Great Western Coffee Shop

I totally appreciate that it's not exactly going to be top priority, but 'for the record' the TransWilts services - 06:15 from Swindon and 07:02 from Westbury - are not running this morning and I'm suspecting the section from Trowbridge to Chippenham is abandoned to the weather.   Here in the middle of that section in Melksham, I have measured (again 'for the record') three inches of snow.

Next scheduled service ... 18:45 off Swindon ...

Frome also given summary execution. See:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4273.0 (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4273.0)

Abd the Buses were not running

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

Melksham station - picture forwarded to me / taken after the trains should have called (it's light!) but before midmorning (that's when I got it through).

Looks more like a case of won't run the trains than can't run the trains judging by this picture - I've seen a comment going around that the withdrawl of the Severn Beach services today was planned long before any snow fell, with folks wondering if it was seen as a good chance to do a bit of extra maintainance on the units during the day and allow the weather to take the blame.

Can anyone confirm with authority that the Severn Beach and TransWilts were indeed both blocked by snow to a level that it was impractical to clear them - (and thus clear the TOC of any thoughts the cynics might have of them using the weather as a convenient and incorrect excuse)?

Do you really think they will be spending time on train maintenance? :o ;)

Train crew on the cushions last night were reporting the cancellation of Severn Beach services before a flake of snow had fallen.

in the old days they used to have trains with ploughs on them (you may have seen an example on that bbc program that was on iplayer a few months ago) i realise that this would be too expencive to have on every route but do these still exist?

In the olden days the answer might have been "no" as it was all hands on deck and keep the trains running in bad weather.  These days, I suspect that a fully qualified FGW train repair person is not health and safety passed for clearing snow from points - which in any case is done by another company, nor does that engineer man the phones to customers. So to answer the question - yes, they might  ;)

Snow Ploughs.  I have seen them on the front of 153s - under the buffers - and I suspect that they could cope with the three to four inches that we had.  But again, I would welcome up to date information on this.

They aren't snow ploughs!

no there not snow ploughs, sorry i ment an actual unit with just the function of a snow plough

I meant generally, not just in bad weather times! ;) ;D

There are a number of issues here, and its not as simple as being the amount of snow on the tracks:

1) The staff have to get to the depot or siding to start the train and bring it into service - they need to get to work long before most of us wake up so travelling in the night may have been difficult...and they need to get home again after getting the train back to a depot;
2) The train engine or air system may have frozen if its been parked outside all night;
3) The platforms have to be cleaned so the platforms are not slippery when people get on or off the train - in the old days a stationmaster did this - these days it is a man in a van if he can get through the weather!;
4)  Similarly, Network Rail need signallers to turn up for work;
5)  The track and points need to be cleaned of snow and ice so they're not frozen and signalling works okay.

The small ploughs you see on diesel units or locomotives are obstacle deflectors not snowploughs! They are designed to stop debris or people from being dragged under the train and causing damage to air pipes and wheelsets.
 
When there were more locomotive-hauled trains there were quite a few snowploughs or snowblowers located at various places around the network in the 70's and 80's (I remember Reading was one of these). We used to have more harsh winters back then and they were used almost every year but then the climate chnaged and they spent years rusting away before most were scrapped. The only place where this kind of equipment still see regular use is of course in Scotland. A few images here -

(http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/308.jpg)

(http://www.derbysulzers.com/snow31117york.jpg)

It does seem that FGW have wussed out to a greater extent than anyone else.

It's been pretty snowy over this side of the Hafren but ATW have kept pretty much everything running.  But they're planning an unofficial drivers' strike on Sunday just to even it out.

Couple of interesting photos !

But looking at both of those devices, even allowing for the fact that they are in the "raised" position for transit, they would be of no use at all in the snow we have had this past week.
The snow has not been deep enough for either of them to function.!

The SNOW has not stopped the trains running !
What has stopped them is: lack of staff, fear of litigation, and finally - the "easier not-to-try" attitude, AND of course total unwillingness to do anything that might cause additional expense to the Company - overtime, diesel, electricity, foul weather clothing, etc, etc.

Yes - I agree with you / with that list.

I cannot speak for any other lines, but I can give you some answers with regard to the TransWilts:

1. The trains used on this line were both in service and staffed.   The unit on the 05:19 from Gloucester (that's the time of the first of the two trains scheduled southbound on the line!) did run to Swindon, where it waited to pick up the northbound diagram. The unit that would have been used from the northbound 07:02 from Westbury picked up the southbound service at 06:59 to Southampton

2. Same answer as (1)

3. It may be that the platform at Melksham had not been cleared; I wasn't there personally, but I was certainly out and about in Melksham and the snow was even and not deep.  I'm pretty certain that a man in a van could have got through

4. The line is signalled from boxes which were all open. 

5. The closed section was a length of single track, with other services running over the points at both ends.  The signalling is colour light - even in Melksham, they've moved forward beyond Abbotts Ripton

Whilst I agree with you on that list, I don't see that any of them actually should have applied in the case of this line / these services, and I remain somewhat leaning towards sharing the view:

both Melksham and part of the Severn beach line are important diversionary routes for main lines, part of me thinks that the powers that be may have wanted them on standby and clear if needed for diverting "big trains"???