Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 11:35 02 May 2025
 
* Activists say ship aiming to sail to Gaza was attacked by drones
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 tomorrow - Walk to Pilning
10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
10/05/25 - Model Railway Show, Calne
13/05/25 - Melksham TUG / AGM

On this day
2nd May (1859)
Wilton South station opened

Train RunningShort Run
09:21 Carmarthen to London Paddington
09:32 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
09:49 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
09:59 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
11:05 Swindon to Westbury
11:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
11:59 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
14:12 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
16:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
May 02, 2025, 11:39:53 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[141] In memory of the Weymouth Harbour Tramway on the anniversary o...
[124] Steam excursion - except there's much more diesel than steam!
[78] A very easy riddle
[60] Low passenger numbers due to train unreliability
[32] Warmest day of year as UK temperature hits 24.9C - April 2025
[31] Spain / Portugal power outage
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 [2]
  Print  
Author Topic: The Flying Banana (The yellow one)  (Read 10536 times)
rower40
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 292

Turning signalling into a video game since 1988.


View Profile
« Reply #15 on: August 06, 2019, 15:14:53 »

If anyone is interested, it just went through Kemble (15:10 Tuesday 6 Aug) heading towards SWI» (Swindon - next trains)...
Snap. I saw it leaving Derby at 0705 this morning!
Logged
Clan Line
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 991



View Profile
« Reply #16 on: August 06, 2019, 15:52:42 »

vending machine for teas and coffees, and another for cold drinks, cakes, biscuits, crisps, etc.

..........flying banana - good name for a mobile buffet  Grin
Logged
GBM
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1768


View Profile Email
« Reply #17 on: August 06, 2019, 15:59:31 »

vending machine for teas and coffees, and another for cold drinks, cakes, biscuits, crisps, etc.

..........flying banana - good name for a mobile buffet  Grin
Careful, you will set member B off again........ Grin Grin (no offence Broadgage)
Logged

Personal opinion only.  Writings not representative of any union, collective, management or employer. (Think that absolves me...........)
rower40
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 292

Turning signalling into a video game since 1988.


View Profile
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2019, 09:50:51 »

As I write, I can see this train in Derby platform 6.  It's off to the seaside today - Skeggy this time.
Logged
patch38
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 655


View Profile
« Reply #19 on: August 08, 2019, 15:38:57 »

Interesting... Having seen the Flying Banana at Kemble on Tuesday (see post above), something even more odd - and just as yellow - came by today. A bit of Googling here: https://rail-record.co.uk/guide-to-network-rail-test-trains/ (very useful general guide to Network Rail Test Trains) revealed it to be a UTU - Ultrasonic Testing Unit. A rake of five yellow coaches with a DBSO (Driving Brake Standard Open (carriage)) (as described) at the western end and what looked like a Class 37 in old BR (British Rail(ways)) black livery (?) at the eastern end.

RTT» (Real Time Trains - website) identifies it as 383Q - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H23265/2019/08/08/advanced from Canton Pullmans to Swindon and back. It seemed to trundle at a much more leisurely pace than the Banana.

My question to those in the know: is this standard practice - the NMT does a run over a section of track at speed and the UTU follows a short time later to do a more comprehensive ground radar sweep?
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 10241



View Profile
« Reply #20 on: August 27, 2022, 19:14:04 »

Caught up with Flying Banana on Friday for its trip to the West Country.  Every six weeks or so it runs from Reading to Penzance, back to Dawlish Warren, then to Paignton before returning to Taunton.

Saw it where it reversed at Dawlish Warren and then again as it travelled alongside the Teign Estuary (although the light wasn't brilliant at that point)





« Last Edit: August 27, 2022, 21:04:10 by bobm » Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5680



View Profile
« Reply #21 on: August 28, 2022, 00:25:08 »

Quote
It does not carry a train manager as its not a passenger train as such.

...and presumably no buffet or trolley service! Grin

I had an invite to travel on the train. An excellent lunch was provided, poached salmon, new potatoes and salad, followed by cheesecake with cream. No wine, but it IS a workplace.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4532


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #22 on: August 28, 2022, 07:04:25 »

Quote
It does not carry a train manager as its not a passenger train as such.

...and presumably no buffet or trolley service! Grin

I had an invite to travel on the train. An excellent lunch was provided, poached salmon, new potatoes and salad, followed by cheesecake with cream. No wine, but it IS a workplace.

That would have been the exception, normally the teams on board bring their own meals.

There will be a 'designated person in charge' to take on the operational rolls the Guard / Train Manager
Logged

Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 8644



View Profile
« Reply #23 on: August 28, 2022, 08:06:23 »

Quote
It does not carry a train manager as its not a passenger train as such.

...and presumably no buffet or trolley service! Grin

I had an invite to travel on the train. An excellent lunch was provided, poached salmon, new potatoes and salad, followed by cheesecake with cream. No wine, but it IS a workplace.

.......which rather begs the question as to why members of the public are being invited on board for jollies and an "excellent lunch" at the taxpayer's expense!!!  Shocked
Logged
PhilWakely
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2168



View Profile
« Reply #24 on: August 28, 2022, 09:47:03 »

Quote
It does not carry a train manager as its not a passenger train as such.

...and presumably no buffet or trolley service! Grin

I had an invite to travel on the train. An excellent lunch was provided, poached salmon, new potatoes and salad, followed by cheesecake with cream. No wine, but it IS a workplace.

.......which rather begs the question as to why members of the public are being invited on board for jollies and an "excellent lunch" at the taxpayer's expense!!!  Shocked

I do not know the circumstances of broadgage's event, but several recent charity auctions with a railway theme have included bids for groups to 'have a trip on the NMT'. These often reach significant values. My guess is that this may have been one of those occasions - so an exception rather than 'the norm' ?
Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5680



View Profile
« Reply #25 on: August 29, 2022, 22:52:43 »

I had an invite from a friend working in the rail industry,  not certain of the full circumstances. Lunch was self service but still very good.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 [2]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules via admin@railcustomer.info. Full legal statement (here).

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page