(edited to fix bad nesting)

Would a Freedom of Information Request supply this info? I recently requested from TfL^» (Transport for London - about) the working timetables for London Underground and was supplied despite 'Confidential - Staff Use Only' printed on each one.

Slightly (but only just) more on-topic, have there been any cases where a train has been 'formed of 3 coaches instead of 2' (or a similar enlargened train instead of a shortened train)?

Hellos alls.

This kind of leads on from the 're-issue railcard' thread; I would've put this in there but that particular thread kind of went down a route that I didn't want to disturb (if that makes sence, and pardoning the unintentional pun!).

I bought some tickets on 10 May for this Friday and they've been in my wallet since then in the advance ticket holder thing that they gave me but they've faded somewhat - they're still readable but only just when the light isn't reflecting off them. I expect that I will be okay with it, but just wanted to check for certain! (Having said that, in my experience I can get between Exeter and Paddington and back again without having to produce my ticket... but that's another thread for another time...)

The weird thing is, a set of tickets bought the day afterwards from the same station (TVP for those interested!) have been in my wallet for exactly the same amount of time, yet haven't been faded in the same way, in fact it hasn't been faded at all.

I've actually eaten lunch between starting this post and finishing it so have kind of lost the whole point of it. Something along the lines of making sure my ticket is okay for Friday I think... or something like that

Admittedly, I may have exaggerated slightly when I said 'plenty' but I used to catch a 346 to and from college on occasions (I live near South Molton and went college and now work in Tivvy) as well as catching a 346 into Barnstaple from SM (the connection I had from my village was usually a 346 not a 307) and there were quite a number of times when it was a DD. I can't say I ever counted mind... I think the 'standard' vehicle for that route though was a normal single decker (as opposed to the short ones). I think that as First neared the end of their monopolic franchse in North Devon they tried to put on DDs between South Molton and Barnstaple wherever possible and now that's the standard with the X7 route, and Stagecoach have them on the 155 for the Tiverton - Exeter leg of the trip to go with the 55 series' of routes (which, I have seen as small single deckers before whilst roaming around Tiverton).

Anyway, muchus apolgeticus for taking this somewhat off-topic here!

TVP has had some strange hours recently with their office - from what I could gather when I was there (just before they closed  :S ) it's down to staff shortages.

Of course, that's not to say that this time round it was different

Sorry for taking this further off-topic but I was on plenty 346es which were double-deckers (next part of the story would say that these double-deckers were empty with only three passengers betwixt Tivvy and SM while the small single deckers that they used to use as well before they were phased out used to be packed to standing for the entire journey! But I shan't go there yet...)

Perhaps should these yobs ever be caught, the drivers of said vehicles (whether trains, buses, HGVs, motorcycles, etc) should be allowed to throw rocks at them?

Surely if such is the case, you would not need your coat? :p

The only problem I've had is that the 'map' link doesn't work... it takes me to Google Maps, but nothing comes up on there...

I've come across rude enthusiasts too... I remember one time at Exeter St Ds when an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) pulled into the platform, and it was quite some time for the doors to be unlocked for whatever reason; somebody was trying to open one of the doors, tried the handle a couple of times, and an onlooking enthusiast said with (to what seemed to me) an obvious 'holier than thou' sneer that they had to wait for the light to come on before they could open the door. Kind of p'd me off a bit that when a bit of politeness would've been nice. As an enthuiast myself (though as a regular traveller on that occasion), I just hope that other people witnessing that (both) event(s) don't tarr us all with the same brush...

Blimey charlie, keep your hat on!!! When the local press say that 'Barnstaple could see trains to London Paddington' then I would assume that it would be an HST service! Admittedly, this was in the local freebe paper, but with the ND Journal saying similar in its headlines (but probably more accurate in the article as to which London terminal it would be to) can you blame me for getting it wrong - especially as I was not as into the railway scene as I am now, and know that HSTs have visited Barnstaple in the past. Reading your post I can see what has happened and why it has happened. And of course, Barnstaple to Waterloo is much more historic than Barnstaple to Paddington!*

I am still of the opinion that the white line isn't completely necessary and is just a bit of pointless H&S^▸ (Health and Safety) but I am prepared to back down on that - after all, I asked its purpose and was answered.

However, I do not see any reason why - unless the line is extended to Bideford again (which I personally doubt will happen with Sticklepath roundabout in the way - even though supposedly the roundabout is built in such a way as to allow the extention the evidence of that I cannot see!) where the station can be used as a passing loop.

OK, simple syntax error there. I am aware that the line wasn't dual track along its whole length, though I believe that it was further north than Cowley Bridge but hey ho! I also know that the infrastructure was set up for dual track at some point during the 20s I believe, but that this was never provided.

* Just so people know, I do realise that Barnstaple was served from both Waterloo and Paddington during its heyday, but being an LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway) station it is more historic to be Waterloo!

So it's an 'elf n safe tea measure then is it? Seems rather pointless but at least it explains it! I know that there aren't any plans to reinstate the second platform - apart from anything else, there is little point in having a two-line terminus on a line that's mostly one track.

It would be nice to run some loco hauled trains up the Barnstaple branch... or at least the Barnstaple to Paddington HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) promised then subsequently seemed to forget when they got the franchise giving us Pacers instead :p (having said that, I know that the reason why they haven't is due to the line quality in some places up there and that there is weight restrictions on the line... still a nice thought though!)

(As it happens, I did think of a plan for the Barnstaple line a while ago that will never ever come to fruition in a million millenia... that is to reinstate the second track along its whole length - in a lot of places the basic infrastructure is still there but would need repair - but run the two tracks as separate lines. One to be an 'express' service with London (and oop north) trains on it, stopping only at Barnstaple, possibly Eggesford (I'm not sure if the 'legal' reason for Eggesford station's existence is still in place but it wouldn't surprise me if it is) and Crediton (then onto Exeter and beyond) and the other line the slow line to run pretty much as the branch does at the moment. Nice idea, completely implausible and impractical!)

Haven't been to Barnstaple station for a while (last time I was at Barnstaple itself it was a training thing at the college...) but was asked this by a work colleague this morning.

She noticed that the old second platform has a white line painted at the edge, and wondered if I knew a reason why.

Unfortunately, I do not - and as I said, haven't been to BNP^▸ (Barnstaple) (as an aside, unfortunate station code... do the trains there lean to the right?) for a while so don't know what the actual situation with the white line is. I assume it's to mark the edge of the platform but anybody know what the reason why this line has been painted on here?

Ewww... that does look messy...

There was something in either Rail or Railways Illustrated about it a while ago as well. Can't remember which one, and am not able to go through my back issues at the moment to find it...

Here's one for you...

As we all know* DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) is a Diesel Multiple Unit.

Therefore, why are trains such as the Class 153s referred to as DMUs when there is only one unit?

*This is a big assumption I know and so I apologise if you did not know prior to reading this what a DMU was and that I sounded patronising.