Great Western Coffee Shop

A combination of 'already running late' GWR services being diverted (between Exeter St David's and Castle Cary, via Yeovil) and the single track sections of The Mule caused havoc to the 'normal SWR' services.

As a result of this havoc, a number of SWR services were cancelled throughout the day - therefore, GWR's 1A96 (17:40 Plymouth to London Paddington) was required to call additionally at Pinhoe, Whimple and Feniton.

The first ever GWR IET to call at Pinhoe in public service! 19:05 20/03/2023   

(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ww255/PhilWakely/PinCISIET.jpg)

Slightly surprising (but good) that it was allowed to. The rules on what can stop where seem to get ever more restrictive, taking away a lot of flexibility.

I was intrigued as to how the onboard SDO system would cope, but I guess the TM can override it - Front three coaches only for Pinhoe, Whimple and Feniton - front 5 for Cranbrook, Crewkerne and Yeovil Junction.

I was amused by the automated announcement on the station just before the train arrived.  'London Paddington' was shortened to just 'Paddington' and was obviously in a different voice.

Delighted to see this.  It's very often the case that things done to get out of a jam (in this case, a traffic jam!) provide evidence of alternative ways of working.   I am minded of the three weeks last spring that the 08:00 (or so) departure from Westbury to Portsmouth Harbour called at Dilton Marsh, with no loss of timekeeping.  Noted, and as from last December that train always calls at Dilton Marsh; "always" you will note - even though it's a request stop - reports tell me of a good and building passenger loading ... might be even better if it weren't for fact it's not run on perhaps 8 to 10 day.

Possibly another 'first' today. A GWR IET calling at P3 at Castle Cary.

I'm out playing with the trains between dropping off Finn at the vets this morning and my own hospital appointment in Yeovil mid afternoon.

I was on one of the GWR diverts, 1A80, from Axminster to Westbury. We should have been pathed into P2 at Castle Cary after coming up from Pen Mill. Onboard manual announcements were informing folk in carriages A & B to move back to C for Castle Cary. On arrival at CLC only A & B were platformed in P3. So the driver had to make an announcement asking folk for CLC to move forward to B to alight. TM also made announcements and walked through from L to B double checking and assisting any passengers who needed to alight.

Apparently 5A81/1A81 sat down on P2 at CLC with the computers refusing to allow it to crossover and set back into P1 ahead of its journey to Paddington. That meant my train, 1A80, had no choice but to go in to P3.

A shunt move from P2 to P1 at CLC is unlikely to be a permitted move and therefore not signalled. Especially not valid in passenger service. I believe any passengers who could not use the bridge at CLC were offered taxis to WSB.

If a station isn't in the trains SDO database, the driver needs to manually select which doors to open.

RTT shows the 5A** ECS moves at Castle Cary booked to crossover from P2 to P1 using what I presume is a ground signal to set back - W782.

Would the diverted trains take a pilot, as would have thought SWR drivers were not  type trained on the 800...series?

GWR run a route learner from Exeter to Castle Cary using the stock from the 2L92 16.31 Barnstaple to Axminster. It has a booked daily path but the route may vary. Sometimes it returns from Axminster to Exeter at others returns from Castle Cary via Taunton.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G39169/2023-03-29/detailed