Guards van on trains - bike storage

[Kiwiavenger]

i need to commute to bristol tomorrow and my boss has provided me with train fare and a cycle reservation however im trying to find out where the hell the guards van is on the train! i would ask at the station but its 10 miles away and my train leaves at 6:10 just as the station opens!

its the bodmin to temple meads journey (changing at taunton) and i need to know where the van is! anyone have any ideas??

 

[calibanzwei]

Ring the station now?

 

[musa]

Could you be either end. Call the station I missed a train for not telling staff I had to get my bike on. Utter foolery

 

[marinyork]

Which train line operator is it? If it is cross country, there are funny little side compartments that don't look like bikes should go there near one of the doors. This was revised from the huge space available in coach F to these pokey little areas and not that obvious. Last time I used XC a while ago there was a symbol on the door. The XC length of train isn't that long so shouldn't be too bad. Someone should know about XC on here. Great Western - no idea.

 

[MossCommuter]

Which train line operator is it? If it is cross country, there are funny little side compartments that don't look like bikes should go there near one of the doors. This was revised from the huge space available in coach F to these pokey little areas and not that obvious. Last time I used XC a while ago there was a symbol on the door. The XC length of train isn't that long so shouldn't be too bad. Someone should know about XC on here. Great Western - no idea.

They're easy to spot 'cos they're full of students and their rucksacks.

 

[mcshroom]

Usually trains are set up with 1st class pointing towards London. As we cyclists are obviously plebs, the bike storage tends to be at the rear end of the train.

On FGW I'd guess that it's still and Intercity 125 set, so the bikes will be stored in the dummy power car (there's only one locamotive, the other is empty space). I'd bet on it being at the Western end, but it's always good advice to ring up before. They may even help you get on (not likely but they may be helpful).

 

[fimm]

Normally the staff on the platform should know. However this isn't so much help if there are not many staff on the platform at 6:10am...

 

[Kiwiavenger]

I tried ringing but go an Indian call centre saying I will see it and thats all I got! May just stand in the middle, get on the train and walk it through the carriages

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk 2

 

[Wood Myster]

Having got my back onto the train at bath last year, i was told that (at least on South west trains) that they dont know where it will be before the train arrives, but there was a little bike symbol on the door i seem to remmember

 

[Bromptonaut]

On FGW I'd guess that it's still and Intercity 125 set, so the bikes will be stored in the dummy power car (there's only one locamotive, the other is empty space)..

<geek>Both are locos, these days they're classified as such (Class 43). When the 125's were introduced they were classified as diesel elctric mutiple units (253 in western region and 254 in Eastern) with the power cars labelled as Driving Motor Brake </geek>

 

[ColinJ]

Most trains do have bike symbols on the side of the carriage showing where the bike storage is, but the symbols can be easy to miss.

A few trains do have a 'guards van' arrangement, which I don't like because you have to get the 'train manager' to let you in and out, but at least they can take more bikes. I had a panic going to Coventry once when I realised that there had been a staff change at Birmingham and the new manager didn't know about my bike. I ended up running the length of the train to find him and he grumpily walked back to the other end to let me get my bike out!

Other trains might have the compartments which, as has been mentioned above, are sometimes filled with luggage or even people! I have reserved a place before now and found the spaces occupied by unreserved bikes, which is annoying!

Some have a bike area with fold-down seats. The problem there is what to do if the train is full and some frail old person is sat in one of those seats, or perhaps a thuggish yob who refuses to stand up?

You could encounter various means of securing your bike, or none at all. If you don't want it falling over or swinging about, I'd recommend that you take a long bungee cord with you so you can secure your bike to something.

 

[BrumJim]

First stage to Taunton is probably the HS 125 set. These have the guards van and therefore bike storage (IIRC) at either end.

Second stage is Cross Country, so is a voyager (checked, and don't believe that it is an HST diagram). Bike storage is in Coach D.

 

[summerdays]

Having got my back onto the train at bath last year, i was told that (at least on South west trains) that they dont know where it will be before the train arrives, but there was a little bike symbol on the door i seem to remmember

As he says I was told they don't know before they arrive ... there is normally a bike symbol near the door handle I think not huge - but it will be at one end or the other... stand in the middle of the platform and watch as the cab goes past if the first door has the symbol ... if not head to the other end. Hopefully the guard shouldn't blow his whistle until you are safely on anyway.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

Got here ok and there are signs on the platform! Plus someone was actually working! Lol. Cheers for all the advice, it was at the back of the train after all

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk 2

 

[lozcs]

Was evacuated from a (burning!) Cross Country train on this line last week at Newton Abbey and had to take a Great Western the rest of the way to Plymouth..

Cross Country was Coach D, as marinyork says, funny little compatment - make sure you pre book as there are only 3 per train
Great Western was at the front and space for about 8 bikes - we obviously didn't book this but had no problem getting a space