You don't have to go to Cornwall to see those - we've got them in the park in Warminster !   

A plethora of pictures to follow ... today was a day I did not use my FOSW^▸ (Freedom of (the) South West Rover) - instead my old fogies bus pass (mostly) and feet. Pictures shared with friends at home -

Thank you - yes.  It's a big place with many different factors and areas and I only scraped the surface. I remember going there when I was under 10 for a holiday (I was accompanied at the time) and my parents marvelled at the modern new streets as it was being rebuilt after being flattened during the Second World War. Very interesting to see how that has moved forward and how some of the construction from that time is being replaced or having heavy maintenance. 

Very much "the city of the bus" as far as I was concerned. 

On Saturday, I caught the train in and through from Saltash to Totnes and it was notable how dead the stations we called at - Keyham, Dockyard and Devonport - were.   And changing trains on the way back that evening, at Plymouth (North Road) the sound and atmosphere of diesel trains and the announcement as we arrived that the next connection to Gunnislake was "not until ..."

On Sunday, I breakfasted at Carol's Cafe and didn't bother with timing - even on a Sunday morning I had checked and there was a half hourly regular service into the city, with other service from beyond Saltash combed in to make it turn-uo-and-go, and people were turning up and going.   Come the city centre and there was a bewildering array of onward services.   I will criticise that there was no easy way for me, arriving there, to find my onward service.   Long rows of roadside bus stops all marked "Temporary stop" and with route numbers on them and precious little more (I think many of the stops may have had a fine print timetable ...) so no way onward guidance for the stranger.   I lucked out by asking a driver leaning on the front of a bus as to which the one for Marsh Mills was and "this one" he says.    The route number did correspond with previous research, the destination saying "Derriford" surprised me as that's to the north and I was headed east and without the re-assurance I would have taken it has being a cross-city service with this vehicle going the wrong way.

Its not that far from the station!  And it the present site is not that easy to find without directions.

I know, but I would find it hard to follow them if I didn't already know how to get there

A lovely weekend based in Saltash and 000s more pictures to share - BUT - coffee spilled in my laptop "Cato" (and it was excellent coffee to waste) was also terminal to Cato.  Thought I had got away with it ... headed by train towards Falmouth but by the time I got to Truro it was clear that Cato was terminal without help ... straight back on the train to Plymouth and the Apple Store Genius Clinic who, sadly, with the covers off confirmed my diagnosis.

My daily mile was satisfied wandering around and back up to the station later ... and then by train change at Exeter St Davids, Salisbury, Westbury, Bath Spa then the bus to Melksham.   That was another change of plans.

The 17:42 off Salisbury (Portsmouth to Cardiff train) was shown as being 25 minutes late, showing at 18:35 arrival into Westbury, just in time for the 18:37 connection on to Melksham at 18:53, so home at 19:15. Ah yes, but ... we came to a stand on the approach to Warminster, dropped another 4 minutes there, and then came to a halt (signal?) just after leaving Warminster too.  Real Time Trains confirmed that the 18:37 to Swindon had left on time as we passed through Dilton Marsh.   I ended up catching the next Bath Spa train and the bus from there - 20:30 into the Market Place and home at 20:35.    Another example of the  terrible toll exacted by a short(ish) delay when compounded and connecting into an infrequent service. 

Posted from a very old laptop without a smell checker - so probably even more typos than usual!

The passennger experience ... found wanting

The 17:42 from Salisbury to Westbury ... delayed by 25 minutes as I waited on the platform at Salisbury yesterday "due to a late running train in front of this one".  The reason may be true, but 25 minutes is a heck of a long delay for getting caught with another train in the way, ans is it just me, or does it conveniently pass the blame on to some other operator?   The official departure board says it will now arrive in Westbury at 18:35 - in time for the 18:37 to Melksham, and a member of staff re-assures my that the connection will make, but because he works for SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) and the train is run by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), he can't do anything to let people know there are connecting passengers. He assures me it will be better when everyone is nationalised and they run like a network.

The train leaves Salisbury at about the newly scheduled time - with an arrival expected (ha,ha) into Westbury 2 minutes before the Swindon service is due to leave, but then slows down and comes to a halt at the signal on the approach to Warminster.  It seems that the stock for the 18:29 from Warminster to Bristol is sitting in the platform at Warminster and we have to wait for it to leave, on time.  And after a Warminster call, we come to a further signal stop just after leaving Warminster as the Bristol stopper dawdles down the hill to Westbury.

26 minutes late from Salisbury and through the countryside
30 minutes late into Warminster
35 minutes late from the Warminster signal
(as an aside - 42 minutes late by Bristol Temple Meads)

So why was the 18:29 Bristol stopper crossed over at Westbury ahead of the semi-fsat from Portsnmouth?   I don't know; it's not the first time it's happened and it's usuaully done to clear the local train off the line in the other direction - except that yesterday that wasn't necessary - it was done to get it out of the way of a train that had been cancelled - a phantom train.  Poor decision - or poor tools provided to the staff making the decisions to do their best on a congested railway?

No announcements on the train at all from Salisbury until the approach to Westbury. The only sight of the train manager was to see her briefly dash through to hand someone a ticket - I suspect concluding a transaction started south of Salisbury.  No explanation of the 10 minutes of signal stops which was disappointing - we were all sitting there in the countryside wondering why our train had come to a halt. She DID^▸ (Didcot Parkway) announce ongoing trains and platforms as we approached Westbury - studiously ignoring advise for any passengers looking to connect on to the Swindon train, which of all the changes is the most natural onwards flow rather than the doglegs helpfully offered.

Train staff at Westbury approached as they were standing around chatting and confirmed that the Swindon had left.  Looked confused when asked about the next one - looked at the departures display and it offered nothing.   As customer asked about the 20:06 to Cheltenham Spa and "Oh yes that's the next one".  Referred me on to platform staff who confirmed that the 20:06 was next, there was nothing between, and advised me to change at Bath Spa. "For Melksham?" I asked  "Oh - you'll have to wait if you want to go there" in a tone that made me feel very little indeed. "Are there any buses available?" I asked - "I wouldn't know about that" says the bloke.  Now in some ways, correct in the next train. Not sure what my rights would have been for alternative provision.  And - wouldn't you think - that in a public transport network the staffwould be informed / have the tools to advise the next quickest way to get to destination.  Of course, when it's all nationnalised it will be much better, won't it?

Ah - but, yes, I feel for the staff. The tools are often embryonic and give incorrect forecasts (there was no way the connection was going to make - systems clearly allowing predictions that put 2 trains on the same track at the same time) and don't offer alternatives if that don't happen to be run by the same First subsidiary.