Great Western Coffee Shop

So the 1630 Paddington to Taunton was 20 late into Swindon tonight, due to it being turned at Reading. A problem with the leading power car apparently. Presumably AWS, ATP or other similar safety feature.

Not come across that before. A couple of years ago I would have put good money on the set being taken out of service at Reading. Which wouldn't have been clever on a bank holiday Friday.

Presumably it used the Reading Triangle, running down to Reading DMU depot, then using the West Curve avoiding the station.

Amusing how it made up 17 minutes of delay minutes between Didcot and Taunton. On Time for the book!

It usually stands for 11 minutes at Temple Meads, 6 is booked and 5 is recovery time between Bath and Bristol. So not terribly surprising.

could have been broken windscreen or E70 Fault,..AWS ATP or TPWS Faults would usually result in the set being taken out of service

Hadn't spotted that. Simply used to pottering along between Bath and Bristol at the slow time of 15 minutes! Was re-assured to see a set did it in 9 minutes early. Somebody wanted to get home  :D

unless it went to laira after taunton

It is booked to work 5C22 19+33 Taunton - Laira afterwards.

I once had the pleasure of travelling all round the triangle at Didcot early one Sunday morning, on an HST set that arrived from Reading with the "low" horn tone on the front power car stuck on (we heard the train coming from a long way away, as I suspect did most of the good citizens of Didcot during their Sunday morning lie ins).

Possibly the only PAD - PNZ service ever to call at Didcot twice! We left some 50 minutes down but I remember thinking full marks to FGW for turning the train to solve the problem (at least until the set has to return from PNZ...) rather than simply taking the easy option and cancelling the service.

I had a friend travelling back to Bristol from London once who said he was delayed at Reading cause the lead power car had failed.  I told him they'll probably turn the train round the triangle and he was amazed when that's what they did.

Trains are regularly turned on the triangle at Reading, for the reasons already highlighted. It can only be done, of course, provided the driver and train manager both sign the route for the Reading West curve.

Not wanting to boast but I got the Maindee Traingle coming back from Cardiff  in BR days. We hit an obstruction on the line at Marshfiled which ruptured the fuel tank as I was in First travelling for work we were suddenly assailed by streaky windows and a smell of diesel through the air conditioning. When we got to Newport I can't remeber whether they annouced the train was going to be turned but we turned left towards Hereford and came back over the crossover and round the East Curve and off we went a few minutes late.

When we got to Reading it was very hazardous getting out as the footsteps were all greasy and the coach sides dripping with diesel.  This was before the unfortunate Maidenhead fire also caused by a ruptured fuel tank.

I also recall a TV programme on a day on the East Coast, in that they turned an HST set at Doncaster I think thear power car had failed and wasn't providing a/c.

Conversley the failure to turn an HST set might have contributed to Southall.

That would be BBC RailWatch, The exact video you mentioned is on YouTube somewhere for those who are interested ;D