Great Western Coffee Shop

Here's Helen's blog (Hi, Helen, I know you're posting) ....

http://www.ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com (http://www.ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com)

Hello
Good news! The "I Hate First Great Western" badges are now available, and they're free. Please e-mail a request to ihatefgw@yahoo.co.uk with your full name and address, and I'll get one, or several, out to you in the post.
Looking at the new timetable, it seems FGW is continuing to ignore its customers, so all we can do now is embarrass them into submission. Order a badge today, and wear it with pride!
Please also have a look at my blog for updates on the campaign.
www.ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com.
Many thanks,
Helen (IHateFGW)

Helen has very kindly given us a namecheck (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/08/actual-magic-happens.html

....and gets herself one in the Reading Evening Post (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/08/im-not-completely-bonkers-who-knew.html

An interview with Helen on BBC Oxford sparked a response from FGW which suggested that the company is always happy to listen to people's problems , and that it seemed that some people simply didn't want a constructive dialogue with them. She disagrees , and the link below has started an interesting debate.
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/08/you-want-to-talk-lets-talk.html

It is, but that doesn't mean it will do anything about them!  

True.  Looking wider (beyond FGW) I have come across a number of organstaions looking for customer feedback and consultation inputs over time.  The range from the "crockodile tears" of "We didn't really want your input - but thank you".  Through the "We have noted this and are sorry" which - sometimes - people just want to blow off.  And - it seems all too rare - "Good idea, we'll do that".

I run a business.  I solicit customer feedback - and I solicit constructive criticism. 

Most of the reviews we get of our hotel (http://www.wellhousemanor.co.uk) and our training courses (http://www.wellho.net) are positive - so positive that we call them "Torvill and Dean"s and they give a warm and fuzzy feeling, put a spring in the step and motivate.   But they do NOT help us step forward; they give us nothing to work on.

Reviews that say "have you thought of doing xxx" are great - MUCH more useful.  But very rarely do they give us new ideas; chances are that we have already heard in a number of times before, and that we have probably taken a careful look at the idea.  Sometimes it will just be impractical. Other times it would cost too much.  On further occasions we don't have the resources, or doing "xxx" would mean we would have to stop doing "yyy" and upset far more people.  And yet ... frustrating thought it might be for contributors, and much though they might feel they're not being taken seriously ... this input is so valuable.  We can and do pick up on fresh good ideas.  We do continue to review based on the weight of various requests and a changing balance and market can lead to a change in what we do.

When I was running the technical end of a software company, writing standard software for multiple customers, we had what I called a "WIBNIF" list - "Wouldn't it be nice if".   And onto that list we added ideas that came from ourselves and our customers.  For sure, some things got deleted quite quickly but ongoing it formed a major reservoir of forward looking thoughts for each new release - not only allowing us to plan the next release, but also to look multiple releases ahead and not put something in place that closed doors that clearly were required to open in a year or two's time.   I have always been very impressed by the FGW communications systems - they seem to all speak from the same hymn sheet (or word processor?) and I would be suprised if they didn't have a WIBNIF list too.

Helen will be interviewing a senior FGW manager in the next few days , and wants your input regarding questions (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/08/and-so-we-meet.html

Helen and an entertaining FGW Train Manager (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/09/dont-worry-be-amused-by-train-manager.html

Helen's latest posts can be found in the links below.
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/09/blame-children.html

http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/09/are-you-sitting-comfortably.html

Helen has now completed her move to a location near the Windsor - Slough branch line (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-am-now-considerably-posher-than-yow.html

Helen on bad behaviour by passengers and a request for protest ideas (link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/10/friday-night-is-fright-night.html

What can FGW do, there isn't really much!

FGW want their money back from Helen....(link below.)
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/10/oh-please-can-i-keep-it-please-please.html

Lots of trains have additional stops at Pangbourne today "due to safety checks having been made earlier". Can anyone explain this.

See this thread John ;D

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4399.0

willc has then explaination ;D

Thank you! At least I didn't post when the question and answer was already elsewhere!

From the FGW press release:

A relatively easy extension using land currently used for access to the track for maintenance gangs.  Good news as Pangbourne is usually very full come the end of the rush hour.  Nice to see FGW crowing about it in a press statement too.  I may be wrong, but I don't remember a similar press release when similar good news was announced regarding Stroud, Charlbury, Pershore and Radley a few months ago?

Possibly because Pangbourne is Mark Hopwood's station?

Surely they're all Mark Hopwood's stations?   ;)

Well actually if you on about ownership they are Network Rails stations :P

With a few exceptions such as Fishguard Harbour (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishguard_Harbour_station) and Warwick Parkway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_Parkway) of course... :-X

Yesterday evening (Saturday 3rd December) we travelled on the 2053 Reading to Pangbourne - or so we thought.  After leaving Reading on time with the normal station and train announcements we came to a long stand at Reading West junction.  (Regular travellers on this line will know this is not unusual as this is where local trains are held to save Freightliners the inconvenience of red signals in the Reading area - but that's another story).

