Great Western Coffee Shop

A busy day for diversions ... and delighted to see that GWR have not replaced the local service with alternative vehicles on rubber wheels running over a tarmac surface.   I have pasted the Real Time Trains log here for future reference as to what can be done.

Looks good on what's been done so far (actual times shown up to around 15:30) ... I think we have a scheduling error just after 20:00 so we'll see what happened then ... but basically nearly 4 dozen trains being fitted through.

Ind	Plan Arr	Act Arr	Origin	Pl	ID	TOC	Destination	Plan Dep	Act Dep
WTT	pass		Whatley Quarry		790J	ZZ	Acton T.C.	0047	Cancel
VAR	pass		Acton T.C.		787J	ZZ	Merehead Quarry	0132½	Cancel
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C99	GW	Penzance	0202	0202¼
WTT	pass		Dagenham Dock A.R.C.	1	627M	ZZ	Whatley Quarry	0338½	0449¾
VAR	pass		Burngullow E.C.C.		607L	ZZ	Bow East (Db Cargo)	0401	N/R
STP	pass		Whatley Quarry F Liner Hh	1	607N	ZZ	Hayes & H'ton Tarmac Sdgs	0417½	0525½
WTT	pass		Westbury Down T.C.		610N	ZZ	Oxford Banbury Road Sdgs	0437½	Cancel
STP	pass		Uffington (Oxfordshire)	1	632M	ZZ	Westbury Up T.C.	0512	0510
VAR	pass		Colnbrook Foster Yeoman		040A	ZZ	Merehead Quarry	0708½	N/R
WTT	0748	0747½	Westbury	1	2M51	GW	Swindon	0749	0748¾
VAR	pass		Plymouth	1	1A75	GW	London Paddington	0807	0809¼
VAR	0838	0837	Westbury	1	2M10	GW	Swindon	0838	0837¾
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C74	GW	Plymouth	0907	0907
VAR	0938	0937¾	Swindon	1	2M52	GW	Westbury	0938	0938¼
VAR	pass		Acton T.C.	1	796J	ZZ	Merehead Quarry	0949	0952½
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C76	GW	Plymouth	1002½	1008¼
VAR	pass		Plymouth	1	1A77	GW	London Paddington	1019½	1020¼
VAR	1035	1034½	Westbury	1	2M53	GW	Swindon	1036	1036¼
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C77	GW	Penzance	1102½	1114
VAR	pass		Penzance	1	1A78	GW	London Paddington	1119½	1125¼
VAR	1138	1141½	Swindon	1	2M54	GW	Westbury	1138	1142
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C79	GW	Plymouth	1205½	1205½
VAR	1235	1237¼	Westbury	1	2M55	GW	Swindon	1236	1238¾
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C81	GW	Penzance	1302½	1306
STP	pass		Hinksey Sdgs		FRGT	ZZ	Eastleigh East Yard	1318½	(Q)
VAR	1338	1338¼	Swindon	1	2M56	GW	Westbury	1338	1338¾
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C84	GW	Penzance	1409½	1407½
VAR	1431	1429	Westbury	1	2M57	GW	Swindon	1432	1431½
VAR	pass		London Paddington	1	1C85	GW	Penzance	1502½	1506¾
VAR	pass		Penzance		1A85	GW	London Paddington	1528½	1528
WTT	1548	1547	Swindon		2M23	GW	Westbury	1548	1548
VAR	pass		London Paddington		1C86	GW	Penzance	1605½	1604
VAR	pass		Plymouth		1A87	GW	London Paddington	1619½	1619
VAR	1636	1636	Westbury		2M59	GW	Swindon	1637	1637
VAR	pass		London Paddington		1C87	GW	Plymouth	1702½	1702
VAR	1738	1737	Swindon		2M60	GW	Westbury	1738	1738
VAR	pass		London Paddington		1C89	GW	Penzance	1805½	1804
WTT	1847	1847	Westbury		2M61	GW	Swindon	1848	1848
VAR	pass		London Paddington		1C92	GW	Penzance	1902½	1902
VAR	pass		Plymouth		1A92	GW	London Paddington	1927½	1927
STP	pass		Kingswear (For Dartmouth)		1Z55	WR	Slough	2004	2003
VAR	pass		London Paddington		1C95	GW	Plymouth	2006½	2005
VAR	pass		Penzance		1A94	GW	London Paddington	2020	2020
VAR	2038	2037	Swindon		2M62	GW	Westbury	2038	2038
VAR	pass		Bow East (Db Cargo)		656O	ZZ	Westbury Down T.C.	2050½	2050
VAR	pass		London Paddington		1C96	GW	Plymouth	2112½	2111
VAR	2134	2133	Cheltenham Spa		2M24	GW	Westbury	2134	2134

And here is one of them at around 18:00.  Probably the last weekend we'll see HSTs passing through Melksham

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/mkm_20190504_02.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/mkm_20190504_01.jpg)

Onwards and upwards, but please excuse me a bit of nostalgia too this weekend ...

Photo of 1Z55? though I think the HST was more newsworthy in fact.

I think 1Z55 had been seriously graffitied - and whilst it was 'special' we get quite a few specials. It was also 20 minutes early at Melksham so I missed it.

From a little later - as the light faded - out with the old and in with the new ... 1C95 and 1A94:

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/mkm_20190504_03.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/mkm_20190504_04.jpg)

Really need that 'Penryn Loop' don't we...... ;)

We need *something*.  I could still be swayed / advised in various directions - a Penryn style loop, long (dynamic, two directional) loop(s) away from the station at Melksham, redoubling except at Thingley due to camber, redoubling throughout. And I would very much like to see Westbury 4th platform relaid as part of the process.

One of the things that I do note from yesterday is that although we say current capacity is "3 trains per hour" - i.e. 20 minutes per train - the HSTs and IETs manage the route (Bradford Junction to Thingley EAST) in 12 minutes, with trains making the Melksham call taking 2 minutes longer.  The six minutes "line turn around time" may look plenty ... until we realise that each end is a flat junction where the services join (and have to knit in) with lots of other trains.

Here is today's only HST on the TransWilts - approaching the site of Broughton Gifford Halt
(http://www.wellho.net/pix/mkm_20190505_02.jpg)

And here is that same scene suggesting that there would be room for a second track.   And indeed there should be - the line was originally constructed with two broad gauge tracks ... and was tto standard gauge tracks until 1967.  The over bridge I was standing on for the photos, and most of the rest, remain two track; I'm sure the remaining track has been realigned in places, the trees have encroached, and perhaps the embankments / cutting degraded.

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/mkm_20190505_03.jpg)

I think we would all be quite happy to let the nesting season finish before the hedges are cut back for a nice long loop.