First Great Western rebrands to Great Western Railway and related department changes

[whole diary]

[Rob on the hill]

Found it!



Having seen it the other day - looks nice, but I'll not be chasing it around!

Can anyone tell me where this photo was taken.   Clue - the gentleman in the kilt is Graham from Dalmally Station - http://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/heartfelt-by-liz-p996051 - who has done a wonderful job on the restoration and was a well deserved ACoRP^▸ (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) awards winner http://www.acorp.uk.com/Assets/CRA%202015/AcorpWinnerLo-res.pdf (third place in the "Most enhanced stations buildings" section).

Torquay - or is that too obvious..?

[grahame]

Torquay - or is that too obvious..?

Sorry - not Torquay, but I can see why you may think that.

[TonyK]

... I can see why you may think that.

The kilt, maybe?

[grahame]

... I can see why you may think that.

The kilt, maybe?

No - the reference to the ACoRP^▸ (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) awards which were mentioned in the thread and held in Torquay

[grahame]

No - the reference to the ACoRP^▸ (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) awards which were mentioned in the thread and held in Torquay

Pictures from around the event ... and more places to identify if you like -
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=16279.msg184270#msg184270

[Rob on the hill]

One of your side trips..?
1Z69 Torquay - Okehampton
1Z70 Okehampton - Torquay

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/OKE/2015/10/02/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

[grahame]

One of your side trips..?
1Z69 Torquay - Okehampton
1Z70 Okehampton - Torquay Exeter St Davids

Indeed.   Which, however, was a 150/2 but we stopped (somewhere) as the Green HST^▸ (High Speed Train) passed.

[Rob on the hill]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) worked 1A81 Penzance - Paddington, so the two would have met at Plymouth on platforms 7 and 8!

[grahame]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) worked 1A81 Penzance - Paddington, so the two would have met at Plymouth on platforms 7 and 8!

Yes, that's correct.

If anyone wonders what a Torquay to Okehampton service was doing at Plymouth, let me tell you it ran via Bere Alston.

The Okehampton to Exeter St Davids was even more oddly routed.

[Rob on the hill]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) worked 1A81 Penzance - Paddington, so the two would have met at Plymouth on platforms 7 and 8!

Yes, that's correct.

If anyone wonders what a Torquay to Okehampton service was doing at Plymouth, let me tell you it ran via Bere Alston.

The Okehampton to Exeter St Davids was even more oddly routed.

Sorry if off topic but this came to mind..!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5_8ZisNSk8

[TonyK]

Sorry if off topic but this came to mind..!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5_8ZisNSk8

I'm almost ashamed to say that I watched that film on telly last weekend. Ah, Dora Bryan! It's on Film 4 at 5.10 on Thursday if you want to do likewise.

[bobm]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) worked 1A81 Penzance - Paddington, so the two would have met at Plymouth on platforms 7 and 8!

Yes, that's correct.

If anyone wonders what a Torquay to Okehampton service was doing at Plymouth, let me tell you it ran via Bere Alston.

The Okehampton to Exeter St Davids was even more oddly routed.

Indeed over the course of the day the two trips did 260 miles going from Torquay to Exeter St Davids, passing the sea wall three times.

[Surrey 455]

I might have missed it, but have the automated platform announcements been updated? If they have

Have they been updated at Non FGW^▸ (First Great Western) managed stations e.g. Guildford, Cardiff etc?

and just to speculate, if the original voice over artist is not available to record new phrases, would they get someone else to:

• record the phrase to slot in to the existing recording
• re-record the entire recording for that particular journey
• or re-record the entire catalogue of train companies and destinations?

South West Trains have updated their automated platform announcements, Southern use the same system (Except at a few principal stations - Gatwick) so I assume they have. Not sure about Arriva Trains Wales.

With regards to if original voice over artist is unavailable. You have 4 options:

• Find someone with a similar voice to recorded the new requirements
• Remove the voice all together (If it is part of a two or more voice system)
• Re-record everything in a new voice
• Don't bother in a situation like this, and don't announce the operators name

"Re-record the entire recording for that particular journey" as you said isn't possible as announcements are not recorded 'per journey' but just as recordings of individual phrases or words that can be put together in the order required.

At Reigate Station tonight, Southern seem to have opted for not announcing GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).

Female voice announces "The next train on platform 2 is the 1923 service to Reading". A few minutes later the male voice says "The next train on platform 1 is the 1930 service to Gatwick Airport".

[bobm]

I have often wondered if there is a requirement to announce which company is providing a particular train.  Almost everyone does it, but is that because they are told to?

[PhilWakely]

The announcements for Saturday's charity special to Buckfastleigh were interesting to say the least. The 'normal' announcement over the tannoy and on the display is either 'stand clear the next train is not stopping at this station' or the alternative of 'The next train is not for public use'. However, 'Buckfastleigh' was actually displayed, whilst the tannoy announcement was "The next train on Platform 5 is the 08:52 Great Western Railway service to <pause>, calling at <pause> only". If they can put 'Buckfastleigh' on the destination board, then surely a one off recording can be added to the database for tannoy announcements?