The Mayflower - 6/09/25

Great report as always, thanks for sharing.

 

The very detailed account of the day by 1020 Shireman reminded me of the slightly pissy announcement over the station PA at Exeter on the way back, blaming the fairly late notice platform change for the service that was due to be using our platform.
"...because of the steam train occupying the platform" is if I remember correctly more or less what he said.
As far as I know we were slightly late in, then late out, due to other services around us being delayed.
Very convenient to blame "the steam train"

 

I think it was mostly caused by the failed IET in platform 5 as that is what caused Nunney to have to run through on 4.

The whole Exeter area was affected by the failure.

 

I'm aware I've asked already - but feel it needs to be asked again (apologies for being persistent) but I'm trying to work out how often a sub 10 minute start to pass of Hemerdon has been achieved.
I've looked back through the limited runs I've made over that section and can't find any at all - so a question for the serious timers (of which there were a number on here in the past) is it just my limited experiences or was that rather good?

 

An insightful analysis and really good read as ever. See you on the Shap Mountaineer!

 

An excellent write up as ever!

The run through the platform road at Totnes was due to the down main being out of use due to a defect on the points. It was known about in advance so a contingency had been come up with and implemented to run the train early.

The delay near Dawlish Warren coming back was due to "double blocking" because of a track circuit fault.

The IET at Exeter hadn't failed and was waiting to form the 1904 to Bristol. Even taking into account the late arrival the water stop took a little longer than planned but these things aren't able to be calculated in advance and of course with a steam locomotive the driver has to be able to rely on there being sufficient water to get to the next water stop, so if it takes longer it takes longer. The station staff at Exeter whilst happy to see us gone on a busy Saturday evening were still friendly enough :lol:

 

If it had not failed then why was Nunney booked through 5 and then rerouted through 4? Surely it was planned to be there Nunney would have been
booked through 4 to begin with?

 

Swallowed what, the general view that many people all thought was the case? Many people have been saying that the IET had broken down, not just me.

I am only going off of what I have been told.

 

Given that the crossing person at St David’s was also saying the same thing I think I had every reason to believe what I did and no reason to question it.

 

Strange, I wonder why there was a platform change accounced then?
There were certainly punters on P6 waiting for some train or other, I remember them all running off up the stairs when the announcement was made.

There were no Mayflower passengers on the platforms as we weren't allowed off. Probably a few gricers though

 

The Plymouth was showing on the boards as the following train on 6 when we arrived, and was subsequently replatformed when it became clear watering wouldn't be finished in time for it, so was advertised there for a good length of time and changed at fairly short notice.

So to be fair to the station staff the charter might not have been the reason for the original platform alterations, but it probably was for the subsequent one

 

Both Charter, and XC trains were late. Signallers made a decision to let 5029 through first as it presented itself first, and the late running XC which had lost its path into the original platform was to come second. The platform announcer appeared to take it on themselves to announce the present steam loco was to blame.

 

You obviously do not read the disputes or ticketing thread on Rail UK. If you did it is pretty obvious that a great deal of "information" given to passengers is totally made up.
For example the Paddington Gate Line refusing to accept that any ticket that is not anytime is not valid in their version of the "evening peak". Or when the last two trains from Victoria to Bexhill were cancelled the advice was to "take at train to Brighton and get the first train in the morning" that of course totally ignoring the NRCoT and presumably implying you should sleep on the station or walk the streets all night. Or in a railtour context being told at West Drayton whilst waiting for a tour before travelling to London that my ticket only allowed me to be on the platform until the first train arrived. Not any longer, so I am not sure what you do if it was too full to get on.