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GWSR General Discussion and Operations

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by michaelh, Aug 25, 2013.

  1. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I was thinking just in the context of a Winchcombe - Broadway shuttle as and when Broadway signal box and P2 is commissioned, and very much a WIBN rather than a serious suggestion, but I can't imagine there would be any insurmountable operational problems in having it do the full length of the line. There's water at CRC, Winchcombe and Toddington and buckets of coal can be arranged. It's more the fact that you only really want the full rakes to collect and drop off the punters at CRC, not much point or practicality having a shuttle there.
     
  2. Brs.Del

    Brs.Del New Member

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    Picking up on Flying Scotsman 123’s point above about the railway needing to attract owners of restored vintage carriages, once the carriage shed is built. I was wondering if there is a surplus of carriages that would be available. I can think of one “centre” that has carriages that are restored to a high quality but get very little use due to the lack of running line. Is it time to take the heritage side to our hobby to another level and start to look at running arrangements for vintage carriages and freight stock so we can show on a more regular basis, and not just at galas, why railways exist.
     
  3. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    Prehaps a tie in with Didcot for a short loan of a couple of their restored coaches
     
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  4. Breva

    Breva Well-Known Member

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    Fantastic write up about Hayles Abbey halt in the current Trackside magazine. Caught the atmosphere very well!
     
  5. toplight

    toplight Well-Known Member

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    Would be interested to know more about that, what are the plans ?
     
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  6. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    That we have a carriage shed :) I think I can say with certainty it'll be at Winchcombe, but beyond that it's way above my pay grade for now, as soon as there's more to say it'll appear here, and on the C&W blog of course.
     
  7. Southernman99

    Southernman99 Member Friend

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    Something on the lines of a 14xx and 2/ 4 autos?

    From conversations with others, wasnt 4777 destined for the GWSR but it was "non standard" for the railway?
     
  8. Andy B

    Andy B Member

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    Al this sounds lovely - and I’d love to see a Broadway winchcombe shuttle with a small loco and train, BUT… here’s comes the problem, with a two train service we’re requiring three steam crews a day For 4 days of the week (Sunday is one steam and two crews). Throw in a footplate course and that’s 15 drivers and fireman reqd every week. Funnily enough, of our current 25 sets of crews, the midweek turns fall to just a regular handful. Secondly, once broadway signal box is opened it will need to be manned every day just like toddington, winchcombe and Cheltenham boxes need to. So the upshot is, new volunteers are always welcome!
     
  9. Brs.Del

    Brs.Del New Member

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    With reference to volunteers, I would respectfully mention that the volunteering pages on the GWSR website, be looked at again by the department heads. I might have miss read them, and if I have I will apologise, but there doesn’t appear to be a lot of demand for new volunteers. The steam department has a waiting list, S&T want people with experience of the “Big” railway, and C&W require a qualified mechanical railway engineer.
    I know that the railway is crying out for new volunteers, I read it all the time in the blogs, but if someone was randomly looking at the website i think they would get the impression that most departments were fully staffed. Some of the department pages were obviously put up before covid when times were different.
     
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  10. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Thank you for that, I agree with you but nice to have an outside view! I shall pass it on.
     
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  11. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    If you manage to operate without Broadway Box at present, and you have a manning problem (to be compounded by maintaining competency in yet another box) then the solution is obvious, isn't it? Either postpone opening Broadway Box, or arrange a semi-automatic operation for low season timetables (as we have at Alton).
    Pat
     
  12. Breva

    Breva Well-Known Member

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    Or close Cheltenham (the ugly box) and open Broadway instead. Broadway is also right opposite the platform, Cheltenham is some way from it.
     
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  13. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Sadly 'boxes cannot be opened and closed depending on how pretty they look :) Nor do I think ORR would be very impressed with us nailing and unnailing white crosses to signals as it suits us!

    That would be ideal probably. How does Alton work for run-rounds if you don't man it half the time? Is there a ground frame that the signal box can unlock when it's not manned? How does the signalling work if there's no one in the 'box to change the signals?
     
  14. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    As I understand it (which leaves a LOTof wriggle room!):
    Alton box is switched out, and a remote operator device responds when Medstead requests a token.
    Token withdrawal releases the starter at Medstead (obvs) and sets up the route into Alton Platform 3.
    Arrival in P3 initiates clearance of the GPS sub to allow the loco to run forward into the neck. Standing in the neck behind the GPS initiates the points and signals to run round.
    There is a token instrument on the platform (in a grey case) which acts as a switch; I believe that putting the token through it sets up the route back to Medstead.
    I bet there's a lot more to it than that, though. The occupation of the Track Circuits take care of the sequence of actions, I believe.
    One of the reasons behind its installation is that outside high days and holidays Alton would be a very boring box (there isn't any brass to polish either :D).
    Pat
     
  15. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    Really good update by Jo to the Heritge Herald. The Usk hut is now at the stage where construction of the roof trusses has begun. When this, plus the Dock road is completed, with the addition of 2-3 parked wagons, this corner of Winchcombe is going to be a very attractive stopping off point in between trains.
    At Broadway, the footbridge comes ever closer to completion, whilst the area underneath the canopy extension, with its new "Way out" board, seems to be becoming a bit of a focal point, Michael Portfolio using it for a piece to camera last week, and plans afoot for Quad Royal poster boards to recreate the original look of the end wall of P1.
    And then its P2, for which I can hardly wait!
    http://haylesabbeyhalt.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-busy-week.html?m=1
     
  16. bluetrain

    bluetrain Well-Known Member

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    I visited the GWSR today. Picked the wrong day as the timetable went haywire. Problem reported to be that No 4270 was having difficulty steaming on ovoids.

    Peak Diesel 45149 stepped into the breach so I still got a comfortable round trip, if somewhat late. Glad that the train and station refreshment facilities were open, including the kiosk at Cheltenham Racecourse station.
     
  17. Andy B

    Andy B Member

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    Glad you were ok in the end, 4270 was taken to shed where the fire was cleaned and the ovoids removed, the bunker being refilled with hard coal. The loco managed to get out for its last round trip. Hopefully we are nearing the end of the ovoids, they can be difficult. Current thinking is to mix them with some Welsh for p&o.
     
  18. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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    I visited the line last Sunday, 4270 & 45149 in operation. Coaches were clean, services ran on time and food was good. I applaud GWSR for keeping their buffet cars running, as despite having lunch at Toddington we were ordering drinks and top up chocolate from the buffet car all day!

    Perhaps the highlight was a shed tour at Toddington. The chap who took us round was friendly and really obliging in taking us to see a specific vehicle we were very interested in. Top marks for "customer" service and we provided a bumper donation in the bucket at the end of the tour for his trouble.

    Our last visit was in 2013 so Broadway section and station was new, we were very impressed by the station there. Clearly a quality job by all involved.

    The only thing that quizzed us, and it could have been a complete coincidence, was a lack of people on the trains. Much as we enjoyed it, an enormous Peak on 7 coaches seemed to be towing around much fresh air, when a DMU or Class 20 on 3 coaches would have done.

    Sent from my moto g(8) power using Tapatalk
     
  19. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    I applaud GWSR for keeping their buffet cars running, as despite having lunch at Toddington we were ordering drinks and top up chocolate from the buffet car all day!

    Quiet, or everyone will want one and we all know that they are a big chufferitis frivolity!
     
  20. Adam Tandy

    Adam Tandy Member

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    92203 Black Prince makes a spirited departure from Toddington in stormy conditions this afternoon.



    P.S. Absolutely brilliant to see an old favourite again after more than a decade! :D
     
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