WSMR unusual working at Banbury, 2 October

"Tony Polson" wrote
>I was at Banbury earlier this evening and saw an unusual working of
> one of the WSMR sets. It was announced as "a late running WSMR ...
> (didn't hear the next bit) ... arriving in between Platforms 1 and 2".
> Yes, in between!
>
> There is a north facing bay cut into the down island platform at
> Banbury. However, it doesn't have a number, unlike the south facing
> bay cut into the up island platform. I assume this is because it
> isn't normally used for service trains. Shades of Harry Potter ...

That is indeed unusual. I've forwarded your message to Gensheet, where such
things are of great interest.

"Tony Polson" <docnews2011@> wrote
> "John Salmon" <john.e.salmon@genshiem.cot> wrote:
>>"Tony Polson" wrote
>>>I was at Banbury earlier this evening and saw an unusual working of
>>> one of the WSMR sets. It was announced as "a late running WSMR ...
>>> (didn't hear the next bit) ... arriving in between Platforms 1 and 2".
>>> Yes, in between!
>>>
>>> There is a north facing bay cut into the down island platform at
>>> Banbury. However, it doesn't have a number, unlike the south facing
>>> bay cut into the up island platform. I assume this is because it
>>> isn't normally used for service trains. Shades of Harry Potter ...
>>
>>That is indeed unusual. I've forwarded your message to Gensheet, where
>>such
>>things are of great interest.
>
>
> Thanks John. Looking at my original images, the train arrived at
> Banbury at around 18:10 and departed at around 18:27. It was a good
> fit in the bay platform, with probably about twenty feet to spare.
>
> Well done to the signallers and station staff for their initiative.
>


I've already received feedback on this one. An interested person asks: "how
does a southbound working get into this bay unless under single-line
working? Quail implies that this 'bay' would be available for departures
only." I must admit I don't know the answer, even though I claim to be a
(sort of) expert on such things...

Tony Polson wrote:
>
> Thanks John. Looking at my original images, the train arrived at
> Banbury at around 18:10 and departed at around 18:27. It was a good
> fit in the bay platform, with probably about twenty feet to spare.
>
> Well done to the signallers and station staff for their initiative.

It's not unknown for WSMR services to start/finish at Banbury in this
manner. On Tuesday night I was at Tame Bridge Parkway and the 19:48 to
Marylebone, the last up service, was cancelled throughout - as I was on a
WSMR-specific ticket, London Midland agreed to honour it to New Street and I
managed to get the 20:15 Chiltern service forwards.

Tonight's observations may have been the result of the earlier service, that
should have worked back at 16:10 from Marylebone, still being in platform 4
at Marylebone at 18:00 (topped and tailed by EWS 67 003 and 67 022).
Presumably that set worked back as the 20:03 down, which the train that you
saw would normally have returned on. I guess that quite probably the set
that you saw was turned back as the (very) late running 16:10 from
Marylebone, starting from Banbury.

On Oct 3, 9:48 am, TonySK14 <tonys...@m> wrote:
> >"Tony Polson" wrote
> >>I was at Banbury earlier this evening and saw an unusual working of
> >> one of the WSMR sets.
>
> You weren't train spotting Mr Polson - where you?
>
> Tony (not Polson)

You are very boring.

Tony Polson wrote:
> I was at Banbury earlier this evening and saw an unusual working of
> one of the WSMR sets. It was announced as "a late running WSMR ...
> (didn't hear the next bit) ... arriving in between Platforms 1 and 2".
> Yes, in between!

"Thomas Telford" was in there this morning as well when I went to work.