The FR currently has 3 main passenger sets, consisting of 6 corridor coaches each:
A-set 101-119-103-116-105
B-set 100-120-14-118-104-121
C-set 111-113-114-117-112-110 (the "push-pull" set, aka the "green set")
A set is temporarily 5 cars following the withdrawal of 106
and awaiting the introduction of new coach 122.
The make-up of the sets does change slightly from year to year, but are virtually fixed-formation during each season (apart from special events such as Galas), as the seat reservation system cannot cope with short-term changes in formation. When someone wants to book a seat in advance, the computer needs to know what seats are going to be available, and therefore which coaches will definitely be on the train. (PS: this means that you can only reserve individual seats in the "fixed" portion of each train, i.e. not in the extras which may or may not be added according to demand on the day).
The rear coach in each set is the brake/obs. The second to rear is reserved for passengers getting in (and out) at intermediate stations, to ensure that we have somewhere to put them, and that we can then get at them to sell tickets. The third coach up is the buffet.
Coach parties now form a significant proportion of the FR's trade, particularly in the low season. Clare Britton should be congratulated on building up a good rapport with the coach firms and their drivers, and as a result has managed to persuade many of them to include the WHR(C) as well as the FR in their itineries. However, unlike the Butlins parties of old that could be herded into the compartment lock-ups, the coach firms nowadays demand a similar level of comfort as on their coaches - in particular access to the buffet and toilet. It is quite common for all 3 corridor coaches ahead of the buffet, and often the buffet as well, to be reserved for pre-booked parties.
Capacity is increased by first adding on a 56-seater (22, 23 or 26, conveniently one for each set), then if necessary by adding from the "spares pool", i.e. 17 - 20. The tourist (open) cars 37 and 38 can also be used in good weather. The 56-seaters are reasonably popular as they are fairly roomy-looking (until you try and squeeze 56 people in!) and have lots of window area; they also provide a good transition, otherwise the "bowsiders" can look a bit out of place tacked directly on front of the "barns", and makes the difference between the two less obvious. 17-20 provide extra firsts (particularly needed with the C set) as well as thirds, but generally are not as popular because they are smaller and have much smaller windows, and therefore appear more "claustrophobic" - particularly if you are going to be stuck sitting with strangers for an hour or more.
During high summer, all 3 train sets are in use 7 days a week. The sets therefore have to be cleaned and washed before they go out of a morning. Ideally, one set is washed a day, on those days that the 0910 doesn't run, i.e. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, this allows the three sets to be washed once a week. But this all depends on the availability of sufficient volunteers.
During low summer, only two sets are in regular use; with the third set only being used on certain days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and for special trains, it leaves one set available for a more thorough cleaning and washing, or to be taken out of service for those things that can't be done "overnight".
A fourth train set, the Vintage or "V" set is also used during high-summer. It runs two shuttle trips to Tan-y-Bwlch, one in the morning and one in mid-afternoon. The train stays at TyB for an hour to allow passengers to take refreshments in the cafe.
The last train of the day will usually be left in Port platform overnight, and will form the first train out in the morning. As the first set out is rarely also the last out, this means that the set workings are usually rotated each day, and the same set is not left out at Port every day. The other two main sets are usually stored in GlanyMor shed (13 & 14 roads), and the V set in the old loco shed. (The reason that half a coach usually sticks out each end of GlanyMor shed is that it was built to hold 5 cars, which was how long the sets were at that time. However, the same grants that paid for GlanyMor also paid for 3 extra coaches, allowing the sets to be extended to 6 cars. Oops!)
13 and 14 roads are only long enough to hold the train sets, so the spares have to be left at Port overnight, shunted off before the set goes over for the night and back on in the morning. 14 road is also used for carriage inspections, as it is elevated above ground level, so is not always available for storing stock.
At Port, 1 road is the platform road. 2 road is used for the vintage train, oil train and anything else that may need running-round when the platform is occupied. 3 road is the run-round. 3 extension is a short siding off the bottom-end of 3 road, usually used to hide the open cars, to save putting off prospective passengers on wet days. The fuel road is a short siding off 3 extension: as its name implies, it is used for holding the oil tankers for fuelling the locos. 4 road is the only siding long enough to hold a complete train with all its spares, so is very useful for getting a train out of the platform quickly to avoid holding up another arrival, or for storing a complete train overnight e.g. if 14 road is otherwise occupied. Finally, 5 and 6 roads, next to the harbour, are short sidings (too small to hold a train set) used for storing the spares.
I hope that this helps people understand better how the railway runs. Bear in mind that on a particular day, any number of reasons may cause things to happen not quite as I have outlined above - and the railway must be sufficiently flexible to cope with the unexpected.
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