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Washout at Dawlish


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Despite politicians' promises that spending on HS2 would not affect spending on 'normal' railways and be treated as a self-contained transport project, the more cynical amongst us feel it could drain financial resources away from the national network. 

So the focussed subject of this thread is being used as political capital to gratify "the more cynical among us"?

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Despite politicians' promises that spending on HS2 would not affect spending on 'normal' railways and be treated as a self-contained transport project, the more cynical amongst us feel it could drain financial resources away from the national network. 

 

Any fule kno that £100 unplanned expenditure on a Hornby Britannia that simply couldn't be missed on the 9th, will never have any connection with kids' short dinner-money, low petrol levels or a carrier bag of marked-down Co-op groceries on the 30th of the same month....

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Maybe after nearly 30 pages, some of us have got bored with the OP. I do hope not. So far today we've had global warming and now HS2...

I did ask about 7ish this morning how the temporary repairs held out overnight. I guess no-one's about on a Sunday. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

I expect that the teams are rather busy to reply (or catching up on sleep) I heard that they are running 6 hour shifts (not more due to high tide breaks). It'll take a while.

 

Best, Pete.

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I did ask about 7ish this morning how the temporary repairs held out overnight. I guess no-one's about on a Sunday. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

I can't say for the works in Dawlish, but last night seemed to me at home to be less severe than forecast. Blue skies at the moment, the odd squall, but it's high tide so they won't be doing a lot right now. Next period of high winds seems to be dawn on Tuesday, so lets hope a bit of relative peace gives the teams some time to make some steady progress. But things can change in a blink.

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So the focussed subject of this thread is being used as political capital to gratify "the more cynical among us"?

 

That was not intended as a cheap shot at politicians, but as a possible explanation why money for rail improvement schemes/other capital investment projects could be restricted. 

 

I think 'CHARD in post 713 makes a fair analogy. 

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 I guess no-one's about on a Sunday. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

 

I may, or may not, have been given to believe that someone might, or might not, 'be about' today and might, or might not, be updating us later today on the state of progress, or not, but apart from that I don't know.

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The point is, whatever I find on the 20th, if there are still no trains it will not be for want of trying by Network Rail, and since I don't pay, I'm the least important passenger anyway. That's why I find it distasteful that others want to vent their views on matters elsewhere. CK and his colleagues are busting a gut here and we should be supporting them - and the poor TOCs surrounded by anxious customers.

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CK is probably doing the test run and handover for the reopening of Taunton - Exeter after the blockade, which was due today. From my experience in emergency situations everyone will be working their @$$e$ off or trying to get some sleep in a van when they do manage to get a break.

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I expect that the teams are rather busy to reply (or catching up on sleep) I heard that they are running 6 hour shifts (not more due to high tide breaks). It'll take a while.

 

Best, Pete.

Ive been on leave all weekend so I dunno. :D

Im not involved with it directly this coming week as much as I would like to be, other work commitments  but Il be able to catch up with the events over the last couple of days tomorrow in the office and hopefully get some more pics!.

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I can't say for the works in Dawlish, but last night seemed to me at home to be less severe than forecast. Blue skies at the moment, the odd squall, but it's high tide so they won't be doing a lot right now. Next period of high winds seems to be dawn on Tuesday, so lets hope a bit of relative peace gives the teams some time to make some steady progress. But things can change in a blink.

 

Thanks for that. There's nothing like a little bit of local knowledge. Hopefully the Captain might find time to hit the keyboard later if there's any new info.

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Guys

 

We know it's tempting to go off at tangents, but most of the possible views and arguments have been raised at least once in the four days (yes, that's all) this topic has been running so far.

 

I don't think any further speculation on what will happen in the future is merited in this topic for now, and certainly not on climate change, HS2 and other peripheral factors. Their time will undoubtedly come when all the options are considered in due course, but when the current issue of repair and reopening is dealt with and when all parties have had time to catch their breath.

 

The line at Dawlish has been breached and NR etc are doing their utmost to fix it, together with the other issues in Dorset and Somerset. Let's try and stick to that if we possibly can please.

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The point is, whatever I find on the 20th, if there are still no trains it will not be for want of trying by Network Rail, and since I don't pay, I'm the least important passenger anyway. That's why I find it distasteful that others want to vent their views on matters elsewhere. CK and his colleagues are busting a gut here and we should be supporting them - and the poor TOCs surrounded by anxious customers.

I noticed on another thread that CK in the midst of all the problems found time to fit P4 wheels to a Hornby Sentinel.  A dedicated railway modeller!

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I noticed on another thread that CK in the midst of all the problems found time to fit P4 wheels to a Hornby Sentinel.  A dedicated railway modeller!

 

He did it whilst astride a swaying marine sheet pile too.  

 

Extreme Finescale, it's the new thing.   :sungum:

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On the BBC News channel last evening there was some woman complaining that there were no trains, no buses and she didn't know what she was going to to. The implication was that it was the TOCs (or someone's) fault.

 

The obvious question "Haven't you heard the news this week, haven't you made your judgments about what could happen?" went unasked.

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On the BBC News channel last evening there was some woman complaining that there were no trains, no buses and she didn't know what she was going to to. The implication was that it was the TOCs (or someone's) fault.

 

The obvious question "Haven't you heard the news this week, haven't you made your judgments about what could happen?" went unasked.

 

Yes, I heard that too. Sympathy to all those affected, but I did get the impression that some people just like having someone to blame for everything. In her case, FGW was the obvious target. There are no trains. They run the trains. It must be their fault. Make of that what you will...

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So how long would it take to put the whole of the four mile seawall section on piles?

 

Too many variables to put an accurate time frame on it. If we are to expect more unplanned closures such as the one we're in presently in then I'm sure sufficient planned closures could be justified and implemented across a period of years to complete the work.

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

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Yes, I heard that too. Sympathy to all those affected, but I did get the impression that some people just like having someone to blame for everything. In her case, FGW was the obvious target. There are no trains. They run the trains. It must be their fault. Make of that what you will...

Fairly typical I'm afraid. The day after the great gale of 1987,  when I wasn't directing news transmissions in the Southampton studio, I was in the newsroom answering endless complaints by viewers that television wasn't working. The main transmitter on the Isle of Wight had been knocked out and it took some hours (but not days AFAIR) for the transmission engineers to make temporary repairs. Most viewers understood that when I explained it but the number of "Why can't you hurry up." "I don't pay my licence for this sort of incompetence" etc. etc.was quite incredible.

 

Good luck to everyone working their butts off to get the trains running again.

Edited by Pacific231G
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I may, or may not, have been given to believe that someone might, or might not, 'be about' today and might, or might not, be updating us later today on the state of progress, or not, but apart from that I don't know.

Classic management obfuscation Mike...love it! :biggrin_mini2:

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