Don't Take your Bicycle on Holiday

[whole diary]

[signalandtelegraph]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7322399.stm


You can take your surfboard but not your bike!  At least some decent capacity for the Newquay line in the summer again, not sure if these are 'Hire ins' again or whether they will utilise the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))'s that Cross Country is getting soon.

[Btline]

Good news, I expect they won't be hire-ins. Shame there aren't enough HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) to completely replaces the Voyagers!!

But isn't the service dreadfully slow (25 mph on the branch for example)?

Come on Network Rail, shut down the branch for a fortnight and rebuild it as 75 mph!

-----

What about London to Newquay HSTs? Won't the branch be a little congested?

[devon_metro]

London trains should be 0805 and 1135 services as per last year.

[vacman]

London trains should be 0805 and 1135 services as per last year.

There's a Newquay to Padd in 4 1/2 hrs this summer, think its the 1122 Nqy-Pad, calls at Nqy,Par,Ply,Exd,Rdg,Pad.

[devon_metro]

Still don't understand why they choose to serve Par over Bodmin & Liskeard

[Lee]

Going back to the article, isnt Surfers Against Sewage a wonderful name for a campaign 

[vacman]

Still don't understand why they choose to serve Par over Bodmin & Liskeard

So people can change for going west, the Newquay trains are F&S leaving Newquay so you don't want yet more passengers joining at Bod and Lsk!!!!

[devon_metro]

True

[vacman]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) make it sound like summer saturday HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) serrvices to Newquay are something new! they've been running for years!

[devon_metro]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) make it sound like summer saturday HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) serrvices to Newquay are something new! they've been running for years!

I thought that and was under the impression they were on about weekday XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services - which wouldn't go amiss!

[willc]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) make it sound like summer saturday HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) serrvices to Newquay are something new! they've been running for years!

Reading the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) press release, you could be forgiven for thinking that HST services were new. Really not sure where their press office got 1986 from.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/SiteImages/Assets/3/More_XC_seats_for_holidaymakers_27-03-08.pdf

Two of the trains will be hired in from National Express East Coast, the other two are from the five to be used by XC. They are ex-Midland Mainline and will be used unrefurbished over the summer, before overhaul in time for the December timetable change.

[Btline]

What is it with this "refurbishment" nonsense.

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))- just get your 5 HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) and slap 'em on the rails now!

Ok - apply your livery. Do some necessary electrical work. But do not rip out table, buffet cars, luggage space etc! Just leave them, andstart the services (not to mention the double formation voyagers, which will result from this; which for commuters, will be just as welcome!

[Timmer]

What is it with this "refurbishment" nonsense.

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))- just get your 5 HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) and slap 'em on the rails now!

Ok - apply your livery. Do some necessary electrical work. But do not rip out table, buffet cars, luggage space etc! Just leave them, andstart the services (not to mention the double formation voyagers, which will result from this; which for commuters, will be just as welcome!

Good point. The ex-MML^» (Midland Main Line. - about) sets were only recently refurbed but the ex-Virgin Mk3s would need work on them before entering service. They also need a lot of work on their electrics to allow them to be operated with HST power cars as they are on a different power system to diesel/electric locos.

I remember the days when a 47 had to haul HST stock on the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) in lieu of HST power cars, that it had to have a generator carriage to provide the carriages with power.

[FarWestJohn]

A good point XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)).

Please do not 'upgrade' the internal layout of the Mk 3s.

Do not whatever happens make them like the appalling FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) upgrades.

They used to be wonderful vehicles to travel in.

[smokey]

What is it with this "refurbishment" nonsense.

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))- just get your 5 HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) and slap 'em on the rails now!

Ok - apply your livery. Do some necessary electrical work. But do not rip out table, buffet cars, luggage space etc! Just leave them, andstart the services (not to mention the double formation voyagers, which will result from this; which for commuters, will be just as welcome!

Good point. The ex-MML^» (Midland Main Line. - about) sets were only recently refurbed but the ex-Virgin Mk3s would need work on them before entering service. They also need a lot of work on their electrics to allow them to be operated with HST power cars as they are on a different power system to diesel/electric locos.

I remember the days when a 47 had to haul HST stock on the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) in lieu of HST power cars, that it had to have a generator carriage to provide the carriages with power.

Main Difference between HST and Loco Hauled MKIII Coaches are the electric systems,

HST  MKIII 415volt 3phase AC^▸ (Alternating Current, or can mean Air Conditioning, depending on context. The second meaning is often used in a railway context and more generally).

Loco MKIII 850volt AC/1000 volt DC^▸ (Direct Current) SINGLE PHASE.

This means a Total Rewire to convert.