Station codes

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Oh dear !.. how unfortunate that you dropped your coat and your initial search whilst your train was still in St D plat 5 (there is no plat 7) did not find your coat....regretably your experience is not untypical of the lengthy & roundabout procedures now applicable in trying to locate a lost item.
All lost property is these days centred on just a few major railway stations...FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s lost property concentration depot/office is at Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) (in the subway).
The vast amount of lost/unclaimed items there as seen in the TV^▸ (Thames Valley) series on FGW would seem to indicate many passengers experience similar difficulties and just give up.

I remember years ago leaving a pullover in the Bradford/Paignton 'Devonian' which I realised as the train left St D; to then report it to a porter on the platform;his immediate actions (to ring a colleague at N.Abbot to retrieve said item and send it back to St D by next train),  saw it re-united with me in under one hour ..now that's service !   

Your best bet is probably to try and contact FGW Helpline 08457 000125 so contact can be made with the FGW BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) Lost property office where your coat should have ended up; ie. NOT at Birmingham.

Erhem; BTM?

[grahame]

Erhem; BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative))?

Oh come on - we know what he means and not all of us can memorise all the Station codes!

[chuffed]

Hear, hear grahame ! BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) is easy to remember 'cos it's BTM of the best kept station list !

[ellendune]

Hear, hear grahame ! BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) is easy to remember 'cos it's BTM of the best kept station list !

Except of course (as has been said before)  BTM is not a a valid station code. 

The station code for Bristol Temple Meads is BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains). 

If you want to abbreviate it here I suggest most people would understand Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) without the need to explain.  Or if you wish to use BRI please could you explain it the first time you use it in a post.

[Red Squirrel]

My intention was to (gently, I hope) draw AMLAG's attention to the forum guidelines on use of abbreviations, and to (gently, I hope) point out that BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) is not a valid station code - even if we probably could work out what was meant.

Must drop by for a chat next time I'm in MEL, grahame!

[John R]

My intention was to (gently, I hope) draw AMLAG's attention to the forum guidelines on use of abbreviations, and to (gently, I hope) point out that BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) is not a valid station code - even if we probably could work out what was meant.

Must drop by for a chat next time I'm in MEL, grahame!

Though bearing in mind the poster was only on his third post, I think it may have come across as rather heavy handed.

[Phil]

R   Railway
E   Enlightenment
D   Department (responsible for)
S   Shovelling
Q   Quantities (of)
U   Useful
I   Information
R   Relatively
R   Reliably (for)
E   Every
L   Line

 

[grahame]

My intention was to (gently, I hope) draw AMLAG's attention to the forum guidelines on use of abbreviations, and to (gently, I hope) point out that BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) is not a valid station code - even if we probably could work out what was meant.

Must drop by for a chat next time I'm in MEL, grahame!

Though bearing in mind the poster was only on his third post, I think it may have come across as rather heavy handed.

Thanks gents, yes ... it did read (and I think for a relatively new poster) rather heavy which is why I jumped in.    Remind me to tell you about the flight I had from Mexico City to London with a beautiful young lady traveling to St Johns ... on which we ended up tracking about social media, and how people are treated and treat one another on forums above and beyond their official forum rank.  Let's move on ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

From this forum's very own list of Acronyms and Abbreviations:

BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) ... Bristol Temple Meads (formal station code - see also BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)))
...
BTM ... Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI, but BTM is a commonly used alternative)

 

[AMLAG]

An interesting issue of Bristol Temple Meads (Rly Stn) being given the (new) abbreviation of BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) instead of BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) which was and still is to many the abbreviation.
To Bristolians and tens of thousands of others BRI stands for Bristol Royal Infirmary !
Who would have chosen BNP^▸ (Barnstaple station (in the context of the railways)) for Barnstaple I wonder?!

[JayMac]

The use of BNP^▸ (Barnstaple station (in the context of the railways)) for Barnstaple predates the formation of the racist organisation.

[bobm]

The use of BNP^▸ (Barnstaple station (in the context of the railways)) for Barnstaple predates the formation of the racist organisation.

It's also a handy reminder, for me at least, that the North Devon town has a P in it rather than a superfluous B!

[JayMac]

I echo the sentiments of CfN. Welcome railfan. 

And my apologies for contributing to the way off topic debate about official station codes. Which I shall now continue...

... there is a possibility that when the CRS/NRS (Computer/National Reservation System*) codes were being decided upon way back when, BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) was discounted/discarded for Bristol Temple Meads, lest there be any confusion with the next station down the line, Bedminster - BMT.


*Used far more widely these days than just for reservations.

 

[Alan Pettitt]

I think that BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) is a readily understandable acronym and does not necessarily have to be intended as a station code. I frequently receive a text from my better half saying 'meet at btm about 12' which I redily understand, whereas if she suddenly started texting 'BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) I would immediately know that she had secretly joined this forum.