Great Western Coffee Shop

From the wondrous FGW website ...

07:38 Paignton to London Paddington due 11:42

This train has been revised.This train will run short formed with 4 carriages between Paignton and Bristol Temple Meads.
Regret no catering between Paignton and Bristol Temple Meads.

It was a four car 142 set. Looked cramped at Newton Abbot!

Was only 6 late arriving at Bristol Temple Meads!!  :o :o :o :o :o :o

A good solution to an unfortunate problem I think? in Wessex days the train would have been cancelled, OK, it was 2 142's and not a HST but everyone got to work/school on time and I bet this wouldn't have happened if there were still no resource managers at Exeter! I say well done!  :)

Totally agree Vacman. Any train better than no train

1A12 ran with 142067+028 (with original brown floor and minimal FNW refurb!
1A79 0608 WSB-PAD ran with no buffet and a trolley in the TGS

As booked IIRC.

The HST (LA79 - MML set with a few awful refurbs in the set now) ran ECS from Laira to Bristol. So at least some passengers had a pleasand journey, although I would hope that passengers arriving on the 142 were given first choice of seat!

Then why not terminate the 142's at Newton A or Exeter SD and start the HST from Newton/Exeter?

Probably Crew issues. I.e. No TM.

Why not taxi them up  ;D

It was running too late.

The 142s had 109 minutes to do Newton Abbot-Bristol, whilst fast it can be done in 70minutes (roughly)

I was on this service, boarding at Taunton for the timetabled 09:04 departure to Paddington. No announcements on the platform that it was shortformed, or that people would have to change trains at Temple Meads, just that there was no catering. Imagine the horror and the groans when a couple of 142's rolled in.

About 20 people waiting to get on at Taunton, and there couldn't have been anymore than 20-30 people already on it. It departed Taunton at 09:06 and the arrival time into Weston-s-mare was 09:31, only a few mins later than the usual HST. Quite a crowd waiting to get on at Weston.

The guard did say it was due to the TM who was due to take the HST from Paignton to Temple Meads being sick.

Pleasantly surprised by the 142's actually - OK so they weren't top-notch internally, but the ride from Taunton to WSM was much more comfortable than a 143, which always makes up to 08:36 Taunton - Bristol Parkway that I often catch, and it certainly flew the nonstop stretch from Taunton to Weston.

Full credit to FGW for being able to run that service though.

(1st post - Hi!)

Hi indeed  :)

I have seen you online quite a lot, and glad to see you posting & to read your views.

If FGW got the staff Harmonised, a bit of training and this sort of thing would be a thing of the past.