Buffets...

[whole diary]

[Superwang]

I am sure our 'Devonian' would be the first to complain there was no Buffet when the train run over 59 mins late...........asking for the free drinks and food 

[redskin125]

No buffet car on the 0743 Penzance was as a direct result of the chaos caused by the latest fatality at Southall on Monday. It was inevitable this would happen, I'm just suprised it has taken this long for it to. Still, Senior management know best, and think of all those valuable minutes saved in the journey to and from Penzance with the superior acceleration of the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) in this formation 

[devonian]

I am sure our 'Devonian' would be the first to complain there was no Buffet when the train run over 59 mins late...........asking for the free drinks and food 

Is this in reference to me? Didn't even know that rule existed - thanks for the info

 If it was over 59 minutes late though I would have moved onto the wine 

[devon_metro]

... which tends to bear me out, qprrule?  Why don't FGW^▸ (First Great Western) leave the existing configuration as it is, with a proper buffet car in its usual place, and stop fooling about with trials of trolleys - that clearly won't work on crowded trains???

  Grrrr!  (Sorry!)

Because they temporarily do not have enough buffets for the number of sets...

[vacman]

Something has gone badly wrong this week with un-buffet diagramms as a set without a buffet formed the 07:43 Penzance-London Paddington today.

It's a long Journey to London from West Cornwall on the 07.43 PZ-Padd, and if you have a Cheap Ticket, Only valid on that train in that seat, you can't spend the money you saved (well some of it) in the Buffet

Catering is not in the franchise spec at all I believe? the standard class trolleys are stored on board the set in the old toilet space either in coach A or H, that little room has a water boiler etc in it.

.

I have a mis-giving about the Drinking Water on coaches A and H, I've haven't seen these Water Tanks being filled with water from Bowsers as opposed to hosepipes.
The Water tank in Buffet Car gets special treatment (as do the water bowsers) at least Monthly to Sterilise the Tank and prevent the build up of some nasty water born bugs, and IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) the Buffet Cars pass the water before use through a UV light that kills micro-bugs.

Do coaches A and H get the same treatment?

I know that the buffet cars water supply is filtered before it reaches your cup, would obviously presume a similar system in A and H.

[swlines]

Because they temporarily do not have enough buffets for the number of sets...

Since when? They had the right number before refurbishment ... so why not now? (And before you say refurbishment - they had the opportunity to refurbish them, and the additional sets that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) bought came with buffet cars according to my archives.).

[devon_metro]

Such a thing called maintenance, although I guess you lot over at SWT^▸ (South West Trains) wouldn't know what that is as computers deal with things for you

[swlines]

Buffets are in the maintenance cycle at the same time as the rest of a full set of stock - if a buffet is out of service that means the entire set is. So if there's a shortage of buffets, there is a shortage of HST^▸ (High Speed Train) rolling stock sets as well?!

[devon_metro]

I'll try and find the figured regarding sets/buffet

[r james]

I presume there will be a number of buffets available from the EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) Mainline HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) services???

[swlines]

Not until the Summer at the earliest - but I suspect FGW^▸ (First Great Western) won't need any at all, but if they do, just 1 or 2.

[Chris from Nailsea]

If it was over 59 minutes late though I would have moved onto the wine 

On the 0743??? 

 

[stebbo]

When I were younger, in the 1970s, HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) had Buffet cars AND restaurant cars. As I recall 2 + 9 was the original formation - 2 firsts, 1 buffet, 1 restaurant and 5 second class.

[vacman]

I think we are short of 1 buffet as the MML^» (Midland Main Line. - about) set has no buffet car? well, it has an FGW^▸ (First Great Western) one.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, vacman!

I must say, reading this thread, it all seems very confused?  Does anyone have any clear information on what is, or is not, available on HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) generally, for example, at the moment?

I've looked on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website, but they've still just got their 'marketing blurb' about how great their buffet cars are - no mention of buffet cars being withdrawn / replaced with a trolly? See http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=66 .