Westbury - engineering works from 24th December 2024 for 30 days

[whole diary]

[bradshaw]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are using the WoE line to swap stock on the Portsmouth run.
The Exeter-Axminster service is extended to Yeovil Junction as ecs. It seems then to run to Salisbury attached to an SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) service. In the reverse it runs ecs Salisbury to Exeter

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:YVJ/2025-01-09/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=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)

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-stock-swaps-using-west-of-england-line.279323/

More on RailUK forum

[Mark A]

Trowbridge: catching a train twice in the last week, a bit after sunset.

The second occasion was beneath clear skies so, a good opportunity for some astronomy.

The first, a wet night and temperatures about one degree centigrade, so, time to appreciate that at a little before 5pm, the waiting room/booking hall/ticket office/loos were open.

The second time round all were closed, but there is provision of a couple of portable loos for rail travellers in a compound in the car park. They're not signed though, so people need to ask staff for them.

Two staff on duty both times, one on each platform, and then the various people marshalling travellers to the coaches.

If the infrastructure supports it, for the duration of the disruption, in the future, is it possible to operate the railway there as two single lines, bringing passenger services to the same side as the transfer to coaches, and keeping the other line for other movements? This would make things easier for the procession of luggage-encumbered passengers who headed across the footbridge from arriving trains.

Mark

[grahame]

If the infrastructure supports it, for the duration of the disruption, in the future, is it possible to operate the railway there as two single lines, bringing passenger services to the same side as the transfer to coaches, and keeping the other line for other movements? ....

Not really - neither line through Trowbridge is signalled for bi-directional use so trains cannot reverse at the platform (I have known it done once, "in extremis").

With signalling changes, it would be possible to reverse trains from Bath at the northbound platform, but not at the southbound platform unless they ran "wrong line" all the way to Bathampton.   And again with signalling changes it would be possible to reverse trains from Chippenham at either platform.

Logic during the current stoppage (I am seated in my armchair telling the people on the ground) with appropriate signalling would have been to reverse Bristol and beyond trains at the Northbound Platform twice an hour, and Swindon trains at the Southbound platform every 2 hours, with once in every 2 hours the train from Bristol extending to Weymouth and arriving into Trowbridge from Weymouth.  The Weymouth services could pass each other at Pen Mill ... shortish layover as usual in Weymouth, and the Bristol to Trowbridge service that extends to Weymouth (so can't be used to form the next Bristol service) conveniently being replaced by the  service that arrives from Weymouth into Trowbridge at about that time.   Without the need for 2 trains an hour to reverse on the WoE main line is they can reverse in the platform at TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains), the reversals on that main line should be manageable.

[grahame]

From the Wiltshire Times - please forgive the grotty picture of the paper taken in the Takeaway last night



The picture suggests the Westbury might have OHLE^▸ (Over-Head Line Equipment (electrification via catenary)) by the time the station re-opens - which I'm sure is not the case.  But more seriously with all the works being done, are they being done with facilitating electrification in the future?

Edit Original article - just found it - https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/24840632.westbury-railway-station-works-progressing-well/

[Trowres]

Highly complex Westbury South Junction

It may be complex by today's standards, but one has to marvel at how engineers coped with this one (at Birmingham Snow Hill):

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1182.htm

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for that, Trowres: it's just done my head in. 

[grahame]

Highly complex Westbury South Junction

It may be complex by today's standards, but one has to marvel at how engineers coped with this one (at Birmingham Snow Hill):

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1182.htm

The numbers of the platforms from left to right are: Platform 11 the up relief, the bay Platforms 10 & 9, Platform 8 the up main, Platform 6 the down main, bay Platforms 4 & 3 and Platform 2 the down relief platform. Platform 12 was a continuation of Platform 11, Platform 7 a continuation of Platform 8, Platform 5 a continuation of Platform 6 and finally Platform 1 was a continuation of Platform 2. The reason for the through platforms being given two platform numbers was because the station was designed to accommodate two trains simultaneously at one platform. It was obviously thought by the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s management that separate numbers were less confusing than having say Platform 1A and 1B

To this day, Bristol Temple Meads has two numbers on the same platform, and Birmingham New Street has A and B (and there's even a C)

[bobm]

Reading has A and B ends for platform 7 and above.

[Witham Bobby]

Highly complex Westbury South Junction

It was great fun when controlled by the 99-lever Westbury South 'box.  It was possible, if you weren't careful, to lock the whole lot up, if, say, you wanted to put a lengthy up train into the Down Yard, or the Down Reception only to discover it wouldn't fit.  Thanks to the skill of men like Bob Pritchard and Thomas Lambe, this didn't happen when I worked in the area

[Trowres]

The Warwickshire Railways website is worth a visit for the historical text, but here are links to three photos (including the one I posted previously) showing that wherever one looked, the track layout was fascinating.

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1182.htm
https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1747.htm
https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1777.htm

The station also featured a sector plate to provide a compact run-round solution!
https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/disused-stations-birmingham-snow-hill-station--845762004997314663/

[grahame]

Scheduled says trains back tomorrow - message from my rumour mill (putting it here as an urgent enquiry) says Saturday but no official evidence of that in my messages.

My thought is that trains start again tomorrow with an 05:23 to Salisbury from Westbury. And that "until 24th January" has been misinterpreted by someone to be "up to and including 24th January".   Anyone know for certain?

[bobm]

Realtimetrains and journey planners show the service resuming tomorrow morning.

[stuving]

Realtimetrains and journey planners show the service resuming tomorrow morning.

Roofs, trees, trampolines etc. permitting?

[bobm]

The latest word I have from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and Network Rail is that the work is on schedule and trains will resume in the morning.  However no mention of the impending storm.

[grahame]

The latest word I have from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and Network Rail is that the work is on schedule and trains will resume in the morning.  However no mention of the impending storm.

Thanks, Bob ... I have confirmation of that too.  With a reminder

There are two weekends of follow-up work on Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 February, as well as on Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 March when again the railway through Westbury will be closed. Full detail is on our dedicated webpage at www.gwr.com/wessex and online journey planners have been updated to show the impact of these additional works.