Anyway, after a few trains had whizzed past on the other 3 lines our Driver came on and said that because of engineering work we would be crossing over to the main line when some fast trains had gone through.  Also she apologised and said that the train would not now be calling at Pangbourne, but road transport would be available at Tilehurst.

About a dozen Pangbourne passengers duly alighted at Tilehurst on the DM. No sign of road transort. So I pressed the Help button and asked where the road transport was. The nice man said there wasn't any as trains were running normally, and offered the helpful information that in fact the 2053 ex Reading had just left Pangbourne 3L.  I said it may well have done, but that it had probably passed through at about 70 mph as there are no platforms at Pangbourne on the DM. So we needed road transport. Whereupon he asked me to wait before I was cut off.

I tried again and had a very similar conversation with a nice lady before I was again cut off.

Then we all noticed on the information screen that next down stopper, the 2123 ex Reading, was showing as arriving on P3 (ie DR).  Good news for Pangbourne people.  Peering down the line we could see that it was indeed coming in on P3. We all trooped over the footbridge and got our train.  I spoke briefly to the Driver, who said he had been told at Reading that he was going DM and wouldn't be calling at Pangbourne, and had made announcements accordingly. But now he was on the DR he would do.  After leaving Tilehurst he came on and apologised for the earlier incorrect info and said he would be calling at Pangbourne. 

I do hope that the Driver will not be in trouble for stopping at Pangbourne after he had been told he wouldn't be.

So what happened?  Did the signalman close the DR in error 2 hours ahead of the booked and advertised closure?

 - edited for typos -

No comment  :-[ :-X

Looks like Thames Valley signalling centre is taking on the habits of the old Reading panel.

Doesn't bode well it when it takes on Slough IECC and Slough panel. Be ablr to muck up everywhere from Padd to Swindon.

It took on Slough IECC over Xmas...............You haven't noticed then?....... ::)

I recall seeing a list of dates for transfer of signalling to the Thames Valley Signalling Centre, but cannot remember where.  Can anyone help?

I copied this a while back.  Not sure why it splits GW into two sections - perhaps there was an idea that there'd be two ROCs at one stage?

Thames Valley
2011 - Slough IECC
2012 - Swindon 'B'
2013 - Slough Panel, Colthrop, Kintbury
2014 - Swindon 'A'
2016 - Oxford
2018 - Greenford
2024 onwards - Westbury

Great Western
2012 - Ley
2015 - Bristol PSB
2019 to 2024 - Gloucester, Liskeard to Penzance and branches, Plymouth PSB
2024 onwards - Cotswolds, Exeter, Crediton, Paignton, Exmouth Jcn, St Andrews Jcn, Worcester area, Malvern lines

I've included Wessex (new build ROC at Basingstoke) because there's a slight overlap, eg Yeovil Pen Mill.

2012 - Exeter to Salisbury
2013 - Aldershot to Farnham, Poole to Dorchester
2014 - Yeovil Pen Mill
2016 - Eastleigh (Panel 1), Farncombe, Guildford, Salisbury
2017 - Basingstoke, Eastleigh (Panel 2 & 3), Woking, Feltham (Panel 3 & 4)
2018 - Wimbledon (Panel 4 & 5), Feltham (Panel 1 & 2)
2019 to 2024 - Brockenhurst, Clapham Yard, Wimbledon (Panel 1, 2 & 3)
2024 onwards - Bournemouth, Haslemere, Petersfield, Havant, Marchwood, Wokingham, School Road (Fawley)

Paul

Thanks,

Where's Ley?

Do you know when are they going to transfer Swindon B - presumably this is just recontrol so will it need a blockade?

Ley is just a gated crossing box about a mile west of Gloucester towards Lydney.  Those one word names cover anything from signalling centres with a wide area of coverage to signalling backwaters...

No idea about the details of Swindon I'm afraid, but I guess if it's some sort of 'modern' electronic panel it may well just be a recontrol.

Paul

Haven't travelled since takeover am travelling 7 Feb so will report.

Looks like physical work has started on Pangbourne's extension.  Either that, or they're stripping down a load of trees in the area for a different reason...

Quick work.  The car park extension appeared to be opened for the first time late this morning - I'll be interested to see how quickly it fills up.  Partly asphalt with the bays themselves finished with stone chippings - and it does indeed look as if there's about 35 extra spaces as promised.

