Great Western Coffee Shop

with bobm reporting from Paddington and bignosemac aboard the final train

The day has arrived. Full fat HSTs on the Greater Western network are out in scheduled passenger service for the last time today, 18th May 2019.

43 years of sterling service whisking folk from Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gwent, Glamorgan, and Dyfed up to London and back.

Finn and I shall be travelling on the final timetabled service, the 1830 from London Paddington to Taunton. He could well be the last dog to ride a full fat HST to the west! If any other forum members are out and about at Paddington, or on the final train, do say hi.

Today's window labels on the four HST sets in service.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/FB_IMG_1558173366184_zpsmux7zxdi.jpg)

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Probably doesn't need saying here, but do your spotting and photting in a safe and considerate manner, complying with byelaws and instruction from staff.

If you see any trespassing then do challenge, photograph and report it.

Meanwhile at Paddington the excitement was building.  A large crowd of onlookers gathered on every platform, along with a possibly larger crowd of bemused passengers wondering what was going on.  Rumours of a member of Royalty or Flying Scotsman making an appearance circulated but it some became clear as, one by one, the final HSTs arrived to take their bow
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/hstgw.jpg)

Shortly all four were lined up prior to leaving for Plymouth, Cheltenham Spa, Hereford and Exeter St Davids
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/hstlineup.jpg)

At 93 Sir Kenneth Grange was there to see the last of his iconic design leave Paddington
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/sirken.jpg)

Paddington was very busy but I didn’t see anyone endangering themselves or others, or ignoring requests from railway staff or the BTP.  All very good natured.
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/padcrowd.jpg)

The honour of leading out the final service fell to 43198. Poignantly it carried the names of the two GWR drivers who lost their lives while at the controls of HSTs – Brian Cooper who died at Ladbroke Grove in 1999 and Stan Martin who was killed in the Ufton Nervet level crossing crash in 2004.
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/hstcoop.jpg)

The train ran as the 18:30 to Exeter, with a relief train (which was rather empty) running two minutes behind it for those who just wanted to get home without the hullabaloo.  It overtook the last HST at Reading – allowing me to get its arrival at Swindon.
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/hstswinfin.jpg)

Some video here of the trains passing RAILCAM web cameras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MILq_6mzaFE

This day was long awaited yet seems to have came so quick, around this time last year I remember there was heavy rain and restrictions were lifted, and standing there in the rain at Didcot for a rammed HST to come. It’s not the same as a rammed voyager or a rammed 800.

Sadly, I didn’t plan it out and my last HST was January time. I watched the GWR Facebook livestream from Paddington earlier.

Farewell Class 43.

A truly wonderful send off for the venerable HST. Finn and I had a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Great Western Railway excelled themselves organising a fitting finale for the HST. My personal thanks go to Dan Panes, Paul Gentleman and Matthew Golton of GWR for making my trip on the last scheduled GWR full length HST so memorable. It's on record here on the forum that I have been sometimes critical of GWR, but praise where praise is due for the effort put in by the above named organising and ensuring the final day went so well.

It was a pleasure to meet and chat with Sir Kenneth Grange. He was very giving of his time onboard the 1830 from Paddington to  Taunton and Exeter. For a gentleman of his age it would have been easy to just remain in 1st Class with other VIPs but he walked through the train twice, meeting and greeting the enthusiasts.

As far as I can tell, all four final HSTs ran pretty much to schedule and without incident. I've not seen reports of trespass or inappropriate behaviour from those onboard.

One thing missed by choosing to travel rather than spot from a station or lineside was hearing the liberal use of the two-tone horn. Plenty of videos across social media of that stirring sound though and I did manage to record the horns as the final service departed Taunton.

