An ... interesting ... day all around.  Turns out that the 10:00  U2 does not run on Saturday (my misread of the timetable) so I ended up on the X1 to Congresbury.   Red Squirrel and I were there from the Coffee Shop and a number of other old friends too. Walked on almost to Clevedon afterwards, picking up the X10 for the last mile then the X6 to Bristol.

Erm ... I don't happen to carry a small chemistry set around with me, when I'm out on the railways. 

Southampton FC are playing at Swansea at 12:30 today, so thought I would check allocations on real time trains of Portsmouth-Cardiff

1F06 06:08 4car 158
1F08 07:23 3car 166  (latest train for the match)
1F10 08:23 6car 166  (rare 166 in multiple)
1F12 09:23 4car 158
1F14 10:23 2car 158 (that will be cozy)
1F16 11:23 4car 158
1F18 12:23 4car 158
1F20 13:23 3car 166

I wonder what logic was used to run a 6car when only 2cars were available for a train 2 hours later (and yes I know they can't couple), but surely 2 3car 166s (holding one set back for 2 hours and substituting the single 158) is better than a 6car and a 2car train

Erm ... I don't happen to carry a small chemistry set around with me, when I'm out on the railways. 

The Honolulu Harbour Board wanted the ship removed so it could redevelop the harbour

A historic Clydebuilt sailing ship has been towed out to sea off the coast of Hawaii and deliberately sunk, prompting outrage from maritime conservation groups.

Falls of Clyde, built in 1878, had been moored as a museum ship in Honolulu since the 1960s but had fallen into a poor state of repair.

The Honolulu Harbour Board confirmed it had the ship towed into deep water about 25 miles offshore on Wednesday and then scuttled.

The news has been met with anger and dismay by campaigners who have spent more than a decade trying to bring the ship back to its birthplace to rebuild it.

Falls of Clyde was the first in a series of eight iron-hulled ships built in the late 19th Century by the Port Glasgow shipbuilder Russell & Co.

The ship spent many years carrying various cargoes to and from the Far East and Australasia before moving to Hawaii.


Falls of Clyde was towed out of Honolulu Harbour at dawn and scuttled in deep water

In the early 20th Century it had steel tanks fitted and was converted into a tanker to carry paraffin to the islands, where it later became a floating fuel depot before being acquired by a museum in Honolulu. But the ship was badly damaged by a hurricane in the 1980s, the maritime section of the museum closed down and for years it has been left slowly decaying.

Enthusiasts in Scotland have spent a decade trying to bring the ship home for restoration, but were unable to reach an agreement with the harbour board which wants to redevelop the quay where it was moored.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation said the operation to remove the ship began at dawn on Wednesday and it was sunk about 25 miles south of the harbour. It said the vessel's name, wheel and bell were retained along with other artifacts which will be put on display.

The destruction of the historic ship has been widely criticised by maritime conservation groups both in the UK and the USA.

Friends of Falls of Clyde, a group of supporters in Hawaii, described it as "a day that will go down in infamy".  "It is almost inconceivable that this situation has been allowed to happen," the group posted on social media. The group organised a farewell ceremony with bagpipers on Tuesday after learning that the ship was to be sunk the following morning.

The Tall Ship Glenlee, the charity that looks after another Clydebuilt sailing vessel moored beside Glasgow's Riverside Museum, said it was "deeply saddened".

David O'Neill, from the Scotland based Save Falls of Clyde campaign said he was "horrified" at the behaviour of the authorities in Hawaii but had become resigned to the ship meeting such a fate after years of fruitless negotiation.


A 19th Century oil painting of Falls of Clyde when it sailed in the Far East

He first became involved in efforts to rescue the ship in 2015 when someone in Hawaii alerted him to its condition, prompting him to post an appeal on social media saying: "Old Scottish lady needs a lift home."

A Norwegian firm which operates heavy lift ships offered to transport Falls of Clyde back to Scotland for free, but the campaign was soon embroiled in a wrangle with the harbour board over insurance costs and other conditions.

Earlier this year Mr O'Neill said an American firm won a contract to remove the ship from the harbour and it also offered to transport it to Scotland for free. "They didn't want to sink the ship - they had a conscience and a respect for maritime heritage," he said. But the deal between the firm and the harbour board fell through, and the contract went instead to another company which then carried out the scuttling.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation has been contacted for comment.


Falls of Clyde was part of a maritime museum for decades before it fell into decay

Mr O'Neill said he had seen a video showing the final moments of Falls of Clyde. "She was towed out of harbour looking really elegant and stunning for a 147-year-old ship, unaided, not needing any pumps," he said. "She was still afloat and for us that's representative that she was truly Clydebuilt." He said he found watching the ship go down "quite disturbing".

"She goes down by the stern and most of the ship lifts out of the water, like in the Titanic movie."

The businessman is now concentrating his efforts on trying to bring home a Clydebuilt ship from a different era - the Type 21 frigate HMS Ambuscade. The warship was built for the Royal Navy at the Yarrow shipyard in Glasgow in the 1970s, and saw action in the Falklands War. It later sold to the Pakistan Navy where it served until it was decommissioned two years ago.

Mr O'Neill said he secured the frigate for free after making a "cheeky request" to the Pakistani government, and he is working on plans to return it to the Clyde to become a museum ship.

14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 is being delayed at Westbury.
This is due to this train being late from the depot.

This seems to have been taken down for access, can anyone confirm or provide the Exeter hyperlink, please?

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 13:01

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 13:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

13:13 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55

13:13 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Cross Country are diverted via Westbury all weekend too (although due to suspending today's strike on Thursday, seem to have given up and retained the strike timetable)

I was looking at something called the U2 to Sandford at 10:00 or 11:00 from Bristol

The trains is not running Bristol to Weston ...

Out of interest - when it comes to traction knowledge, are there drivers who sign 158s but not turbos?

Seeing the mention of the Eastleigh diversions tomorrow, I overheard two drivers heading to Westbury yesterday bemoaning the lack of drivers who sign that route.  Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Description

A road accident near the railway between Downham Market and Ely means rail replacement services running between these stations are being disrupted.


Disruption to rail replacement services is expected until 09:00.

18/10/25 06:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:23 will be cancelled.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident earlier today.
Last Updated:17/10/2025 21:04

07:43 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 10:27 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:18/10/2025 01:07

... My first visit was as a 6th Form A Level History student ... An added bonus was that someone knew a shortcut to the local pub.

a cup which is insulated enough not to burn, but enough lacking in insulation so we can finish our drink before we get [there].

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 has been cancelled.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident earlier today.