Coldgunner Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Hornby Lima did a 37 in the police livery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
45125 Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 It was those high speeds in the early years that resulted in speed limiters which would allow 126mph maximum with fully worn tyres. The difference in circumference between fully worn and new tyres was worth 6mph, so a new set of tyres allowed 132mph before the limiter cut in. I will actually go down as far as 122 mph with fully worh tyres. Al Taylor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldfield_Park Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 I still struggle to believe that the HSTs have reached this age. A trip on one of these makes rail travel a genuine pleasure. Even now, I try my best to time my commute from Derby to Birmingham to catch the morning Leeds-Plymouth HST. If the occupants of the Quiet Coach are heeding the signs then you can put your head back, shut your eyes and imagine you're still in bed. Bliss. I also miss the buffets though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiprinter Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 I will actually go down as far as 122 mph with fully worh tyres. Al Taylor In which case the Traction Inspectors at (at least) one WR depot were misinformed as they quoted 126mph. Anything less the drivers blamed a strong headwind ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cwmbran Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Thought this thread might enjoy these "alternative HST pics. Train Light Trail At St Fagans by ScouseTiegan, on Flickr Train At St Fagans Level Crossing by ScouseTiegan, on Flickr Inter City 125 at the site of Undy Station by ScouseTiegan, on Flickr Train Trail @ Bishton Level Crossing by ScouseTiegan, on Flickr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 6, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 6, 2011 I'm very interested by the comment about signals above - there are several documented logs of runs in 1977 where speeds on the GWML were well in excess of 125mph - eg John Heaton in the HST Silver Jubilee book refers to one journey in May 1977 where speeds were 133mph on the Badminton cut-off, 133 again round the curves at Goring/Lower Basildon , a whopping 138 on the level through Slough and 133 again at Hanwell, and OS Nock recorded a journey from Chippenham to Paddington in Autumn 1977 where the HST covered 41.5 miles in 18 minutes, at an average of 133.5, reaching 136 through the Vale of the White Horse, maintaining this speed through the junctions at Foxhall/Didcot East/Moreton Cutting and reaching 135 again at Iver. Both of these HSTs were apparently being driven hard deliberately in order to make up lost time, and John Heaton specifically refers to the excellent signal sighting on the GWML making this possible. Interestingly both of these runs were in the Up direction, so I'm guessing that the signals may have been better positioned than those on the Down Main, but as far as I can recall, most of the Swindon - Reading signals were three aspect in those days - those drivers must have had nerves of steel to be running hard at 135+ when a red could be just two sections ahead...... David Sorry for the delay replying - nearly got there a few days back and it sort of wiped itself out and no time to deal with it since then. I'm always wary of individual speed quotes when working at high speeds - mileposts are sometimes difficult to see or have been moved over the years so just how exact can you be when working a stop watch in those circumstances? The difference between 130mph and 133mph over a quarter of a mile is 0.16 seconds although the difference between 125mph and 130mph is admittedly more discernible at 2.8 seconds. Recording passing times over a distance is obviously more accurate because the percentage error factor is greatly reduced but it can still be fractions out at these sort of speeds. The opportunity, among the permanent restrictions that then existed, to reach 133 on the Badminton road would have been fairly limited but it would be feasible to get up to high speed east of Alderton Tunnel before braking for the junction at Wootton Bassett, 133mph in the vicinity of Goring/Basildon was definitely outstripping the available braking distance and on 3 aspect signalling where there is not good distant sighting. The signal spacing approaching Slough in the Up direction is something of a trap for the unwary - a double yellow at Burnham (with excellent distant sighting) can almost be ignored from a braking viewpoint but if you then get a single yellow at Farnham Road you would be in deep cacky and even a double yellow at Farnham Road is very tight at line speed braking distance; at 138 through Slough station there's very little short of an emergency brake application which would stop you at the red! Nock's timing over a longer distance is more credible but it must have included either the 100mph restriction through Swindon or the far lower restriction on the Up Main Through at Reading And while there was plenty of distant sighting on most signals west of Didcot at that time the same was definitely not true between Foxhall Jcn and Didcot station/Moreton Cutting although once east of Didcot the signal spacing does open out a bit - albeit with a reliance on sighting the single yellow in very good time at that sort of speed. 125mph running on 3 aspect signalling is of course completely safe, especially with good sighting but where the sighting is poor it needs very determined attention and top quality road knowledge on the part of a Driver if he/she is not to be caught out. I think most Western men, especially those based at the London end, have always been well aware of the places where braking is tight or signal spacing is 'a bit odd'. However as clear runs were usually the case I do wonder just how many knew what the situation was in the vicinity of Goring (which came as a bit of surprise to a number of folk when we were looking to see what we could 'bend' speedwise for the TOTP job). