Great Western Coffee Shop

I've started this dedicated thread to document and report from the final, final full length HST operated by GWR, for charity railtour ticket holders only.

The railtour starts at Bristol Temple Meads and runs to Paddington on its first leg. From there its off to Carmarthen, via Oxford, Worcester and Hereford. Then back to Paddington via Newport and Gloucester. Finally it runs non stop from Paddington to Plymouth. Proceeds from the railtour are going to the Action For Children charity.

Here's Finn and I on our positioning move to Swindon today, Friday 31st May 2019, where we are staying overnight with bobm. Then it's up at 'oh my god' o'clock tomorrow morning to pick up the Flying Banana on its first leg from Bristol TM to Paddington.

Travelling in style on an IET!
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Dogs are not allowed on seats.
If customers are obliged to sit on the floor, does the floor then become a seat ? ;D

Personal choice to sit there. Plenty of seats available.

He was being chivalrous. 

Are you channelling Jeremy Corbyn? 🙂

Good grief I hope not one of him is enough.

Enjoy the day, everyone ... whether you're on The Banana, watching it from a safe place or - in Monty Python's words - somewhere completely different.  Look forward to hearing how the day goes ... and of course on other wider topics as GWR land is not stopping for the one special (at least I hope not!!)

We are off!

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Returning the favour after being papped by bobm at Swindon.

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First leg from Swindon to Paddington now complete.

Now on our way to Carmarthen.

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Not much time for pictures after gathering supplies, walking dogs and smoking cigarettes.

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Finn is getting lots of attention!

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We've just met forum member WSW Frome.

Running slightly late after a points problem at Worcester and then losing our path into West Wales but still time to get a few photos at the famous barrow crossing at the end of the platform at Carmarthen.

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...and as we start to head back east a change of outfit for the trip’s leading celebrity. 

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Just in case you thought we only had one power car - here’s 43198 on the blocks at Swansea.

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Always a worry at a terminal station!

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I waved to Bob, BNM, Finn et al (was Al with you?) as you passed my house just now. Looked great. Next stop SWI. Bye bye HSTs  8)

Think Finn was changing outfits again at that point.  ;D

Incident free journey back to Paddington via Lydney, Gloucester and Kemble.

For us that was the end of the road but for some hardy souls there was a non stop run to Plymouth to come.  A few taking the chance to enjoy a Saturday evening meal.

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More to come later but an initial thank you to all those who made it possible both beforehand and on the day.

Over 400 people had a memorable trip and the charity Action for Children will benefit from the day of fundraising.

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Well I don't know how I missed you but miss you I did :)

Having decided late this morning to go up to Paddington to see the last one off, I was at Swindon at 1715. No sign of a dog or two people for whom I now have a general description :)

On I went to PAD on the 1731 departure and arrived just as the Banana was disgorging its passengers. Noting "smoking cigarettes" in an earlier post I not only looked around the lawn, but also the two smoking areas (in the old main station approach and by the taxi rank). No sign of a Jack Russell on a lead there either.

I admitted defeat and came back to Chippenham on the 1900 Taunton after first getting a reasonably clear shot of the Banana leaving at 1859. Better luck next time perhaps?  ;D

Ah - I may have confused you.   One walked the dog, one got supplies and one had a cigarette.

That said I believe you may have talked to the smoker at Paddington.

If anyone was looking at Westbury White Horse, I was about a neck-length to the left. I nearly missed seeing the train as it was 4 minutes early at Heywood Road Jn.  :o

I will echo bobm's words of thanks to all those who made the railtour possible, and who ensured the day went smoothly.

Finn was an undoubted star today. So many treats, petting, and photos taken of him.

A fuller report tomorrow. I've just got home to Templecombe having been up since 0445 this morning. Too tired to post more tonight.

Finn is dog tired too!
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I've just walked in the door having been on the final leg of the tour, Paddington to Plymouth.  We left at 18 59 (train horns sounded as we pulled out of Paddington) and arrived at 22 00, 3 mins early.  A very good run, the only hold up of any note was just after we came off the Westbury Avoiding line and found the 17 50 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn in front of us.  That meant a bit of slow running.

The highlight for me was roaring through Taunton.  We swept through the station.

GWR do special trains and events brilliantly well and today was no exception.  Well done and thank you to all involved.  It was a very fine send off for GWR's full length HSTs.

Many thanks to bobm and bignosemac for all the pics and reports of the day all in aid of a good cause and giving those on board a great day out. Well done GWR and all the staff involved in making it a success.

A fitting, high-profile, finale.

I've attached some views from the lineside on the westbound leg to Carmarthen. I had planned to move around the corner for the return working to capture the other power car leading but since 43002 wasn't joined by 43185 (Swallow livery) I changed my mind and started heading for home, instead capturing the return working at a station (got a reasonable shot of 43198 there, but mistimed the shutter for the 'going away' shot of 43002; hope the video I was recording with my other hand turns out better).

I don't actually recall speaking to anybody at Paddington. One guy spoke to me, muttering something about wanting to find a place to lean in the main smoking area in the old approach road, then lit up and his immediate coughing suggested it wasn't doing him a lot of good... ;)

Once again I was in contemplative mood. "Hmm, the farewell HST run from Paddington. I wonder if it'll be anything like the Farewell to Steam run with 7029 Clun Castle in November 1965, which has quite possibly put in as many appearances at Paddington since then as it did during its revenue-earning service..."

:)

Indeed, and as a result GWR have gone up a bit in my estimation.

Just shows the influence of an MD that is a genuine rail enthusiast and an age where he grew up as the HSTs grew up.

