Hello Everyone.
I thought I would just share with everyone my journey in this morning.
I had caught the 8.35 Maidenhead to Paddington ^Turbo, a journey I regularly take. We switch on to the up main just before Slough and cross back onto the relief just after Ealing Broadway.
Passing through Broadway this time, the train was still whipping along at a good speed. Maximum for the unit is 90 and I would say we were probably not far off it.
Anyway we came up to the cross over and went over it at quite a rate of knots. I was in the front carriage and it shocked me from my seat . 
Almost before we had reached the down relief (from up main), the brakes came on, almost emergency like. It was like the driver had just realised the speed was far too high. We continued braking until on the up relief and by this point the speed was noticeably less.
Usually, having used this crossing before, there is a noticeable braking prior to cross-over; followed by power back on once the cross is complete.
I don^t know what the speed limit is across here, but I would suspect 50/60/70?
Perhaps someone can advise?
I presume that the limit on these is set some way below the critical point at which train leaves track (which is also dependent upon rolling stock). 
What sort of safety margin is there?
I am a little concerned that this was dangerous and not a figment of my imagination, and feel I should report this, just in case this is part of a trend, but to whom? 
Incidentally, the unit was 166220!.

  - Heh, that's a good idea, may they could pick up other stuff along the way.
How about "Pick-up goods" for a name idea 

I saw something on it last night too, I had forgotten that there was a tunnel within a tunnel!
It was good to see that they were applying principles learned with Cross-rail (ie tunnel lining monitoring) with these old structures built 175 years ago.
W.E

Is there any common sense here ?

Aren't there plans for a new gas fired station at the moment, but its held up by lack of funding?
No one wants to invest in plant that may not be economic, so nothing gets built.
Meanwhile, existing Gen capacity gets shut down.
It then become economic to build, but takes 5 years plus to do so ?

Am I mad ?

Why, to have my lunch at the Waterside of course.....

It appears very scary, but surely we should await the official report into the accident ??

 

Now it gets worse:

Due to a broken down train between Ealing Broadway and Hayes & Harlington the Reading bound relief line is blocked.Impact:Train services running through these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 16:15 21/10.
 

I haven't seen it and the pic looks a little shaky, but is it a womens one ?
[Just think of that moneysupermarket ad with the jaunty jingle ]
WE

Saw this last night at Slough.
They've even started re-branding the man-hole covers.
Good stuff

And, it gets to Paddington on time, without all that nonsense of coupling up to a unit in the station......

On time, hopefully, every time

Mining usually produces a problem with the railways, subsidence is quite well known in mining areas and is shown up with telephoto lenses and the like.
Its not surprising when you are taking the best part of 1-3 meters of coal from beneath your feet, even if there are supports.
With fracking, I'm not sure much material is removed from the base rock so there is not much to move.
There may be some heave as fluids are injected, but that also will not be much.
W.E

You might be lucky to get "on the train" at all if you have a Brompton and it's one of the fast ones. They do get very busy very quickly in the evening peaks.
But, as per the good advice already given, aim to get there at least 10 minutes before departure. .

Good luck with your choice !

I must admit I did a double take of a buffet on one of the sleeper sets the other day; it looked black but upon closer inspection it was dark green.  The old GWR does have the greatest heritage affinity value of any of the old lines, whether it was the great way round or the holiday line of bucket and spades. Just like British Racing Green in the automotive world, there are some colours which look best, green is perhaps a better one.
Is it wasteful?: perhaps, but when repaints are required every few years anyway, glad to hear the new SETs will be green!

That Turbo came to a full stop just outside W.Drayton......
Driver on tannoy said something about having to wait for a crossing train ahead?

I thought it was only chickens that crossed the road.....