Whiteball Tunnel blockade - January / February 2014

[whole diary]

[bobm]

You just beat me to it Timmer, although there do appear some gremlins.  Some Saturday services appear to be advertised as having a Pullman Restaurant service.   Somehow I doubt it!

[broadgage]

A Pullman on a Saturday !
Most improbable I grant, IF TRUE it would almost be worth travelling for the novelty of taking a meal on the wrong day AND via the wrong route.

[DaveHarries]

I understand that there are two workings planned which sound almost a bit pointless although I guess these are positioning runs for drivers, rather than rolling stock? Two trains scheduled through Exeter St. Davids in the early hours of Monday 20-Jan-2014:

5Z88 0005hrs Plymouth (Laira TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot)) - Bristol (St. Philips Marsh), due 0617
Timings at Exeter St. Davids: arrive 0240hrs, depart 0250hrs

5Z89 0230hrs Bristol (St. Philips Marsh) - Plymouth (Laira TMD), due 0806
Timings at Exeter St. Davids: arrive 0523hrs, depart 0530hrs

Both trains have crew changes scheduled at Castle Cary where one crosses the other.

Also a heads-up on the signalling front. Whereas 2013 saw abolsition of the signalbox at Yeovil Junction, I understand that 2014 is scheduled to see the abolition of the signalbox and semaphore signals at Yeovil Pen Mill. Once the abolition of the box is carried out the control will pass to Basingstoke ASC so this could well be the last time we see HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) working udner semaphore signalling at Yeovil Pen Mill.

I don't yet have a final date for the abolition of Pen Mill box but I will post it on this forum when I do. The date could slip anyway.

HTIOI,
Dave

[DaveHarries]

Yes.  Good work by FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  Now lets all have a look at Cross Country for the same info............

Info now on CrossCountry website, albeit without times.

- Services to / from Birmingham,. Manchester, Northern England & Scotland will terminate at / start from Taunton. These trains will use the normal headcodes (1Cxx, 1Sxx or whatever)

- Services to / from Devon & Cornwall will start from / terminate at Exeter St. Davids and these trains will use 1Zxx headcodes.

Buses replacing trains Taunton - Tiverton Parkway - Exeter St. Davids

Dave

[Southernman]

Yeovil Pen Mill Signalbox - There was a plan to simplify the area and close the signalbox. However the plan would have caused significant difficulties to the operators and has not been proceeded to formal consultation as far as I know. My understanding is that it is likely that the box will be life-extended until replacement of Westbury powerbox and it will then form part of a bigger scheme. The costs involved were (as you might imagine) very substantial for little savings.

This is still awaiting confirmation!

[paul7575]

The Wessex 'route business plan' issued last year with all the CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) stuff has Yeovil Pen Mill transferring into Westbury in Dec 2016.   

I expect it isn't shown in the Western equivalent plan because the line comes under the Wessex NR^» (Network Rail - home page) route presently - I guess it's possible the 'territory boundary' will be altered with the change to ROCs^▸ (Rail Operating Centre - a centralised location for railway signalling and train control operations for a specific route or region).

I'm not so sure the physical closure itself will be subject to the result of consultation though - surely consolidation into ROCs is a done deal - the consultation will be purely about which staff move, and where.

Paul

[Southern Stag]

I understand that there are two workings planned which sound almost a bit pointless although I guess these are positioning runs for drivers, rather than rolling stock? Two trains scheduled through Exeter St. Davids in the early hours of Monday 20-Jan-2014:

5Z88 0005hrs Plymouth (Laira TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot)) - Bristol (St. Philips Marsh), due 0617
Timings at Exeter St. Davids: arrive 0240hrs, depart 0250hrs

5Z89 0230hrs Bristol (St. Philips Marsh) - Plymouth (Laira TMD), due 0806
Timings at Exeter St. Davids: arrive 0523hrs, depart 0530hrs

Both trains have crew changes scheduled at Castle Cary where one crosses the other.

I imagine they are just paths to swap HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets around to get them to the correct side of the blockade. Cross Country have similar paths from Exeter to Briston Barton Hill.

[Southernman]

Yeovil Pen Mill - if the plan had simply been for a recontrol elsewhere then I agree that no consultation would have been necessary. However there was a significant simplification of the track and implications for the various TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) so this would have required their input/agreement.

