Great Western Coffee Shop

The Devon Donkey sanctuary has migrated tonight....

142009 worked the 1603 Exeter St Davids - St Austell

Enjoy  ;D

Just done 19:05 St.Austell to PAR ECS for the 20:04 PAR to EXD. I have some pics will post later  :-\

You had to work it then did you?

Unlucky ;)

Par don't sign them do they?

It would have been an Exeter crew, the line is shut today between St Austell and Penzance due to engineering work hence the train terminating at St Austell!

!
Exeter sign hell of a lot then!

Exeter Link 1 sign loads, Penzance, Bristol Via Westbury and Bridgwater, Cardiff, Bristol Parkway, Exmouth-Paigntonand Barny, Gunnislake. They are the only depot that sign 142's I think??

Ah yes, forgot about that!

I didn't think they signed Cardiff?

Oh they sign CDF alright!!

Heres a picture I was trying to take of a nice footbridge but some heap o'scrap parked underneath and ruined it.... http://southwestrailphots.fotopic.net/p47673479.html (http://southwestrailphots.fotopic.net/p47673479.html)

Nice shot.

Best thing for Cornwall! should put one permenent on Redruth-Camborne shuttle!!!!! at least the locals couldn't trash it anymore  ;) ;D

I still say if/when Penryn loop happens x2 142 on the FAL branch is perfect.....

They'd be ok on the Fal, mostly welded rail!

And no major bends and an easy and cheap solution to find two trains to work the branch, I'm all for it... Wat d'ya think Mr Haines?? Anyway, has Penryn loop been put back another 12 months yet or do they still think it'll happen??

There's a law against naughty pictures, and a 142 in God's country is naughty!

Says a lot about the Promise from FGW that the 142's won't go west of Newton Abbot.

The Victorians outlawed building long wheelbase vehicles like the 142's because of Wheel Tyre and Track Damage, there is a way round it and that was to build 3 axle 6 wheel vehicles like the Milk Tanks used to be.
Can't change things now but 6 wheelers give a hell of a smooth ride and have slightly more wheel gague clearance due to the wheel profile.

Aren't you in bed yet smokey?

Can I offer an alternative use for such a unit?

06:00 Exeter - Yeovil - Westbury - Swindon (arr 08:30)
08:45 Swindon - Westbury - Salisbury (arr 10:00)
10:15 Salisbury - Swindon (arr 11:30)
11:45 Swindon - Salisbury (arr 13:00)
13:15 Salisbury - Swindon (arr 14:30)
14:45 Swindon - Salisbury (arr 16:00)
16:15 Salisbury - Swindon (arr 17:30)
17:45 Swindon - Westbury - Yeovil - Exeter (arr 20:15)

Not sure of the pathing etc ... I know it would need to be changed somewhat in certain places; I do know that it's clear of the other passenger service on the TransWilts single line section from Chippenham to Trowbridge since the only remaining trains on that under the current timetable are out of the way in the morning BEFORE this schedule makes its first run, or don't run until AFTER it is out of the way!

A promise that one would provide a service North East of Trowbridge - if kept - would be most welcome, and give it a few months to bed in you would have a busy service.

Note the good Swindon commuter provision, the building up (with the 06:18 and 18:45 services off Swindon, 07:45 and 20:20 arrivals back there  remaining) of a sensible TransWilts service, and the ability to reroute some of the Malvern to Warminster services to Frome to provide the more frequent service that town justifies. 

Oops - right TOC, wrong county board  ;D

Watch it, someone may accuse you of being a ned for saying that  :D

Err... Not quite.

Exeter link 1 men no longer sign Penzance. A few might still sign it. but as a general rule no.

Link 1 men have never signed Gunnislake.

However Link 2 men at Exeter sign Penzance and still have rostered work there.

Link 2 and 3 used to have rostered work to Gunnislake but not for 12 months now. Some still sign it as there have been numerous occasions when an Exeter man has been asked at short notice to cover a Par Job.

Exeter are currently the only depot to sign 142's. This may change.

Welcome to the forum.

When you say "this may change" , is there any possibility that Class 142's could end up working services regularly in (say) Bristol?

In respect of these things, there is a diiferent rumour every day.

However, I understand there is a training plan for Bristol drivers and conductors to learn 142's. Whether it is implemented is another matter.

Sorry, was referring to Guards not drivers, didn't make that clear, of which only link 1 sign Pnz.

I thought Penzance had been trained on 142's as they had one diagram which is 142.