hexagon789

Postwar my understanding is the following applied WR - 80/85*, then unrestricted from 1955, 90 ceiling from 1960. 100 from 1967. (*Certain trains where authorised) NER/ER - 90; 100 from 1964 LMR - 90; 100 from 1964 SR - 85; 90 from 1967 ScR - 75; 90 from 1970 WCML/1971 E&G

Lolham to Stoke Summit, from early 1964, certainly applied by April when mentioned in print.

According to the ScR PTM for 1973, 1S39 was the summer only FSO 1120 Manchester - Edinburgh.

Here we are, scroll down page slightly for some more pictures of "Heart Line" branded HSTs and some pics of the promotional NE-SW 125 service launch timetable: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk%2Flatest-input--news--old-pictures-etc%2Fitems-added-on-17th-november-2017-those-added-most-recently-come-first&psig=AOvVaw3c3_jzYjD-eoFM-nmggH68&ust=1701019988021000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjhxqFwoTCLicl7PX34IDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI

I'm sure I've seen a publicity brochure of the period with such branding, it was on Flickr so with some digging I should hopefully find it again.

Network Rail trialled two mid-week possessions on the ECML earlier this year at the behest of the TOCs, mainly LNER, as the weekends are now typically busier than midweek especially Saturdays; the trial was deemed useful and it is likely further midweek possessions will occur, though weekends are not entirely finished yet..

TfW still has 153s in single and multiple use, ScotRail has 5 units used in multiple with 156s on West Highland workings. SWR still has 455s, typically on Chessington and similar inner suburban workings. ScotRail still has all its 320s, plus 12 which were converted from 321s. There is also 321 in parcels use with Varamis Rail operating as Swift Express.

I think that depending on period, prototype photos are needed to be representative of an appropriate mixture; though by the later years "ScotRail" branding seemed fairly consistently applied compared to even the mid-80s (1985/6). But to illustrate my point, a photo of the 1333 Glasgow Queen Street - Inverness, taken in April 1990, has a set formed: 2A TSO 2A TSO 2A TSO 2D TSOT (presumably 6603) 2C BSO All vehicles carry "ScotRail" branding except the BSO which carries none at all.

Quite. Many examples of that as well, in practically any aspect of trains and railways. Certain publications (and authors) are or were worse for it than others. I remember a certain author who used to include the line 'caption corrects welcome' within the inside cover in all their books, but reputedly ignored any attempts, however polite at providing corrections. Consequently reprints or other works with the same photos would carry the same errors, I remember even finding some of those errors on Wikipedia with some of their books as the quoted source! You just can't win sometimes. At least with the 158/159, a quick Google for a cab view will readily show the identical 3-step brake controllers. I think the only use of Westcode 4-step was by London Underground, but that was simply done by blanking out 3 positions on the 7-step variety.

Both have standard Westcode 3-step brakes: Step 1 Step 2 Full Service Emergency I've seen this 'four step' thing in one or two places, but it is incorrect.

Though the ScotRail units originally had 15 seats arranged 2+2 over 2 window bays; 159s have 24 seats arranged 2+1 over 5 window bays. The 159s were deliberately fitted with better quality First Class seating at NSE's behest.

Only very early on, they were soon reformed to have the two trailers in the middle with the intermediate power cars next, cabs outward and then the leading power cars outermost with gangway coupled to intermediate power car cab end. When used off-route, they did tend to revert to divisible 3+3, such as when used on certain Shotts line workings in the 1960s. The Ayrshire sets were commonly used as 3-car units off-peak, strengthned to 6 at peak and sometimes 9 on holidays or busy periods. I think it was always considered that they would need to be able to multi at either cab end due to the more complex usage.

The APT-Ps were pure MUs though, with their power cars un-useable in any other way than within an APT set; I don't think BR would ever have reclassified them in the way the HSTs were. The 'M' vehicles were numbered in the 49xxx series anyway. (The power car data panels carried '370' as the class and 'M' as the vehicle code.)

Introduced 1983 as I recall, and went to both Edinburgh AND Glasgow - i.e. two portions. Again an 'efficiency' merger - combining a Paddington - Oxford - Birmingham with a Birmingham - Edinburgh & Glasgow. It didn't last especially long, possibly just a year but an Edinburgh / Paddington did return in the 1990s, lasting until the major alterations of 2003 made in the wake of the Operation Princess timetable collapse IIRC.

It was introduced in the May 1984 timetable, and was one of the several major changes that year particularly to Cross-Country services. As well as many new innovations and improvements, there was also a significant consideration to making economies. This saw a reworking of much of the NE-SW HST service, reversion of certain high-demand Paddington - West Country workings to high-capacity LHCS. Cut in midday Paddington HST services. Euston - Liverpool reduced to 90 min frequency off-peak (Manchester followed in 1985). King's Cross to Newcastle semi-fast HSTs cut back to Doncaster etc etc. As part of these economies, which also involved a great deal of study into what journeys passengers actually made and where there was greater demand - it was deemed that the North East & North Humberside were not adequately served, hence most Newcastle-bound NE-SW HSTs were routed via and called at Doncaster now. Additionally the WELest Midlakds - North Humberside XC workings were integrated into the Paddington -Oxford - West Midlands services. This enabled more efficient working of stock and as a by-product provided direct through services. Concurrently there was a move to switch more of the Birmingham - Oxford - Paddington services away from Paddington to destinations on the South cost, such as Poole and Brighton with Oxford being developed as an interchange station between shuttles to Paddington (including newly introduced off-peak HST workings) and trains to/from the West Midlands and further afield. One of the primary reasons behind these changes was the desire to develop the Gatwick Airport service, a lucrative source of income. 1984 was of course when the improved dedicated Airport Express service commenced, with air-conditioned push-pull sets and a 0530-2300, including Sundays, 15-min frequency. There were many other changes in 1984, which was possibly the year with the most changes countrywide of any timetable in the 1980s. Some tinkering occurred throughout the rest of the 1980s, but the next significant timetable change affecting things across the country wasn't until the May 1989 which finally saw many of the economies of the 1984 timetable reversed with a more favourable economic climate.

'More' meaning the other mods, or 'more' meaning the publications, sorry?

I have heard of it and other mods carried out at the same time. It was definitely in print in publications of the period, but I'm sure it has appeared in more recent publications as well.

The Mk4s were and are still passed for 140mph, even with the bogie mods.

The T4 is a 140-mph bogie ;) At least, the base design was intended for a minimum 140mph running originally. And 158/159s remain among the smoothest riding modern trains.

The HST in C5492 is quite interesting, no TGS vehicle yet (I thought all existing sets had had them inserted during the 1980), and also nine trailers, not eight.

It's just a pronunciation, it is neither wrong nor new...

I thought certain members of the press gave her the moniker 'Laura Norder' or am I misremembering that?

It's nothing new. Intrusive R, as it is called, was first noted in English in the 1700s. It is a common feature of many accents of both rhotic and non-rhotic, even Received Pronunciation, despite traditionally being stigmatised. Maggie Thatcher, for one, used to speak of 'Laura Norder' (Law and Order).

I also do so at least every time you post in the thread here. To me it is a most useful indication that the website has been updated. I also go through your website on other occasions as well ;)

Fantastic pictures as always, Dunedin must be getting a bit tired now though - all those trips to the Fair City! ;)