Ken.W

The Blyth & Tyne re-opening? Hmm, I'll believe that when if I see it! They were talking of that when I was still working the units, and that was in the 80s - I went on Intercity at sectorisation in 1990 £500m? At NR prices it'll buy a couple of sleepers

Yeah that was the reason given, but didn't make sense as it doesn't serve the purpose the overcharge was for, or overcome the problem of not having one.

An LNER liveried set with low backed seats, yeah that's the one, the ex-EMT set. It was supposed to be withdrawn when it's booked diagram, the Hull, went over to the first Azuma working. So it's being back out probably is in reaction to them being two sets down following Neville Hill.

The second particularly evocative of the period, a brand new state of the art HST and adjacent, ancient state of the ark SR parcels van complete with oil tail hanging (literally) off the back! BTW, is the HST passing through on the Main Line? Seems rather a lot of the bogies visible for it to be at the platform

Quite possible, there was only one LNER set still with those seats (the ex-EMT one), and that was supposed to be the first LNER set withdrawn, though don't know if it actually was. Doesn't seen to have been about recently from what I've seen. As Stationmaster Mike's said on the other thread, that set at Neville Hill's going to need a thorough exam including lifting to check for bogie pivot damage before it can be let back out, even with another power car. At least, assuming the rest of the set is ok, they can just change the power car and let it back out, the whole of that Satsuma's going to out of action for some time.

Hi Trev, It is a rain strip across the bottom of the windscreen. As I recall, it was found when new that at high speed the rain water off the nose end was streaming up the windscreen faster than the wiper could clear it. The aluminium nose-end ladders used on HSTs are purpose made, and carried in the power car's van. The top section has at the top a hooked over section with two prongs which engage in a pair of sockets at the base of the windscreen to hang it to, and a rest at the base which rests against the nose end point. The bottom section then hangs on the top section and rests on the ground. Nice pictures. I had a trip, with a friend, in late September for a last trip to Aberdeen by HST and 43300 was one of the power cars. Not necessarily written-off yet, there's some comments on the other thread this was one of those destined for EMT (or whoever they are now), presuming these were selected on overall condition it's still possible 43300 could receive a replacement cab as these are made as easily replaceable units.

At busy periods, particularly holiday times, they were also used for passenger's luggage. As opposed to their 80x replacements which don't have wasted space and cram as many seats in as possible. And have had the gangways between vehicles blocked with luggage! At Heck the 66 fell on it's side... The DVT disappeared.

No one ever suggested the intermediate coupling is in any way compatible with the outer ones! However, as I've said, it's LNER and, looking them up online, Dellner themselves, that describe the intermediate coupling on an 800 as a, quote, "semi- permanent Dellner" If you still have an issue with this then go and take it up with them !!!

Yes, northbound from Platform 1 for mainline trains is unusual, as it's only really been possible for trains starting or turning back from Doncaster, there's no route into the platform from the south off the Down lines. About a couple of year ago, in association with the alterations to the carriage sidings (just off the south end of the platform), and the new IEP depot, bi-directional signaling was provided on the Up Slow, but only for trains off the Lincoln line, it's still not accessible from the Down Mainline.

Yes, the inter-vehicle couplings on LNER's are described as a "Semi-permanent Dellner" Looking them up online though, Dellner's simply a manufacturer who makes, among other items, various types of coupling, including an auto-coupler which is available with or without the electrical connections as required. Also, a 'semi-permanent coupling' which is, a bar type coupling, and no doubt the same as on your sets. It's also even possible that the gangway connection could be a 'Dellner'

Well, in replying to the post asking what couplers they are, I recall from our training course back in May that's how they were described. We didn't look at them much as we've nothing to do with them. Looking up on-line, they're both the same thing!

Well the fact that several posts expressing concern as to how the 800 has behaved in a low speed incident have been made by railway professionals should indicate that there is genuine cause for concern here. But then there's nothing like not knowing the difference between professional opinion and knowledge, and idle speculation! The Newton Aycliffe plant is basically an assembly shed. The equivalent of, in a traditional railway works, of just the erecting shop on it's own. The great success of the buckeye coupler in minimizing damage and hence casualties in accidents over the years, and reason for their widespread use, was that they are designed to keep the vehicles both upright and in-line. That the couplers on here have failed to do the latter in a relatively minor slow speed incident then; If they wern't designed to do so, then why not? And if they were, then why haven't they? There's few on here could disagree with your last comment though

They're a semi-permanent Delner coupler Not meant to be parted so we don't know any more about them. The gangways seem to be non-standard. Well, at least with the Mk4s you only needed to avoid going when passing through a tunnel

Interesting. Could it be with the extra speed allowed not being needed the DVTs isolated when trailing to prevent delays caused by TDM faults causing it to dump the brake? When it's the loco trailing though, would it's E70 being isolated prevent the loco taking traction power?

