Great Western Coffee Shop

From the FGW Website

I notice earlier on some services were running fast between Exeter St Davids and Reading.  Did they go through Tiverton/Taunton and just not stop or go via Honiton and then get back to GW line somewhere?

I haven't noticed them go via Honiton before except for planned engineering work.  If they have used this route today I guess it is now possible as drivers have the route knowledge.

1A08 0630 EXD - PAD went via Honiton, as did 1A74 0553 PLY - PAD.

Delays were caused by a broken down Tamper causing single line working on the down line between Tiverton Junction and Cowley Bridge Jun.

I believe the Tamper broke down before doing its job, so they had to find another one, then do its job before the line could reopen.

I assume they managed to fit those in without too much disruption to SWT services.  Mind you at the other end of the patch FGW were helping out with extra calls between Reading and Wokingham after a fatality at Ascot on SWT-land this morning.

Has the Honiton route been used before for unplanned diversions in the recent past?

Not for a while! Think the last time was when there was a problem with Whiteball Tunnel, cant remember the date and 1 London train went via Honiton.

Said tamper was visible from the (traffic free and fast flowing) M5 motorway this morning  ;)

Said Tamper and associated rolling stock was eventually dragged by top and tailed Freightliner 66s into Fairwater Yard, Taunton around 1230.

I was led to believe, by the TM on the service I was on, that the Tamper had gone b*gg*r up on the up line.

Which would tie in neatly with the single-line working being instigated on the down line, as posted above ;)

 :-[ Ooops. Misread Louis94's post.  ::)

As an aside how do reporting numbers get allocated?  I know about the Class eg 1 and the geographical indicator eg A - but I always assumed the numbers got allocated from the start of the day and worked through.  However looking at this it seems it may be more random than that.

Yes it is abit more refined than that.  1A08 goes via bristol 1A74 goes via the berks & hants.  Helps the signaller to know which way to send the train.  The lower numbers are all via / starting from bristol and I think all numbers above 70 go via the berks & hants.