Hi Larry,

I write from the outskirts of TQY, 10 minutes from NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains) at 0550 and 30-40 at 1700 

Travelling regularly-ish (2-3 times a month) into the City, I often go from NTA due to previous experiences of poor connections to / from TQY.

Leaving at 0630 NTA gets me into the city, via walk to Lancaster Gate then to Bank by about 0950 if everything's on time. Bear in mind that once you lose a few minutes on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury), you often lose paths into RDG^‡(resolve) & PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains), I'm regularly 15-20 late into PAD.

So, leaving the office at either 1515 or 1615 ish gets me to PAD for the 1606 or 1703, into TQY (driving from NTA) 1900 or 2000.

So, 0550 - 1900 gives me 5 - 5.5 hours in the office for a 13 hour day door to door. The 1st PAD (0630) offers cheaper Apexs^▸ (Advanced Purchase Excursion (fare)) than 0730 from NTA usually, and you can often get the holy grail of working on the train - a table, whereas 0730 that starts at PNZ, forget it. The airlines are hopeless for working IMO^▸ (in my opinion) (OK with an iPad, emails etc)

Reliability is usually excellent, usual caveats apply 

So, yes it's feasible but it's a long old slog of a day and I could get more done by working locally.

Is 3 Dawlish?

I've always wondered about the value of East Lyng when going past. A friend recently walked part of the Taunton - Chard line, quite a bit open by all accounts. Oh to have those lines open with a FOSW^▸ (Freedom of (the) South West Rover) these days!

Langport as a guess?

Ha Ha, been a long day and couldn't be arsenaled to check! Yes, in Wales, it's the vernacular. 

No, 5 isn't Borth (I did the honourable thing of posting before checking Google Maps!) 

sets himself up for a fall

2. Aberystwyth
3. Ditto vernacular railway?
4. as 3?
5. Borth?
7. Porthmadog?
9. Conwy / Stevenson's Bridge?

Any luck on these?  

Any rules re number of guesses? 

And of course the old (Table 50 for those who remember them) Inter-Regionals, through OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) to Brighton, Newhaven etc!

Good idea, LED technology (particularly with white colour rendering) is improving and becoming affordable, but due to the high initial costs, where is the incentive for this when the franchise is due shortly and FGW don't 'pay' for the internal lighting as the power is generated internally rather than metered? There is the maintenance cost and procurement of lamps I suppose but I can't see the payback here? Any input on why?

Oi! You can take the credit if it's wrong!

I thought 10 was Westbury too, but beaten to it 

So, 11 - Worting Junction?

#1, Castle Cary?

OK, my journey today, from Torquay to Paddington.

Arrive TQY for the 0615 connection into 0630 from NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains) to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains). Ticket Machine at TQY politely stated that it could not issue pre-purchased (APEX) tickets. Cue photograph of screen in readiness for explanation.

0615 came and went. Without a departure. Lady on platform informed that it had 'gone down' (i.e. to PGN) as she had been there since.

0620 came and I'm now thinking 'OK, just going to make, JUST, it but still no ticket and maybe have to leg it over and on without it, how's this going to work?' (Did have photo of screen and emailed confirmation of ticket on phone)

After contacting the 'Help' point (note the inverted comma), was advised that the train was showing as not having departed PGN, then advised it just had at 0628.

Unit rocks up at around 0630 and I'm on (ticketless). Speaking to the conductor, he advised that he had just checked and the PAD train had not been held at NTA (not exactly shocked at this).

So, into NTA around 0640 with a lovely 50 minute wait for the Hind (0732) which was already showing 5 late. Still, 50 minutes to pick my tickets up so there's a bonus.

Coffee and warmth ensued until the notification that the Hind was being re-platformed into Plat 1. Strange.

Hind turns up (around 9 late) into Plat 1, no lights in buffet car, Coach E no ETH and being 'advised' it is not for use. Fitters (presumably having travelled up from PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)) tinker around for a while and we leave NTA around 10-15 (ish) late.

Buffet then re-opens with limited service. Still 'no' Coach E.

Uneventful journey as far as around Theale then stuck behind a stopper turbo into RDG^‡(resolve).

Arrive PAD 30 late (or for me, 90 late!)

To be fair, a catalogue of unusual errors, but as we were talking about shambles today, thought I'd get it out of my system!

Footnote - the conductor on the unit was great, gave an accurate description of the fault (power handle not working) and tried to help with information - top marks.

What, there used to be D&C discount? Never saw this advertised anywhere - must have paid literally pounds over the odds over the past few years - could amount up to ^15.00 at least. 

Is there a compensation fund being set up for retrospective refunds anywhere?