I hope the theoretical bay positions get marked somehow - there's a car park at Long Buckby station up in Northants, (that I used to use now and again), where there were no bay markings at all away from the asphalted main access routes - so the early arrivals  seemed to park on the basis of about three cars to four (notional) spaces.  I suppose on the plus side there's little risk of doors being opening against other cars, but the car park ended up being unusable beyond about 75% of its true capacity...

Paul

The bays are marked on the actual asphalt, i.e. a short line of a couple of feet in length to mark out each space - perhaps not the clearest thing in the world, but you'd need to be very inconsiderate to ignore them.  Sadly there are no shortage of inconsiderate drivers.

When Hanborough had its last car park extension 5 or 6 years ago, comments were made that the spaces marked out were too narrow. As most of this extra parking is now used by the many Hanborough/London commuters who get there first thing in the morning and most seem to run Merc, Audis, and Chelsea tractors that are wider than the average car, 3 of these narrow spaces are often needed to take take 2 cars. The problem is made worse because to get out, the driver has to reverse almost dead straight to avoid touching an adjoining car but there is very limited space to reverse before you might hit the railings.
I have commented to FGW about this inadequate spacing and been told that the spacing keeps to national standards. I have however found out since that the quoted width dimensions are probably recommended minimum widths, not actually desirable practical widths. If the widths were just that bit more to allow wide vehicles to park, there might possibly be less wasted space. Mind you at the older end of the car park, spaces are marked so that vehicles park along side the back of the platform and these spaces are mostly rather too long, Some of the drivers of the increasing numbers of little Smart cars around, probably acquired as a second car to a Merc, can often park the Smart car nose towards the fence, between to lenthwise cars parked cars, without using a marked space. We just hope that when the new large 191 space car park has been built at Hanborough, the spacing will be a little less tight however I understand that there will only be tarmac access roads and that the actually spaces will be rolled gravel so probably the space markings will be little different to those quoted at car parks in other postings above.  Incidentally construction actually started last weekend when the demolition contractors moved in to clear the empty on site buildings after the aasbestos removal specialists had been on site for several weeks. This start is just about 5 months after the original start date for last September with a completion date of last Christmas! If they make the same rate of progress on HS" it might get finished for 2050!

The extension has been steadily filling up over the past few months and I've noted that on many Tuesdays-Thursdays it is now very nearly full.  To almost quote Field Of Dreams (and the far superior Wayne's World 2), "If you build it, they will come."  An extension to the extension will be needed soon!   :D

Like I said in the title:

Pangbourne Parish Council website (https://www.pangbourne-pc.gov.uk/closure-of-a329-at-skew-bridge-24-dec-2-jan/)

I vaguely recall that when the new bridge was built the old one was left in place because some sort of pipes ran underneath it.

A couple of years ago I'd just driven over the bridge towards Pangbourne when I met a very large lorry on my side of the road inching backwards towards the village.

I surmised that the driver had belatedly realised there was a weight restriction on the bridge. Dunno where he thought he was going to turn around - I suppose he could have gone down into Beale Wildlife Park had he been aware of the layout there. And Pangbourne Station car park would have been an option. A mile down the road, a police car was coming the other way, perhaps to help the driver.

Locals will know that on at least two occasions recently lorries have damaged buildings when trying to turn up the steep hill in Streatley. My casual Googling led to a lorry drivers' forum where members spoke of the problems of delivering heavy equipment and components to the correct side of the Thames for the electrification programme.

Marlburian

There is a tragic story about this bridge.

In the early 1970s, the first pupil from Theale Grammar School to secure a place at Oxford or Cambridge (the school opened in 1963) was killed in a road accident on the bridge before he went up to university to take his place.

If I recall correctly, this was before traffic lights were installed on the bridge

They really could do with two bridges here - one for each direction and remove the lights altogether.

The diversion around the bridge removal is a bit torturous, though not so onerous as when the steep hill out of Streatley was closed (twice) to repair the houses damaged by errant lorries.

Marlburian

Sorry - another double post. Dunno if it's me, but sometimes nothing seems to happen when  I press "post". And sometimes I get the message "Sorry, SMF was unable to connect to the database. This may be caused by the server being busy. Please try again later". And "alt+s" brings up "Show all history"??? Bear with me, please, I'll get used to things!

If a mod wants to have a quiet word with me ...

Marlburian

There is an issue on our server in the last 48 hours or so - which I am currently researching. With an intermittent problem as this one is, I have no easy setup where I can make a change and see if it works.

Just seen on the BBC local news - an artist has just repainted the underpass at Pangbourne to resemble the interior of a bee hive - and very bright and cheerful it looks too!

Presumably it will be replayed in the local news slot after the 10 o'clock news this evening

Saw that being painted on Saturday afternoon on my way to and from a rather good cheese shop in the village.  It wasn't really sufficiently progressed to be photographed but looks to be the work of one person.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-61506029 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-61506029)