2. Walk to Paddington-11.07.22

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2022 > 44. Trip to London-10-12.07.22 > 2. Walk to Paddington-11.07.22

With my wife safely back in our air-conditioned hotel room, I took a walk to Paddington. Despite the heat, the railways appeared to be coping well with trains largely running to time.
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800014, GW 10.17 Castle Cary-London Paddington (1A61, 17L), London Paddington station 800014 'Edith New' stands on the blocks at Paddington having arrived with the 1A61 10.17 ex Castle Cary. Edith New was a Swindon born (hence the significance for a GWR train to be so named) suffragette who was one of those first to use vandalism as a form of protest. This included putting stones down the droplights of train carriage windows causing damage to the glass; I suspect that GWR would take a very dim view of vandalism to their new trains today but at least this form of protest could not be replicated due to the lack of droplights! Notice the waery-looking festival goers making their way along the platform. Try as I might I have not been able to find out where they were returning from, Glastonbury was two weeks previously! Keywords: 800014 10.17 Castle Cary-London Paddington 1A61 London Paddington station GWR IET Edith New
802017, GW 12.02 Oxford-London Paddington (1P24, 4L), London Paddington station In a very hot Paddington station, 802017 is seen arriving at platform one with the 1P24 12.02 GWR service from Oxford. It was a scorching day in London (and in many other places too) but there appeared to be very few issues with the railways appearing to be coping well with the conditions. Keywords: 802017 12.02 Oxford-London Paddington 1P24 London Paddington station GWR IET
800310, GW 13.18 London Paddington-Cardiff Central (1B16, 1L), London Paddington station At the country end of a sunbathed (and very hot) Paddington station 800210 'Wing Commander Ken Rees' waits to depart with the 13.18 GWR service to Cardiff Central. The IET was named in May 2021 at Swansea station in a ceremony that commemorated the life of the former World Warr II bomber pilot who died in 2014 at the ripe old age of ninety-three. After capture following being shot down in Norway WC Rees was imprisoned in Poland's Stalag Luft III where he made a number of escape attempts. It is alleged that Steve McQueen’s character in the 1963 film The Great Escape is said to be based on Ken due to his antagonistic attitude towards his captors and his persistent attempts to escape and not leas, his love of riding motorbikes! Keywords: 800310 13.18 London Paddington-Cardiff Central 1B16 London Paddington station GWR IET Wing Commander Ken Rees
387137 & 387138, HX 12.42 Heathrow T4-London Paddington (1V52, 3L), London Paddington station I was grateful for the shade offered by the buildings at the end of platform one of Paddington station on this hot summer's day! From this vantage point, 387137 leads 387138 pass through the station throat arriving with the 12.42 1V52 ex Heathrow Terminal Four service. The fares on these Heathrow Express services remain some of the most expensive in the country persistently ripping off passengers and visitors to the UK charging nearly a pound a mile for the journey from Heathrow. Yes, they advertise fares starting from £5.50 and advise people to book ahead but in all likelihood what foreign visiting travellers will be able to do that; welcome to rip-off Britain! Keywords: 387137 387138 12.42 Heathrow T4-London Paddington 1V52 London Paddington station
802011, GW 13.38 London Paddington-Swansea (1B17, 4L), London Paddington station Passengers make their way along platform nine at Paddington station to join the 13.38 GWR service to Swansea. On this day the 1B17 is being worked by 802011 'Sir Joshua Reynolds' and another unidentified Class 802 at the front. Whilst a number of shorter formed units may offer a greater degree of flexibility I really cannot help but feel that double manning of a train to South Wales is not the best use of staffing and was this really thought through when these trains were procured? Keywords: 802011 13.38 London Paddington-Swansea 1B17 London Paddington station GWR IET Sir Joshua Reynolds

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