Adieu Adelante

[whole diary]

[ReWind]

They could have been put to use Cardiff-Portsmouth ? The existing 3 car 158s are getting a bit full even during the day now, and if you are over 5' 8", not very comfortable either !
[/quote]

I do believe that the Cardiff-Portsmouth 3 car 158's are going to be replaced with a turbo 17x series by 2011.  FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are in process of releasing the 3 car 158's off the Pompey's

[paul7575]

They could have been put to use Cardiff-Portsmouth ? The existing 3 car 158s are getting a bit full even during the day now, and if you are over 5' 8", not very comfortable either !

I do believe that the Cardiff-Portsmouth 3 car 158's are going to be replaced with a turbo 17x series by 2011.  FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are in process of releasing the 3 car 158's off the Pompey's

Adelantes would have been wasted on the Cardiff - Portsmouth, not a fast enough route, which is why they are all going to the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) as 125 mph services. (Northern's current temporary use doesn't count really).

It will be interesting to see if Roger Ford's 11 x 4 car for Cardiff - Portsmouth comes to fruition - although it could well be a turbostar variant if Bombardier win, there are other rolling stock manufacturers...    

Anyway, I think 'FGW are in process of releasing...' is a tad premature at this stage?

Paul

[ReWind]

I had a chat with Malcolm Chapman, who is a route director for the western region of FGW^▸ (First Great Western), and a personal friend of mine, and the Cardiff - Portsmouth topic came up in our conversation.

FGW are planning to bring in 4 car class 17x turbo trains for this route, and also to Brighton.  This is planned to commence in 2011.  You are correct in saying the the Adelante's are inadequate for this route.  Many factors attribute to this including linespeeds which do not exceed 90mph and track circuit problems on the Up and Down Netley lines.

Apparentley FGW are using Bombardier to build these units, which will be commencing shortly.  The 3 car 158 units will then be reverted back to 2 car 158 units and used for the Gloucester/Great Malvern runs and the Weymouth runs along with the odd BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI))-Penzance runs FGW have.

This is from a FGW director, not from me, so please don't taunt me if any of this info will appear to be incorrect now, or in the future!!! 

[paul7575]

Apparentley FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are using Bombardier to build these units, which will be commencing shortly. 

I suppose they may have been tipped off, the announcement of the selected builder is due sometime this month according to the ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender), and there are only two working days left...

Paul

[smithy]

I had a chat with Malcolm Chapman, who is a route director for the western region of FGW^▸ (First Great Western), and a personal friend of mine, and the Cardiff - Portsmouth topic came up in our conversation.

FGW are planning to bring in 4 car class 17x turbo trains for this route, and also to Brighton.  This is planned to commence in 2011.  You are correct in saying the the Adelante's are inadequate for this route.  Many factors attribute to this including linespeeds which do not exceed 90mph and track circuit problems on the Up and Down Netley lines.

Apparentley FGW are using Bombardier to build these units, which will be commencing shortly.  The 3 car 158 units will then be reverted back to 2 car 158 units and used for the Gloucester/Great Malvern runs and the Weymouth runs along with the odd BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI))-Penzance runs FGW have.

This is from a FGW director, not from me, so please don't taunt me if any of this info will appear to be incorrect now, or in the future!!! 

i have also heard FGW are to get 11x4 cars for pompey route although as yet the winning bidder has not been announced,this decision is up to the government and not FGW as they are the ones placing the order.
having said that bombardier is the obvious choice as they are making turbostars already so no retraining/retooling will be required just adding on to the existing production line,also it would keep british workers in jobs.

[Btline]

Of course the LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise)/LO/CH 172s are being held up, so don't hold your breath for the next order being completed by 2011!

[r james]

What happened to the fire damaged unit? Was this repaired,or is this still awaiting action?

[dog box]

it was repaired and in use with fgw recently think it was 105

[willc]

Well, we did get our promised HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on the 17.51 tonight.

Now maybe they can turn their attention to reinstating one on the 08.52 from Malvern, which today was a lovely draughty three-car 165 - not exactly the inter-city quality and comfort FGW^▸ (First Great Western) promised us in 2004.

[super tm]

Well, we did get our promised HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on the 17.51 tonight.

Now maybe they can turn their attention to reinstating one on the 08.52 from Malvern, which today was a lovely draughty three-car 165 - not exactly the inter-city quality and comfort FGW^▸ (First Great Western) promised us in 2004.

I am afraid that this is booked to be a 166 (noted your comment about 165 today)  until the may timetable change.  What happens after that I dont know

[paul7575]

Have the last 3 units definitely been returned off-lease as of this week?

Presumably then the only debate now is which livery of NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast), HT^▸ (Hull Trains), GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line), GN etc they'll next appear in...

Paul

[inspector_blakey]

it was repaired and in use with fgw recently think it was 105

You're dead right, the high-speed mobile barbecue was 105, remember seeing pictures of it looking sorry for itself in the railway press. Can anyone remember which bouncy castle it was that spontaneously combusted near Nailsea a few years back?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3754902.stm

Did that ever return to traffic or was it a write-off because all the plastic melted? 

[Btline]

I was on the first off peak train of the day to London today and it was a turbo.

This is a disgrace. First they move the first off peak train to run half an hour later (perhaps unavoidable), then they give us a Turbo!

Do they want leisure travellers? Their website did not warn people, and the PISs^▸ (Passenger Information System) at Worcester said it was an HST^▸ (High Speed Train). Due to the slack, we only arrived a few minutes late - but this is unacceptable.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) need the 180s unless HST availability improves. Which bright spark thought that a single HST could cover for 3 180s? 

[willc]

Not difficult, as one set was a spare and the others did one or two runs coupled together between Oxford and London, then a couple of trips out to Malvern or Worcester separately. Last few weeks I think FGW^▸ (First Great Western) only had 102 and 109 available anyway.

In fact, I don't think the 54th HST^▸ (High Speed Train) set is due back from overhaul by Brush at Loughborough and Kilmarnock until May anyway.

Turbo on the 8.52 from Malvern was discussed a month back in Lots of train failures/short formed trains.

The CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) has had a meeting with FGW about it but got no indication of any change of stance - what they were told was that some off-peak Honeybourne and Pershore HSTs stops may get cut from May to save money by cutting the fuel bills.

[smithy]

it was repaired and in use with fgw recently think it was 105

You're dead right, the high-speed mobile barbecue was 105, remember seeing pictures of it looking sorry for itself in the railway press. Can anyone remember which bouncy castle it was that spontaneously combusted near Nailsea a few years back?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3754902.stm

Did that ever return to traffic or was it a write-off because all the plastic melted? 

that would be bendy bus number 613 since been scrapped,the other one that it was coupled to at the time (621 if memory serves)was saved by the driver who split them before that had a chance to go up.