It's only the maximum speed that's reduced, below 110 it's operating as any other air-braked train On the 91/Mk4s it's done automatically. A micro-switch on the isolating handle restricts the Auto Speed Limiter to a maximum of 110

I've just come upon this thread by chance, but if I can add some comments; There seemed to be some confusion by the HST being described as having an EP brake. It's not. The brakes on an HST are a conventional two-pipe Automatic Air Brake, the same as other air-braked stock, and you can couple a loco on the front and it'll behave as any other auto air brake. The difference is in the control of the Air Brake Pipe pressure, which is done by brake control units (E70s) on both power cars, these being controlled electrically by the driver's brake handle. Both E70s apply the brake but only the leading one releases it (in case of faults with the electrics). This give a more rapid application necessary for 125mph running on conventional 4-aspect signaling. The difference in application time may not seem much, but remember the train's still doing 125 during this time. When doing the HST training, with a training special, we tried a full emergency brake application stopping from 125. The next run we tried again at the same location but with one E70 isolated, the train went a quarter mile further! The 91s and Mk4s do use basically the same system, with a brake control unit on the 91 and DVT. As was said, unlike the Mk3's wheel mounted disc brakes, the Mk4s have ventilated axle mounted discs, but they do also have an extra disc, there's three disc brakes on each axle. Regarding 140mph running with Mk4s, yes it was intended to use flashing greens as a fifth aspect to allow this. Flashing green would allow 140 running, then a steady green would mean reduce to 125 with the next signal possibly being double yellow. The section of ECML fitted with flashing green aspects was Stoke Bank, the Up and Down Fasts between Peterborough and Stoke Summit. Although it was used for test running when the sets were being introduced, due to concerns over signal sighting at that speed it was decided in-cab signaling would be required for any increase over 125, and the system was never used for trains in service, service speed having always been limited to 125. It is still operational, and yes does give a useful advance warning at times of yellows ahead when descending the bank. Something that's not been mentioned, if an HST or 91/Mk4's running with the rear E70/DW3 isolated, it's limited to 110mph. On the speed of the 67s, they're limited to 100 on EC thunderbird duties too, not that they'd manage much more with a full Mk4 set anyway. The heavy axle loading's an issue with them, and there's several underbridges between Berwick and Edinburgh where they're restricted to 60 crossing them.

I don't think the vans pictured are insulated as those were generally white. They're pre-war by the livery with large 'NE' lettering on the sides, small lettering, with the number, in the bottom left corner was used from about 1937. As you said, bananas were carried in steam heated vans to ripen them for destination, so when loaded would need hauling by a suitably equipped loco and be marshaled immediately behind the loco or in a block train

And by Airfix before that

And significantly, in both accidents the SV was written off, so there's two of those short. Not readily compatible. As in my previous posts, on the Mk4s it's the DVT that controls the train Door Interlock (Mk3s only had secondary locking), and also the inner end of Mk4s can't be coupled to anything else.

Thanks for clarifying that. Like I said, my contact heard this from someone who lives in the area, though we did wonder how they were going to get that down in two days, thinking maybe it'd be just the section over the railway.

Yes, which is as I've I'd said above, my earlier comment was that the formation which had been suggested gave no 1st class with the current Mk4 stock formation. The alternative would be converting the PO to a composite, as doubt they'd want a Full 1st in a 4-car set. Your second comment probably gives us the answer though, as 19 1st class seats would be just right for a SV converted back to 1st Class. I doubt there'll be two vehicles with disable toilets it the sets as, AFAIK, other 4 or 5 car sets in service just have a single one. As to presence of the PO or POD in the set, how many sets are being done? If the SV is being converted back to 1st as above with 19 seats then a single PO/POD should provide sufficient seats to convert two SVs and it could then come back out as a TO/TOD with the Standard seats out of the SVs.

Mk3 and Mk4 are both 23 m

Agree reverting the SV to 1st would seem the obvious way to go, and as you said a full 1st seems excessive in a 4-car set. The other alternative would seem to be making the PO a composite, but I suppose we'll just have to wait and see how they come out. Talking of a TOE being required on one end reminds me, in BR days when the Mk4s were introduced we had barrier vehicles which were a Mk2 coach with the gangways removed to enable them to be coupled to Mk4s for stock movements. btw, my 'location' includes Mk4s, from their first being introduced into full through ECML service.

Well, I don't tend to get down that way now*, but heard this from someone who was told by someone who lives in the area. * note, see my location

Hopefully not too far off topic as not far away on the ECML; I've heard that, during the Christmas shut-down, the A14 fly-over over Huntingdon station's due to be removed.