See how they used to be ...1983 to 1984

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Going through loads of old papers, I found some timetables that are about 30 years old.

Before you click on the link, ask yourself how many Paddington services you think Bedwyn, Pewsey and Westbury had each day.   Then take a look at the timetable ...

http://atrebatia.info/bandh1983to4.pdf

[IndustryInsider]

A great example of how steady incremental increases over the years have massively improved frequencies.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Agreed.

But back in the early 1980s, was there perhaps less of an expectation that anyone working in London would also choose to live in Pewsey - just for example?

 

[IndustryInsider]

It's often the Sunday services that show best how travelling habits have driver service frequency improvements, such as the 8-fold increase in trains serving Hungerford in this example.

[grahame]

But back in the early 1980s, was there perhaps less of an expectation that anyone working in London would also choose to live in Pewsey - just for example?

The service was certainly "London facing" in those days - trains left (all to Paddington) at 07:04, 08:29, 09:59 and 19:14, return trains arriving at 11:39, 17:39, 19:04 and 19:39 ... those are Monday to Friday. A sprinkling of others running 1 dy per week.

Logic suggests commuting to Reading, or a more genteel working day in London.  An extra train Monday morning only to London, and Friday evening only from London, suggest weekly commuters.  Interesting that extra trains ran via the Berks and Hants on Friday evening, isn't it?    Can't imagine there would be any call for that these days 

[didcotdean]

For comparison, this is 1965.

London-Westbury
Westbury-London

[grahame]

For comparison, this is 1965.

London-Westbury
Westbury-London

Can't help wondering how on earth they expected the Lavington service to attract passengers ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Maybe someone important in those days lived in or near Lavington? 

[Zoe]

I wonder why Bedwyn was chosen as a terminus even back in the 1960s for some services from Reading.  There really isn't much of note between Hungerford (except maybe Pewsey) and Westbury so it seems an odd place to turn back rather than either running on to Pewsey (which would have removed the need for intercity services to call there) or turning back at Hungerford (which would have then required intercity services to also call at Bedwyn).  I wonder if it was chosen simply for operational convenience.

[SandTEngineer]

I wonder why Bedwyn was chosen as a terminus even back in the 1960s for some services from Reading.  There really isn't much of note between Hungerford (except maybe Pewsey) and Westbury so it seems an odd place to turn back rather than either running on to Pewsey (which would have removed the need for intercity services to call there) or turning back at Hungerford (which would have then required intercity services to also call at Bedwyn).  I wonder if it was chosen simply for operational convenience.

I think Bedwyn was possibly chosen as the Up Siding was converted to a Bay Platform.  Nowhere at Hungerford for trains to wait other than in the sidings.

[grahame]

Here's an older timetable ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Oh, for the days when there were trains stopping at Seend, Holt and Limpley Stoke ... 

[grahame]

Oh, for the days when there were trains stopping at Seend, Holt and Limpley Stoke ... 

Bathampton too - perfect for a park and ride

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, yes - but I was trying not to get too involved in current re-opening issues - or indeed going even further off-topic from the Kennet Valley. 

[Bmblbzzz]

Oh, for the days when there were trains stopping at Seend, Holt and Limpley Stoke ... 

I've used Limpley Stoke, it's not that ancient!