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

[Northmoor]

20 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Thank you for your kind words, Ian.  It is indeed a fine afternoon for a bit of nostalgia, and far too nice for modelling no matter how much the glazing in the A31 needs to be done.  

 

I, too, was once one of the usual suspects at the London end of Platform 3, but this was in the 60s; my association in the 50s was with the London end of Platform 2 in the company of Uncle Ted, as I was too young to go trainspotting on my own then.  The gleaming Brits are nonetheless very clear in my memory, as is the fuss they made getting a train away over the hump of Canal Wharf Bridge.  If your memories include Saturday mornings looking across towards the up side to see a tall, rather gaunt, grey haired elderly gent in a brown coat which had seen better days, the small boy whose hand he was holding was yours truly!

Thank you Johnster for some wonderful nostalgia in your posts above.  I shall certainly be out to see them in their last days on the GMWL.

 

I also remember one or two very quick runs on 125s when a driver was trying to make up time.  I believe the engines were governed to 128-132mph (depending on wheel diameter) but I certainly timed a couple at over 130 on the Swindon - Parkway stretch.  They impacted on us in West Wales even if only served by them a few times a day. They used to climb Cockett Bank pretty impressively, especially compared to a Class 101 DMU which could barely accelerate from the 20mph curve behind Landore Depot (RIP).  The 1730(?) off Paddington was the direct service to Haverfordwest and ran non-stop to Bristol Parkway, forming the fastest scheduled diesel service anywhere in the world.  Long gone now but in the late 80s, the Up "Hibernian" - connecting off the afternoon ferry at Fishguard - used to get to Paddington in 3hr 42mins, stopping only at Llanelli and Cardiff Central.........

 

Mentioning Stormy Bank; it was said this was one of only about four locations where only the better 125 units could hold the line speed all the way up.

[Welly]

16 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

In 1988 I wrote:

"When the last HST opens up its engines, spews its exhaust over the concourse at Paddington and heads west into the setting sun, there will be a large group of enthusiasts watching its final departure from the London terminus, standing on the end of platform 8."

I remember reading that passage at the time and imagined the Valentas howling as well! Mind you, if it wasn't for the engine replacement programme then the HSTs would have been long gone by now.

[JohnR]

Should have done it two days later, then it would have been the 127th anniversary of the ending of the Broad Gauge, 

[adb968008]

Ive found myself with a spare ticket for tomorrows 1830 departure from Paddington (Coach B) through to Taunton. (The last one ex-Paddington), train is reservation only.

 

Offered gratis if you want to make a donation to a preservation group of your choice.

PM me if your interested. (I have a return on sunday at 14.30 if you have no other options too) again it's spare.

 

Only horror is you end up at a table with me on the train.

Edited May 17, 2019 by adb968008

[adb968008]

So my plan as it looks...

 

Hanwell (or Southall), depending if the blue wall of doom is still there.. watch 1A76/1A10 inbound,

Southall watch 1B35 outbound,

skip to Slough and catch 1W29 to ..

Reading, watch 1A78/1L48 then 1C15 to Bath (or Bristol), chow/refuel before watching 1C16, followed by 1A23 to..

Reading, 1P61 to ..

Paddington, watch 1L71 /  1A24 arrive, do the sombre farewell and the line up of BR Blue/Intercity and GWR power cars at the blocks between P1-4 and the final  departures of 1C92/1G60/1W08 before boarding the final one...

1C76, quick photo stop at Reading (8 1/2 mins layover) and Didcot (6 1/2 mins layover), Weston Super Mare (13 mins layover) followed by last rites at Taunton.

 

Sunday lie in until 2pm (yeah right) and IEP to Paddington.

 

Edited May 17, 2019 by adb968008

[adb968008]

So far so good today.

43002 has everyone nail biting as it failed to start at Paddington and was dead until Bridgend.

Similarly the Great Malvern lost 37 minutes due to signalling issues around Oxford but was terminated at Worcester.

 

Nice turn out in power cars..

