Swindon - facilities, improvements, signalling, events and incidents, including GWR history - merged posts

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

The old gantry, which was too low for the wires, has been taken down and now lies in the car park.

That's sets the time the car park will fill even earlier. Hope they move it away today!

[bobm]

As I left a low loader was arriving which I suspect was going to be used to move it.   

[SandTEngineer]

Hot off the press:
http://www.swindonpanel.org.uk/2015/11/22/uffington-to-rushey-platt-decommissioning-goes-ahead/

[JayMac]

RailUK Forums are currently conducting a poll to see which preservation project, from a list suggested by forum members, will get a donation of ^x from RailUK's surplus funds.

One of those listed projects is the Swindon Panel Preservation.

Obviously posting here will give folk a fair idea of who I've voted for!

Members of this forum, who are also members over there, are of course free to chose whichever project they think would benefit most from the donation. 

Another poll is being run by RailUK Forums at the moment (December 2015), and again Swindon Panel Society made the shortlist for a donation. This time round two worthy rail preservation projects are in line to receive donations. Poll winner gets ^1000, runner-up ^500.

Again, by posting here I've nailed my colours to the mast, but don't let that sway you. If you are a member over at RailUK Forums (with at least 5 posts made before 24th November 2015) take a look at the list of projects and cast your vote. All shortlisted projects were chosen by RailUK Forums' members, and all are worthy recipients. Each project has a link to its website and a link to a post by the forum member who first proposed it.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=124061

[Chris from Nailsea]

I am indeed also a member of Rail UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Forums (it's a long story ), but weren't there some issues on a previous occasion over there, when the rules were changed while voting was still in progress?

I'd be happy to cast my vote on this one - provided nobody moved the goalposts in the middle of the game again, so to speak. 

[JayMac]

I am indeed also a member of Rail UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Forums (it's a long story ), but weren't there some issues on a previous occasion over there, when the rules were changed while voting was still in progress?

I'd be happy to cast my vote on this one - provided nobody moved the goalposts in the middle of the game again, so to speak. 

Moving goalposts eh?

Have you read my post 'over there'? 

[Chris from Nailsea]

No, not yet - but I will! 

[JayMac]

The result of the poll is in.

Swindon Panel Society came first and gets a donation of ^1000.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=124061&page=2

 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Congratulations to the Swindon Panel Society! 



Posted quite impartially, obviously. 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Came back from Cardiff yesterday after a day out to Penarth (walk back over the Cardiff Bay barrage and then bus back to Cardiff Central, but that^s another story) on 1625 Cardiff ^ Padd.  We were late at Wootton Bassett after a door incident at Newport, but preceded (as booked) the 1700 Bristol ^ Padd by a few minutes.  At Rushey Platt we crossed to the UR and heading for P1 at Swindon.

Things are a bit busy at Swindon at that time, with 3 up HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))^s and the 1736 Swindon ^ Westbury as well.  We got held outside Swindon and the 1700 Bristol ^ Padd overtook us on the UM and went in P3.  It departed P3 just as we drew into P1 (no doubt having picked up all the passengers for Reading and Paddington).  We departed 3 minutes afterwards, expecting to be checked behind the 1700 Bristol - Padd while it called at Didcot (our train didn^t).

However, the 1700 Bristol ^ Padd was put over to the UR at Challow and we overtook it, so got a clear run from Swindon to Reading.

I can^t recall any similar move with up HST^s between Swindon and Didcot.  I^m not questioning or criticising the regulation as it looks like it was quick reactions to emerging events.  It was interesting, which I mean in the true sense of the word.

[bobm]

With the TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) now covering the approaches to Challow from the west as well as the four track section they now have a bigger picture which possibly gives them the chance to react better in such situations.

[Adelante_CCT]

'Signalmen' seem to get plenty of stick when it would appear they have made a mistake and not enough credit when they have solved a sticky situation so I would like to add my praise for this in this instance, but.......

Looking at your example from yesterday it would seem that the Swansea was 9 Late at Wootton Basset but 18 late by the time it left Swindon, the Bristol meanwhile was just the 2 late at Wootton Basset, 9 late by the time it was at Didcot which resulted in being 15 late arrival into Paddington. The 17:35 from Cheltenham (P1) was on-time.

I can understand not wishing to delay the 17:36 Transwilts service however I see no reason for the Swansea not to have gone straight into P3. Being 9 Late at the time would have resulted in an arrival at Swindon at 17:36, allowing the Westbury to depart on-time (Give or take a few seconds). The Bristol could then have just gone into P1 and both HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) would have arrived Didcot/Reading around 8 minutes earlier than they ultimately did.

[eightf48544]

Isn't this sort of situation the all singing and dancing digital railway is supposed to solve? I wonder what it's solution would have been?

However what it does illustrate is what I learnt at at Sutton in the sixties  that the railway is a true real time system which changes by the second and that any decision can be wrong as circumstances change dynamically. As i know when we shut up Sutton trying to turn a train around, on controls orders, in the Down Epsom Downs platform (4). Couldn't get detection due to signal wire contracting in frost. Still the sledge hammer worked!

[ellendune]

Dates from a post on the WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) forum (not sure of the original source for the dates as I haven't seen any official notification yet confirming them):

...   

... Rushey Platt to Wootton Bassett - 23/24 January

Wootton Bassett to Corsham/Hullavington - 20/21 February

I have seen a tweets from NR^» (Network Rail - home page) about recovering redundant equipment at Thingley Jn and testing at Westbury.  How far is this weekend's commissioning going?  Is it going all the way to the interface with the Bristol and Westbury Panels towards Bath and Trowbridge  (Not sure where the interfaces are)?

[bobm]

As I understand it, after this weekend the only signalling Swindon Panel will be responsible for will be between Alderton Tunnel and Hullavington on the Badminton route.  That will then be handed to Didcot over the weekend of the 20/21st February when Swindon Panel will finally close.