HST125

On Doncaster station earlier this evening at about 18.20 a northbound HST went through. Point of note was that the London end power car appeared to have normal type side buffers. Is this a recent fitment, or did my eyes deceive me?

 

Thanks, nice to know that I didn't imagine it.

 

Posted before but always worth another look.

 

6 (I think) were fitted and adapted to act as Driving Trailer cars when the first Class 91s were delivered some time before the Mark 4 coaches they were designed to haul.

When the mark 4s were delivered, the HSTs returned to normal use but were also somewhat "problem children" I believe and ended up being sold off. Network Rail have 2 for the New Measurement Train ("The Flying Banana") and Grand Central got the other 4, along with some conventional ones. 18:20 at Doncaster sounds like a Grand Central working that picks up at York about 18:45.

Steven

 

I think having buffers improves their appearance, well, to me at least. Same goes for other DMUs and EMUs at the outermost ends.

 

If memory serves, 43013/014 (now yellow with NMT), 43065/067/068/080/084/123. They had some alarmingly non-standard wiring and the conversion to allow them to be remote-controlled from Class 91 via TDM was not exactly well documented. They were valued by Virgin West Coast in the early days post-privatisation for the Euston-Holyhead jobs, as the buffers made for an easy rescue when it all came to a grinding halt. Which happened fairly regularly back then.

Porterbrook off-loaded the latter six to First Group; the deal lasted until First Group realised the slight problems. This led to a swap deal being done - and eventually GC ended up with them.

 

Wonderful for protecting those nose cones; I've always like this version.

 

Interesting to see the outcome of the recent Plymouth incident if it had been one of these.
As I have read it the HST involved has received far more (hidden) damage than it looked.
Could almost be a write off.

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong. HSTs look ridiculous with buffers. I'm reminded of Prince Charles's 'monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much loved friend'…

You're all wrong.



Simon

 

Reminds me of the new Army recruit who, on being pulled up about it, claimed that everyone else was out of step with him.

 

We could always put an HST in the British Library instead of the NRM.

 

Sadly I think it was the National Gallery, and even I think that's a bit of a reach for an HST, buffers or no buffers…

Simon

 

That'll teach me to rely on memory!