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Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury
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on: December 19, 2024, 12:01:18
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The 12:17 Westbury - Swindon was cancelled due to a problem with the traction equipment.
Its return, the 13:14 from Swindon, was also cancelled: unknown cause according to RTT» , or, if you prefer Journeycheck: congestion.
Cancelled to allow 1C78 to divert via Melksham as a freight locomotive was having issues between Reading and Theale. Yet again, a problem on that route sees the Melksham service removed. For the record, the 09:45 Westbury to Swindon and 11:05 Swindon to Westbury services can be added to the list of cancelled services on Monday 09th December. |
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Journey by Journey / Heart of Wessex / Re: North Dorset's three small stations
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on: January 21, 2023, 12:48:50
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2. More historically, how did these stations survive when most other similar village stations have vanished? I realise that this line only has slower stopping services, so there wasn't the same impetus to remove smaller stations to provide a faster service as has happened elsewhere, but many other local stations along the line have gone. So how did these survive? The area is still sparsely settled, so the total population ever likely to have wanted to use the stations will always have been small.
While Yetminster station is in the heart of the village, which itself is the largest of these villages (along with its neighbour Ryme Intrinseca), both Thornford and Chetnole are some distance from their small villages and from any local population. So while I'm not surprised that Yetminster has survived (though many similar haven't), I am astounded that the other two did. Obviously I am pleased that they all still do, and wished there were others, but it would be interesting to know a bit about the history behind this.
The practicalities of providing a replacement bus service if the train service ceased is the reason many of the smaller stations survived but larger centres of population lost their stations. This is why Sparkford and Limpley Stoke lost their stations as being situated on main roads meant that a bus service could easily be substituted. The Dorset halts as well as Avoncliff and Freshford survived because of limited road access. |
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Out and about - first week in March, 2022
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on: March 08, 2022, 15:55:12
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15 Bath Spa platform 1 where the signal box used to be located complete with a Bath pigeon!
I wondered what that architectural feature was ... thanks for the extra data. Bath Spa is an interesting station and would probably be worth a "historic tour" at some point - probably a lot of trouble to organise, unless anyone reading this might know better  ... There is a video available to view on the BBC» website or iPlayer called 'Men of Steam'. It was filmed in 1962 and approximately halfway through follows the Station Master at Bath Spa going about his duties. You get to see the spiral steps up to the signal box as well as a look inside. After the section on Bath Spa the video takes a look at Freshford, complete with sheep running amok! As I am here, picture 5 is Trowbridge. |
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Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: 2021 - TransWilts cancellation and amendment log
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on: December 23, 2021, 13:33:09
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07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
And predictably, the train’s return trip at 08:45 from Swindon to Westbury also cancelled. This is filling me with confidence, as I'm meant to be getting that train tomorrow. Here's to ending up in Bath... The unit for that train is formed from the 06:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Westbury service. Since the timetable change it is also the driver from that train as well. If the 06:40 from Bristol is disrupted it doesn't bode well for the 07:37 from Westbury as both another driver and another unit have to be found.  Having checked, the 06:40 from Bristol appears not to have run today. |
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Advent quiz - day 15 - something a bit different
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on: December 16, 2021, 14:28:59
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1K71 is the weekdays 05:10 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington service. It is now the only direct train between Bradford on Avon/Trowbridge and London. It is also unusual in another way as the train is not scheduled to stop at Bath Spa.
I should have added that Cross Country run a service on a Saturday that runs through Bath but doesn't call there. 1C11 (the 06:07 Bristol Temple Meads to Plymouth service) is routed via Bath and Westbury for route knowledge retention purposes. An empty coaching stock working runs the other way on a Saturday evening for the same reason running as 5C59 (the 19:18 Paignton to Bristol Barton Hill depot working). |
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