Great Western Coffee Shop

Saw LMS 6201 Princess Elizabeth at Acton sidings this morning - anyone know what service that was running today? Just when I thought it couldn't get any more interesting an empty HST with PAD destination stickers cane through on platform 4 very slowly, then eventually our train (6:08) arrived on the same platform - 14 minutes late

Anyone know the reason for the slow running HST and the delay to our service? Couldn't find any information on it, Only info I could find was problems with signals between Reading and Guildford. 

(EDIT: Forgot to mention the Princess Elizabeth had a West Coast Railways loco attached to it as well!) 

http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t10/t0325a.htm

Thanks Moonrakerz, I must bookmark that site, it has been a help before!

At a VERY, VERY wet Bath Spa this afternoon, 45 mins late, reportedly due to watering/brake problems - I think it was just waiting for the cloudburst to arrive !   :-\

(http://i42.tinypic.com/iyhdap.jpg)

Awaiting a driver at Reading for the HST service is the only possible reason I can find - not sure quite how that could have such an impact on your train into London, but there we go!  The HST was an empty service from Reading to Old Oak Common HST depot, and I would guess it was a failure from late the previous evening as that would explain it still having destination labels up despite being ECS - that would also explain why it passed Acton Main Line up relief line platform slowly as it would be checked down to cross at Friars Junction to gain access to the depot.

Hmm ... I was at Green Park (that's the LMS station, right?) ... just saw a load of cars ...

Ummm, Errr......... didn't anyone tell you ?

(Actually there was an old Green Park man at Bath Spa today, he did say that this particular class wasn't allowed into Green Park - too heavy, too wide, too long......)

That would figure - Green Park was where the Midland Line from Mangotsfield terminated in Bath, and the Somerset and Dorset to Bournemouth started. Not so sure about weight restrictions on the Mangotsfield to Bath section (in fact, the bridges on that line were replaced with more substantial structures in the 1930s so that regular cavalcades of locomotives could run from Green Park MPD to Mangotsfield to be turned) but the S&D was certainly quite restricted in the size of locomotive that was allowed over it.

Good atmospheric photo, by the way, moonrakerz!  :)

That's not 'atmospheric'. It's steam locomotion!!

 :P ;) :D

Rats! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel#Brunel.27s_.22atmospheric_caper.22)  ;D ;D ;D

A word of praise for one of the FGW drivers. We were all getting a little despondent as to when, or if, the train would ever arrive The power car of a Bristol bound HST stopped opposite us, the driver got out of his seat, opened his "offside" door and shouted across: "it's about 5 minutes behind me".

 ;D

One wonders what FGW's 'Live Updates' would say regarding delays cause by rodents eating the infrastructure!

 ;D

http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/pic_bath_green_park_002.html