Still nope.

Jacobite has derailed. "Banavie north signaller reports the driver of West Coast Railways 5Y69 from 2Y68 engine was completing a move where the engine is rounded, the leading tender axle has derailed over 3B points ground frame."

As things currently stand, some of the fastest trains that run between Pewsey and Paddington (and vice versa) only call at Newbury / Reading giving a journey time of just under one hour. Many passengers from Pewsey are concerned that these fast trains will no longer call at Pewsey if Devizes Gateway is built and/or Bedwyn trains are extended to Westbury which would result in longer journey times between Pewsey and Paddington (and vice versa)

A fellow member of Bournemouth Model Engineers had started to build a Q1 to my design several years ago.  However the project was offered to me, and although I had already completed 2 locomotives as detailed in the Model Engineer series in 2009, I thought I could make use of a third one!
                                                   
I had an idea in the back of my mind that I had seen a drawing of a proposed 0-6-4 tank engine in print somewhere but couldn't find it, so went ahead with my own interpretation of what a Q1 tank might have looked like.

I think it probably depends which part of their network you use. I find the service that covers Reading to Bournemouth is generally acceptable. One improvement could be if the looked at the number of cruise ships/passengers scheduled at Southampton. It is published a year in advance I believe, putting a 4-car train on when there five cruise ships scheduled is a likely recipe for disgruntlement.

The top 10 biggest cities and urban areas in the UK by built-up area (BUA) and metropolitan population are:
London: ~10.4 million
Birmingham: ~2.6 million
Manchester: ~2.5 million
Liverpool: ~1.2 million
Leeds: ~1.06 million
Glasgow: ~970,000
Newcastle upon Tyne: ~760,000
Nottingham: ~649,000
Bristol: ~615,000
Sheffield: ~549,000

It took - far - too long to write up. Or it would have been far too long were it not also a reference study and reminder for elements we need to take into account for the future. It's a one-off log - not something to be repeated on every train or bus journey.

On the buses - yes, they are rather good these days. They are a different product with a different though overlapping market. And (as in other comments made), buses and trains should be working together far better than they do. As an isolated daytime journey from Melksham to Chippenham on my own, I would likely have used the bus. But 3 of the top 5 destinations from Melksham by train (Swindon, London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads) are naturally rail not bus journeys, and they are key places people go from and to in part of the economy of our area.

There are two options both ruled out in past requests:

1. Turning in and out of the station would add time / delay to the services to the extent that it would irritate through passengers and add the need for an extra vehicle and driver on the route(s) to continue them, reliably, at their current frequency

2. There is nowhere safe on the current road layout for Bath bound buses to stop safely at the top of Station Approach (or to be more accurate, the buses could stop safely but the passengers getting off would be left on a dangerous verge with no crossing). Melksham bound buses COULD stop easily where there are 2 lanes just before the lights.

Reasons given to me by the experts. I have not personally verified them, but they look right.

Stopping the 271/2/3 near the station would also highlight the randomness of connections or non-connections offered by the timetables, and give rise to a fresh set of change requests which would upset the current opertional applecart. Best approach is a second town bus vehicle - we are still "owed" it back after its "temporary" covid withdrawal due to lack of drivers. It has been gone so long that a fresh timetable that DOES serve the station, and connect with trains, would be plausible.

Try this one. I did put public.https://youtu.be/tEtpOlcXywA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0YO9ZzSpZA

First 175 into Paignton.

I did not use hyperlink. May work now.

10 car 800 series trains, as most of cross country is under the wires anyway, capacity, toilets in one go...

As things currently stand, some of the fastest trains that run between Pewsey and Paddington (and vice versa) only call at Newbury / Reading giving a journey time of just under one hour. Many passengers from Pewsey are concerned that these fast trains will no longer call at Pewsey if Devizes Gateway is built and/or Bedwyn trains are extended to Westbury which would result in longer journey times between Pewsey and Paddington (and vice versa)

where the business case really comes much more to life is with a service extension of the faster of the two trains an hour to Hungerford, Kintbury, Bedwyn, Pewsey, (new) Devizes Gateway and Westbury.  Whether that (perhaps alternate trains?) carries on beyond, or feeds into the existing 2-hourly semifast, is open for discussion.  

Some good photos taken outside the perimeter fencing of Okehampton Interchange have been posted today on the Railways of Devon and Cornwall facebook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/384010423010289

I reckon the stated aspiration could only be achieved by the reintroduction of school/pupil catchment areas.

And I can think of a number of reasons why any government wouldn't be 'courageous' enough to do it.

Near miss as train passes workers in tunnel

A track worker stood against a tunnel wall as a train passed at more than 30mph in what investigators described as a "near miss".

Two other workers moved into alcoves in the tunnel wall as the train passed them in Bookham Tunnel, near Bookham station in Surrey, in April last year.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) found a line had been blocked to trains, but the workers were in a different location, and neither they nor the signaller realised.

Investigators made three recommendations to Network Rail after finding failings. Network Rail said safety was always its priority and it was reviewing recommendations.

Chief inspector of rail accidents Andrew Hall said: "Bookham Tunnel is one of a number of near misses that serve as a warning." He said theory and "bitter experience" showed "a pattern of near misses will eventually end in tragedy".

The track workers had been walking through Bookham Tunnel at 11:42 BST on 29 April last year, when the passenger train passed at 33mph (53km/h).

A report on Monday said the distance between the tunnel wall and the nearest running rail where the workers were walking was about 1.6m (5.2ft), but the available space between the tunnel wall and the passing train was between 1m and 1.15m.

Rules state that for line speeds below 100mph, a position of safety should be at least 1.25m from the nearest running rail.

Investigators said a "safe work pack" detailing safety arrangements incorrectly contained line blockage arrangements for nearby Mickleham Tunnel rather than where the team was working. They said the error was introduced at the planning stage and went unnoticed, despite checks.

The RAIB highlighted the lack of a specific process for managing the transfer of information between systems and found steps were not routinely carried out or not carried out effectively.

Hall said investigators also identified learning points for workers, adding it showed "how safety is now heavily dependent on every worker having an accurate understanding" of line blockages and safe working.

Chris Cornish, regional health, safety and environment director for Network Rail, said the organisation fully supported the RAIB and recognised the findings. He said: "While no one was injured, this was a serious near miss and we are committed to learning the lessons to reduce the risk of this happening again. We are also continuing our national work to improve track worker safety, including through a programme focused on clearer planning and the use of technology to better protect colleagues working on the railway."