Farewell HST. After 43 years of front line express passenger service its time to enjoy your retirement. I'm a little sad to see you go, but I'm also mindful that trains, whilst they can generate an emotional response, are first and foremost about moving people from A to B. The IETs now take on that role for GWR. It was always going to be a hard act to follow the iconic HST, I'm sure though, that in the fullness of time, the IETs will do the job just as well as their predecessor. Their perceived faults, much recounted across forums and social media, will I hope be ironed out during their lifetime. The IET is here to stay so there's no choice but to embrace them. I'm always the optimist and I feel confident that in another 43 years time the IETs will have a similar veneration from the rail enthusiast community.

I'll be postingBe a selection of photos from my trip on final service later when I'm at the new flat and borrowing the neighbour's WiFi. There's also video of my brief chats with Sir Kenneth Grange and Mark Hopwood to come. Before then here's a link to the two-tone soundtrack of the final four HSTs departing Paddington.

I watched the live stream and was somewhat disappointed at the coverage.  It was a bit chaotic, and also I was hoping the camera would be recording from the front of the station as they all departed, rather than the station end, but the first one slipped out without them even noticing.  And maybe a couple of detonators on the line as the last one left would have been a nice touch, but maybe that is not allowed any more?

Other than that, it does look like GWR put on a very good show for everyone, and they should be applauded for the effort they all put in and giving the HSTs a fitting send off.

Indeed thanks to Dan Panes and Paul Gentleman.  Paul has been behind many of the GWR train namings and heritage liveries carried on Class 43 power cars.  Dan produces the on board magazine among other things and helped on the night we did the Meet the Manager event on the forum.

Here they are, somewhat reluctantly, thrust into the limelight

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/hstdan2.jpg)

..and from limelight to droplight.. I think he is just within the profile of the coach and not endangering himself or others.

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/hstjam.jpg)

As with any live event it is hard to manage on the day.  There is also the question of cost - how much do you want to spend on it?  As far as I know the Facebook Live was done with one camera.  You'd need at least two to cover the trains departing. 

You could have stopped photographers getting on the intermediate platforms so you could have got a "clean" shot of the four HSTs lined up without people walking across the shot.  However if you had done that it would have put more pressure on platforms 1 and 4 if everyone was displaced there. 

It isn't really something you can rehearse beforehand.  With hindsight it is possible things may have been done differently but I suspect most people there on the day enjoyed it and, apart from any travel costs involved, it was a free event.

Yes. I took heed of the numerous new warnings on HST droplights! Maybe just the nose and cap out of gauge. Thanks bobm for papping me on departure from Swindon!

Just realised. J for Justin. :P

How loud are these detonators? I think they could cause confusion and unnecessary panic. Most people at Paddington will only have been there to catch a train and a noise like that could make them think that a terrorist incident is occurring.

Regretfully I agree.
In the past special railway occasions were often marked by the exploding of multiple detonators, out of date ones often.

These days however it seems unwise. The report is rather like gunfire, and the exploding of large numbers in quick succession sounds like automatic weapons being fired.
Most unwise these days, except PERHAPS at a ticket only event when everyone is aware of what to expect.

As promised, a selection of my pictures from Paddington and on my journey on the final GWR HST in scheduled passenger service.

(Do note if you are on a limited data plan that the images are original quality and resized by the forum after loading.)

The crowds admiring the best of British engineering
(https://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad5_zpsuhlksb6o.jpg)

Finn and I took a little walk along the canal before the HSTs arrived.
(https://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/PAD1_zpsbropzwgt.jpg)

Finn and I alongside 43002 (picture credit - bobm)
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/finn3_zpsn7wvyys5.jpg)

Sir Kenneth Grange with Sir Kenneth Grange.
(https://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad11_zpsm2cfgvld.jpg)
(https://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad12_zpsdeavdeiz.jpg)

Some images of the eight power cars used on the final day.
(https://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad4_zpsficfydok.jpg)
(https://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad10_zpscyaz2qft.jpg)
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad9_zpsiro7takx.jpg)
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad7_zpsd1nh6tqj.jpg)

To add to bobm's picture upthread of the Brian Cooper name board attached to 43198, here's the other side.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad18_zpsllkhdjt4.jpg)
This was a nice act of remembrance by GWR, putting the name boards of Drivers Brian Cooper and Stan Martin on the leading power car of the final service. The families of the two drivers who sadly lost their lives in the incidents at Ladbroke Grove and Ufton Nervet were among the invited guests on the final service.

