Are there any FGW services to add to this list of shame?

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

No, she doesn't teach at Sidmouth College - wherever that might be ! 

Sidmouth, possibly? 

I'm getting my coat, but before I go, Elvis Costello got it right the first time and wrong the second. The subject of the verb is Oliver's army. Since there is only one army in this equation, the correct construction would be "Oliver's army is here to stay", in the same way as (crowbarring this back somewhere near on-topic!)  "the pace* of 142s at the donkey sanctuary is here to stay" is good English.

*pace (along with herd and drove) is a collective noun for donkeys, honestly  I just found it on t'internet... http://rinkworks.com/words/collective.shtml

[Mookiemoo]

I would agree with northwesterntrains that Pacers do run on the third rail network in the Liverpool Area...

Pacers are used on the Liverpool Lime Street - Manchester Oxford Road workings... (I have relatives living up north ) A Pacer heading to Manchester will normally call at Liverpool South Parkway, However the 3rd rail network joins between Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway. The 3rd rail line continues IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) to just after Hunts Cross, where the Merseyrail Services from Southport terminate and operate a return working to Southport...!

However, Pacers have to use the lines between Liverpool South Parkway and Hunts Cross to join onto the Hough Green > Warrington Central > Manchester Oxford Road line.

TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) and EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) Services also use the same routes to Manchester and beyond

Indeed - and a quick look at google maps in satellite view will prove this.  I was mid post as follows when I thought - check my facts.....

"i've used that route frequently recently and can I say this is a load of tosh - at south parkway and beyond - the misery rail lines are separate to the pacers/EMT/TPE line!

In fact they are opposite sides of the blinking station!  And having done Liverpool to Manchester picc a few times - and misery rail is to the right of the normal trains"

HOWEVER, if you track from south parkway east, you can see the misery rail approaching from below and for a very short distance it merges with the main tracks out of south parkway - there appears to be no way for the pacers to avoid it other than to go around the back of some sort of big train yeard - which I doubt they do/

I have to admit, that after all the talk of pacers on here - the first time I saw one pull into LSP I did have to get on and ride it to lime street just to see what all the fuss is about.  And let me assure you.................if I go out of my way to avoid LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) 150s and turbos - you can bet your ass I wont set foot on a pacer for any meaningful journey. 

And journey's of several hours?  You'd have to knock me out a la Mr T before you'd get me doing that!

[thetrout]

I've just looked at Google Maps myself... I'm sorry but I didn't explain it very well...! Explaining things in text has never been my strong point...

Yes the Mersey Rail use different platforms at Liverpool South Parkway... But the lines merge south of Liverpool South Parkway... Trains for Warrington/Manchester then use the tracks to Hunts Cross... Where the 3rd rail network ends. (Southport - Hunts Cross Services) That same line continues onto Hough Green > Widnes > Warrington Central > Manchester Oxford Road (Some Stations Omitted).

Looking at the map, the Manchester Services have no other way of going onto the Warrington Line without using the 3rd rail network, However it is possible that they split slightly further down the line onto what looks like a Bay platform... I cannot remember enough though to confirm this. It's been a while since i've used that line...!

[John R]

The Quail map shows that there is a very small section of track where the third rail crosses the main line before going into the bay patform at Hunts Cross. Presumably for such a short section they have been able to ensure safe working. It's no more than 10 chains.

The strange thing is that that section also has AC electrification, though it's not obvious why, as it stops abruptly short of Huncts Cross station.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i cant remember where but there is a station where trains swap from 3rd rail to overhead halfway threw there journey, i will find the video

[ReWind]

Relex109, I am not sure that it is at a station, But i know London Overground change over from 3rd Rail to Overhead somewhere imbetween Shepherds Bush and Willesden Junction.

[cereal_basher]

i cant remember where but there is a station where trains swap from 3rd rail to overhead halfway threw there journey, i will find the video

Not sure if it happens at a station but Southern services from Gatwick Airport to Milton Keynes have to change from 3rd Rail to OHLE, think it is done mid route though.

[devon_metro]

Tgameslink change at Farringdon.

[ReWind]

I think Southern change over at the same place as London Overground do, cereal_basher, just north of Shepherds Bush.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

here we go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPg0sZPl28s

[northwesterntrains]

I've not been along that line recently but if you look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3J_5mxWcCQ the 158 running Liverpool Lime St to Norwich and the 350 running Birmingham to Liverpool Lime St don't use the same line as the 142 running Manchester Oxford Rd to Liverpool Lime St stopping service, but that may be because of extra stops made by the Manchester Oxford Rd service.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

ok btt, decided to go on a trip today using the Devon rover ticket which can not be purchased on swt services... Apparently there machines are set up differently? Anyway I'm not sure if we are counting the 143's but first time on one today ... What a difference those seats make!!! The journey was actually enjoyable! However on the return trip from exmouth 142 :-( it was a double set and had two guards... The lady in our half seemed to really enjoy her job when I borded she was asleep in the cab must have woke up at topsham and proceeded to ' check' the tickets well glance and then just sat down looking at the ceeling for a good place to hang a noose.... That's it bone shaker and suicidal guard I'm getting. Off so I'm now on the 125 toilet express to paignton where next?

[cereal_basher]

The Guard is lying saying they can't issue a Devon Day Ranger. Machines are exactly the same as FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s. They obviously didn't know how to.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

The Guard is lying saying they can't issue a Devon Day Ranger. Machines are exactly the same as FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s. They obviously didn't know how to.

see this is what i thought, i was pretty sure every machine in the country has the same software.. or similar, he did add we only issue singles and returns and that if you want to buy it on the train then you need to do it on a fgw service.. was going to ask what happens at say whimple which isnt staffed or served by fgw but it was pretty clear i wasnt going to get any answers

[devon_metro]

A bloke on the top of a mountain in Scotland would be able to issue a Devon Day Ranger so long as he had an Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) machine!