Trains - How to get on a Class 43 HST?

[P5BNij]

2fast748 said:

Gareth1974 said:

The News at Ten feature was a classic https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6xSbmBhFnQk

A classic? That was some scary cult!

As the late, great Lou Reed once sang, ''man, those were different times...''

[rs1952]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

It could be argued that there is very little of the original HSTs left running in HST formations given the number of rebuilds and refurbishments. I am reminded of the line in the Stanley Holloway monologue describing a visitor being shown around the Tower of London:

"Here's the axe, here's the genuine axe Sir, that's given Royal heads some hard whacks
True its had a new handle and perhaps a new head, but its a real old original axe"



As regards the HST vs Deltic issue, that is probably down to a combination of nostalgia and a dislike of change. I always detested the class 50s for probably no better reason than they were still being introduced at the end of steam so it was "their fault" in a manner of speaking. And even now, with steam-hauled specials, I always think a lot more of those using locomotives that would have been seen in that particular area in bygone days. Like this, f'rinstance: https://www.flickr.com/photos/93122458@N08/3661188...

[Zad]

I see from flicking through the magazines in the supermarket, that they are looking at converting Class 43s for freight use.

[rs1952]

Atmospheric said:

I think the Class 43 will be around for a while yet. I read some are going to Scotrail for Edinburgh-Glasgow (?).

There are plenty of clips on Youtube of the new 2+4 formation. Here's one that GWR are keeping on test in Devon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cle__e1303k

[dhutch]

nn7man said:

Shame they were all re-engined and no longer run the Paxman Valentas. Was one of the best sounding diesels ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1ICcOu0NkM

I was going to say, sadly they all have the wrong engine in them. But still and excellent experience.

Much nicer way to travel than a diesel multiple unit.

Daniel

[DoctorX]

Looks interesting:

http://www.channel5.com/show/intercity-125/

[ecsrobin]

DoctorX said:

Looks interesting:

http://www.channel5.com/show/intercity-125/

Certainly does! Much better than the latest magazine covering water troughs

Good to see something like this on mainstream TV normally only steam gets the coverage.

[silverfoxcc]

C5 also doing one on the TGV

[V8 Fettler]

DoctorX said:

Looks interesting:

http://www.channel5.com/show/intercity-125/

Some good Deltic footage.

[DoctorX]

Not sure I’m bothered about what Pru Leith has to say, but I enjoyed it.

[miniman]

Slightly strange commentary from Tarrant but not a bad programme.

[Flying Phil]

I too enjoyed the C5 programme and it was good to see some APT footage. Looking forward to the next part.

[dhutch]

As its in the news.... cracking train!



Rail services on East Coast Main Line are being brought back under UK government control, operator Stagecoach Group says.



Daniel

[Atmospheric]

What I really like about the 43 is that whatever livery it's in, it still looks modern and current. It's among that all time train design greats.

[SydneyBridge]

Jimmy saville. Used for advertising

Whoops...

Cracking programme. shame we bought Japanese trains though, rather than uk designed and built

[rs1952]

SydneyBridge said:

Jimmy saville. Used for advertising

Whoops...

But of course, and as was pointed out in the narrative, at the time Saville was known as a popular TV figure.

No one should judge history in the context of today. Less than 10 years before those ads were produced we had a TV sitcom called "Love Thy Neighbour," where laughs were extracted from the fact that a racist white bloke had a black family move in next door. Ten years before that we had a TV sitcom called "Whacko" in which Jimmy Edwards got laughs from belting hell out of young boys in boarding school. And so on.

The ad campaign was successful, as was said on the show, and was at least in part responsible for the commercial success of the HST. Saville was central to that ad campaign, however uncomfortable we might feel about the bloke now. To have avoided mentioning the ad campaign just because Saville fronted it would have done the series a very large injustice.

[SydneyBridge]

Yeah fair enough, agree with that.
Least they mentioned him as you say, rather than deleting him from history

[Rich1973]

My dad was a railwayman before he retired and while I was growing up I have covered 1000's of miles on HSTs.

Its a sad state of affairs that to my mind nothing that has come along since that has bettered it. It is also testament to the fundamentally brilliant but simple design.

[DoctorX]

Really enjoyed that. Some lovely footage of the APT, what a great looking train that was.

[SWTH]

Just done my HST conversion course at work. One of the very last Guards to learn HSTs in full fat 2+8 slam-door configuration, glad I got to do it before the Super Hitachi Intercity Trains are introduced in the west.