42288 23:30 Wednesday 9th July

42288

 

 

 

It was another morning train in reverse formation which makes the obtaining of the picture all the more difficult every time it happens. I just can’t risk life and limb being crushed under the stampeding hordes as they dash for the exits or find myself pinioned against the cycle racks at Paddington.

I did make a vague effort to video the number as I sailed past but the results were less than impressive and best consigned to the bin.

The return journey was also less than impressive.

Paddington to Reading was fine, albeit rather tired and sleepy as the Oranges and Lemons tour has been reinvigorated and there I was catching the last train home in what they call a tired and emotional state. The 23:30 to Bristol Temple Meads service was almost empty and Carriage B, 42288, provided a comfortable setting for half the journey home.

The second half though wasn’t as brilliant though as it was a replacement bus service which was leaving from “the north exit” as the PA system repeatedly squawked to all and sundry. Now I’ve been sailing through Reading Station for just over 3 years now on a daily basis and I’ve never heard any of the exits being referred to by any of the cardinal directions, never mind “north”, “west” or even “south by south-east”.

I went to the bus stop outside the front of the station, which is where every rail replacement bus since time began has left from but I think David Attenborough discovered more life in some African desert than there was here. I did bump into one smartly dishevelled man who was looking as lost as I felt and we soon established ourselves as kindred spirits trying to find out where this bus was.
We searched desperately for someone to ask but the station concourse was bereft of any FGW staff and apart from the Network Rail engineers and the girls in Tutti Fruitti coffee shop, who were both asked, we were no nearer locating the bus and as the persistent PA announcements were declaring, the bus was going to depart any minute.

A lack of options saw us sprinting across the bridge to the new exit (yes, apparently, this IS the “north exit”) and just about make it onto the departing bus by the skin of our joint teeth.
Quite why there either wasn’t a person directing people to this obviously well known “north exit” or at the very least a big sign with a helpful arrow I still can’t work out, but no doubt this saved Marky Mark part of someone’s wage or the cost of some marker pens so it’s all good?

Just as a friendly Post Script, my newly found lost friend turned out to be a lawyer and possibly the poshest person I’ve ever spoken to. And I don’t mean anything negative in that at all. He was witty and amusing and very complimentary to my blue trousers and yellow shoes, it was like chatting to an intelligent version of Tim Nice-But-Dim.

42362 18:03 Tuesday 8th July

42362

After yesterday’s excitement on the Carriage Capture today was a complete let down. There was a single capture on the way home with 42362 going in the book, although a nice snap of the number on the VOLO TV control system is always a delight.

There were no Ambassadors anywhere to be seen so this particular little black book remains almost empty. At least good old Leo was on had with possibly the finest quip seen on the FGW twitter feed so far……

42564 18:37 Monday 7th July

42564

In terms of the Carriage Capture it was a day of mixed fortunes.

The hustle and bustle of the disembark from the morning train at Paddington meant that I wasn’t in a position to get a snap of the number and thinking that it was probably going to be a duplicate anyway I found myself in a complete state of indifference I wandered away without noting anything down at all.

The return journey was a bit more interesting. Firstly Carriage F on the 18:03 Penzance Service had obviously only recently become a Carriage F by the evidence of the hastily placed letter stickers on the ends of the carriage. My records show that I’d already been in 42014 when it was a Carriage B in a former life back in May.

42014 - Now appearing as Carriage F

Getting off at Reading was made marginally more amusing when I spotted this professor of ingenuity ensuring that every journey with FGW meant a journey with a seat. I say hats off to this fella and Leo seems to agree with me.

The 18:37 Frome Service was similarly made marginally more interesting when it looks like this is another new refurbished carriage (a Carriage E) as its number, 42564 doesn’t appear on my list of numbers. Another question I’ll have to ping Ollie’s way before my logging system become too far out of kilter.
Finally if this morning’s lacklustre effort at capturing the carriage makes me suspect I’m getting slightly jaded with the Carriage Capture then my new found fan base amongst the FGW Ambassadors (shout out to @fgw_cdfcentral and @fgwcardiff) might provide the inspiration for a new collection scheme, Ambassador Capture!

Tonight victim is Luke, who I spotted lurking on Platform 7 at Reading.

Luke, 23, has just graduated from Lincoln University with a 2:1 in Contemporary Archaeology but always knew he wanted to work in the travel industry after fond memories of countless camping holidays in Skegness. Luke was known by the nickname of “Chippy” whilst undergoing his training as an Ambassador with FGW because he was always hooving up any left over chips in the FGW canteen. His ambition with FGW is to make an announcement over the in-train on-board PA system telling passengers that “this is a peak time service and anyone with an off-peak ticket will be forcibly disembarked at Taplow without their luggage.”

Jesus, I’m so bored. Someone take me out for a drink…….

42561 & 42518 – 18:00 & 18:37 Friday 4th July

42561 & 42518

Hello Houston, we have a problem……….

Well it has been a pretty abysmal week for commuting but this particular problem wasn’t caused by anything unpleasant and that includes all the smelly freaksters who think it’s acceptable to remove your shoes on public transport! Yeah, looking at you, high heel business women…..if you can’t hack ‘em, don’t wear ‘em!

