15. Bath-15.03.14

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2014 > 15. Bath-15.03.14

A brief trip to my old stomping ground at Bath Spa. This time visiting my mum I managed an hour or so at the station whilst my wife and son did a little shopping around the city.

Click here to search The Archive Files

Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.

158960, GW 14.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour (1F23), Bath Spa station
158960 leaves Bath Spa station working the 14.30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour First Great Western service. Bath station is a tricky one to photograph at due to it's narrow and confined east-west configuration. Some thirty-six years ago I stood at a very similar spot to this one but the motive power was a little different then, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/25311254204/x46011-up-ballast-working-bath-spa
Keywords: 158960 14.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour 1F23 Bath Spa station First Great Western

43145, GW 15.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington (1A23), Bath Spa station
Taken in tricky backlit conditions 43145 brings the 15.30 Bristol to Paddington 1A23 service into Bath Spa station. This power car was a later delivery to the Western Region introduced as part of set 253038. This batch of fourteen sets was built by BR in the early 1980s as they sought to irradicate locomotive-hauled services throughout the Western Region, something that they never quite managed!
Keywords: 43145 15.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington 1A23 Bath Spa station First Great Western HST

43088, GW 15.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington (1A23), Bath Spa station
The rear of the 1A21 15.30 Bristol to Paddington service is seen as it accelerates around the curve of Bath Spa's platform two. With 43145 leading the front of the train and now out of sight, 43088 pushes at the rear. This power car was introduced during the summer of 1978 becoming an Eastern Region power car as part of set 254017.
Keywords: 43088 15.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington 1A23 Bath Spa station First Great Western HST

158950, GW 14.42 Gloucester-Westbury (2C20), Bath Spa station
Not surprisingly having a 2CXX reporting number the 14.42 Gloucester to Westbury 'all stations' service arrives at Bath Spa station, next stops being Freshford, Avoncliff and Bradford-on-Avon. The train is composed of a two-car Super Sprinter 158950. First Great Western has a number of these versatile units dating from 1989 to 1992 in either two or three-car formations all over its large network.
Keywords: 158950 14.42 Gloucester-Westbury 2C20 Bath Spa station First Great Western

43070, GW 14.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads (1C18), Bath Spa station
With the fine Georgeon properties of Bathwick Hill in the background, the 14.30 Paddington to Bristol 1C18 HST service arrives at Bath Spa. The driver of 43070 'The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers' has lowered his sun visor to protect himself from the low and strong early spring sunshine
Keywords: 43070 14.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads 1C18 Bath Spa station First Great Western HST The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

158950, GW 14.42 Gloucester-Westbury (2C20) & 43033, 14.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads (1C18), Bath Spa station
Bath Spa's relatively short platforms are shown clearly in this photograph with the rear power car of the 1C18 14.30 Paddington to Bristol stopping over the edge of the down platform's ramp. This consideration will be important when the new electric trains that will take over the services on the GWML are procured. The power car seen is 43033 'Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947-5 October 1999' whilst 158950 leaves with the 2C20 14.42 Gloucester to Westbury 'local' service.
Keywords: 158950 14.42 Gloucester-Westbury 2C20 43033 14.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads 1C18 Bath Spa station Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947-5 October 1999 First Great Western HST

159012, SW 15.51 Bristol Temple Meads-London Waterloo (1O60), Bath Spa station
In very awkward lighting 159012 arrives at Bath Spa station forming the 15.51 Bristol to London Waterloo service. South West have three variants of their liveries that illustrate the type of services that the particular train is dedicated to. In this case, 159012 bears a large white area to its flank indicating that this unit is designated a 'long distance' unit. I can understand why SWT operate to and from Exeter via Salisbury but I do find the Bristol to Waterloo services a little odd. I have not been able to find out the history of these services and why they form a part of their franchise agreement.
Keywords: 159012 15.51 Bristol Temple Meads-London Waterloo 1O60 Bath Spa station South West Trains

150246, GW 15.28 Warminster-Great Malvern (2E25), Bath Spa station
The sharp curve of Bath Spa station is shown to full effect in this zoom photograph of 150246 as it arrives with the 2E25 Warminster to Great Malvern service. Back in my youthful spotting days on Bath station in the late 1970s many trains composed of Mk.1 stock (and their variants) such as the Class 205s had doors positioned the length of the train meaning that passengers had to take great care when alighting from doors away from the carriage ends.
Keywords: 150246 15.28 Warminster-Great Malvern 2E25 Bath Spa station First Great Western

150246, GW 15.28 Warminster-Great Malvern (2E25) & 159012, SW 15.51 Bristol Temple Meads-London Waterloo (1O60), Bath Spa station
150246 pauses at Bath Spa station with the 15.28 Warminster to Great Malvern service whilst South West Trains' 159246 gets away with the 15.51 Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo train. Notice the wide gap between the up and down lines that, until 1967 accommodated a pair of passing loops that were also linked allowing the transfer of trains from track to track. All was controlled from the lofty signal box located above the canopy on the down platform approximately above where I am standing to take this photograph.
Keywords: 150246 15.28 Warminster-Great Malvern 2E25 159012 15.51 Bristol Temple Meads-London Waterloo 1O60 Bath Spa station First Great Western South West Trains

43030, GW 16.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington (1A24), Bath Spa station
As an illustration of how intensively the FGW HST fleet is used, I saw this set, now being led by 43030 'Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947-5 October 1999' only thirty-five minutes or so earlier at the tail end of a down working here ar Bath Spa station. Now it is leading the 16.00 1A24 to Paddington back from Bristol Temple Meads.
Keywords: 43030 16.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington 1A24 Bath Spa station First Great Western HST

43040 & 43139, GW 15.00 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads (1C19), Bath Spa station
A view using the camera's zoom to full effect at Bath Spa shows the 1C19 15.00 Paddington to Bristol HST service approaching the station. As well as showing the full length of the HST with power car 43040 'Bristol St. Philip's Marsh' leading with 43139 'Driver Stan Martin 25 June 1950-6 November 2004' bringing up the rear some of Bath's Georgian grandeur is in view. The fine stone townhouses that cling to the hillside, constructed of locally mined oolitic limestone, are centred around Bathwick Hill, one of the most desirable addresses in the city.
Keywords: 43040 43139 15.00 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads 1C19 Bath Spa station First Great Western HST Bristol St. Philip's Marsh Driver Stan Martin 25 June 1950 - 6 November 2004

159954, GW 15.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour (1F25), Bath Spa station
Plenty of passengers are waiting to board an already busy 15.30 Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour service at Bath Spa station. The three cars of 159954 are not really adequate for this number of passengers, something that FGW has been much criticised for over recent years. It is a marked comparison to times past when I have commented how few passengers there were on this station and then, the trains were so much longer, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29805504204/x33025-bristol-temple-meads-cardiff
Keywords: 159954 15.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour 1F25 Bath Spa station First Great Western

Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.