42280 – 18:05 Thursday 25th September

42280

Just the single carriage capture today and that was because the 18:05 to Frome was ready before either the Bristol or Penzance trains so a straight through journey to home seemed the simplest and easiest option. I took a seat in Carriage E, 42280, but before I tell you about the journey home let me fill you in on this morning’s excitement.

I took a seat in my customary Carriage A (sorry, no number) but quickly found that the bloke sat in the window seat was one of the types who believes he has a right to his own seat and half of yours as well. He’s legs were spread only just on the side of decency and the way he was hogging the arm rest made him look like a fat Tudor king on his throne.

By the time we’d reached Theale I was already cursing my luck on choosing this particular seat because Old King Cole wasn’t budging an inch and of course I couldn’t do anything as un-English as move seats of my own accord. The next moment there was a tap on my shoulder which turned out to be one of the Theale boardees who was claiming his reserved seat from me.

So whilst I was in embarrassed shock that I’d made that novice mistake of sitting in a ticketed seat it gave me the ideal excuse to move away from Henry VIII and have a much more comfortable journey into town.

The journey home turned out to be just as comfortable as my travelling partner this time was a delicate young blonde lady who not only asked me if the seat was free before sitting down but didn’t take up any of the arm rest, made no noise at all whilst reading her Kindle and didn’t feel the need to put her knees on either side of the seats in front.

Alas me old mate @cr_rail was having a much worse journey. Ooooo, he was cross!

42108 – 18:30 Monday 2nd June

42108

A week’s holiday with only a single carriage captured meant that the first day in my new job should have been an ideal opportunity to get back on the wagon (so to speak) and get some numbers in the little black book.

Alas the journey into town turned out not to be that opportunity as Carriage A on the 06:57 was a duplicate, so it wasn’t until this evening’s return trip that I was able to capture the number of 42108 which was performing the role of Carriage B on the 18:30 service to Weston-Super-Mare.

I could go into details about how the train was delayed due to some tit-head trespassing on the line near to Twyford or about how the FGW station team turned the train around like a Formula 1 pitstop or even how the chap next to me staked his claim on the armrest by spreading his legs as wide as possible and plonking his John Thomas between us……but I’m too tired. Good night.

42080 – 17:33 Monday 12th May

42080

Guess what? Guess what? It’s all happening on the 17:33 Paignton Service especially in Carriage B (42080) where our hero, the BGC, has just taken a seat next to a chap who obviously has beach balls for testicles looking at the width he has to keep his legs open.

And what is the cause for this excitement? Well hold onto your hats as I have an answer to my second Service Improvement suggestion, so project #NotJasonNess is complete! Well, I say complete when what I really mean is confused.

Fans of the blog, and let’s face, just who isn’t a fan of the blog, will remember that I had punted two Service Improvement suggestions over to FGW and Twitter operator extraordinaire Grant had promised to ensure I got two replies from FGW management about them. I got one reply by return post almost and with the other one dropping in today; I guess a total of a one week turnaround isn’t too bad.

I won’t go into the details of each Service Improvement in case one of you steals the idea and makes fortune from one of the other TOCs but I will describe the replies by using a fruit analogy.

In the first enquiry I basically asked, “I think the season ticket holders should get some free fruit every month, maybe an apple, perhaps a banana and on special occasions, a plum.”

Rachel from FGW (remember her? Young, attractive and without a hint of fake tan) replied with something along the lines of, “Didn’t you know you were already entitled to a free apple? And soon we’ll be introducing some surprising and delightful other fruits as well.” (My words not hers.)

So that’s all good, at least my enquiry was addressed and I will be chasing in the style of Duncan Norvelle to ensure I get to find out what the surprise and delights turn out to be.

My other Service Improvement suggestion was a little more complicated but went along these lines, “it takes a long time to load the pears. How about FGW employs some peaches and by having a grape on every pear, trains would be able to leave the stations a lot quicker.”

The reply I got back from someone called Andrew Saunders, who is an Integrated Transport Manager no less, went like this. “Thanks you for your enquiry about pears. We are looking into some melons. We hope to have some new cauliflowers by the end of May.”

So it’s a classic FGW-ism of being one step forward but feeling two steps back. Anyone got a cabbage?