Great Western Coffee Shop

Just been shown this, perhaps its something FGW might like to consider ? Would be particularly handy at Maidenhead me thinks  :o  ;D

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=414408184859&set=vb.600309859&type=2&theater

A link to the video for those that don't do Facebook:

http://youtu.be/_X8dGGedxDc

As ever it amazes me how different cultures develop differently.  The Japanese accept it as the best way of ensuring the most passengers possible get on the train in the shortest possible time.  Try that sort of thing over here and they'd be allegations of assault, claims that the trains are unsafe etc...

japan is the most "different" culture I have dealt with.  Wonderful place, but it is strange in a way that other countries that look superficially very different from the UK are not. 

And after 3 years of living in the Netherlands, a country superficially very similar to the UK in ancestry and with quite deep historical ties, I can confirm it is actually rather different. Mainly quite small trivial things, but added together they make you realise we are in many ways quite different to some of our near neighbours.

Life would be rather dull if we were all the same  :)

The moral of the story: if you are on a platform at Maidenhead Station in the rush hour and you see First Great Western staff wearing white gloves approaching you - beware!  ;) :D ;D

White gloves at Maidenhead would be of no use .......... they really need boxing gloves  ;D

Despite the boarding assistants, the dwell time at that Japaneese station was rather long. Me thinks longer trains would be more effective in reducing dwell times, tell that to those who say we must have 1/3, 2/3 door layout on TPE. Just make the trains longer, then passengers will find it eaiser to get on and off because there won't be so much 'pedestrian congestion'.

Those chaps were far smarter and more polite than most FGW staff too.....but then again if you're going to be doing that sort of thing I guess you need to keep a smile on your face!!!

No. Because you then have the situation of 15 people queuing for 1 door where there are 2 others empty right next to them. Seen it happen with HSTs on many occasions. Is quite amusing when you just walk around them and open that other door. Or get accused of queue jumping... ::)

Also its a well know fact trains are only made longer at the wrong end of the train.

Well of course. You can't make trains longer at the London end, the buffer stops get in the way. So it has to be the country end that is extended!

 ;D ;D ;D

Ah but you can't make them longer at the country end either as the buffer stops at the other ends (Penzance, Carmarthen & Swansea) get in the way.  ;D ;D ;D

Couldn't one add a carriage, shorten the journey, and reduce the fare?  ;)

Not forgetting Platform 13 at Bristol TM, and Pembroke Dock, Newquay and Weymouth in the Summer.

Are there any more country end platform buffer stops visited by scheduled FGW HSTs?  :P ;) ;D

Weymouth

Err... did you read the post you quoted Electric train?  ;) :D

You could add Paignton to the list as they usually run to Goodrington, where there are buffers, before returning.

As for Carmarthen - that's an interesting one as, after reversing at Swansea, it's the London end on the stops when it gets there.

And, when the line between Swansea and Llanelli was shut a while back to replace the bridge, I think FirstGW terminated all their Carmarthen services at Swansea for replacment road transport onwards, rather than diverting services as ATW did (although not all their trains were diverted).