First can do something well

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

Just not if its GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)!

On a rather nice and new looking First Transpenine express train from liverpool to manchester!

Have to say it LOOK like a turbo in colour - but is so much better!

[Timmer]

Just not if its GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)!

On a rather nice and new looking First Transpenine express train from liverpool to manchester!

Have to say it LOOK like a turbo in colour - but is so much better!

May look like a turbo but its a class 185 which was recently introduced on the Transpenine route. GW inherited a number of the stock that the 185s has replaced in the form of 2 car 158s and 1 three car 158.

Just shows what new rolling stock can do for a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) if DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specify the requirement for new rolling stock in the franchise agreement. There is no requirement for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide any new rolling stock during the life of the current GW franchise 

[Mookiemoo]

Just not if its GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)!

On a rather nice and new looking First Transpenine express train from liverpool to manchester!

Have to say it LOOK like a turbo in colour - but is so much better!

May look like a turbo but its a class 185 which was recently introduced on the Transpenine route. GW inherited a number of the stock that the 185s has replaced in the form of 2 car 158s and 1 three car 158.

Just shows what new rolling stock can do for a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) if DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specify the requirement for new rolling stock in the franchise agreement. There is no requirement for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide any new rolling stock during the life of the current GW franchise 

Yeah - I knew it was a 185 (I've started looking at the numbers on the front) but I didnt want to sound like a trainspotter (which mymother accused me of being today!)

[dog box]

Just not if its GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)!

On a rather nice and new looking First Transpenine express train from liverpool to manchester!

Have to say it LOOK like a turbo in colour - but is so much better!

May look like a turbo but its a class 185 which was recently introduced on the Transpenine route. GW inherited a number of the stock that the 185s has replaced in the form of 2 car 158s and 1 three car 158.

Just shows what new rolling stock can do for a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) if DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specify the requirement for new rolling stock in the franchise agreement. There is no requirement for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide any new rolling stock during the life of the current GW franchise 

Yeah - I knew it was a 185 (I've started looking at the numbers on the front) but I didnt want to sound like a trainspotter (which mymother accused me of being today!)

think you already are .....next thing you will be off to Exeter to ride a 142, and you will then never knock a turbo again!!!

[Mookiemoo]

Just not if its GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)!

On a rather nice and new looking First Transpenine express train from liverpool to manchester!

Have to say it LOOK like a turbo in colour - but is so much better!

May look like a turbo but its a class 185 which was recently introduced on the Transpenine route. GW inherited a number of the stock that the 185s has replaced in the form of 2 car 158s and 1 three car 158.

Just shows what new rolling stock can do for a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) if DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specify the requirement for new rolling stock in the franchise agreement. There is no requirement for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide any new rolling stock during the life of the current GW franchise 

Yeah - I knew it was a 185 (I've started looking at the numbers on the front) but I didnt want to sound like a trainspotter (which mymother accused me of being today!)

think you already are .....next thing you will be off to Exeter to ride a 142, and you will then never knock a turbo again!!!

Nope!!!!!!!

As I said to dearest mommy

I only know what I need to know to make sure my journey is as stress free as possible

So for FGW I am only really concerned with HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))/165/166/180  - I know how to recognise the difference and I know the impact on my journey of each and which to avoid and wait for the next train.

I know arriva and I know my route which runs 175's - preferable - 158s - if they must and then today when they pulled 150s from the cardiff routes to run milford haven to manchester!

When I got on a 150 at ludlow and then quizzed the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) as to why 150s were running (wasnt sure where/what they were for other than they werent normal for cardiff - manchester) and got told "unit failures"

So on the way home I went Liverpool - oxford road and picked up the train there rather than going liverpool - crewe - got home an hour  later but did get on at the start so had choice of seats rather than the crewe rugby scrum.

Incidentally it was a 175 so no need to worry but the earlier train which is the one I would have got had I gone to crewe was a 150 (I would have waited 90 minutes at crewe for something decent rather than 35 for the 150) and the next one was a bus!

[gaf71]

Passengers in the Exeter area would give almost anything to ride in a 150! At least they are relatively reliable. You don't know you are born up north!

[devon_metro]

If pacers ran virtually empty all the time they would be fine. But they don't.

I miss my peace hiding behind the tall seats on the 150s