Last HSTs from Paddington 18/5

Thanks for that, will get a wriggle on then

 

Mrs b said a similar thing when our train from KGX to Gra was diverted via Cambridge and Ely. She said "I've never come this way before". My reply of "Yes, the track is a bit rough isn't it?." was met with a look that would put out the Sun.

 

https://www.125group.org.uk/aims-objectives/

Our Aims


Aims of The 125 Group
......................................

• Ultimately, to raise enough money to purchase some examples of IC 125 rolling stock to enter preservation. Such rolling stock shall include one or more power cars, as near as possible to original operational configuration, but including as a minimum a Paxman Valenta engined power car, Marston cooler group and original shaped front end.

 

I'll send a tenner. Who can forget the screaming Valentas.

 

.... or that all-pervasive stench from those original brake pads during hard application from speed!

 

Or the coolant tanks on platforms

 

Domnt worry, the driver gave us a good nose full on the 18.30 ex Paddington

Pity nobody got a smoke bomb or two to let off as we left

 

After the fanfare of the last HSTs to and from Paddington I was a little surprised that Jeremy English's video of The English Riviera Express: 16/06/19

shows at 9:50 a shortened HST on a GWR Penzance-Bristol working. What workings are HSTs still doing for GWR, and for how long?

 

People all around are calling them HST GTi sets, and they are here for the foreseeable future as far as I know.

They are certainly still be modified (fitting of retention tanks and power doors) and delivered back to gWr.

The idea is that 4 or 5 coach HST GTi sets are being introduced on formally Sprinter diagrams. I know that they cover some of the Cardiff Central to Taunton services, and have known of them covering stopping Penzance to Plymouth services.

 

Yep, the idea is that they run on services from Cardiff-Penzance, although they generally end up doing Plymouth/Exeter-Penzance and Cardiff-Taunton services. An up to date (ish, usual caveats apply) list can be found here https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/frequently-requested-diagrams.170615/#post-3666639 .
Castle means retention tanks and sliding door fitted refurbished trains, and classic is just 2+4 HSTs.

 

On Friday I caught a "classic" from Temple Meads to Newport (Taunton-Cardiff service) and yesterday saw one at Temple Meads working an Exeter-Bristol Parkway service

 

LNER, according to our local paper, will be withdrawing all their 125s by the end of this month. I therefore felt quite lucky when our train from York to Kings Cross on 29 October was a 125 set, with 43296 leading, even though it was 20 mins late arriving!

 

Sunday early afternoon sees a veritable smorgasbord of traction through Wakefield Westgate, HST 125's (LNER, X Country, East Midlands) , then we have Azumas, 91's, new EMU's on the Doncaster job, 170 Turbos, X Country 220's, and.............bless..........a few Pacers.

I don't know how many HST sets are on the Leeds - London job but there alwaysseems to be one on turn round at Leeds station.

 

Last I heard was some displaced EC 125s will in turn displace EMR 125s on the MML, as they are less non-compliant than the EMR version - but that was all to be confirmed. Any updates?

TIA

Patrick

 

That would be a shame if only because the last few MML HSTs I travelled on had the early low back seats which were both comfortable and meant the whole cabin felt lighter and more open. It was such a surprise when I got on that it took me a while to figure out what was different, after years of an ECML/Western diet of mk3s with more modern high-backed Seats.

Simon

 

Interesting how tastes vary. I recently travelled on the Chiltern loco-hauleds, which also have the IC70 seats, and found them less than comfortable. Then I realised that the problem was nothing to do with the seat, and everything to do with the fact I was trying to work on the train, and the seats aren't set up for that.