Night Riviera - merged posts, ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Ollie]

Terminated 08:07 - 14mins late.

[IndustryInsider]

Here was the full run...

[devon_metro]

I am struggling to see how a lunchtime HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to Paddington caused this delay...?

[ChrisB]

Because the 57 was used to fetch it back to Old Oak Common - but FGW^▸ (First Great Western) needed a driver that signed for it. There aren't many, so they had to wait for one to sign on in the afternoon before the 57 could leave for Westbury.

Then had to wait for the 57 & HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to get back before the 57 was available fir the sleeper.

What I don't understand was why any other loco couldn't fetch it - or is simply that the 57 wouldn't cost them, whereas hiring anything else would have?

[anthony215]

Can anyone confirm this i have heard that 57603 failed a few nights ago and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are now down to just 2, class 57's due to the 4th 57 having work done on it.

[Btline]

Clearly too much slack on that service!

_{NB - this is a joke}

[inspector_blakey]

So did last night's run set any records then...? That must be one of the fastest recorded loco-hauled runs over some of the portions of the journey. By the way, a few years back I found that rattling across the Canadian prairies at something approaching 90 on a late-running sleeper train was quite soporific, to the extent that I almost missed the last call for breakfast.

[Nottage_Halt]

Can anyone confirm this i have heard that 57603 failed a few nights ago and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are now down to just 2, class 57's due to the 4th 57 having work done on it.

There's a picture of the day and brief report on The Railway Centre for 2nd August ...

http://www.therailwaycentre.com/index.html

Just in case it disappears, as the page is updated daily, the text by Colin J Marsden states:

First Great Western managed to operate a daytime sleeper service on 1 August 2011, when the 'down' Paddington to Penzance service ran more than two hours late west of Swindon, after powering loco No. 57603 working 1C99 23.45 Paddington to Penzance was declared a failure at Swindon, with the Driver reporting a strong smell of engine fumes entering the cab from the engine room. No. 57602 working the 21.15 Penzance to Paddington was taken off at Swindon to work back west, while the passengers on the 'up' sleeper were woken and transferred to an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for the remainder of their journey. Years ago such a move would not have even been contemplated with a loco found to take over the down train and the 'up' passengers not inconvenienced. But today all that bothered FGW was to get a train back west for tonights 'up' service with the minimum disruption to loco, crew and stock operations, but with very little care about the travelling public. The very late running train is seen passing Totnes at 08.00.

So I guess this relates to the down sleepers on the night of Sunday 31st July.  You really have to wonder how FGW gets away with treating its paying passengers customers like this

Nick

[ChrisB]

Can anyone check logs for this down service & gleam any running info? What time did it reach PNZ for example?

[paul7575]

Just in case it disappears, as the page is updated daily, the text by Colin J Marsden states:

For the future, there is a picture of the day index on Colin Marsden's site, link is at the bottom of the left hand list.  IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) he does archive all the captions as well as the pictures.

Paul

[devon_metro]

Colin J Marsden being nice and non-biased there as usual.

At least FGW^▸ (First Great Western) didn't just dump one train load of passengers in Swindon at 3am!

[ChrisB]

But they ought to have a loco on standby, surely.

OK, with the number of 57s they have - but if they're out of order or away for maintenance, then hire something suitable to at least have it on standby!

[inspector_blakey]

I think Marsden is being a little harsh there, it does sound like FGW^▸ (First Great Western) managed to make the best of a bad situation and minimize overall trauma. I take ChrisB's point as well though - I was amazed that apparently the only way to rescue that HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Westbury yesterday was to borrow the 57 rostered for the sleeper.

Was there nothing else suitable that would have been able to expedite a rescue more quickly, or was FGW trying to keep things in-house to avoid having to fork out for hiring a loco and driver from another company?

[ChrisB]

No, I don't think that was the only way at all....there must be other locos around?....

Might be the only way without having to pay for it though.....

[anthony215]

Shouldnt there have been some class 59's or 66's at the yard in westbury, which could have been used to drag the hst?