Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm on the 06:00 from Paddington to Penzance, at the platform at Totnes, train manager's advice 'At least an hour' and a few of the passengers departing in taxis. He's released the train doors and promises to round everyone up should we be able to move again. The cafe in the signalbox beckons...

Mark

A body on the line near Tavistock Junction sadly.

Could be lengthy disruption as it isn't clear how the body came to be there.

Thanks for the additional information. Thoughts with those affected.

Mark

Wondering if 9 carriage ieps can shut down all engines save one to power the carriages during a lengthy stand, also, where, west of Exeter, can it be refueled.

Mark

They will keep two running to provide power to all nice coaches.  The fuel range is sufficient to not be a problem unless it was very low already or it can’t visit a refuelling location within a couple of days.

Thank you.   Sorry - love the typo.  That's the one and a half first class carriages right  ;D ;D

The nice coaches aren't neccessarily the first class ones - they're often the carriages carrying the greatest number of coffeeshop readers.

Mark

Taxi from Totnes. Now on a nine carriage set at Plymouth, departure time uncertain. Awaiting a train manager. Also, the service isn't on Realtimetrains.

Mark

Arrived into a traffic-choked and gloomy-skied Penzance a bit before four, someone playing a game of 'Foul the box junction' and various drivers either weeping silently or leaning on their car horns as the rain fell. The traffic clearing, on to a bus, previously, A couple of years back, Optares were put on the route to Mousehole. Now, they're using something rather smaller (and very much capacity constrained).

Finally, the morning brought the sun, (along with the occasional wild downpour). Thoughts, still, with the person who didn't see this new day.

Mark

Interesting taxis were supplied at Totnes.
GWR pretty quickly had acceptance in place with stagecoach on relevant local buses.
Theres a half hourly bus service between Totnes and Plymouth. First one off Totnes to Plymouth is just after 6 last one late evening on a Saturday- they run later on a Saturday than weekdays on that route!

According to Google Streetview, 5 minutes to traverse between the station and bus stop, and given the lack of space on pavements there, for mass transit purposes they'd probably have people at risk from that busy road. Buses would need to come to the station frontage perhaps - there were buses coming in there, but only the Salcombe ones perhaps.

Mark

*Totnessians + Google Streetview not a good mix apparently. That image not easy to describe, probably needs to be seen**.

** (Should never be seen...)

https://tinyurl.com/yhw3457v (https://tinyurl.com/yhw3457v)

On the same google view, rotate by about 90 degrees clockwise....what is going on?

https://tinyurl.com/55renkrr

Teenager mooning at the streetview camera. Friends finding it hilaaaarious... sigh.

Mark

Probably 2 mins in reality, the bus stop is across the road at the pedestrian stop from the station approach road. The bus will be limited to 80-90 passengers depending on the model of bus. Not great for 100s piling  off the train

Don't some buses take a few more?

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/threebytwobus.jpg)

Like to see that turn right or left!

I'd be more concerned about the pair on the traffic island.

Mind you there has been worse....
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-32157624 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-32157624)

I think Grahame has hit on the Ideal solution for Extending HS2 to Manchester. Convert Old Oak-Solihull to a guided busway and then run via an extension of the underused Midland Toll Motorway to Manchester.

On the gold route we have Scania e400 (15*** fleet numbers) which are total capacity of 80 something, and ADL e400mmc (10*** fleet numbers) which are total capacity 105.

Total capacity stated is combined seated plus standing

Checking how returning Tuesday evening would have worked out. Not well, as it happens, as Tuesday's 17:50 up from Cornwall was delayed by trespassers, ran about 90 minutes late (and passengers to London experienced it terminating at Reading at 00:50).

Also, this morning's train down to Cornwall was terminated at Plymouth, and there looks to have been at least a couple of hours before trains restarted from there. With the sleeper failing west of Truro, there's presumably a good reason why a reduced service couldn't have run to serve stations Plymouth - Truro.

Mark

Credit to GWR, for the 5th July outbound journey that produced a 4 hour plus late arrival, after working through their systems, they've put the 100% delay repay refund through very quickly.

They weren't so motivated to provide redress for the pfaffing about with catering on the return trip, which as long as that was a one off is fair enough.

It's not easy to understand how catering's now organised for long distance services to and from Cornwall. It appeared that in this case, supplies for the entire train had been loaded at Plymouth into the kitchen at the front and either the train had no trollies aboard or a member of the crew didn't have the equipment/was unwilling to take it to the opposite end.

Mark