Melksham Connections

[whole diary]

[bobm]

I don't think anything has changed.  Judging by what I have read elsewhere a 153 has reached Portsmouth Harbour on one or two occasions "by accident".  Apparently the steps are out of gauge on parts of the line.

[grahame]

What's changed since 1998?

http://railwayherald.com/imagingcentre/view/282515/PL

I don't think anything has changed.  Judging by what I have read elsewhere a 153 has reached Portsmouth Harbour on one or two occasions "by accident".  Apparently the steps are out of gauge on parts of the line.

Interesting, the unit in that picture says 155304 but the title is 153304.   It's my understanding too that its the steps - were they added at the conversion from 155 to 153, so that 155 units were / are allowed to Portsmouth Harbour? 

We also know that 153 units can make it to Eastleigh (via Chandler's Ford, perhaps) and perhaps they're OK on from there to Fareham - it's the Southampton tunnels that are stated as being the problem.

[phile]

Not Southampton tunnel itself but further along the route.   People say beyond Southampton with Portsmouth in mind.     To be precise, they can run via the tunnel to St Denys, thence via Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford to Romsey.    The problem is the steps at the small cab end when converted from 155 to Single coach 153.

[grahame]

Not Southampton tunnel itself but further along the route.   People say beyond Southampton with Portsmouth in mind.     To be precise, they can run via the tunnel to St Denys, thence via Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford to Romsey.    The problem is the steps at the small cab end when converted from 155 to Single coach 153.

Ah yes - so that explains the evening TransWilts service which prior to 2006 ran the loop - thus providing Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster with a direct rail service to an airport.  Run every hour or two, this would be a very sensible / popular service (though I doubt the operators of Bristol airport would like it![/i]) - once a day in the evening, it was a bit of a quirk.