Derekstuart

Thanks all. Much appreciated, especially the correction about the re-numbering.

Hello all Following an interesting discussion on youtube about a strange box on 86103, I remember that it was once E3173 and was involved in high speed testing for the HST nose cone (picture below). http://www.traintesting.com/images/E3173 nose cone Railwaydave Flickr 19-6-71.jpg This came about as someone asked what the 'box' was at the non-pan end. In this photo you can clearly see it has a clear window or lens. My question is: was this connected to the HST nose test and if so, how? ie was it to view the behaviour of the pantograph in the airflow from the temporary nose? If so then does this indicate that at this time they were thinging about using that same nose cone on an electric version of the HST? Or is it simmply that this loco was being used for multiple tests, such as testing the Brecknell Willis pan, which shown here when it must have been quite new technology. TIA.

Thanks @CWJ and @Ken.W much appreciated and that is what I thought-ish. I think CWJ DOES deserve some bonus points as at least some power cars had twin sets fitted later- presumably under privatisation era, but let us not go there as time stopped in 1994 for me, thanks. Ken, thanks- can I clarify that if you are moving a single power car then you just disconnect as you would any locomotive and then switch the ETS on, just for battery charging? What a career you must have had. To be a HST Driver is to railways what Concord Captain is to airlines- and you've seen the HST pretty much from start to end. My Dad was a HST Instructor when they were new (Kings Cross) and I had many good days out at the sharp end. Even now the sound of a Valenta spooling up raises the hairs on my neck. We rarely went North of Doncaster, but on occasions made it to the Tyne; I'll not forget my tour around Gateshead depot nor the (completely un-necessary) 'test trip' with a Brush 4 around the loop (King Edward Bridge and High Level Bridge?) just because a bored Engineer and Driver wanted to show myself and a couple of other visitors what it looked like- I'm not sure they'd get away with that now. God's Country indeed. Thanks again both for the info.

Hello all... I wonder if anyone qualified on HSTs- Driver, Engineer, expert enthusiast... could please answer the following. It is from a quite pointless thread on a video sharing channel, but I must admit to being curious now. NB I am really asking about BR days, when the HSTs ruled the ECML and were shiny blue, yellow and off-white and made by God himself. 1. When starting a HST set (assume it has already been in service and is shutdown at a terminus). I know you start the rear PC as that triggers it to provide the ETS; is the leading PC started at the same time or is it started seperately on local buttons) 2. Is there a specific reason for running ETS from the rear and if a HST set is reversed at any point are there any consequences of the ETS PC now being at the front? 3. When running a HST set with the rear PC missing (as opposed to shut down DIT) or when running a PC light/ with barrier van, what if anything needs to be done to the PC to enable that; I don't mean disconnecting the pipes and jumpers, I mean anything within the PC? I seem to remember something when I sat in a HST training session 40 years ago about the rear PC servicing some of the ancilliaries on the leading PC via the ETS. 4. As a bonus question for extra points: Why were the PCs only fitted with one MRP and BP whereas within the rake the MK3s had brake pipes both sides? Thanks in advance any info appreciated.

@AMD8806 hello. Jim Smith Wright of P4newstreet.com has produced an etch to convert the Bratchell model to a /1. Here's some details of the kit. I haven't seen it or used it personally, but JWS is something of an expert and there's plenty of pictures on his website. http://extra.southernelectric.org.uk/modelling/news/2008-bratchell-317-conversion-kit.html I hope that helps. If you go to Jim's website and ask him, he's one of the most helpful and friendly modellers out there.

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This reminds me of some of the stations I encountered in Bulgaria. Particularly one called 'Bu**eroff'... Now before moderators get upset that is exactly how it was pronounced in English, the local spelling being impossible on a European QWERTY board. BTW I wonder how many Western tourists can say they've driven a Bulgarian train at 90 MPH down past the communist (Bulgarian/ Russian) Black Sea Naval dockyards during the height of the cold war.

I remember that well. I had not long purchased my first coach- a nearly new touring spec vehicle only to find the company I was going to contract to went into liquidation. Not good. Then Tesco's contractors did me a favour and put in their cut and cover tunnel. Over the next few months the amount of rail replacement I did with it almost paid for the whole vehicle (around £200,000 of a total price of £250,000 give or take, allowing for inflation). It was down there 168 hours per week with myself and 2 other drivers in turns. When you consider that this was only one of perhaps 20 or 30 vehicles in use and you see that this was a VERY expensive mishap. Not all the coaches would have been earning this much but I got on very well with the organiser (Fraser Eagle- who later went into liquidation themselves) and so got a lot of work. I wonder if the people of Gerrards Cross have got used to Tesco yet- they were not happy about it even before the accident. Sorry for the OT. Might interest someone. Probably won't.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned (unless I've missed it) Liverpool Street. It has had 1500v wired to SOME of the platforms since nineteen hundred and black&white, with most of its platforms staying wonderfully wire free until the 1980s.

Terminus stations with 4 or more platforms, each one only capable of taking one locomotive and a couple of coaches.

EDIT: Posted in haste. Life is too short.

I swear that if and when I ever complete a layout to exhibition standard I'm going to modify a VGA with Sprinter/Pacer couplings and drag it around behind a Hornby 142 Pacer, whilst telling everyone straight-faced that this carried on until the early 2000s and that 20+ metre Sprinters could drag two VGAs behind.

Now that you write this, I seem to recall being told something similar/ same in relation to the Cannon Street crash some years back. The Driver had apparently made several brake applications (which could be done on one class but not on the one that crashed, IIRC). Thanks again everyone. That's explained it all perfectly and I'm sure others will go on to read and understand as a result. PS I am a fully qualified commercial vehicle mechanic and our air brake systems are much more simplified, as you'd expect. Foot brake needs air pressure to apply the brakes and park brake needs air pressure to release them. Aside from anti-compounding valves and relays- which themselves are straight forward anyway- the system really is as straight forward as it seems, which you need when you're constantly swapping one pedal for the other on a busy road.

Many thanks everyone. I recognise some of the terminology and it's this triple valve thingy that I remember being the reason why braking cannot be reduced without release. It's WHY that it that's the puzzler. But I think it will be in one of my Dad's old training manuals from when he was an Instructor- now that I know what to look for. Many thanks again. A tremendous level of knowledge on this website. Derek

Thanks Matt. I clicked the link last night but... but... it was late and... err... I was not expecting all that so I.... it was late... Many thanks.