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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Sad news of the death of Lucy Wiemers on 18 April 2012
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on: March 25, 2010, 22:16:21
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Lucy's Dream has been setup to raise money to send a terminally ill 6 year old girl from Swansea and her family on holiday. Lucy is the daughter of a Swansea FGW▸ driver (ME). More information can be found via the Facebook group "Lucy's Dream" ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=369272221629), or via the Swansea Staff Social Fund Website; http://www.swanseasocialfund.co.uk. The point of this post is that FGW have kindly donated a day on the HST▸ simulator at either Bristol or Reading to be auctioned off. The auction will be held at 1900, on Friday May 21st, at the Grand Hotel, oppposite swansea station. Many other things will be auctioned and anyone who wants to attend can, But the social fund are also accepting bids in advance via they're website. You can also view a list of the lots via either site above, with many smaller items e.g. meals in local restaurants available, and lots will be added as they're confirmed and received. My apologise for posting this here, but with a view to what's on offer I thought this would be a good place to advertise it. It's not my intention to make anyone uncomfortable, and only bid if you want to. I don't want to go into Lucy's condition on an open forum, and more information is available via the above website, but if you want further information please contact me via pm. Finally, a big thank you to Martin (you know who you are), for taking the time to come out last Sunday and take the photos for us. Regards Andy |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Could the train manager please ask people to close the doors AND windows?
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on: January 17, 2010, 19:52:08
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As mentioned above, having the Drop light windows open does increase Fuel Consumption due to Drag, Hence the little "green" stickers on the inside of the doors asking you to make a small difference to the environment and close the windows!
But also, since FGW▸ changed the design of the Vestibule sliding doors to include the pull out glass/perspex with pull tab in to corner, to aid emergency exit. With these the ventilation louvres are much wider than the old diagonal strips and on entering a tunnel with said windows open, the air flow through the carriage is quite noticeable!
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Was good to see the customer host this morning taking a stand........
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on: September 17, 2009, 02:29:35
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Swings and roundabouts... punters at Pewsey wouldn't have so far to go - in fact, first class customers would have the luxury of stepping out onto an actual platform!
Not really, as SDO▸ Operation just means the driver would pull down further so that the TGS (Coach A) is platformed!! On the subject of first class though, why can't FGW▸ just retro fit the old barrier to the buffet cars that read "First class passengers only beyond this point" ( or words to that effect! ), these were suprisingly effective deterents! You could also apply them at the end of the new micro buffet sets, as the reason for painting the yellow line and "1" symbols on the buffet end of these standard class only vehicles is to discourage standard class passengers from board that end!! |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Fantastic journey. No complaints whatsoever.
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on: August 07, 2009, 20:58:29
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1C01 from Bristol TM‡ and 1L48 from Swansea are the only trains on FGW▸ that are planned to be in reverse. The HST▸ is booked to turn at Kensal Green between the peaks before 1B59 at 16:45 ex Paddington to get ot back into correct formation.
Is that Kensal Green on the WCML▸ near Willesden/Wembley area? Do FGW operate a HST there? Bit off their patch!! I think I've worked out the reversal Rogang is referring to near Kensal Green. Set leaves PAD» , reverses at Acton East Junction and travels to Mitre Bridge Junction via West London Junction. Reverses and travels to Willesden High Level Junction. Reverses and travels to Acton East Junction. Final reversal and back to Paddington. Am I right? And can the triangular junction at West Ealing Junction/Hanwell Junction not be used? 1L48 is turned by going round the greenford loop, Kensal Green is the name of the wash plant on the way onto Old Oak Common. Also, in the interest of giving spotters infomation, 1L48 is booked into Padd Plt 9! |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: class 455 emu's
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on: December 14, 2008, 17:50:05
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I would tend to say no. It's all part of the stupidity of having so many non standard couplings such that virtually every train has to carry a massive steel bar to couple with any.
The nearest I believe we ever got to a standard coupling allowing you to couple anything to anything and drive from either end was the southern EPB system. With buckeye couplings, air pipes and control jumpers that the Southern perfected in the late sixties whereby you could couple any EPB unit (REPs were restricted), TCs‡ some 33 73/4 (but I don't think the 71s) plus I believe the Thumpers DEMU▸ either end and drive from the front cab. Of course it still required a shunter and there were still incompatible 4 SUBS about although the South Eastern was all EPB (bar 71s). As soon as the SUBS had gone the PEPS (foreunner of 455s) with it's auto coupler arrived.
The Eastern Region was onre of the few regions to fit buckeyes to steam locos for passenger train work coaches especialy for the corridor tenders.
It's been downhill all the way since even with units with same make of coupling there are different number of control wires 16X/15X, plus different size heads which makes coupling difficult. Even buckeyes seem to be different between freight and coaches. Which is why you often see 66s on railtours using the old style screw coupling (loose) although both the loco and coach have buckeyes.
The US standardised the buckeye and air brakes in the early 1900s!
Slightly off topic..... but the reason class 66 locos use an emergency screw coupling with coaching stock, is that the locos aren't fitted with retractable buffers. the buckeyes couple perfectly well, but the loco buffers foul on the carriage's gangway rubbing plates (below corridor connection), and also make it impossible once coupled to un-couple anywhere except perfectly straight track! As an aside all class 67's were modified with retractable buffers, but rearely seam to use the buckeye autocoupler either! |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: June 2010 stock changes ...
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on: October 20, 2008, 19:34:28
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To steer this thread back to where it started....
On the 142 front, 5 units leave Exeter by 2/12/08, the other 7 have to leave by 30/6/10. If a unit has pink doors it stays until 2010! By the way FGW▸ apparently FGW got their corporate knuckles rapped for re-painting the doors and they will have to be re-painted before they leave!
The quoted loss of 5 x 150s puzzles me - is it a loss from Devon/Cornwall or from FGW totally? What is the source of this information?
When the 3 car 150s arrive, is it ceratin that they will all stay as 3 car units as it is quite possible to strip out the centre cars from two sets and form 2 x 150/1s and one 150/2?
What has happend to the rumour that the 143s were to be transferred to Exeter?
TJ
i agree splitting the sets back into 2 car sets would create more units, but with 7 3 car sets coming, you'd end up with 1 spare 150/2 vehicle, or 1 non standard 3 car set! |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Why is FGW run as 3 companies?
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on: September 30, 2008, 22:14:25
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Hi, is there any reason why even though FGW▸ are more than 2 years into the franchise, it's still effectively run as 3 companies (HSS▸ , London & Thames Valley and West) still based on the three franchises that were merged. This does appear to be a leftover from the 1980s sectorisation policy.
There is one advantage of this policy though: A 142 will never reach Paddington.
quite simply it is down to money! fgw will never fully harmonise despite the fact it makes sense for example all crew sign all traction so less chance of cancellations down to no train crew. part of the franchise commitment was to put an offer on the table and not actually harmonise,which as far as i am aware has been done and kicked out so all talks now stalled. Although I can empathise with the "common Sense" argument, there are practicalities to the "Crew sign everywhere" approach. As you rightly suggested traincrew have to sign all routes that they work over, and similarly have to retain knowledge of those routes. If all drivers / guards signed all routes the workload would be spread so thin that route retention would be impossible. So a balance of workload is inevitable! That said, whilst i don't think harmonisation is an easy task, i believe First are committed to it, and are indeed still trying, as we've got posters in the depots saying as much! Personally I feel that with the recruitment drive undertaken, and the talks (maybe) progressing, there may be more flexibility in the future? |
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