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GWR Cornish Night Riviera Sleeper and GWR Class 57 updates from Long Rock

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BrianW

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Here we go again. How many pages in this thread have been repeats of the HST/67/68 thing ? Fed up of repeating ... Rant over.
Set swap to allow heavy cleaning to be done although thats a staff bain of contention regarding is it important at the moment regarding staying safe/reduced working etc. Shan't go there as this thread is not about politics either. Still planned for a May return to service but obviously may change. Still hopeful of increase in train length as originally planned too.
Keep safe and do the right thing.
P.S
Our condolences to all at Reading from the train prep team at Long Rock.
I can understand your exasperation as a member of long-standing re 'Here we go again' so thank you for being gentle with us relative 'newbies', amateurs, 'crayonists', outsiders ... It will take a while to become familiar with the ways of the forum.
I note from your OP something re liveries- I was a bit uncertain in my posting #1554 in that both loco and coaches seemed to be not quite GWR- but I was seeing from a distance and unexpectedly- did I see lining, something silverish?
and re your ps- everyone working through this time, their families and friends deserve our thanks- my condolences too.
 

47827

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The only logic for the potential greater utilisation of Exeter drivers over instead giving the work to Plymouth if one is losing loco work is that they probably sign a greater number of routes to Plymouth. I recall there being several versions of routes in all the train could use before terminating in London at one time and that was after it ceased its spell of using Waterloo instead of Paddington which added further hassle to crew knowledge needs. Plymouth have essentially stuck to covering legs of the train at the west end and at one time it certainly wasn't every day it ran even if that has changed in later years. Historically they needed to sign locos/57s as before allocations to other depots the fleet was once all Laira with spare locos either there or London based so it would have been unhelpful to have allowed knowledge to lapse there in the past. Penzance and London have rarely had any loco work outside of ECS moves (usually only locally) since the brief resurgence in daytime workings ended in September 2002 which resulted in all 4 depots having multiple diagrams to cover. The exceptions being maintenance moves between depots, unscheduled stock moves (e.g after failures) and in the case of Penzance the 3 carriage summer Saturday workings between Cornwall, Plymouth and Exeter formed off of the sleeper which included an evening arrival into Penzance that no other depot could cover without taxi involvement. There is always the argument against loss of knowledge against costs of retaining it. There is bound to be an odd instance where it causes a sweat in an emergency but let's hope there are usually enough spare staff further west to get around it.
 

irish_rail

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Or there is less work now the summer service with the day coaches has gone and no need for the occasional move of HST trailers, so reducing the number of depots signing the 57s makes traction knowledge retention easier.
Yes but removes a huge amount of resilience. Ideally, Penzance men would only sign 57s for depot moves and then they wouldn't need to constantly complain about a lack of mainline work on it . As I said, there will be a big problem going forward when Exeter are short and unable to cover the morning down service .
 

Jamesrob637

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Has this now resumed with the "timetable change" and the gradual ramping up of services?
 

co-tr-paul

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We have been told august but may change. Last phase of return to normal timetable.
Rumoured crew training runs soon.
Bogie refurb on 605 finished too.
 

ainsworth74

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Until two people try to use the corridor at once.

Guess it would also be more challenging to clean thoroughly as well with bedding to deal with as well as all the nooks and crannies of a berth!
 

ainsworth74

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Though CS seem to be managing.

Fair point! But then they're only running a handful of their normal services and it's kind of their whole reason for being unlike GWR so they almost have no choice but to deal with any extra complication!
 

co-tr-paul

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Even before all this, the plan this summer was to have single berths only but with vac packed bedding for the extra bed as per G coach. They are actually quicker but more awkward to heavy clean than the original layout. We await developments and when I know, will post
 

Oscar46016

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not sure if this is the right thread - but why does the NR take an extra hour on a Sunday to get from Plymouth to Liskeard?
 

berneyarms

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It doesn’t take an extra hour.

It’s allowed 24 minutes on Monday mornings and 29 minutes on other weekdays for that part of the trip - remember that the timetable only shows arrival times as it’s set down only.

There’s a lot of slack built into the schedule between Paddington and Plymouth to allow for the impact of engineering works on Sunday nights.
 

Oscar46016

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It doesn’t take an extra hour.

It’s allowed 24 minutes on Monday mornings and 29 minutes on other weekdays for that part of the trip - remember that the timetable only shows arrival times as it’s set down only.

There’s a lot of slack built into the schedule between Paddington and Plymouth to allow for the impact of engineering works on Sunday nights.
Ah that makes sense - perhaps I'm look at an old timetable - I couldn't find anything on GWR site - I'm planning for a trip later in the year ( hopefully )
 

PHILIPE

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It doesn’t take an extra hour.

It’s allowed 24 minutes on Monday mornings and 29 minutes on other weekdays for that part of the trip - remember that the timetable only shows arrival times as it’s set down only.

There’s a lot of slack built into the schedule between Paddington and Plymouth to allow for the impact of engineering works on Sunday nights.

There is slack built in all through the week and this allows for a multiple route selection of diversions and to arrive at Penzance or Paddington at a standard time. Possible routes, although I may miss some, include.

Exeter, Bristol, Hullavington, Swindon, Reading
Exeter, Bristol, Bath and Berks and Hants
Exeter, Taunton, Berks and Hants.
Exeter, Bristol, Bath and Chippenham to Swindon
Exeter, Taunton, Westbury, Melksham and Chippenham to Swindon
Exeter, Honiton, Yeovil Jn, Westbury (or avoider) and Berks and Hants,
Other diversions are possible even within these parameters.
 

berneyarms

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Ah that makes sense - perhaps I'm look at an old timetable - I couldn't find anything on GWR site - I'm planning for a trip later in the year ( hopefully )
Look at it in Realtime trains - pick a date in August and you can see the base timetable.
 

co-tr-paul

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Possible ecs set swap Friday or next week. 604 at PZ swapped for 605 with its refurbished bogies as train loco. Still early July for restarting of service but obviously, may change.
 

JN114

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Possible ecs set swap Friday or next week. 604 at PZ swapped for 605 with its refurbished bogies as train loco. Still early July for restarting of service but obviously, may change.

Reading were only aware of their set (and locos minus 306) going west when I was chatting with the Train Movements Controller earlier, for exams before coming back a week or so later?
 

co-tr-paul

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57603 and 5 took a shortend set up to Reading today.
A service running 2 nights only MAY start from next week but details are changing almost daily. Seating only. Coaches A and B. Staff in coach C with some refreshments available. Although 2 sleepers are in formation, they will be locked out except for toilets. To be reviewed after 3 weeks. Next timetable increase reported as early July to 84% normality.
 

Bletchleyite

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57603 and 5 took a short end set up to Reading today.
A service running 2 nights only MAY start from next week but details are changing almost daily. Seating only. Coaches A and B. Staff in coach C with some refreshments available. Although 2 sleepers are in formation, they will be locked out except for toilets. To be reviewed after 3 weeks. Next timetable increase reported as early July to 84% normality.

Why seating only when the Cally has gone the opposite way? Surely cabins are the definition of social distancing?
 

43 302

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Why seating only when the Cally has gone the opposite way? Surely cabins are the definition of social distancing?
Indeed, that does confuse me. Seating only makes no sense to me, especially only with a couple of coaches.
 

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