“A genuine rail enthusiast” ..... and I thought I was still firmly in the closet?!

In reality I have hundreds of people in GWR who felt strongly they wanted to see off the HSTs in style. My only small contribution was empowering them to get on with making it happen.

I always regret the end of LHCS in/out of Paddington on regular service trains in the day was never seen off properly.

Now to think of the 143 farewell ...

Yes, I think they've earned a decent send off. Love 'em or loathe 'em, nobody can deny they did an important job.

What I would love to see is at least one set to be preserved. My ideal preservation scenario would be for 4 power cars to be saved along with an additional buffet car and a number of Mark 3's as spares and for a complete cloned "Blue Pullman" set created with 4 around table seating so as to recognise the luxury of what these trains were when first introduced until the TOC's started messing around with the seating bringing in airline style seating. Pipe dreaming now, can you imagine a restored "Blue Pullman" HST leaving Paddington on a March morning bound for Cheltenham on Gold Cup Day with the punters enjoying a Bucks Fizz breakfast. An extended return journey via Worcester, Stourbridge Junction, Galton Bridge, Snow Hill, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Banbury and Oxford would allow for a three course evening dinner to be served to the homegoing punters celebrating their backing the winner or commiserating with fellow punters who backed a loser. One can dream but a single winning lottery ticket on a triple rollover draw and my dream could become reality.

I doubt that any significant farewell for the 143s could be arranged for two reasons.
Firstly, whilst they no doubt have their admirers, there is little affection for 143s. Many passengers would regard them as a necessary evil rather than like them. "Better than no train" is about the best that can be said of them.

Secondly, they are more of a rural or branch line unit which limits the opportunities for anything like the HST farewell.
Four units in adjacent platforms, each serving a different route ? Where on earth could that be arranged.

They are an important part of railway history and I hope that a few are preserved, but a grand "last day" seems a bit unlikely.

I think Mark's tongue was firmly in his cheek with that sign-off, and it was a nice way to end a very complimentary message about his team.  I'm not sure it warranted a serious response.

I daresay you are correct but "many a true word spoken in jest". After all SEWWEB started as an April Fools article.

You could pretty much do that from where they are based, couldn't you?  ;) - to Paignton, Exmouth and Barnstaple with a "fast" run to Plymouth!

I took Mark's Cl 143 send off mention very seriously.  After all, GWR organised a lovely farewell to the Cl 142s a few years ago.  It was a really good Sunday which took in Alphington, Heathfield, Okehampton and a fast run from Exeter to Plymouth.

It will be another very significant milestone when the 143s go so I'm sure there will be something to mark the occasion.

Sorry, the intent of my message was that Mark wrote a very nice note, that immediately had cold water poured over it which I didn't feel was right. Especially given that I think we are very fortunate to have his occasional comments, and I didn't think that response was appropriate, and was possibly churlish.

But obviously others disagree, so will leave it there.

One of our strength is in a forum of multiple views ... yet I don't think there's much difference in views in this thread.  Members really appreciate the sendoff the full length HSTs got, the great help from GWR in laying that on, and the comment back and forth on this thread to say a proper "thank you" right to the top, with the response that much of it is a team effort.

Now. Different topic.  Yes, in my view there should be a "thank you" to class 143 as they bow out. Such things are not only good for those of [us] with sentimental memories of them, but surrounding press also helps remind Jo Public of the railway by having it in the news, and telling Jo Public that there are sparkling new (or perhaps newer) trains on the regular runs now, and (s)he should try them.

I was at Reading waiting for a connection back to Weston, when the train went through

I have to say I was impressed by the tunes made on the horns at either end of the train

Many passengers thought exactly the same about steam traction 50+ years ago. Nevertheless there is significant support for heritage railways and main line steam operations these days (perhaps not shared by some in NR but you'll rarely find 100% agreement on anything!).

People have their own likes and interests that other people may find odd, to say the least. The selection of specialist publications that appear in the "missing words round" on "Have I got News for You" emphasises the point for me! I particularly recall the week that "Brick Collectors Weekly" was featured and the question was: "Before they became brick collectors, many members used to be ---?" Paul Merton piped up with a one word answer: "Married."

There is such a beast as the Morris Marina Owners Club... ;)

Of which I am a member !...

We need a second railtour with the start/finish ends in Carmarthen – the only flaw of the Flying Banana was it was very east-end oriented. Something like Carmarthen, Llanelli, Neath, Cardiff, Abergavenny, Hereford, Worcester, Oxford, Swindon, Melksham, Westbury, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Kingswear, Paignton, Newton Abbot, Exeter, Taunton, Westbury, Bath, Stapleton Road, Severn Tunnel Junction, Cardiff, etc, Carmarthen.

I reckon HST rail tours, albeit not GWR organised ones, will become a very common sight in future years.

Just as an important postscript - the charity run on the 1st June raised £30,000 for Action for Children.

Had a 1.8 Coupe and an Ital estate. Much derided but always got me home. Ital still drove with a slipped OH cam belt! Lesser cars would have written off engines.

It takes all sorts...

OTC

http://www.morrismarina.org.uk/

https://maestro.org.uk/

There was I hoping that this would be a railtour allowing Mr & Mrs General Public to sample travel on the New Measurement Train.

Is that part of some government anti-obesity campaign?

A 45 minute video documentary of the Flying Banana railtour  has been released today.

Tonight the cheque for the £30,000 raised was handed over by GWR’s Matthew Golton to Ermelinda Ceci of Action for Children at a ceremony at STEAM in Swindon.

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Just found this on YouTube
BNM this is one for you and our four legged friend.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9NrKuZmkJ7U