Two forum gatherings in the coming weeks. 24th July and 21st August

[whole diary]

[Lee]

I believe the plan is for grahame and I to be on the 0730 Westbury-Swindon (debate about whether we join at Westbury or Melksham is ongoing) and 0820 Swindon-Weymouth. The last I heard, Peter Blackburn of Melksham Rail Development Group will also be with us, and maybe even a dog as well..

[grahame]

I'm expecting a heavy day of training on Sunday  - as much of the following as necessary with at least the core Melksham - Weymouth section)

07:30 Westbury - Swindon
08:20 Swindon - Weymouth, arrive 10:42

17:56 Weymouth - Swindon
20:45 Swindon - Bath
21:38 Bath - Westbury, arrive 22:02

(almost looks like a unit diagram, doesn't it!)

Which pubs in Weymouth welcome dogs?

[bobm]

75 and growing waiting for the 08:20 from Swindon.

[Lee]

Where are you, bobm? We are in the middle carriage with the laptops 

[bobm]

Not had a chance to post on this one until now. A very good day on Sunday with a well, but not uncomfortably, loaded train from Swindon to Weymouth. The guard was very much in evidence ensuring people had the right ticket and from the conversations I overheard it seemed many were new to rail - certainly for leisure travel.

A couple of observations FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should take note of. The ticket office at Swindon were unsure if the Heart of Wessex Day Ranger was valid for the journey and had to search out a Fares Manual to confirm it was. At ^14 it is ^1.60 cheaper than a return from Swindon so worth insisting on one.

The second concerns the automated announcements. The 08:20 from Swindon is formed by the 07:30 from Westbury. Owing to over-running engineering work it was late arriving at Swindon. Network Rail therefore took the sensible decision to run it into Platform 3 rather than the bay on Platform 2. However this prompted a plethora of automated announcements. First to advise that the terminating service would arrive at a different platform. Then that the Weymouth service would depart from a different platform. These were both repeated twice. Then as the train arrived passengers were advised to stand clear as the "train terminates here".  In between platform staff were making manual announcements regarding the Weymouth service. However the overall impression for the occasional traveller must have been one of organised chaos.

Those points made it was still a good day and hopefully the take up of the journey opportunities offered by the train will be noticed by the powers that be and feature in future timetables.

[johoare]

I just thought I'd bump this up the list.. Since the second "meet" on August 21st is only two weeks away now (And I hope for better weather than today) 

[JayMac]

Me too. Thunder, lightning and torrential rain is not conducive to a relaxing riverside walk.

Just looking at my ticket options now.....

[johoare]

This is only a week away now.. So I thought it would be worth finding out who is intending to come along...
I will be going..

[Electric train]

I am likely to attend, provided my knee stops being painful.

What departure from Maidenhead?

[johoare]

From the start of this thread....

This will be a trip to Bourne End via Maidenhead, a walk along the Thames Path to Marlow (Approx 3^ miles) where we shall stop for lunch in the Marlow Donkey pub (family and dog friendly), then train home. Those not wishing to do the walk can, of course, stay on the train to Marlow and await the walkers' arrival! Looking at train times, the ideal arrival into Bourne End will be 1147. That's the 1135 from Maidenhead. Plenty of connection opportunities from across the network.

So assuming it's not changed then I hope that it is still the plan...

Hope your knee feels better soon? 

[JayMac]

I'm a bit achey after walking from Ashton Court to Clifton via the Suspension Bridge. Twas uphill all the way. Think I knackered young Ollie as well! 

A slight disappointment that we had no mass ascent of balloons this evening. Too windy. bignosemac's jinx continues. Five out of the last seven Balloon Fiestas I've attended and I've still yet to see a mass ascent from Ashton Court. Two years I didn't go and up they went.  Red Arrows were cracking though.

Should be sufficiently recovered for next Sunday. Times as johoare re-posted, 1135 from Maidenhead. Connections from east or west available.

[grahame]

I would love to be coming .... but we've extended our TransWilts CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) support for the 07:30 Westbury to Swindon and 08:20 Swindon to Weymouth (as far as Westbury) to providing someonetwo at Weymouth from about 17:00 so that we can direct people to the 17:56 to Swindon.  We had 307 people to direct today, with the train dividing at Westbury, and with many people being very new to rail travel. The continuity of knowing that the same people would be around in the evening really seemed to help some of them.  And so it's "same again" next weekend and the following for me.

P.S. Good to meet a forum member at Weymouth on the return (you know who you are) ... sorry I had to be brief; there was that final flurry of "ah - a familiar face - YOU can tell us where to go";  the information available otherwise at Weymouth fell a bit short.

[John R]

If that was me, then it was good to see you albeit briefly, and I fully understand why you were preoccupied getting the masses onto the train home. Let's hope the remaining trains are as well patronised, and that the success encourages further development of the Trans Wilts.

It was great to see Weymouth station absolutely packed this evening, with a combination of Trans Wilts passengers and the excursion to Bristol filling the station. 

[grahame]

Indeed it was you, John.   

Arrival ...


Prior to departure ... this was just before we met - when everyone was waiting at platform 3 as shown on the electronic display ... then the stock came in to platform 1.


I'm delighted with the turnout ...

Edit to correct use of English

[grahame]

75 and growing waiting for the 08:20 from Swindon.

150 today!