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On this day
13th Apr (1854)
First (broad gauge) train ran complete line from Oxford via Worcester to Wolverhampton (link)

Train RunningCancelled
13/04/25 08:23 London Paddington to Swansea
13/04/25 08:29 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
08:36 Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple
08:54 Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach
09:05 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
13/04/25 09:35 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa
09:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill
13/04/25 09:55 Bristol Parkway to London Paddington
10:49 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
13/04/25 11:27 Carmarthen to London Paddington
13/04/25 11:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
13/04/25 12:30 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa
12:32 London Paddington to Paignton
13:21 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
13:41 Gloucester to Bristol Temple Meads
13/04/25 14:00 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon
14:32 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
15:42 Exeter St Davids to Cardiff Central
13/04/25 16:35 London Paddington to Swansea
17:33 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
18:15 Penzance to Plymouth
19:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
19:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
19:29 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa
20:00 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon
20:17 Taunton to Bristol Temple Meads
20:26 Exeter St Davids to Bristol Temple Meads
21:36 Barnstaple to Exeter St Davids
Short Run
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
08:38 Exeter Central to Okehampton
09:22 Bristol Temple Meads to Portsmouth Harbour
09:26 Okehampton to Exeter Central
09:37 Barnstaple to Exeter Central
13/04/25 10:02 London Paddington to Penzance
12:09 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
13:41 London Paddington to Great Malvern
14:02 London Paddington to Penzance
13/04/25 14:09 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
14:30 London Paddington to Taunton
14:41 London Paddington to Great Malvern
15:28 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
16:58 Taunton to London Paddington
16:58 Great Malvern to London Paddington
17:25 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
17:32 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
18:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
18:25 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
20:09 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
20:11 Exeter Central to Barnstaple
21:00 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon
21:09 Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads
Delayed
10:05 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
12:00 Cardiff Central to Exeter St Davids
etc
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1  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: St Blazey Turntable on: June 29, 2014, 21:21:53
Turntable was used successfully today for the steam tour. Apparently it has dropped by 3" on the works side so cannot be used as a through road but can be used for turning if approached from the Par Docks end.
2  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: The future of Hayle station on: February 23, 2014, 20:19:23
I didn't realise there was an existing underpass or a foot bridge and I lived in Hayle for 3 years. It's been baffling me since I read the story yesterday.

There is a pedestrian foot crossing with warning lights.

The underpass is west of the station virtually under the pedestrian foot crossing, used as car access to rear of houses along Penpol terrace. The bridge is at the east end of the station. was originally I presume a road crossing but now just used as a footpath.
3  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / 150th anniversary HST Truro to Falmouth on: August 13, 2013, 15:16:18
Sunday 25th First Great Western are running a HST (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) special Truro to Falmouth to celebrate 150 years of this line. More info here http://www.greatscenicrailways.com/news.html
4  Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Re: Photos at the top of each page on: September 15, 2012, 13:57:43
Take a look at this thread:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10994.0

Most have been answered there. Click on a picture top right and you'll see its unique url.

Hope that helps.  Wink

Ah hadn't come across that thread. It was the single track photos at Melksham which had me intrigued as to where it was.
5  Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Photos at the top of each page on: September 14, 2012, 21:47:07
I always look at the photo's at the top which change as you go on each new page and quite often wonder where they are taken. Is it possible somehow to include the location... maybe a little word box showing when you scroll the cursor over it, or some other way ??
6  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: Class 158s to Newquay on: June 14, 2012, 07:55:16
Curiousity creeping in here. Roche is the only platform on the branch that sits partly on the inside of a curve, so presumably the issue is the 158 coaches scraping the platform. Yet a 153 is slightly longer (According to Angel trains data sheets) and a Mk3 is the same length.
So is it the bogies are further apart that cause the issue??
7  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / New signs and line speeds on Newquay branch. on: May 30, 2012, 09:38:32
For some weeks when driving along the old A30 now I have noticed some new signs on the Newquay branch near the Goss Moor bridge but not been able to see what they are for. However I come across this on one of the rail forums last night:-

As some of you may be aware, on the Cornish branch line from Par to Newquay, some places had different speed restrictions depending on whether it was a DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) or HST (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) (with DMUs being allowed to travel faster in places)

Last Saturday, the lower & higher speeds were being used - our 8:57 FGW (First Great Western) HST from Plymouth arrived into Newquay as timetabled at 10:55. Upon chatting with the train manager (lovely bloke) he informed me about how the line speeds vary (I was already sort of aware of this) and how they are hoping to increase the permitted speed for HSTs to bring it in line with DMUs.

So, yesterday I was on the same train, instead arriving into Newquay at 10:35. The change was obviously in effect, as confirmed by the TM (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) as we chatted about our early arrival. He informed me that the old timetable would carry on in use, with these early arrivals into Newquay. Despite this, the journey back (11:21 Newquay - London Pad) was at the original, lower speed, presumably to save sitting around at Par for 20 - 25 minutes more.


