Trimode cl 769 to operate Reading to Oxford and Gatwick.

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

The bit the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Governments have never been any good at is real stratgigic transport planning all MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)'s can only see as far as 5 years

Or the next election whichever is the sooner.  Therefore at the moment no more than 2 years!

[CyclingSid]

Unfortunately not only transport. Public Health has the same problem as it normally takes 10 - 15 years to see the benefits.

[ellendune]

In transport as in health, anything with a longer timescale needs to be a visible 'legacy' so maintaining railways, roads, bridges, hospitals or schools is low priority, but a new railway, road, bridge, hospital (or 40) or school is good. Especially if the next government will end up footing the bill. 

The result is crumbling infrastructure - literally!  Only this week it has been reported that the Dept for Education has increased the risk of schools collapsing on its risk register.  This is not only dangerous, but also bad economics.  How much of Network Rail's back costs are due to lack of maintenance during the BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) era? 

The USA has been going this way for many years which is perhaps why bridge collapses are in the news there. 

Sorry I have pulled this thread even further off course!

[CyclingSid]

Today's mystery?

Two low loaders heading south in Reading towards J11 of M4 at about midday.

A railway carriage loaded on each, all I managed to get was a carriage number: 71868

The end of a sorry saga?

[bobm]

According to this list that coach is part of 769 949.

[bobm]

If you want the chance to ride aboard one there is a shuttle between a specially built platform at Honeybourne and the Rail Live show at Long Marston show on the 21st and 22nd June. 

It is being advertised as a "Porterbrook's GWR769 Free Shuttle".

[CyclingSid]

As I came by Cow Lane depot earlier there were two coaches loaded up ready to go.

"Porterbrook's GWR769 Free Shuttle", how many units will they need to ensure the service performs all day?

[bobm]

Looking at the timetable on Twitter it appears to be one unit shuttling up and down. 

Weren't there some parked up in the the sidings at Oxford?

[eightonedee]

Also saw two units this morning as I passed Reading depot this morning, but as one was partly in one of the sheds, the other hidden behind the Sleeper stock, I couldn't see if they were complete.

Is it odd that they are being moved by road?

Does anyone know what will happen to them? Storage or scrap? Anyone want some MAN diesel engines and ABB generators, hardly used? If so, please contact Porterbrook Leasing, no reasonable offers refused!

Also available from Network Rail - a quantity of signage about switching to diesel power, good condition.

[stuving]

Also saw two units this morning as I passed Reading depot this morning, but as one was partly in one of the sheds, the other hidden behind the Sleeper stock, I couldn't see if they were complete.

Is it odd that they are being moved by road?

The story goes that they were due to go north by rail on the day Nuneham viaduct was closed. Indeed, one of them was the last train over it - so possibly the last train that broke the camel's abutment. They were not cleared for any of the alternative routes, and in any case must have been the lowest of priorities for getting a path, so were stuck where they were. Logically, by now it would be worth waiting for reopening day. So most likely they have now reached some required maintenance, and avoiding that is worth the road transport cost.