this - we were on time, there was no goods train in evidence and FGW services were either a quarter of an hour ahead or a quarter of an hour behind us.

Is it policy to just put any XC trains off the main line whenever possible??

 ???

Completly the oposite for Plymouth-Edigburgh services they are headcode 9 giving them special priority.

Yes I noticed that this morning. I suppose we can't be sure that the preceding train wasn't held for some reason at Bedminster, but I sometimes get the feeling they do it for the variety. I estimate it loses about a minute because of the approach controlling at Long Ashton, and of the braking down to around 20mph and need to accelerate wastes energy as well.

Thanks, John!

That's my theory too, actually - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2050.msg15798#msg15798  ::) ;D

To most siggies class 9 means "ok, it's a CrossCountry, if they've lost their path, let's put them behind stoppers to wind Beardy!"

If the Voyagers are booked to go on the relief lines, how come Boppy's trains became late - surely XC would have enough slack? ???

That's what I was wondering .. but I am thinking that as we did arrive at the final destintaion Man Picc on the way out on time then this kind of delay is just catered for in the slack.  I am guessing that maybe on the way back the XC also maybe caught up it's 10minutes on the way to Guildford which was it's final destination.

If the delay though is caused by a late running preceding train on the relief is there the option for the XC to be switched to the main?  Or is it designed so that the XC is expected to catch up on time elsewhere so just always stays on the relief.

Thanks,

Boppy.

Late turbo no doubt

From my mailbox ...

Grahame

The experience related is not unusual. Snooker Junction (colour after red) didn't get it's name for nothing.

Reading panel was always a law unto itself even in the 80s when I travelled from Taplow to Reading. One of the problems being that the layout has too many conflicting moves so in a real time situation the signalman has to make a decison as to which trains  to let into/out of the station and which to hold outside. As the running of trains is never consistent to the split second they sometimes make what seem bizarre decisons. However, without knowing the position and running of every train at the precise time the decision is made it is difficult to know whether it was the right one.

Coming the  other way Swindon B has control with ARS. As far as I know ARS doesn't have hindsight. Therefore, if a late running stopper is  on the Up Relief ARS will route the following XC onto the Up Relief as well as booked. The signalman would, therefore, have to switch off ARS for the Up Oxford and route the XC over to the mainline. Looking at the timetable this sceanario is more likely to be a late running XC 15/43 that has followed the ontime stopper 21/55  from Oxford. However, the signalman would still have to intervene. Hopefully I can check this on Friday.

The question of ATP is not relevant Vomiters can run Main or Relief as can Turbos also not ATP fitted. The Brightons were on the main at Taplow this am.