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Mike - many thanks for taking the time to reply so comprehensively - it's always great to get the inside knowledge on these things from someone who knows what he's talking about - much appreciated! As a daily traveller on the GWML between Didcot and Reading, I'm very glad that today's drivers are more cautious than those examples from 1977. Mind you, back in the Spring this year, on an evening of signal theft-related disruption between Paddington and Reading, I had the unnerving experience of travelling fairly quickly along the Down Main through Basildon on the late-running 18:15 to Swansea, and being overtaken by another HST on the 18.22 to Hereford barrelling past us on the Down Relief at what looked to be a high rate of knots (we finally caught it up sitting on a red at Moreton Cutting). I guess ATP isn't fitted to the Relief lines west of Reading....... David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 I make it 21 different liveries, (30 including variations and one offs), but not counting temporary brandings after franchise changes 1) BR blue (black livery on the first few power cars) 2) Intercity Executive 3) Intercity Swallow (West Coast trial with "Indian Warpaint", Western region maroon bodyside stripe trials) 4) Great Western Trains 5) Virgin (XC branding, Yellow cab roof) 6) Midland Mainline teal and tangerine 7) FGW "Fag Packet" 8.) Midland Mainline blue and white 9) FGW barbie with white power car 10) FGW barbie with blue power car (interim variant with white outline) 11) Cotswold rail 12) Hornby 13) East Midlands Trains 14) First Great Western "Dynamic Lines" livery, plain blue base (FGW "Dynamic lines" launch train with graduated blue base) 15) Cross Country 16) National Express 17) East Coast 18) Network Rail (currently plain yellow) 19) Grand Central 20) Grand Central revised 21) GNER gold lettering (original white letters) Whilst it's always arguable what constitutes a livery and what's just a variation on another, i'd say there were 3x 'Intercity' schemes on HSTs, the first version had the yellow going right back across the grilles, from memory it wasn't widely applied (although it was modelled by both Hornby and Lima!) but it was the livery that launched the 'Executive' scheme on HSTs - the second was the more common version with dark grey across the bodyside grille - and of course then 'Swallow' to round out BR's involvement. There were more variants as well, there was at least one full yellow end Swallow power car IIRC, looked awful. The modern East Coast fleet has a few more variants as well, you have NX silver on your list but there were some that retained their GNER blue with white NX decal stripes, and according to this months REx there are now a pair of power cars in full East Coast Trains grey rather than re-decalled NX. Definately a classic train though, and i'd also expect them to still be in front line work at age 50. Provided they can put some sensible seats in the life extended FGW ones then bring it on! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 I'd forgotten some of those varations Martyn - the full yellow end looked ok to me, it was the white roof that ruined it! Bizarre... I'd counted the NXEC "white stripe" version of GNER as a temporary franchise change livery, so not included, but I guess "temporary" is debatable lol jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1001 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I photographed 43002 'Top of the Pops' at Didcot on it's record breaking run - see link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/d863/15620977947/in/set-72157646993348704/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dana Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I caught FGW 43097 Environment Agency in oxford 2012 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 19, 2014 I photographed 43002 'Top of the Pops' at Didcot on it's record breaking run - see link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/d863/15620977947/in/set-72157646993348704/ Alas you didn't get me - I was sitting on the other side Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyboy Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I caught FGW 43097 Environment Agency in oxford 2012 .FGW43097 Enviromental agency - Copy.JPG enviromental agency name plate.JPG I hope that the power car didn't have the Environment Agency name when it still had it's Paxman Valenta engine! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rail Announcement Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Pictures of HSTs being repaired and a couple of images taken from off the top of the Forth Bridge: http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p692745629/h49bd505c#h49bd505c http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p793657826/h7c7c2d6#h7c7c2d6 http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p793657826/h1e1afe0a#h1e1afe0a http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p793657826/hcebfc98#hcebfc98 http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p793657826/h2f40eaff#h2f40eaff http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p793657826/h8d52f86#h8d52f86 http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p793657826/h8d52f86#h14893e77 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dana Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I hope that the power car didn't have the Environment Agency name when it still had it's Paxman Valenta engine! sorry don't know what they sound like so i couldn't tell you . it is a plate i want replicated as it would be great on a steamer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamperman36 Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I believe that the IC power car with the all yellow end and white cab roof was 43038 if I remember correctly and it was a livery experiment, which didn't really work as the white tended to turn oily black quite quickly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dana Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Also caught Reading Panel Signal Box 1965 - 2010 nameplate on the morning of july 10 th 2012 @ paddington station . i was on my way to Waterloo station to catch the Clan Line Steam Engine for the excursion trip to Weymouth. Hence the reason for the blurriness of people near the loco as it was in the middle of rush hour . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.JPG.dbf3c44f17895636b3e9ae1d390a60ea.JPG)
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.