Blue/Yellow, Intercity swallow, Harry patch (WW1), OldOak GWR and Welsh Dragon liveries..

 

Symmetrical arrival and departures at reading this morning

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by adb968008

[adb968008]

And so the 1530 front Bristol departs, leaving just 1 more to follow.

 

Very much a party atmosphere at Bristol

 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by adb968008

[caradoc]

I made my pilgrimage for a last GWR HST trip today, and despite the best efforts of both Network Rail and GWR to mess things up, achieved it.

 

I arrived at Oxford for the Great Malvern service, however everything was being delayed to signalling problems between Oxford and Didcot (from the Staff Information screens, it looked like an issue at Kennington Jc). However the HST was only 15 late from Oxford (obviously it was delayed again further on) and I had the pleasure of riding in very early coach 42003. The time spent at Oxford also allowed me to watch 4 freights pass, and see 7029 arrive. Two Oxford-Didcot trains in a row were cancelled, but much to my surprise GWR did not put Stop Orders on the Paddington fasts, instead telling passengers for Didcot to travel via Reading ! 

 

Plan A was the HST to Charlbury and 800 back to Oxford, but due to the lateness I alighted at Hanborough instead; Only for the return train to be shown on the (intermittently, in fact mostly, defective info screen) getting ever later. It eventually turned up 62 late, according to the Guard due to a train fault, and terminated on arrival at Oxford. There was not a single announcement made at Hanborough at any stage. The platform extension at Hanborough looked complete but was blocked off, resulting in the absurd situation of passengers in the HST only being able to alight from the first two coaches. To be fair however, the Guards on both trains I was on did an excellent job with their announcements, as did the staff at Oxford. 

 

Overall I enjoyed my trip, and well done to GWR for providing the HSTs as advertised, but for the ordinary passenger it is easy to understand why people get so fed up with the railway. 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

On 21/04/2019 at 15:25, The Johnster said:

HST association with Paddington-South Wales services goes back to my time on the railway, and includes a period when the prototype set worked a Swansea diagram.  We were all given training in the use of the emergency coupling bar; IIRC you opened the access panel with a carriage key.  Traincrews were not allowed to travel on duty with the prototype diagram, but I managed to obtain dispensation for myself and driver as we would have been over time for our 12 hour rest period for the following day's duty.  Several of us managed to go into overtime by not travelling on this train and restriction was removed as soon as the production sets entered service.  

 

They were a revelation on the South Wales banks; it was possible to accelerate to 50mph off the platform at Bridgend on the down and have to shut off before the bottom of Stormy Bank over the river bridge, and you could accelerate to 90mph before the top.  The trains showed similar contempt for the corkscrew out of Neath up Skewen.  I was once guard on an ecs working from Canton to St Philip's Marsh, and sat in front with the driver.  We observed all speed restrictions and went start to stop in 48 minutes, a remarkable thing.  

 

The original guard's accommodation was in the power car, which had a control desk for light engine movements in 'reverse'.  The ride was very rough here and pretty noisy as well; walking through the engine room when the Valentas were voicing their opinion was terrifying, even with earplugs.  The cab was very quiet and comfortable.

 

I believe these trains have been in front line service for a longer period than any previously used on the GW, as motive power and as coaches.  The Hawksworth stock and later 52s pale in comparison.  I'll miss them; when introduced they were the only high speed air conditioned service in the world that did not require supplementary fares, not to mention the diesel speed record, and we were very proud of them.

 

I once milepost-timed one at 135mph on the down Badminton between Hullavington and Brinkworth, so uphill (!); the ride in a 2nd class mk3 was very good but a little noisy.  This was in the 80s.  I'll miss 'em on the Paddingtons, but they'll still be in 4 car use, pocket rockets!  

 

That said, I like the 800s.  Nothing will ever really replace a Canton cleaned Brit with a rake of choc/cream mk1s interrupted by a refurbished Collett restaurant car in my affections, though...