Finn meeting Sir Kenneth Grange.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/IMG_20190518_190526_zpsmjpriuqy.jpg)

Matthew Golton, GWR's Commercial Development Director, mucking in and manning the 1st Class trolley.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/IMG_20190518_191022_zpsqnrz3o4u.jpg)

The buffet team on the 1830 from Paddington to Taunton. They had probably their busiest shift ever. Plenty of additional supplies were loaded at Paddington. Mostly beers, wines and spirits!
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad14_zpsux5fevlp.jpg)

The 1830 from Paddington was routed via the up line from Thingley Junction to Bath. Apparently this helped with regulating services at Bath, but I also heard it was done just because! Following that the 1830 was routed into platform 3 at Bristol Temple Meads instead of its booked platform 15. This allowed for the final HST to travel through the train shed.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/Pad15_zpsyhvdspuc.jpg)

Journey's end for Finn and I. Taunton. A bending of the rules here while waiting time. A few enthusiasts got the chance to go into the cab.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/IMG_20190518_212557_zpsnrslegas.jpg)

One final nerdy fact. The final train was powered by 43198 and 43002. Respectively the last and first production Class 43 power cars out of the factory.

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Videos will follow tomorrow when my broadband in new flat is connected.

I was following it on RTT and they put the 1841 Gloucester to Frome service into platform 1. There was a Brighton-Bristol waiting for p1 at the same time.

Geoff Marshall of 'All The Stations' fame travelled the last service as far as Swindon. Here's his video of the day.

(Sadly his 'interview' of Finn didn't make the cut)

Contractural issues apparently. Finn wanted repeat fees.  ;D

I would add my thanks to everyone who joined us yesterday (Saturday) for the farewell to HSTs and joined in. But I want to also pay tribute to everyone in GWR, Network Rail and beyond who worked hard to prepare and deliver yesterday’s events.

I confess I dreamt up the idea of lining four HSTs at Paddington but after that my amazing team and NR colleagues did the hard work to make it happen.

Our focus is now on working towards our new December 2019 timetable!

Geoff's had a good week, what with his LNER Azuma trip a few days ago..!

Looks like GWR did a really good job, and gave the HST's the send-off they deserved.

BBC's video at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-bristol-48327745/intercity-125-hundreds-bid-farewell-to-high-speed-train ... and I was trying to work out if I saw a member's right ear on there.

You and your team Mark all deserve a pat on the back for yesterday's memorable events. The Paddington line-up and sequential departures, the poignant name plates added to 43198, the invitation extended to Sir Kenneth Grange, your drivers' liberal use of the two-tones(!), the on board announcements from you, Sir Kenneth, other managers and train managers, and to all the staff who crewed the final four trains. The ones I chatted too were all delighted to have either been rostered or to have volunteered to work. Not forgetting station staff across the network, who ensured the public stayed safe while getting their chance to see the final four GWR HST passenger services.

A perfect farewell to the HSTs.

Thanks also for the brief piece to camera you afforded me, despite your stop at Didcot fast approaching! That video will be posted here tomorrow.

Oh, and I got some gentle ribbing from Dan Panes about my earlier description of him as your 'human shield'.




See. I can do praise.  :P ;) ;D

Not mine. There was one member (no longer a regular contributor) seen stood at the buffet.

I absolutely accept you do praise. Poor old Dan’s life insurance premiums doubled when his insurance company googled his name and came up against your comment!

I have nothing against your posts apart from the fact that they are accompanied by a photograph of an overweight underpowered item of Sulzer traction. I shall have to arrange suitable re-education !!

Perhaps they should now rename the station PaddFinnton. ....