So anyone meeting someone off a Saturday arrival in Newquay, get there 15-20 mins ahead of the timetabled arrival Smiley
8  Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Campaign for Tavistock reopening on: May 20, 2012, 20:31:06

As an aside, and at a tangent, I went up to Okehampton and Meldon yesterday. I noticed signs attached to posts near some railway structures on road overbridges on the A386. I stopped to look and it is Devon County Council putting notice of CPO's to enable extension of the Granite Way. This must be viewed as positive also as it will protect the line. I am not sure of the exact location but it is between Lydford and Tavistock (though not sure exactly where!). Any help to pinpoint hthis would be much appreciated Grin

Taken from the Tavistock times:-

Bid to fill cycle path^s missing links

Wednesday, 25 April 2012


MOVES are finally under way to complete a missing link in West Devon^s Granite Way cyclepath between Okehampton and Lydford.
 Devon County Council has issued a compulsory purchase order relating to land at Bridestowe, between Southerly Bridge and Station Road.
 It is hoped that once completed, the route will prove far more attractive to cyclists and walkers, boosting tourism business in the area.
 A council spokesman said: ^After many years of negotiations and investigations the council has commenced procedures to acquire compulsorily the missing link in the  flagship ^Granite Way^ trail.
 ^In total, 31 agreements with individual landowners were required to assemble this railway path, and of these, 30 have been agreed by negotiation, over the last 15 years. This missing link will create a continuous high quality path between Okehampton and Lydford, a distance of nine miles, through spectacular Dartmoor scenery.^
 Closing the gap will avoid a hilly and circuitous on road section which does little to encourage cycling and is less suitable for many user groups.  The gap is also one of just three missing links in the 100-mile long Devon Coast to Coast route.
 Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: ^Completing the Granite Way will lead to much greater user numbers on this already popular trail and highlights our commitment to being a premier destination for cycling tourism.
 ^Attracting more visitors to the area will, of course, benefit Devon^s economy and local businesses have been calling for this gap to be filled for many years, but patient negotiations take time.
 ^This procedure is a step we take with regret, and only when all other avenues have failed, but I believe the benefits of closing this short gap are strongly supported in the area. This iconic path will be of international appeal and will take a lead role in Devon^s stunning network of trails.^
 The move has been welcomed by businessman Steve Jenden, co-owner of Lydford House Country Hotel which is right by the Granite Way, although he was frustrated at the time it had taken the council to issue the compulsory purchase order.
 ^We have been promised this for years, so it^s great to know they are actually doing something this time,^ said Mr Jenden.
 ^It^s good to know it might actually be getting somewhere now, it would be good if it was completed for next year so we can gear up for it.^
 The council spokesman added that it was not possible to give a timetable for completion of the route, as the council was willing to recommence negotiations at any stage if an agreed approach seemed likely. 


Hope this helps. Will make for a nice cycle ride when complete.
9  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Devon - Central, North and South / Re: Meldon Quarry Signal on: May 19, 2012, 08:03:37
Few years since I have been up to meldon but I think there used to be signals for controling trains traversing under the loading gantry.
10  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Summer Timetable or is it.... on: May 15, 2012, 21:00:54
Having finally found the Summer version, I am intrigued to know why Cross Country do not stop at Par on their two Saturday afternoon departures from Newquay. All their arrivals to NQY (Newquay (Station)) do as does their morning departure and the Sunday one Huh
11  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Summer Timetable or is it.... on: May 15, 2012, 20:28:19
Eh?

Following the 'Current timetable' link under the 'Train Times & Tickets' tab on the homepage takes you to the, er... current timetables.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Train-times-and-tickets/Train-times/Timetables-from-14-May-2012


Yes, so it does. But if you click the big bold "Timetables" icon on the homepage, you end up with "Timetables until 13 May 2012". Thinking I may have connected to a cached copy on my PC, I hit F5, but no change. The link name says "Current timetables", but the address associated with it is http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Train-times-and-tickets/Train-times/Timetables-until-Sunday-13-May. The address for the "Current timetable" link, however, is http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Train-times-and-tickets/Train-times/Timetables-from-14-May-2012, even though the link name is the same. Expect an update within hours of FGW (First Great Western) becoming  aware!

Ah glad it wasnt just me who could find out of date timetables  Cheesy
12  All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Summer Timetable or is it.... on: May 15, 2012, 07:08:01
Anyone else noticed that we are now into the second day of the summer timetable but the FGW (First Great Western) site is still showing the winter timetables!!
13  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Devon - Central, North and South / Re: Tarka Line - Exeter to Barnstaple - services, passenger numbers, carriages, engineering works, incidents and events on: May 08, 2012, 08:21:07
2) No annoucements were made for final stop (We don't know whether they were or weren't - That train could go onto Okehampton - although I think that's Summer only?! *Paging Relex109* Wink

The train definatly wouldnt have gone on to Okehampton from Barnstable.
14  Sideshoots - associated subjects / Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions / Re: Bodmin & Wenford to Wadebridge re-opening (merged topic) on: April 11, 2012, 09:01:13
Just a note for anyone interested, Bodmin and Wenford Railway are holding an open day this Saturday 14th April to attract new volunteers.

All details here :- http://bwronline.co.uk/bwr/timetable/volday.html




Edit note: Thanks for posting this, molinnis - I've added it to our calendar, too. CfN.  Smiley
15  Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: TravelWatch SouthWest plea to Cornwall Council on rail on: March 09, 2012, 08:42:20
   
On the subject of branch lines, when reading the proposals about a commuter shuttle from Bodmin "Part-way" to Bodmin General I found myself wondering why this couldn't be a in the form of a heritage service directly negotiated between the Bodmin & Wenford and Cornwall CC, totally independant of NR» (Network Rail - home page), FGW (First Great Western) et al. Am I being naive?


I may be wrong but I seem to remember this idea of a commuter connection was trialled or at least considered by B&W in the 90's using the DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) they have. Why it never took off I dont know, possibly because its run in the main by volunteers or possibly parking issues at Bodmin General.
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