He was more interested in the sandwich one of the volunteers was eating!

 
Apologies from me.  I was not, after all, able to join that meeting.  Family commitments meant that I was delayed getting back to Swindon, such that I just missed the train I was aiming for, to get to Trowbridge in time for the meeting.

I'm glad to read that it all went well (even without me). 

 
There's either a secret Celtic nations railway line or someone in TfW's signwriting department doesn't know their 'Welsh' from their 'West'!

 

Whatever were the staff there thinking of?     

And, by the way, what did our Coffee Shop forum mascot Finn make of it all? 

 

Spot on. Llanuwchllyn station (complete with dragon (and Finn)) and signal box, Bala Lake Railway.

I was even allowed into the locking room for a nosey.

 

"There is a larger than usual gap between the train and the platform at this station......."   

 
It's yet more hogwash, IndustryInsider. 

 
In that particular case, the doors were closed 40 seconds before the train actually departed from NLS - so effectively two minutes early, for someone pressed for time!

As it was, I had to scamper up the steps from the car park just to be sure of my catching that train. 

 
I, too, will bite - from when our daughter was at university in Bangor, when we did a bit of exploring.

I reckon that's the Llanuwchllyn Signal Box. 

 

Thanks for stirring that memory, Witham Bobby.

In my case, I was on the "Condor" from Weymouth to Jersey, sometime in the 1990s, I think.  I didn't have to resort to the brown bags, but I did have to go out on deck in the fresh air and grip the handrail, with white knuckles, to compose myself. 

 
I don’t really know why they bother listing ‘long forms’ to be honest.

 
Maybe that is Artificial Intelligence?....

 
Go on - I'll bite.  Tempted to suggest somewhere between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth

 
An addition - [AI] in a post declares Automated Intelligence content.

Our forum agreement - which all posters have signed up to (but may have been a long time ago) includes  It is your responsibility to present clean and accurate information. In my developing view, illustrations and text may be regarded as inaccurate if there is a significant risk of them misleading readers into believing that they are factually accurate when they are not.

This clears members to post "Concept" pictures - "it could like ..." provided they add the tag.

Example:
Post includes AI generated content (?)

 
I’m not eligible to enter as he sent me the photo yesterday and told me.   Doesn’t matter anyway because I’ve forgotten!!  Truly hopeless.

 
If they close the doors before the scheduled departure time, up to 40 secs before I think they say in the announcements I've heard, then I guess there's no point hanging around once they're closed?

 

Post includes AI generated content (?)

Testing - adding a tag [AI] which you may include in your posts.  More to follow about that in "News and Assistance"

 
I guess it's time for another picture from the same location to see if anyone can guess...

 

Your hint is noted, John D - with thanks.

Having reviewed both topics, I have moved a couple of posts from there to here and merged them - while preserving the original headings.

This whole subject remains more speculation than facts or dates, so I do encourage our Coffee Shop forum members to add anything else here in this topic, if you do have any more information.

CfN. 

(My highlighting some text above in yellow: if that doesn't work for you, please do let me know, and I'll look into an alternative way of including emphasis.)

 
and there's more:

 

They ran, like clockwork, throughout.  In fact, the first train on my excursion departed Nailsea & Backwell one minute early: the onboard digital display screen confirmed that.  A bit naughty.  

 
It makes sense for me to check should I start my journey at Redland for a change of trains at Temple Meads.  If it looks like there's trouble with the Beach line then there is a bus alternative but that would not be so workable with a very late cancellation or serious delay as the bus service takes significantly longer.

 

Not much has changed, then, during my absence over the past several days

 
The usual pair:

 
For what are regarded as important fixtures there is a free shuttle bus to Edgbaston which generally departs from the 'top' (northern) end of Smallbrook Queensway. When it runs there are guides with banners directing people to the departure point.
In the absence of the free service West Midlands National Express bus services 45 & 47 from stop NS4, immediately east of New Street station, both stop outside Edgbaston.

I have in the past walked to Edgbaston - 40-45 mins / 1.9 miles - which circumstances permitting is not a bad option because the traffic on big match days is dreadful. Leave New Street by the southern Hill Street/Station Street exit - down the large staircase next to the Wetherspoons - and follow Hill Street, Hurst Street, right turn into Sherlock Street and continue straight along Pershore Road.

 

It's surely good to adopt this approach, then, for infrastructure, if redundant structures are involved, evaluate them to identify them as assets to the cause (or otherwise).

Even with a train service axed in, say, the last decade, one can ask 'How has its market changed?' (And for the one I'm thinking of, the answer to that would be 'There's been strong further growth in travel not related to the daily commute to work, we axed a service that supported leisure and education-related travel. As a transport provider, we need to strengthen our hand here.)

 

Probably a minority opinion, and, er, off-topic: carriages with 1/3 - 2/3 doors aren't ideal for services along an exposed coast and with frequent station calls. I'm trying to recall one the type of trains used on the Cambrian coast line before the 158s, they had a vibe that was 'Dismal suburban'.

 
I always check as my local station is Freshford, which has an hourly service and it's not uncommon to find a cancelled train.

 
Interesting topic, as someone who is a semi-retired merchant seaman I can tick most of that list off.
However i've never counted just being at anchor or alongside in a country as 'properly' visiting it.  After many shipboard discussions to have properly visited a country you had to go ashore for a wander and have a beer, or at the very least buy a souvenier!

Cheers,
Chris

 
There are some posts on Welsh 158s moving in rumour section (perhaps moderators need to merge this)

https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=32485.0

There is a bit more, a 23rd unit is rumoured to be going to East Midlands, and 2 less damaged coaches of units that crashed are at Wolverton.  There were 24 units, one coach each of 2 units are withdrawn.

GWR is likely to use some as middle cars of 3 car units, that way they don't need to modify so many ECTS modified cabs back to standard configuration.

The Welsh 158s are about 35 years old, so feels like another stopgap with no real long term strategy, or replacements on order.

But it is all rather academic at the moment, because Wales doesn't have enough depot capacity to keep all its CAF 197 fleet repaired and operating. Although there are 77 units (51 x 2 car, 26 x 3car), only about 45-60 units normally manage to be in service simultaneously

At time of posting 25 of 51 2car and 20 of 26 3car (51 of 77 units) are in service

Currently it is hoped to put 197s on Cambrian from mid-late October, although how long before route fully converts is anyone's guess.   Only 21 of the 197s are equipped with ETCS signalling