Technical implications of HSTs at London Waterloo

[whole diary]

[onthecushions]

What is the situation with regard to the trailers with long swing link (LSL^‡(resolve)) fitted bogies that are supposed to be out of gauge for the third (live) rail?

A creme egg for the first jpeg of an LSL marked carriage at Waterloo.

OTC

[paul7575]

They are still barred from third rail as before I believe. As we discussed a few months back, there is no real evidence that LSL^‡(resolve) bogies have suddenly been cleared over third rail, the issue that prevented the SSL^▸ (Short Swing Link bogies (125)) fitted HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) running up the main line and into the central platforms (such as P11) was a 'normal' gauging issue.

Paul

[Brucey]

I have modified the title of this thread to "Technical implications of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) at London Waterloo" to reflect the later discussions that are not necessarily related to bricks on the track.

[JayMac]

The vast majority of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Mk3 fleet is SSL^▸ (Short Swing Link bogies (125)). Shouldn't be any great issue ensuring only SSL sets go to Waterloo.

FGW have done these diverts before, in December 2010, so they have experience in ensuring only sets that consist of SSL coaches run over third rail.

[inspector_blakey]

I don't think the point made above about Waterloo staff being unfamiliar with slam door stock is necessarily valid, because if they follow the same routine as last time FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will provide all their own despatch and platform staff.

Correct: FGW will be providing their own despatch and customer service staff.

I'll see if I can find out anything about the eight-minute discrepancy between the GBTT^▸ (Great British Time Table) and WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) departure times.

In terms of platform lengths, platforms 8 - 16 and 18 are all theoretically capable of accommodating a twelve-car train made up of 20 m vehicles, which means they can also easily take a ten-car 444 (23 m vehicles) and therefore would have no trouble with a 2 + 8 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) formation.

[Super Guard]

I 'heard' that we now have to leave Waterloo behind the Weymouth service, so rather than retiming the public departure, it was kept as it was with the WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) being adjusted.

Some Paddington platform staff are at Waterloo and Reading platform staff are at Basingstoke.

[Southern Stag]

The services were always like that from when they first appeared, with the huge PTT^▸ (Public Time-Table) and WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) differential, it's very strange. There never could have been a path at xx59 either, it's too close to the xx00 service.

[paul7575]

The PA^▸ (Public Address) at Basingstoke was playing a recorded message prior to down trains arriving this afternoon reminding everyone that an old fashioned train with manual doors was approaching, and could everyone please remember to shut the doors properly after getting on!   (That's paraphrased - it wasn't exactly those words.)
 
Then in the case of up direction arrivals, and just as they did last time, they kept them off the PIS^▸ (Passenger Information System) displays, and announced that the next train to arrive was 'not in public use' presumably in an attempt to enforce the set down only rule.

Paul

[inspector_blakey]

Waterloo services appeared to be running like clockwork this afternoon and evening: no-one in Control seemed to know why the discrepancy between the GBTT^▸ (Great British Time Table) and WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) times, although interestingly the last departure to Plymouth was 1907 in both timetables and left at exactly that time.

[quakers yard]

As if SWT^▸ (South West Trains) staff havent seen slam door trains there before in recent years!