Great Western Coffee Shop

I knew it was coming ... a green 153 has been spotted in Exeter.  In some ways I'm delighted that the fleet's being repainted - in other ways I'm just a bit apprehensive as it signals that the single car trains ain't going anywhere fast and there's a fear they'll be running on their own at all sorts of inconvenient times like 07:30 and 09:42 from Westbury and 15:12 and 17:36 from Swindon.

GWR are only retaining 5 153s. Post DDA deadline they'll either need the toilet locked out/removed, or working in tandem with a 150.
The 5 they are retaining are going green, the remainder white. They require repaints as part of the exam refit they are all due.

Don't you just love unintended consequences!    Presumably OK with a 158?

Yes fine with a 158, or any other compliant class for that matter

I think this is all history now, all the 153s are staying for a time although with so many stories flying about some fact, some guess and some rumour, the position changes day by day.   This GWR green one, 153318 is an Angel one so not one of the 5 quoted which are Porterbrook owned.  153305, again not one of the 5, is painted white and known as Casper (The White Ghost) because at that time it's future was not known.

...and here is Casper preparing to leave Swindon on the TransWilts tonight

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

It was just ten minutes before sunset but the white looked rather off white to me and could do with a trip through the carriage wash.

I think I saw the green one on Friday at Temple Meads, around 6pm, possibly on P8 or so. This was from the vantage point of a number 1 bus going over the bridge near the Three Lamps Junction.

I believe the green 153 is on the Newquay branch today.

Casper was on the rear of the 1649 Bristol to Weymouth. Definitely in need of a clean.