Great Western Coffee Shop

2130 EXD-EXM was last night an HST due to Exeter chiefs playing at home.

 :o ::) ;D Thanks, vacman!  ;D

Illustrates the operational flexibility that the "greater western" franchise offers I suppose - when the sh*t hits the fan then Penzance to London services can be formed of local DMUs from PNZ to PLY or EXD rather than cancelling a train, and conversely in this kind of situation an HST can take the place of a DMU!

As proof: http://richard575.fotopic.net/p68716502.html

A great piece of improvisation by someone at FGW.  Hats off to them.

An interesting precedent (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=7596.msg81414#msg81414) - hopefully setting something of a trend!  ;) :D ;D

Yes - good to see the recent interactions between the HST fleet and the "West Units" fleet in both directions (Exmouth, TransWilts and also units standing in for HSTs that couldn't make it to schedule all the way to Exeter / Plymouth via the "Great Way Round" yesterday with the landslip between Castle Cary and Taunton.  There have been others too ... I seem to recall hearing about an HST calling at Avoncliff so (presumably) Freshford as well.

It's been suggested to me that this interaction would allow weekend regional services to be scheduled on a certain line that's often used for engineering work diversions of long distance HSTs, with the HSTs picking up the 3 extra stops along the line.  And as far as getting the community support for the leisure use of that line, this is very much like a jigsaw piece falling into place.

Now the question is - when was the previous HST to Exmouth?

80s? 

My last post has just been answered by John Burch, Chair of the Tarka Rail Association in an e-mail

"Apparently the first time an HST has been to Exmouth since Friday 20/9/96 when 43071 /43080 on an Birmingham New Street - Exmouth RNLI charter for the naming of 43071 and worked 1224 EXM-ESD and 15xx ESD-Exmouth and 1624 EXM-BNS. This is reported to have been only the second HST to Exmouth. Previous military trips ecs to Lympstone Commando ran before dawn and the first service but only that far it seems. When loco-hauled apparently they covered for a unit to Exmouth during the day."

Thanks John.

lost lots of time though apparently, heard it was 25 late back into exd

Yes and a single 153 would have been ample!

was pretty packed from what I was told!

I was told otherwise!

I heard it wasn't well used, but then:

a.) HST use wasn't promoted so nobody knew in advance.
b.) From EXD the only onward connections would have been to NTA/TOT/PLY, as last services to the North, Barnstaple and Paignton had already gone.

It may not have been packed as an hst but the booked 150 wouldn't have coped!

Wouldn't suprise me if it was a bit of a 'control fix'

Now if Barnstaple Rugby Club could make it to the Premiership... :D

I was told it only picked up around 50 passengers at Digby. Would have been more useful a couple of weeks earlier, when around 11000 attended Sandy Park, for Chiefs v Leicester.

Lets say i'm pretty sure of the amount of people picked up at Digby and it was far more than 50  ;)