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Recommended service - hourly, according to the GWRUS. Let's work towards that service and towards ensuring all services are used.
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Chris Street
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24/1/07 19:08 service
« on: January 24, 2007, 06:35:26 PM »

Noticed this train as the 1742 to Westbury at Gloucester, formed of a 2-coach 158 unit. However it was dark so couldn't see if it was in Wessex, Central or TransPennine Livery. I thought the Cheltenham to Westbury services were formed of 143/150? If it was a 158 which i'm sure it was and if it was a TransPennine one those have very good interiors, with degraded first class, much nicer than the ones wessex or Central own.

I don't know if this is another 'warm storage' case, but there is a 158 sat on the sidings of Gloucester station which has got graffiti all over it, and has the TransPennine livery on it however the doors still held the old livery which was the franchise before Wessex Trains - although I can't remember the name of that franchise, but I wonder if this unit is in warm storage? Will have to see if it is there next week...
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Steve35
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Re: 24/1/07 19:08 service
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2007, 09:00:45 PM »

 
I don't know if this is another 'warm storage' case, but there is a 158 sat on the sidings of Gloucester station which has got graffiti all over it, and has the TransPennine livery on it however the doors still held the old livery which was the franchise before Wessex Trains - although I can't remember the name of that franchise, but I wonder if this unit is in warm storage? Will have to see if it is there next week...
That's 158750. It was the unit that derailed at Kemble on Tuesday 16th Jan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/6265945.stm
Not surprisingly it has wheel damage, see http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p235/traindriverrob/16012007039.jpg for a picture.

The red and silver thing with the tiny yellow wheels is called a Wheel Skate - a device which is used to move a train that has damaged wheels. It is, in effect, a cradle that lifts the train's damaged wheel clear of the rail. When a wheel skate is used the maximum speed of the train is 25mph on plain track and 10mph when going over a set of points.
Where the train goes for repairs will depend on the extent of the damage. FGW will be able to repair it if it isn't too bad (some new wheels will probably be required). If there's bodywork damage as well it would probably have to go to a specialist repair facility eg Crewe or Derby and would be out of traffic for several months (158's have aluminium bodies - not as easy to weld as steel). I'd guess that the leasing company that owns 158750 is now assessing the extent of the damage and deciding where to repair it.

Regarding the livery: 158750 is still in 'Regional Railways Express' livery which was the livery carried when the 158's were built (1989-1992). The livery therefore dates from the British Rail era. It does however have Transpennine vinyls stuck on the bodysides below the windows (apart from the doors!). If the vinyls were to be peeled off the original livery would be revealed. e.g. http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/gb/diesel/dmu/158/SR-RRE/158_158715.jpg   
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Graham Ellis
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Re: 24/1/07 19:08 service
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2007, 07:18:46 AM »

Understand there were just 5 people on the train out of Chippenham ....

What a STUPID schedule we have!  (OK - I know that the rail buffs will tell me that it's scheduled that way because of .... operational reasons .... but the effect is "we'll run it at our conveninece, and bugger the passengers who need to travel on the route".)
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