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Last HST Passenger Services from London Paddington, Saturday May 18th 2019


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13 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

It is interesting to compare service lives of steam and diesel locomotives in years but how about distance covered.  My gut feeling is that diesels would be quicker to get back into service after an engine, generator or traction motor change than a steam engine with a major boiler, chassis or valve problem.  However perhaps steam reliability would offset this?

 

I think 43002 ably demonstrated this, it came up from Plymouth, but failed at Paddington. It then left at the rear of the Swansea service, leaving one power car doing the work, losing 17 minutes by Bridgend, 2hr 45 mins into the journey. However the onboard fitter got it restarted and the show was still on...

 

compare that to 9th May 1964, a day of much similarity.. 55 years and 9 days later when 4 Castles did 1Z48 .. 4079 dropped out at Westbury, whilst spare castles were positioned around the system.

 

I’m not expecting much of a future for HSTs doing the 3 coach High Speed DMU work in Cornwall though, start/stop fast acceleration isnt what they were designed for, and as its very much a stop gap until electrification i’d imagine maintenance will start to be a little shy. 

 

Edited by adb968008
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Just to add the 1830 to Taunton (last train) did get some relatively unusual HST mileage...

 

Routed to platform 3 at Didcot, from Chippenham to Bath it was routed wrong line, and arrived in Bath on the up platform, similarly at Bristol we got the Up platforms 3&4, and at Weston Super Mare also.

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I would like to say well done Great Western you made sure that the HST went out in style. Also nice to see Harry Patch. However don't forget the South West and the Western mainline still will see proper length HST's as there is also the cross country sets that still go to Plymouth.

 

Long live the HST........

 

Keith

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It is interesting to compare the HST photos taken at Paddington with the classic May 1892 views of the last broad gauge Cornishman which appear to have been taken from a similar location.  In 1892 the railway knew how to cater for its main line passengers, much of the BG coaching stock would be relatively new and convertible although it may have ridden less well on the Stephenson gauge.

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This morning 43002/43198 passed Dawlish at 10:48 on their last GWML journey - Laira to Ely ECS.

 

Didn't get a screen grab, I hadn't been watching real time trains to see what was approaching.

 

It's routed through Temple Meads then up to Bromsgrove/Water Orton/Leicester/Peterborough/Ely

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2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

This morning 43002/43198 passed Dawlish at 10:48 on their last GWML journey - Laira to Ely ECS.

 

Didn't get a screen grab, I hadn't been watching real time trains to see what was approaching.

 

It's routed through Temple Meads then up to Bromsgrove/Water Orton/Leicester/Peterborough/Ely

43185 and 43018.

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12 hours ago, woodenhead said:

This morning 43002/43198 passed Dawlish at 10:48 on their last GWML journey - Laira to Ely ECS.

 

Didn't get a screen grab, I hadn't been watching real time trains to see what was approaching.

 

It's routed through Temple Meads then up to Bromsgrove/Water Orton/Leicester/Peterborough/Ely

I hope not because I took 43002/198 plus 4 coaches up to Exeter to work services on the Taunton to Cardiff corridor all day, 43185 and 018 took 9 (I think) coaches up to Ely later on.

Edited by royaloak
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12 hours ago, royaloak said:

I hope not because I took 43002/198 plus 4 coaches up to Exeter to work services on the Taunton to Cardiff corridor all day, 43185 and 018 took 9 (I think) coaches up to Ely later on.

I was on the Dawlish cam and only noticed the train as it began passing then saw the back end of the train which had a top yellow and lower yellow banding not realising till it was pointed out it wasn't 43002 that the Inter City liveried power car had similar yellow bands (even though only 6 posts back there is a video with the two side by side at Paddington!!)

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18 hours ago, royaloak said:

I hope not because I took 43002/198 plus 4 coaches up to Exeter to work services on the Taunton to Cardiff corridor all day, 43185 and 018 took 9 (I think) coaches up to Ely later on.

I saw 253001 on the down at NA this morning trailing a 4 car set. These and the 158s are such a welcome change from 150s and Pacers. 

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On 25/05/2019 at 17:50, Oldddudders said:

I saw 253001 on the down at NA this morning trailing a 4 car set. These and the 158s are such a welcome change from 150s and Pacers. 

Strictly speaking, 253001 is the set number, 43002 is the power car. Very good to hear it's still making trips down this way on the shorter sets. I met Sir Kenneth once under strange circumstances, but he was a very charming and enthusiastic gent and seemed to be quietly proud of the HST design; it's a lovely tribute to him that 43002 is still running.

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19 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

It’s just you. Keep taking the tablets. 

If he can see blue grey coaches without the tablets then I want some of what he isnt taking! ;)

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On 20/05/2019 at 00:10, Jeff Smith said:

It is interesting to compare service lives of steam and diesel locomotives in years but how about distance covered.  My gut feeling is that diesels would be quicker to get back into service after an engine, generator or traction motor change than a steam engine with a major boiler, chassis or valve problem.  However perhaps steam reliability would offset this?

