Cathedrals Express 07/03/15

[gavinro]

What happened to it on the return leg? Lost over 100 minutes between Wootton Bassett and Reading (mostly near Swindon, it seems).

 

[fgwtt1988]

I've read reports 1Z67 had a Cat A SPAD at Wootton Bassett Jnc earlier. Don't know any details yet though.

 

[Temple Meads]

I've read reports 1Z67 had a Cat A SPAD at Wootton Bassett Jnc earlier. Don't know any details yet though.

Thought to be the signal itself at fault.

 

[theironroad]

Probably best not to speculate as a cat a spads and any other cat spad have vastly differing consequences for the driver.

 

[Nippy]

Thought to be the signal itself at fault.

Nope, that is just the usual testing of signals if the Crew disputed the circumstances leading up to the SPAD.

Think we should wait and see.

 

[fgwtt1988]

Confirmed as a Cat A SPAD pending investigation of course. It was the signal protecting Wootton Bassett Jnc so could have been a lot worse!

 

[E&W Lucas]

Confirmed as a Cat A SPAD pending investigation of course. It was the signal protecting Wootton Bassett Jnc so could have been a lot worse!

Was it steam hauled at that point please?

 

[talltim]

Confirmed by who?

 

[fgwtt1988]

It was 34067 Tangmere hauling the train. It was confirmed by a notice I received at work. Obviously after the investigation it may turn out not to be the drivers fault at all but initially they're saying Cat A.

 

[GB]

Treated as a cat A rather confirmed as a cat A might be more accurate.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Probably best not to speculate as a cat a spads and any other cat spad have vastly differing consequences for the driver.

Well said. This sort of thing should not be up for discussion on a public forum, because of the potentially damaging consequences that incorrect reporting can cause.

And as talltim has also correctly said: "Confirmed by who"... No one has officially confirmed it.

 

[ainsworth74]

I agree it would be best to avoid speculating further until there is some sort of confirmation of what exactly happened.

 

[Temple Meads]

Nope, that is just the usual testing of signals if the Crew disputed the circumstances leading up to the SPAD.

Think we should wait and see.

I agree, which is why I said "thought to be the signal", rather than "the signal is at fault and there's no way it was the driver"......

 

[fgwtt1988]

Treated as a cat A rather confirmed as a cat A might be more accurate.

You're absolutely right. I should have worded that better.

 

[E&W Lucas]

It was 34067 Tangmere hauling the train. It was confirmed by a notice I received at work. Obviously after the investigation it may turn out not to be the drivers fault at all but initially they're saying Cat A.

If you're talking about a "SPAD Alert" type notice, they will have done a preliminary investigation before posting. You don't see notices coming out, then being followed by an "actually it was a defective signal". The basics can be established very quickly.
To put some context on it, I've just received a similar notice today, less than 24 hours after the incident concerned.

 

[infobleep]

On a more general point, if a steam train is involved in a SPAD, where do they find another driver from to continue the service? It's not as if the country is overrun with mainline certified steam train drivers. I genuinely don't know how it works in such cases.