Naming and unveiling of IET at Paddington

[whole diary]

[infoman]

To celebrate Nancy Astor,BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South west news had pictures from Paddington.

I would have thought BBC South west will have the occasion featured on their 18:30pm news programme

[bobm]

Invited guests then travelled on the train to Plymouth to see an unveiling of a statue of Nancy Astor. 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I thought I read somewhere that this train, which was presumably 1Z19 0733 Padd – Plymouth, was to be entirely crewed by female staff, which would have been a nice touch, even if a bit non-PC.   As the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Press release doesn’t mention this I presume it didn’t happen.

[CyclingSid]

Did it stop at Taplow, Cliveden being the home of the Astor family?

[TaplowGreen]

Did it stop at Taplow, Cliveden being the home of the Astor family?

No 

[Pb_devon]

I thought I read somewhere that this train, which was presumably 1Z19 0733 Padd – Plymouth, was to be entirely crewed by female staff, which would have been a nice touch, even if a bit non-PC.   As the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Press release doesn’t mention this I presume it didn’t happen.

Plymouth Herald reports it was an all female crew, and has a quote from the Plymouth based driver for the run into Plymouth.
I was on the Hoe for the unveiling and glimpsed what appeared to be a handout from GWR, celebrating women and the railways.
Citybus have also liveried a new double deck bus to mark the day.

[stuving]

Did it stop at Taplow, Cliveden being the home of the Astor family?

It stopped only at Reading and Exeter. It did the same thing as it came straight back to Royal Oak as ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) (5Z20), for some reason. (Dropping off railway staff?).

I just caught it leaving Reading P11 at 14:48, and was puzzled as to what this funny-looking "not for public use" train was (from too far to see the details). Two things were odd: some red signs or symbols high up on the side of each carriage, and a wider silver-white stripe along the waist (possibly above the usual narrow one). The signs would make sense for this special, but what was that stripe about (assuming I didn't imagine it)? I've not found any clear side-on pictures of it (as usual).

[Rob on the hill]

Did it stop at Taplow, Cliveden being the home of the Astor family?

It stopped only at Reading and Exeter. It did the same thing as it came straight back to Royal Oak as ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) (5Z20), for some reason. (Dropping off railway staff?).

I just caught it leaving Reading P11 at 14:48, and was puzzled as to what this funny-looking "not for public use" train was (from too far to see the details). Two things were odd: some red signs or symbols high up on the side of each carriage, and a wider silver-white stripe along the waist (possibly above the usual narrow one). The signs would make sense for this special, but what was that stripe about (assuming I didn't imagine it)? I've not found any clear side-on pictures of it (as usual).

I suspect you saw 800306?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/135904245@N05/31929167268

[stuving]

I suspect you saw 800306?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/135904245@N05/31929167268

Yes - and seen closer it's familiar, though I don't think I've seen it since its naming last year. It must have been the service from WSM that was on P10 and left just before Nancy, hiding her from view.

Though the question is now why does that one have an extra extrawide stripe - or are there loads of them?

[PhilWakely]

Though the question is now why does that one have an extra extrawide stripe - or are there loads of them?

The IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) equivalent of the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) power car 43172 'Harry Patch'.   The white stripes below the windows contain the names of 2,500 GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff who fell.

[Rob on the hill]

Here's a close-up of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) fallen on 800306, which also includes details of where they worked and where they are buried/remembered.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/135904245@N05/30860638987/in/photostream/

[IndustryInsider]

There's been a fairly significant backlash amongst staff for this naming, given Nancy Astor's anti-Semitic and racist views.  It's seen as going against GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s big drive for 'inclusiveness' principles of late.