 

Diesels covered vastly more miles, but this was more down to higher speeds and increased day to day availability. All a diesel usually needed was a refill of fuel and top up of coolant/oil/sand etc. and it was good to go again, Whereas a steam loco would need tubes cleaning, ashpan emptying and possibly more. You would be struggling to use a steam loco on more than one train a day if they were long distance. A Deltic for example could work Kings Cross - Edinburgh, Edinburgh - Kings Cross, and then Kings Cross - Leeds in a single day. Average daily mileage for a Deltic (including time out for works visits) was around 900 miles. That of a HST was over 1000 miles/day. Deltics clocked up a million miles every 7 years or so, HSTs did a million miles every four years. (Yes I know some pedant is going to point out the figures don't add up but that is due to the accuracy of my memory and the numbers being approximate)

 

One record which the HST's have undoubtedly set without anyone noticing is the highest mileage accumulated by any diesel train in the world, and probably achieved it some decades ago!

 

By comparison, I suspect only a few if any steam locos got even close to two million miles...

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20 minutes ago, Titan said:

 

Diesels covered vastly more miles, but this was more down to higher speeds and increased day to day availability. All a diesel usually needed was a refill of fuel and top up of coolant/oil/sand etc. and it was good to go again, Whereas a steam loco would need tubes cleaning, ashpan emptying and possibly more. You would be struggling to use a steam loco on more than one train a day if they were long distance. A Deltic for example could work Kings Cross - Edinburgh, Edinburgh - Kings Cross, and then Kings Cross - Leeds in a single day. Average daily mileage for a Deltic (including time out for works visits) was around 900 miles. That of a HST was over 1000 miles/day. Deltics clocked up a million miles every 7 years or so, HSTs did a million miles every four years. (Yes I know some pedant is going to point out the figures don't add up but that is due to the accuracy of my memory and the numbers being approximate)

 

One record which the HST's have undoubtedly set without anyone noticing is the highest mileage accumulated by any diesel train in the world, and probably achieved it some decades ago!

 

By comparison, I suspect only a few if any steam locos got even close to two million miles...

A number of 'Castles' made 1.9 million miles and one exceeded 2 million.  And for big mileage numbers I suspect some of the East Coast pacifics would have done pretty well too.  

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I just watched a programme about preserved railways and a point was made that steam locos require an hour's maintenance for every revenue hour.  I'm not sure if this was just for preserved steam or also valid for historical operations!

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Rather a late reply with some photos of the last HST day, I drag & dropped the folder in the wrong place and "lost" it!

 

Anyway, expecting the platforms to be really busy, and having plenty of 3/4 views from the past few decades,  I decided to make a point of including people, after all, passenger trains are all about people.

 

43172 "Harry Patch - The last survivor of the trenches" arrives at Temple Meads with the Exeter - Paddington 

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Special window labels

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43172 departs Swindon

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43162 "Exeter Panel Signal Box 21st Anniversary 2009" trails

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Slam doors...

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The driver of 43198 "Driver Stan Martin 25 June 1950 - 6 November 2004" / "Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947 - 5 October 1999" waits for the whistle at Bristol Parkway with a Paddington Swansea

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The excitement was too much for 43002 "Sir Kenneth Grange" which refused to start at Paddington

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Back at Swindon 43009 approaches with a Paddington - Bristol

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Although I only managed to record 124 with a photo there was a brief moment of the "magic" 125, no doubt gravity assisted down Dauntsey

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And into Bristol, for the last side-by-side pairing 43009 and 43188 "Geraint Thomas the flying Welshman"

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Mark 3s stand, slam door wide open, awaiting departure time

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43185 "Great Western" and 43093 "Old Oak Common HST Depot 1976-2018" stand side by side at Temple Meads

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Even the information displays got in on the act

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Edited by HillsideDepot
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43093 is centre of attention at Swindon

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43188 trails

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Coaxed back to life 43002 stands alongside its successor

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43198 propels to Paddington

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43185 arrived just as 43002 was departing so no paired shot, but instead, 'Great Western and the crowds'

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and away to London

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with 43009 propelling

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And so to Chippenham. I decided to see the last HST at my home station, where so many HST journeys have begun over the years, right back to a trip on 252001 with my grand parents.

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43198 arrives, with TV's "Paddington 24/7" star (and former school mate) Jason watching proceedings

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The final train was reservation only, in theory, but 94 miles out and there were seats available so, rover in hand I boarded. At Temple Meads we arrived at the 'main' platform, rather than being pushed over the far side.

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Sir Kenneth Grange alights from 43198 having ridden in the cab

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Admiring crowds

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WIth horns blaring 43002 brings the Inter-City 125 era to an end

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Yes, my eyes were starting to water, and I don't think it was the diesel fumes. For so long the HSTs have been a part of my railway life; indeed for many of those years the HST was to be avoided as "better" traction was available, but they have always been there, fast, smooth and true work horses. And now they're gone.

 

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On 30/05/2019 at 19:10, Jeff Smith said:

I just watched a programme about preserved railways and a point was made that steam locos require an hour's maintenance for every revenue hour.  I'm not sure if this was just for preserved steam or also valid for historical operations!

Depends on what you call 'maintenance' as it doesn't sound right to me.  A lot would depend on the quality of water which would strongly influence the frequency of boiler washouts and the effect on tubes etc but if you include lighting up, oiling round, coaling, fire dropping, and ash clearance then it might start to get a lot nearer 1 hour's attention for every running hour.

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