I'd be amazed if they couldn't accelerate to 50 mph as they left Bridgend on the Down - after all there was about half a mile of falling gradient immediately after the level start!  And then there was the 60mph TPROs as you came onto the rising gradient so you wouldn't still be powering hard approaching that.  

 

As for walking through the engine room the biggest risk - as I found to my cost on a trip on the ECML - was walking through the engine room when the engine was on full power, it wiped my credit card magnetic strip!  interested too to hear you timed one at 135 mph as it was impossible to get then to go ob ver 128mph due to the governor settings - as we found out when planning the various record breaking runs in 1985.  if you went above the trip speed the engines would automatically shut down according to WR M&EE people and whether they were under power or the train was relying on gravity to go a that bit faster.  As resetting the governors was not only supposed to a not exactly easy task but was also forbidden by Derby we had to be extremely careful with the timings like the 'Top Of The Pops' run to avoid any overspeeds so we skinned the cat in a different way in order to get a better rate of acceleration by reducing the formation and making special arrangements to exceed the linespeed through Swindon  and also make sure we had a clea run on the one signal which was very slightly underbraked for 125mph linespeed at normal braking rates.

 

 

[Not Captain Kernow]

Here is 43 093 and 43 188 passing Treleigh on the 0650 Penzance to London Paddington this morning.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2019 by Not Captain Kernow
Addition of the correct second image

[Banger Blue]

2 hours ago, caradoc said:

………The platform extension at Hanborough looked complete but was blocked off,……

 

‘Platform extensions due to come into use on Monday (20/05). 

[adb968008]

I’m on the most heavily policed train I’ve ever been on, 5 ticket checks at Paddington and BTP inspections...

yet at Reading and Didcot it’s open season :-)

 

At Didcot, so far so good !

 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by adb968008

[PaulRhB]

Exeter St Davids

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2019 by PaulRhB

[jim.snowdon]

1 hour ago, Not Captain Kernow said:

Here is 43 093 and 43 188 passing Treleigh on the 0650 Penzance to London Paddington this morning.

 

 

 

 

And after all the fuss about Flying Scotsman, I trust that you were the right side of the boundary fence.

 

Jim

[Pandora]

The diagram for blue/yellow heritage livery 43002 was shortened due to a  problem with another service,  43002 arrived at Paddington as the London end of the set, if the full diagram had operated, would 43002 have been the leading unit for the final 1830 departure from Paddington?

Edited May 18, 2019 by Pandora

[Not Captain Kernow]

25 minutes ago, jim.snowdon said:

And after all the fuss about Flying Scotsman, I trust that you were the right side of the boundary fence.

 

Jim

 

Having served 14 years on the railway and 7 years in the Police I am well aware of the correct place to stand thank you.  It was not on the wrong side of the fence.  Are you going to ask everyone else who has taken pictures the same question?

[adb968008]

On 18/05/2019 at 20:15, Pandora said:

The diagram for blue/yellow heritage livery 43002 was shortened due to a  problem with another service,  43002 arrived at Paddington as the London end of the set, if the full diagram had operated, would 43002 have been the leading unit for the final 1830 departure from Paddington?

43002 was always planned to be at the blocks, along side the IC one. All the celeb 43’s were at the London end.

 

very well cherographed, 43198 (the last 43) is 002’s dance partner today. Announcement before said that Kenneth Grange was in the cab to Bristol.

 

last HST at Bristol ( we were allowed the pic whilst stationary)

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by adb968008

[65179]

The kids and I popped out to see 43002/198 as they headed back towards Paddington through Splott this afternoon. A prosaic way to mark what has been a daily sight for all my 16 years in Cardiff. I still remember my first trip on an HST on the ECML when I was a boy, and it seems very odd that such an ever present is/has making/made way for the new order.

 

Simon

[caradoc]

While still at school, we used to cycle from Oxford to Didcot, and sometimes spotted from the bridge over the power station lines near Foxhall Jc, which is where I first saw production HSTs in the summer of 76. Little did I know then that they would still be working after my retirement. What a train !