As I clambered aboard the 18:00 Bristol service to make my way home tonight I got onto Carriage F for the only reason that I was desperate for a wee and this was the nearest standard class carriage to the barriers. After composing myself I took a seat in said Carriage F (or 42561) and noticed how clean and bright everything was looking. From the carpets to the seats to the paper antimacassars, everything looked brand new. This theme even continued to the carriage number which looked so new it almost smelt of fresh wet paint.

I wondered if this was one of the former 1st Class Carriages that have been refurbished for Standard Class use and these suspicions seem to have been confirmed as Jess’s list of carriage numbers that she forwarded to me what seems like a half a life time ago (remember those days, when she used to answer my tweets and mails……ah that golden summer of our shared youth) doesn’t include this number.

So this rather puts a hefty iron bar in the spokes unless I can find out which number was transformed into 42561. I reckon this is a case for none other than the unsung hero of FGW, the Oll-Finder General and this really will be a test to see if he does read the blog…….

The journey was finalised aboard 42518 which was Carriage E on the Frome service where things didn’t look so new and shiny, but better than the carriages did when I tweeted this a few days ago.

The strange thing about this tweet is that it was picked up by two new followers who look to be some of FGW’s purple great coat wearing lovelies, who I believe are known as Ambassadors. Both seem to work out of Cardiff which means our paths with probably never cross, but unless Jess pulls her finger out she might find herself replaced! So @fgw_cdfcentral and @fgwcardiff this entry is dedicated to you in all your purple coated splendor!

41108 & 42095 – 07:30 & 18:37 Thursday 3rd July

41108 & 42095

Another first for the Carriage Capture today and all down to a cancelled train.

I mentioned the other day that the first thing I do in the morning is check my train times app on the phone and make sure my usual morning transportation is running. This morning all seemed to be well and it was until I actually got to the station and discovered that a signalling issue somewhere west of Newbury meant that my train had just been cancelled.

The stupid Turbo that took us all to Reading wasn’t as rammed as I’d feared and it reached the station precisely on time to meet the 07:30 coming from somewhere and going to Paddington. This one was rammed but I wasn't too dismayed as I found myself in the vestibule of a First Class Carriage, in this case 41108 Carriage L, and felt this was a perfect opportunity to get my first 1st carriage on the board.

The return journey wasn’t so exciting with a duplicate carriage to Reading and 42095 to Thatcham which was a comfortable if unremarkable Carriage D.

42200 & 42115 – 18:00 & 18:37 Wednesday 2nd July

42200 & 42115

My action photo tactic didn’t work so well today, as I disembarked from the morning train. Not a massive issue as the carriage was a duplicate, but it was 44040 which was the one I’d failed to photo the other day so a quick snap would have come in rather handy.

No such problems snapping 42200 which was Carriage C on my train to Reading and subsequently 42115 which was Carriage D on my train to Thatcham.

Did anything happen on either journey?

Well there was a cyclist who apart from stinking of the mandatory stale sweat stench they all reek of just made a huge show of everything he did. Helmet off – CLIP, LIFT, SWING AROUND THE HEAD, PACK AWAY IN BAG. Kindle out – BAG OPEN, RAISE, TURN ON, COUGH, READ. May I get out – OF COURSE YOU CAN, STAND, PUT AWAY TABLE, STAND ASIDE, THANK YOU!

44026 & 42261 – 06:57 & 18:45 Tuesday 1st July

44026 & 42261

Although the train journeys themselves were uneventful and mundane, today was notable for two “firsts” on the Carriage Capture.

Firstly I managed to circumvent the photo taking conundrum which faces me every morning as we reach Paddington.

In order to ensure I get a seat in the mornings and to satisfy my compulsive need to stand on the same bit of platform every day I don’t get the chance to take a photo of the carriage number before boarding. When we pull into Paddington I can either attempt to stop the crushing flow of disembarking busy business people crowding out the door to take the snap and risk a sever tutting at or I have to do what I’ve been doing until now which is double-back on myself and walk half way up the carriage to get the external number shot. This action both wastes time and potentially make me look like a titty spotter knobby.

Today I tried something which for some unknown reason I hadn’t thought about before which was to try to take the photo “on the move” as I squeezed out of the carriage door. So the portrait of 44026 at the top of this post is the “first” ever action shot on the blog. When you consider I’ve normally got the steady hands of a 40 a day alcoholic I’m actually quite delighted with the results.

The second “first” (?) actually happened when I’d already arrived home, thanks to 42261 which was playing the role of Carriage B on the 18:45 to Swansea. The lady who sat next to me on this trip was drinking a bottle of something described on the label as “pink lemonade” although from the colour it could just have easily been a bottle of Windolene.

But the colour of this potion wasn’t as off-putting as the smell which was like strong Red Bull laced with liquid sugar and a large dollop of honey for good measure.

Ever wanting to be the one to share the joys of my commute, I tweeted this happening which was then picked up by some bunch of Snake Oil salesmen who thought they’d try to pique my interest in whatever it is they are peddling this particular week. This led to an amusing exchange of tweets (well I thought it funny anyway) and is the very first time I’d been directly spammed over Twitter.

All in all, an interesting couple of carriages.