The SprinterMeister makes a very good point about the advantages of a dedicated depot looking after a single type of unit. If Exeter can keep up 6500mpc for their 142s, or even better it, then they should be in-line for one of Roger Ford's spanners he awards each year (December/January Modern Railways) for best performing depots.

The problem is that the "bus orientated bean counters" in First 's HQ^▸ (Headquarters) only look at overall costs of maintenance and small dedicated depots like Exeter are always likely to cost more per unit than large depots such as SPM^▸ (St Philip's Marsh (Bristol depot)). They are incapable of working out the "value" getting more mpc in terms of goodwill and even possibly attracting more passengers when the travelling public find that their train is more likely to run and reach its destination without failing.

I heard that piece. It seems to be one part of the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) not talking to another. In the last couple of weeks You and Yours, I think it was, did a piece on Trans Pennine and coasting on the Manchester Leeds route. The reporter even travelled in the cab of the 185. He reported how all 3 engines were in use on the climb to Standedge but on the decent to Manchester the "software" shut down one engine. He also implied it was automatic and the drivers didn't have a say.

In the same piece they also interviewed a Northern manager who said that although they didn't have trains with this feature they were instructing drivers to coast on downhill stretches and up to red signals. As far as I remember he didn't say Northern drivers were shutting down engines going down hill.

I believe some car engine management systems shut down if the car is stationary for long periods.

I also think that on a train it has to be a built in feature, "software" controlled, so that the switched off carriage still gets all its auxilliary power from the other engines.

Does anyone know if it's always the same engine shut down on a unit or does the "software" have some kind of time function to even out engine use? Otherwise it's going to make planned maintenance difficult if one engine has run considerably less time than the other 2.

Not another "busway" when will the Dft learn that if you can't re-instate heavy rail then light rail or trams is better bet than buses. If you need it you can have the best of both worlds with tram/trains either running heavy rail on outskirts and then street running in centre or serving main station on heavy rail with street running in suburbs or both options as in Kassel.

Moonraker, I'm jealous you got Pen Mill to Junction.

I've never done that route, missed out a few years back on a Hertfordshire Rail Tour round the coast Margate to Weymouth, no driver with route knowledge so we went via Westbury back to Salisbury.

 

But not on First Capitcal Connect (Thameslink) where northbound (Bedford) from central London it's barred something 16:00 to 19:00 but travel South of the river (Brighton) it's valid all day after 09:30. 

Interesting point midnight, if the last train is after midnight is an off peak return still valid?

On DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) and most German public transport, day tickets are valid to 03:00 the following day.

To get back to the topic of oversize luggage niether the Vomiters or 180s have enough space for luggage oversize or not, considering they are used on routes where people are likely to have luggage. Also being underfloor engined units they are bound to be far noisier, with added vibration, than a Mark 3 with a loco one or both ends.

EMUS (Pendolino) possibly, underfloor DMUS for longish distances no!

Lets get the wires strung.
 

The one at Taplow is actually just under the (high) canopy at the West end of platform 4 (Up Relief). It is partly protected by teh permit to travl machine but still suffers in the wet.

The other problem we have is that it faces South so on sunny days you have stand so as to put the screen in your shadow otherwise you can't read it.

Taplow is only manned for 25% of the train service (no Sunday trains)  does that make manned or unmanned?

I was wondering what those structures were at right angles across the loop line. It's now obvious they are the poles for the overhead wire.

I had realised it was narrow gague hence guess at L&B.

P.S. Previous picture of Devon Railway Centre do they use what was I believe called Chudleigh Sation on the Exe Valley?

How did go? Was the 00.004 packed to the gunnels?

I was in Reading last Saturday (park and ride shame!!), there were queuesfor teh gents! in John Lewis (Heelas) and security guards on every entrance to the Oracle.

Excent pint of mild in the Hobgoblin.

So Roger Ford may be right FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may get some 150s from Overground or London Midland. However, it does seem a bit disingenuous of the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) to claim these are part of the 1300 "new" carriages, even if they are refurbished.

It's good to see Exeter improving the performance of the 142s, but even 6500 miles is still very low compared with a modern electric units which are getting 40K to 50K. However it does re-enforce the view that dedicated depots for single classes of units is way to improve performance.

One of the things that  makes the current franchise set up so stupid is that Bletchley depot which dealt with Silverlinks 321s and was consistently awared silver spanners, was closed when whoever (I really can't be bother to work out which franchise runs which trains) took over moved their maintenance away from Bletchley.

When National Express take over First and First take over Arriva and Arriva take over National Express franchises what's the betting  Exeter depot will be closed?

I agree but:


If Tiverton Parkway is going to be given as an interchange station then I agree with devon-metro it ought to have more facilities. Canopies, Platform reshfreshment facilities and loos.  But the "bean counters" wouldn't  pay out to provide such facilities. Tiverton Parkway was built to the minimum standards to allow you catch a train from a platform. Its two up on many places on the continent and US where you might have to  cross the tracks to catch the train from the ground level or a very low platform.

What about Manchester United Football ground at Old Trafford (not the tram stop on the Altringham line) but  on the old CLC^▸ (Castle Cary) line to Liverpool via Warrington Central.

Do all machines issue prepaid tickets?

I'm not sure the one at Taplow does.

Woody bay?

One used to be Godley East on the Hadfield/Glossop line (ex Woodhead route). It's in my first edition Baker (1988) but not in my  7th 1992 edition so presumably it was officialy closed.

A very good web site is the Branch line Societies www.psul4all.free-online.co.uk.

Picked up Newhaven Marine from it where service is temporarily suspended because of condition of station roof. Also Folkestone Harbour still appears to  have occasional use.

Is Weymouth Quay officialy closed?

Will keep digging.