[Davexoc]

4 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

As for walking through the engine room the biggest risk - as I found to my cost on a trip on the ECML - was walking through the engine room when the engine was on full power, it wiped my credit card magnetic strip!  interested too to hear you timed one at 135 mph as it was impossible to get then to go ob ver 128mph due to the governor settings - as we found out when planning the various record breaking runs in 1985.  if you went above the trip speed the engines would automatically shut down according to WR M&EE people and whether they were under power or the train was relying on gravity to go a that bit faster.  As resetting the governors was not only supposed to a not exactly easy task but was also forbidden by Derby we had to be extremely careful with the timings like the 'Top Of The Pops' run to avoid any overspeeds so we skinned the cat in a different way in order to get a better rate of acceleration by reducing the formation and making special arrangements to exceed the linespeed through Swindon  and also make sure we had a clea run on the one signal which was very slightly underbraked for 125mph linespeed at normal braking rates.

I thought that the power was cut at around 130mph and cut back in around 120mph, done electrically purely based on road speed and not engine speed. Pretty sure on a test run from OO to Swindon in the early 80s we hit 132mph through Didcot. The driver left it in notch 5 and the power came back on after coasting a considerable distance. One thing I remember well is that although the engine noise in the cab is fairly well subdued, there is the incessant ringing and bleeping from the AWS and DSD vigilence.

[Northmoor]

The GWML baton is handed over.

 

 

And so it ends. 

[jim.snowdon]

2 hours ago, Not Captain Kernow said:

 

Having served 14 years on the railway and 7 years in the Police I am well aware of the correct place to stand thank you.  It was not on the wrong side of the fence.  Are you going to ask everyone else who has taken pictures the same question?

Yes, when it appears to be from well inside the boundary, and I have no idea of your past history, not that it changes anything. So where were you standing, and why take exception to being asked?

 

Jim (who has 45 years of railway service)

[Pandora]

7 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

Yes, when it appears to be from well inside the boundary, and I have no idea of your past history, not that it changes anything. So where were you standing, and why take exception to being asked?

 

Jim (who has 45 years of railway service)

I guess the shot was taken "On or near the line" when standing in a safe and legally permitted position on a foot crossing,   In my 19 years "up front" I have never seen anyone using or waiting to cross the line  by  the  foot crossing, a question on a route assessment paper is how many whistle boards on the route?  Those boards are for the driver to  warn crossing users  of the approaching train

Edited May 19, 2019 by Pandora

[adb968008]

On 17/05/2019 at 23:13, adb968008 said:

So my plan as it looks...

 

Hanwell (or Southall), depending if the blue wall of doom is still there.. watch 1A76/1A10 inbound,

Southall watch 1B35 outbound,

skip to Slough and catch 1W29 to ..

Reading, watch 1A78/1L48 then 1C15 to Bath (or Bristol), chow/refuel before watching 1C16, followed by 1A23 to..

Reading, 1P61 to ..

Paddington, watch 1L71 /  1A24 arrive, do the sombre farewell and the line up of BR Blue/Intercity and GWR power cars at the blocks between P1-4 and the final  departures of 1C92/1G60/1W08 before boarding the final one...

1C76, quick photo stop at Reading (8 1/2 mins layover) and Didcot (6 1/2 mins layover), Weston Super Mare (13 mins layover) followed by last rites at Taunton.

 

Sunday lie in until 2pm (yeah right) and IEP to Paddington.

 

Mission accomplished... everything, as above with one mod, a fellow enthusiast pointed out 1C15 is express through Didcot where as 1C16 stopped, so I jumped to Didcot, and got a 70 on containers + TFL Tube livery 66, saw 1C15 and jumped on 1C16.. only sacrifice was lunch.

 

exhausted ! With lots of disk space used !

[Not Captain Kernow]

1 hour ago, jim.snowdon said:

It might have been, in which case why the evasiveness about answering the question in the first place? 

 

Jim

 

No evasiveness, I answered it in my reply to you!  If you go back and read my reply you will see that I clearly stated "it was not on the wrong side of the fence".