I am not at all sure that anything has been decided as yet - the latest thought is that when Westbury Powerbox goes so will Yeovil Pen Mill signalbox - although to which Centre is not yet known! It may well be around for a bit longer than 2016 with a bit of TLC^▸ (three letter code )....

[DaveHarries]

I imagine they are just paths to swap HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets around to get them to the correct side of the blockade. Cross Country have similar paths from Exeter to Briston Barton Hill.

I have already heard of these but so far only one is available on a scheduling website:

5Z20 22:12 Exeter St. Davids - Bristol Barton Hill WRD

Not yet found info for the other one but I am concocting a playable timetable for a railway signalling simulation so I hope that details for the Bristol Barton Hill WRD - Exeter St. Davids movement will become known soon.

Dave

[Southern Stag]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K00295/2014/01/27/advanced

There we go, that is an example of the return move.

[trainbuff]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K00295/2014/01/27/advanced

There we go, that is an example of the return move.

I am not disputing this but I am amazed by it! I know that NO XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Driver at Plymouth retains this route knowledge. Maybe the Bristol Drivers do, but I didn't think so either. Route knowledge was held until it was decided that if there were diversions via Yeovil Pen Mill it would be Great Western who would get the paths.

I understand there will be 5 sets West of the Blockade to operate the shuttles to/from Plymouth and Penzance to Exeter.

It may be that this path is in place in case of eventualities. For example if a set develops wheel flats. In which case I suspect that a Conductor Driver with route knowledge would have to be hired in to conduct the XC Driver.

I may be wrong about the above but can anyone tell me the last time XC travelled this way at all? I believe it was only Drivers and Guards from Plymouth who 'signed the route' via Yeovil Junction and Pen Mill. Bristol drivers sign Swindon as a diversionary route and Both Plymouth and Bristol Guards and drivers regularly refresh Bath, Bathampton and Westbury as a regular diversionary route.

I think this path is potentially just a 'notional' one just in case XC need it in an emergency.

Hope that makes sense. If it does run would be good to know the details and see a photo perhaps!

Any other info would be appreciated

[Super Guard]

I expect there wouldn't be an issue finding a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) driver to conduct if necessary - especially as it would only be Castle Cary-Exeter required.

[bobm]

The printed book, and quite a thick tome it is, detailing the altered services is now available at stations.

(Well at least Newton Abbot and Plymouth - where I saw copies today.)

[DaveHarries]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K00295/2014/01/27/advanced

There we go, that is an example of the return move.

Thanks for this. I have just made 5Z21 the 181st train to be added to the SimSig timetable I am working on. Oddly enough no mention of it if you search Exeter St. Davids for the 27th January. Or the 20th for that matter.

Dave

[phile]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K00295/2014/01/27/advanced

There we go, that is an example of the return move.

I am not disputing this but I am amazed by it! I know that NO XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Driver at Plymouth retains this route knowledge. Maybe the Bristol Drivers do, but I didn't think so either. Route knowledge was held until it was decided that if there were diversions via Yeovil Pen Mill it would be Great Western who would get the paths.

I understand there will be 5 sets West of the Blockade to operate the shuttles to/from Plymouth and Penzance to Exeter.

It may be that this path is in place in case of eventualities. For example if a set develops wheel flats. In which case I suspect that a Conductor Driver with route knowledge would have to be hired in to conduct the XC Driver.

I may be wrong about the above but can anyone tell me the last time XC travelled this way at all? I believe it was only Drivers and Guards from Plymouth who 'signed the route' via Yeovil Junction and Pen Mill. Bristol drivers sign Swindon as a diversionary route and Both Plymouth and Bristol Guards and drivers regularly refresh Bath, Bathampton and Westbury as a regular diversionary route.

I think this path is potentially just a 'notional' one just in case XC need it in an emergency.

Hope that makes sense. If it does run would be good to know the details and see a photo perhaps!

Any other info would be appreciated

I have read elsewhere that a limited number of XC Drivers will be learning the route in order to work Voyagers to and from Barton Hill to change over.    They already know from Bristol to Castle Cary.    Also there is a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) move between Exeter and Westbury in each direction to change over.