Great Western Coffee Shop

Seem to remember some correspondence about the rear unit having to be locked out of use on a Saturday from Barnstaple leaving lots of bemused pax behind, because one platform (Eggesford) was too short for the length of the train. 

Ridiculous. Guard could easily do local door only and have clear announcements at Crediton: "If you wish to alight at Eggesford you must be in the rear 2 coaches of this train." thus allowing them to do a short carriage switch.

No, it's not ridiculous at all - although you can have a point for not spelling 'ridiculous' with an 'e' ;).

No, it's not ridiculous at all - although you can have a point for not spelling 'ridiculous' with an 'e' ;).

You wouldn't be able to use the rear carriages towards Exeter because of the crossing, and using the rear carriages towards Barnstaple would mean stopping three times (once to operate the barriers, once to collect the token and a third stop to let the passengers off). I'd say FGW have got this one right.

This is actually down to HMRI regulations that FGW have to follow. The easy way around this is to isolate the air on the rear door when arriving at Eggesford, as this is the only door that is not platformed( in both directions ), but HMRI say this is a hazard in case emergency access is needed through said door. This is not true if you only isolate the air on the door, and not use the physical locking bolts, as the emergency door release will still work. ( i am talking about 142's in multiple of 2 by the way, which is why this instruction has been issued) The fact that the door is only locked out of use for a couple of minutes on approach to Eggesford, and while station duties are completed, seems to have been overlooked.

The thing is, now the Driver and Guard MUST travel in front 2 between Crediton and Umberleigh (itself a 2car?)

Why? The driver operates the barriers at Eggesford, and can open the front door for passenger use at the station while he swaps tokens.

Ah - but is that allowed?

So is this another possible example of someone at FGW reading the Forum, as you pointed this out only a couple of days ago?

Noticed today the 12.40 from Barnstaple was 2x142 but rear unit locked with front one full and standing. Thought this problem had been sorted?

In that case I would say that it was one of the new conductors (of which there are a few) working the train, who hasn't seen the new instruction. It still states on the diagram that the rear set should be locked out of use.

on a Saturday?

14th August 2009    Time: 21:25  Update 5

Services between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple in both directions have been suspended due to a track defect in the Eggesford area. Road replacement will operate for the rest of this evening between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple via all stations and return and will operate as close to timetable as road conditions permit.

Having been built for the London and South Western Railway in around 1850, Eggesford Station was opened by the North Devon Railway on August 1, 1854. The station was built on permission from the then landowner, the Earl of Portsmouth, whose country seat was situated within an estate near to the site of the station.   

It is said that the Earl agreed to the railway being built on his land on the understanding that all trains would stop at the station to offer easy access to Eggesford House for visiting guests. To this day, all trains on the picturesque Tarka Line continue to stop at Eggesford on an hourly basis with the journey to Exeter Central taking around 45 minutes and the journey to Barnstaple about half an hour.

Built in a Tudor Gothic Style, the mid-19th century station house is Grade-II listed. The building originally provided a station master's residence as well as the ticket office, parcel store, waiting room and toilets.

(http://www.devonlive.com/images/localworld/ugc-images/276269/binaries/station%20house%20%20(5)4.JPG)

This really is the most quirky and beautiful property. And, subject to planning, has the potential to offer perhaps a tearoom for passing cyclists and holiday makers, or you could make the main house your own and turn the station and its detached building into holiday lets.

Eggesford offers many places to walk, cycle and jog, many places to explore. A hotel up the road offers Sunday carverys and there are plenty of neighbouring villages to explore too.

And what could be easier than commuting to Exeter or Barnstaple each day for work? You could simply roll out of bed, onto the platform and jump on the train to the office.

The Station House is for sale by informal tender with a guide of £200,000. All offers are to be submitted in writing no later than midday on Friday, June 30 2017.  To find out more about the Station House, to book an appointment to view or for a tender form, contact Stags on 01769 572263.

Reports that the Token Hut at Eggesford Station has caught fire.

In addition a train is in difficulties at Newton St Cyres after hitting an obstruction on the track.

All in all quite a challenging morning for GWR and it's passengers in the South West.

A full service is operating between Exeter and Barnstaple this morning with pilot working in place due to the issues at Eggesford.

17:25 Exmouth to Barnstaple due 19:12
Facilities on the 17:25 Exmouth to Barnstaple due 19:12.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4.

I suspect some of today's short forms are a direct result of yesterday.  The 2+4 set from Stoke Canon will almost certainly be out of traffic and judging by reports the unit involved at Newton St Cyres will be on the depot too.

No trusty 153s to call on.

Effectively, Pilot working is where a person (the pilot) takes the place of the token.
This gives a detailed description.
https://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/rulebooks/gert8000-p2%20iss%201.pdf

S&T Engineer can probably give a better description.

So who's allowed to be a pilotman? Is it usually a signalman or a driver?

Turns out the incidents are linked - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=21282.0 where the others have been merged. I am leaving  the post I've just quoted under "Eggesford" to avoid the various elements getting too scrambled; I would hate anyone to think I had poached a story from the Tarka line ...

Correct.  The exemption is where a token is available but cannot be passed through the token machine but this usually prevents the signal leading to the single line section not being able to be cleared so its often quicker to have a 'human token'.  Think RSSB need to come into the 21st Century PILOTMAN  ::)

Eggesford is exactly midway between my country abode and my daughter's home. Travel to occasional meetings when neither of us can be bothered going all the way to the other's place tends to be by car, but invariably involves lunch at the cafe in the nearby garden centre. You could maybe open a cafe in the station house, but the competition is a quality act.

On a recent trip up to Umberleigh I noticed there is now a cafe in the old sidings yard, named the Eggesford Crossing Cafe. Anyone tried it out?