South West Trains finale 12th December 2009
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150234 prepares to depart a very sunny and cold Paignton,
with the 1113 to Exmouth, the first of two final departures to London
Waterloo had already occured, with the final ever service to depart in
just over an hours time at 1235 |
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Whilst unrelated to the last day of South West Trains west
of Exeter, something had to be done to kill the time; 43021 tails the 1000
Penzance - London Paddington out of Tiverton Parkway |
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159021 leads 159001 down the bank from Exeter Central
before terminating with a delayed service from Waterloo |
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The pair of 159s would then go on to form the 1410 to
London Waterloo, seen passing a pair of 142s heading to Exmouth |
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The delayed 1333 to Plymouth is seen entering Exeter St
Davids platform 4 |
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The reason why SWT are no longer running west of Exeter;
aside from the DfT making unpopular decisions, a new hourly timetable will
be in force between Exeter and London Waterloo. A new passing loop
reinstated at Axminster makes this possible |
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Trains towards Exeter now depart from Platform 2, which
would logically be the "up" line, however is used for
"down" trains. 159009 leads 158887 on the last ever 1L33 1220
London Waterloo - Plymouth |
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For the final ever time, the departure boards at Exeter
St Davids displaying Plymouth as a destination, operated by South West
Trains |
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158887 had the honours of being the last ever SWT unit to
go west of Newton Abbot towards Plymouth. It is seen here at Totnes whilst
preparing to depart with the slightly delayed 1628 departure |
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Back at Exeter St Davids, 43285 is seen on the rear of
the 0900 Glasgow Central - Penzance service, the longest scheduled working
for a Cross Country HST, this service running only on Saturdays |
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Just prior to the last SWT departure from Exeter, in the
direction of Dawlish, a pair of 143s are seen on an evening service to
Barnstaple. The few passengers on board had plenty of room to stretch out
over the 4 carriages provided! |
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The doors open for the final ever time on 1L97 1730
Honiton - Paignton. 159017 goes down as the last ever unit to depart
Exeter St Davids with the destination of Paignton. Summers in the South
West have suddenly got much less colourful, with the loss of the SWT
livery on the sea wall |
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Proudly displaying "Aberystwyth" on the
destination boards, 159017 performs its final ever shunt into platform 2,
via Goodrington CHS. |
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With Barnstaple on the rear, it sits alongside a First
Great Western 142. Upon departure of the 142, it would shunt into platform
2 to form the last ever 1914 to Basingstoke |
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The colourful South West Trains livery on show for one
last time at Paignton.
Farewell South West Trains!
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