Clive
And if I haven't bored you all yet, here's something a little more local. This is a most impressive video that someone has made of the best and worst of times of truely iconic Dawlish. The steamers shown here really should be shown up on a big TV display to impress on the visitors on Friday just how important the railway is as a tourist draw to Dawlish. ...
...or if really desparate to keep the HSTs going for ever this might be one solution...!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDS6DNtVWSk&feature=player_detailpage#t=8
...but what you will probably get at best is a 'loco drag' from Plymouth...something like this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXrW0ATCfcQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=154 ...but please let's hope we don't just carry on making and doing as we are we ever aging HSTs... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Bhp5i1EITxc#t=2
...and for what the SW really needs... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usHD1shuOFs&feature=player_detailpage#t=7
To illustrate my point about the rubbish acceleration of HSTs from standing starts first try watching this lumbering HST clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mpxsHwotuMI#t=253 You will see that from the moment of the driver reving up the engine at 4.16 in the clip it takes until 5.16 a full one minute later for the train to clear its front end starting point. ...
In case anyone is thinking 'what's is in it for Dawlish?' the answer is simple. Quite apart from faster trains generally, if they lose less times at stops then it is easier to justify more semi-fast services and that means more direct trains for Dawlish. Of course you may need that old kernel of a DALine to get electrification past the sea wall and a 'Dawlish West' station on the route.
The bottom line is the unsuitability of the rolling stock, and not just that it is old. Mind you, the last two times I managed to catch an HST to Cornwall a widget dropped off the 'Cornish Riviera' at Exeter and we waited some 25mins to replace it. Then on the return journey there was a loud bang as we passed through Dawlish (pure coincidence I assure you) as a connecting door fell clean off ...
@leatash - i understand your point but its a whole lot worse off than say totnes and yet should be nearly half an hour better off.
In fact, going back to my original point has anyone in the history of Dawlish ever managed to catch a direct train to or from London scheduled at only 2.36hr, as per the lucky dignitaries on Friday? I bet not. - Funny how well things can be done when there's a will to do so!!
Ah, the old conundrum of 'everyone wants the station but nobody wants to see trains pass them by'. Technically, if the Cornish Riviera stopped at Dawlish it would put Dawlish at only 2.15hr from London!!! compared with an average journey time of 3.05hr. Nevertheless, if the current connection wait time at St Davids when getting off the Riviera of 22mins (i.e. 12.08/12.30) was shortened to say ...
