nightstar.train

Does anyone know what is happening to the MML HSTs? There’s only 384 days until the PRM deadline, so no chance of getting the sets compliant in time. Are they going for a Mk4 with HST power cars solution? That could be in serious trouble due to late introduction of Azumas on the ECML. I could hardly see the government being okay with giving them a derogation for 2 - 4(?) years until new units are introduced.

Speaking of HSTs and derogations, what on earth is happening with the MML? There’s was talk that they’d get Mk4s to operate between HST power cars as a PRM compliant stop gap until new units arrive in 2022 or so. So they may be relying on the Azumas being introduced to allow Mk4s to cascade. And the Welsh franchise is waiting for 3 sets of Mk4s to operate the WAG express in a PRM compliant way. (Pity the new livery is so uninspired, I was excited to model that train).

Except they only have a 384 days in which to make the HSTs PRM compliant. Which isn’t going to happen. So they’ll either have to get a derogation, which might be possible, or find another way. I have no idea what the delivery schedule is for the ECML sets. Are the bi-mode sets coming first or last? As they’re needed to replace the HSTs more than the electric sets are needed to replace the Mk4s. Although of course if they’re banned up to Inverness (and Aberdeen?), then it becomes a bit of a moot point. Anyway I expect some very red faces at the DfT and Hitachi, and lots of carefully worded statements that don’t admit anything and try and pass the blame off somewhere else.

“Well boss I was going to type that report on my train journey down here, but we accelerated away from York quite hard and the train wiped my hard drive”.

Either: A) The DfT gave Hitachi the wrong timetable for the HML, and the trains are built to spec Or B) The DfT gave Hitachi the right timetable for the HML, and the trains are not to spec. Either way it’s a tremendous foul up, absolute debacle. Does anyone know if the trains would perform to spec if they and their engines uprated to full power? That seems the obvious (and only) solution. Obviously that’ll come at a significant matienance penalty which someone will have to pay, and increased fuel consumption.

So will it get gradually redder and more angry the later the train gets?

I’ve just found this marvellous photo of 975422 Test Car 5 running in an HST. http://www.traintesting.com/images/975422%20Test%20Car%205.jpg It’s undated and by unknown source. Test Car 5 has its pantograph raised so is presumably checking the OHLE? Does anyone have any more info? Also i remember reading that some of the other test cars were designed to run as part of an HST to gather track data, Possibly Argus (the Mk3 one) and the Mk2 High Speed Track Recording Coach. Did they ever do that, or were they always in their own trains? Obviously they all became part of the NMT in the noughties, so I’m talking more about BR days.

On my long boring drive home from Warley yesterday I was wondering how they shunt the Scottish sleeper trains. At Carstairs it looks to me like the Edinburgh portion could come round the sharp corner from the Edinburgh direction, through the up platform, then back down onto the Glasgow portion if that was waiting in the down platform. Not sure what they’d do in reverse if they want to keep the half sets in the same orientation. I’ve no idea what happens at Waverley. And what about shunting in London? I know they shuffle the coaches around so that they can rotate back to the maintenance depot, used to be Inverness but now I think it’s mostly done at Polmadie. Do they take coaches or whole sets for a trip around London to turn them, or do they not mind if the brake end and buffet are the wrong way around?

If only all the big stations still had dedicated parcels docks, or even separate parcel stations in the big cities. If Amazon had a rail served warehouse, and maybe a few other big names, or parcel companies, they could run HSTs straight into the heart of the city, then use electric vans or bikes for the last few miles. Would be quick, and pretty environmentally friendly. Unfortunately the parcels by rail business faded before internet shopping took off. They'd compliment each other rather well I feel.

Bit of information here: http://www.traintesting.com/test_car_6.htm. Looks like it was used for testing with the class 92 amongst other things.

I love that site! I’m impressed that the National Library of Scotland covers England (and presumably Wales) as well.

I believe the idea with the Glasgow subway trains is for them to have drivers initially whilst being introduced and tested. Then once the whole fleet has been introduced and the old ones taken away they’ll install platform doors. These are sorely needed as most of the platforms are very narrow and somewhat terrifying to stand on. The new trains have different door spacing to the old trains so it can only be done once the new trains are fully in service. Then once we have platform doors they intend to go over to driverless trains and remove the cabs from the units.

Nice work on the TLUK Flood. Will it ever make its way up to Aberdeen? I absolutely love your layout BTW. It’s one of my favourites, spent ages in front of it last time I saw it.

It’s interesting that it didn’t have a coloured stripe, despite it being a catering vehicle.

Thanks both, that’s all very useful.

I’m looking for photos and info on the HST TLUK lounge car (40513) and the TCSD conductor disabled car (45084). Did the lounge car make it into swallow livery? Did it get used much? If people hired the TLUK did they shunt another coach out, or did they run an extra long HST. Was the TCSD used with a TGS in the train as well, or was it a substitute for It?

Has anyone got pictures of the 92s out testing the shiny new sleeper coaches?

Based on class 11.

Ones like this. Presuming this hasn’t been changed since it moved to the Ribble Museum.

Maybe not offered, but the writing is on the wall. If you’re serious you could easily approach the leasing companies and make them a serious offer. I wonder what the livery will be? I hope it’s something original, rather than blue and grey! (Ducks and runs for cover)

A good contender for “train that has visited the most countries, but only operates in the U.K.”

Presumably this will be built to a European loading gauge? If it’s to the British loading gauge it will indeed be a white elephant. And I hope it’s near a port to bring in foreign trains for testing too. Given how variable the U.K. train market is (cycles of feast and famine), it’ll definitely need foreign trains to test to have steady work.

I would expect them to use the Mk4 DVTs. Mk4s do not have standard couplers between coaches, only on the end coach and DVT, so are kept as fixed rakes. A Mk3 DVT would require modification to work, which would need them taken out of traffic. The Mk4s will need fitting with AAR controls to work with either the 67s or 68s. I hope they keep 67s as that class is rather lacking in work, and I already have some to repaint for a model.

It is a good idea. But if they’re going with the livery in the videos, it’s just awful. Bland with no differentiation that it’s Wales. The doors are red i suppose, but that hardly screams welsh. They could’ve done something with the welsh dragon, like Scotrail have done with the Saltire.

Not all of them by a long shot. FGW have something like 52 sets, about 25 are going to Scotland, and about 10 are staying to be short formed, so there’s still 15-20 available. (Sorry i don’t have the exact numbers to hand, but it’s about that).