Great Western Coffee Shop

The 1132 CrossCountry service from Newquay to Edinburgh failed shortly on departure from Newquay this morning. One power car only on departure but that wasn't enough and the train stalled.Terminated at Quintrell Downs! Probably a first for that station to have a terminating service.

The set limped back to Newquay and was rescued later in the day by GWR 57605 'Totnes Castle'. The set was then dragged in passenger service departing Newquay at 1655, calling at Par and terminating Plymouth.

This one failure screwed up the service entirely on Newquay branch today. Not ideal on a nice sunny Sunday.

It has also delayed the UP sleeper tonight. Expected to depart 90 mins late

Amazing what network we have ... report the other day of a Swindon to Westbury service delayed by ... a Crosscountry train from Nottingham to Cardiff having some problems.  Needless to say there was a bit of indirection in there!

GWR to the rescue:

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Mobile%20Uploads/FB_IMG_1464553268844_zpsgyj9htee.jpg)
Picture credit: Craig Munday, via the UK HST Enthusiast Group on Facebook. Used with permission.

And in the new green livery too. Not seen many with the new colours, even half a year after the relaunch.

All/most of the 57s are now in GWR green. The vast majority of the Sleeper stock is also now in green.

More pics by Craig on the CRS website: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/headlines---latest-reports-and-photographs

Scroll down to see them

Thanks, I shall keep a lookout for them. I expect it will be a while yet before I board one on the Severn Beach Line.

You don't think a sleeper diversion via, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Henbury, Clifton Down, Dr Days Jn and Yatton is very likely then!

Occasionally I am frustrated by the fact the up sleeper calls at Swindon for staff only.  While getting out at 3.15am would have its downside, it would save me a trip via Reading (with a 90 minute wait) or going into London Paddington.

I think it calls there for a historic reason involving on board staff who work early trains out of Reading depot.

There would be a certain logic in serving major towns along the way where they get a significantly later / earlier service that at present - really no need to go none-stop Reading to Taunton and there's four (down) and six (up) significant towns that it would make quite a difference for!    If the Scottish sleeper can stop at Corrour ....

Problem is that there is no guarantee that the sleeper will go any particular way west of Reading. As I understand it there are several different routes it can take depending on where overnight engineering work is taking place.

The problem is the sleeper goes so many different routes there would be a need to provide alternatives on the nights the sleeper goes via Newbury rather than Swindon.

Yeah, I know.  I think we had a thread in the past that came up with over a dozen routes.

But wasn't there also talk of the 24 hour railway at some point in the future (or has that been quietly dropped) and if so this would be a good start.  And doesn't it strike the more customer aware members here that the lack of intermediate stops is for the OPERATIONAL CONVENIENCE of the railway companies  ;)

I think the talk a couple of few years back was about a "7 day railway", but only on primary routes. 

Paul

Yes they did talk about a 7 day railway, but not a 24 hour a day 7 day railway.  Maintenance has to be done sometime.

Indeed, on last night's down sleeper only one coach - B - was in the old livery.

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/sleepgreen.jpg)

(The stock being taken back to Long Rock by the depot shunter)

The Sunday morning Newquay XC HST has a 100% failure rate this year! The middle week of the summer it was voyagered due to engineering works sonewhere

Summer hasn't started yet. It is still Spring. The Middle week of Summer will be around the second week in August I think. :)

Ok smarty :lol: middle week of the summer timetable so far :lol:

Cross country are not having a good start to the Newquay line!! 2nd HST to break down!