The end of an era...

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Earlier this evening I took myself off to Bristol Temple Meads station for an hour or so.

First up was this short set HST (2+5) on a Taunton or Exeter service, I'd think:
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Followed by this 158 shuffling through to Portsmouth:
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Another short set HST then took off in the direction of Cardiff:
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And then a Taunton-bound IET rumbled in:
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And then the star of the show. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the last regular timetabled HST working on the GWR main line:
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With the light fading fast I made my way to the other end of the platform. There was a good turn out including press, a lot of GWR employees and perhaps a couple of hundred enthusiasts:
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And with horns blaring it cleared the platform, under the bridge and off to Taunton and Exeter:
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And that, as they say, was that. Not quite the machines they once were, but graceful to the end. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend. No more high speed runs out west, no more records to break. From the first to the last; the fastest diesel trains in the world.

I will still get the chance to ride on them in their short form; thankfully replacing the (much younger!) 158s on GWR's longer cross-country and south western services. Hopefully I'll also pick up the odd one or two on my travels north and south from Bristol by CrossCountry. But I can't see me getting any more 120mph+ running...

I'm starting to feel old! Not helped when I happened to mention to some chaps I'd been talking to on the platform that I remembered when they were all blue. And properly noisy. :))

Steph

ps. Sorry about the odd processing on the photos, just a quick job to get them off the camera and compressed enough to go up here.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
... t graceful to the end. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend...
Agreed.

I stood by the GW main line to watch the last "in-service" run of the Wessies - so last Thursday Peter and I sat beside the Berks and Hants for the day to see the HSTs doing what they have always done, assault the senses and dish out tingling nerves. Courtesy of RMWeb we had the HST working diagrams for Thursday and headed off for the line between Hungerford and Crofton. My reading of the diagrams suggested that we ought to see five HST services between 11.15 and 4/00, what we got was three HST as per the diagrams, one IET substituting for an HST and one HST standing in for an IET. The substitutions were a consequence of a signal failure in the Reading area, the "IET for HST" came about because an earlier HST working had been terminated short of Paddington and the "HST for IET" was to enable all of the HST units to be in their correct positions for the Friday workings.

Some of the drivers must have been aware of the lineside interest - we had seen other photographers further to the west and there was frequent use of the horn as the units approached.

regards, Graham
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
I hope they are still running on the Cotswold Line? A sad day indeed. I once got into trouble for reporting a very fast time between two mileposts between Reading and London when on trainorders.com. In fact I feel sure the HST was going very fast but I think one of the two mileposts must have been moved closer to the other!
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Are they still running out of Kings + then?

I might head down and grab a few pictures..

JB.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
As far as I know - the Azumas aren't going to replace the HSTs overnight so to speak. East Midland Trains also operate HSTs out of St Pancras.

The HST diagrams can be found here for those interested: HST Diagrams & Fleet lists

It is up to the timetable change this weekend but I doubt the HSTs will all disappear overnight.
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Unless you travel on the ECML - but not for long as the LNER Azuma sets are now entering service.
True and I might well try and shoe-horn in a trip if I can. One thing is for sure we'll never get a ride like we did a couple of years ago back from the Reading show if you remember? I recall noting over an hour of continuous 100mph+ running on my phone.

Steph
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
I normally catch a cross country hst set into Birmingham for work, much nicer than the alternatives either side. Sometimes you even get a seat!
 

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
Here's another shot from the history of these fine units - the power car 43095 is in the later IC livery with matching coaches forming the train. The location is Leicester London Road station where these units, albeit in revised livery, can be seen today - however, electrification of the MML continues, so for how much longer is the burning question....... Apologies for intruding on the WR thread :confused:!
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Roger.
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Is there an updated roster for the HST's as the linked roster finished on 18th May.

Only ask as I might go to Kings Cross this saturday with little man.

JB.
 

DougT

Western Thunderer
The TT in the ECML hasn’t changed in any significant way so the diagrams posted through to the 18th May are broadly still valid. The only consistent change so far is the diagram containing the SX 1718 KGX - HUL has gone over to cl800 operation as that allowed LNER to release NL65 (the un-refurbed ex-EMT 8 coach set).

The plan on the ECML is to replace diagram by diagram but it’s actually IC225 sets that will be displaced first as the cl800’s can’t operate (currently) north of York so they are being concentrated on Leeds services.

You’ve got a pretty good chance of seeing HST’s as per the previous timetable diagrams for the foreseeable.

Doug
 
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