I followed the events from time to time via BNM's and others' posts on here, and the GWR Facebook feed. Whilst I am sure there will have been many at Paddington wondering what on earth the fuss was about, it was a very good thing to have a proper farewell, and it all seemed to go very well. Having Sir Kenneth there was a masterstroke, even if he never thought he would have to wait so long for the retirement - at least partial - of the HSTs. He looked in better shape than I do, despite me having a considerable age advantage!

It may be a good idea to make a note in the office diary for the retirement of the IETs, if you have one that goes up to 2061.  :D

Well, I'm overweight and underpowered too!

But, praise be. Someone has finally mentioned my avatar. Changed on the occasion of my 46th birthday back in March. 46. Geddit?

Sorry to say Mark, it's Sulzer power for the next couple of years. Something creative for 49 and then when I reach the half century I will of course switch to English Electric. ;)

My little amateur montage of the final four:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-rhbMG-T8w

Well I too was at Paddington and add my thanks and praise for all those who made it possible. As already said, that final line up on platforms 1 to 4 was a particularly inspired event.

I suppose events like these mean different things to different people. I began to idly muse on how things had changed since I first went to Paddington by myself on 15th June 1963, 10 days short of my 11th birthday. Back then there were still 15xx tanks on empty stock workings to and from Old Oak Common, with the occasional NBL type 2 (D63xx range) when they could be spared from slightly less menial duties and were actually available for traffic…

There was still some main line steam to be found on the Cheltenham and Worcester services, and even a couple to Bristol until the end of the Summer timetable that year. Most express services were powered by Warships, the occasional Hymek and the few Westerns that weren’t still under construction at Swindon or Crewe.

And then we had the eras of the 47s and the 50s before the HSTs took over which, from a historical viewpoint, were collectively rattling up and down the GWR main lines for longer than all the “Kings” and most of the “Castles.”

The last time I was at an event which came anywhere near the one at Paddington on Saturday was on 8th July 1967 when steam finally gave way to electric traction on the Waterloo to Bournemouth main line (August 3rd 1968 on the 2125 Preston to Liverpool Exchange doesn’t really compare well because the vast majority of steam passenger workings had ended by April that year, and that final train was something of a one-off).

One stark difference between July 1967 and May 2018, however, was the condition of the motive power. By the end in July, most of the SR seam fleet could have been more accurately described as steam leaks on wheels, even if some of the drivers were getting unauthorised speeds out of them!

As others appear to have found far better places to stand than me with their cameras at Paddington O shall close with an image of one such steam leak on wheels, 73092 working the 1212 Weymouth to Bournemouth stopper all those years ago:

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/93122458@N08/8467960045/)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/93122458@N08/8467960045/

By the way, I saw two dogs at Paddington but neither of them were Finn. I might have seen that cloth cap, but I didn’t see the photograph until I got home  ;D

Nice to see 50 007 - although I did prefer it when it was in its Edward Elgar livery.

Videos are coming, I promise. Got my broadband go live date wrong. Its tomorrow. ::)

I accidentally managed to be involved at Temple Meads, only realising that I'd be at the station for the last one to pass through as I was on a train from Montpellier to Temple Meads ten minutes prior!
Was great to see a bit of history, and thank you to the station staff for making sure everyone was safe and not in the way of the more general public (thankfully at 8.30pm on a Saturday evening, Temple Meads was a lot quieter than Paddington looked like it was 2 hours earlier!). Also thank you to whoever was in charge of making letting it come in on P3 in the old part of the station, that made for some quite nice pictures and a much more appropriate sending off for the HST (although obviously not the last Bristol will see, long live the Castle Class!).

Slightly off-topic...
Going past my office window yesterday, not once but twice, was 0Z43.

"So what?", you may ask.  Well, 0Z43 was formed of three locos coupled together, and the middle one was 41001, the one remaining prototype HST Power Car, which had been present at the Severn Valley Diesel Gala last weekend.  0Z43 a special light-loco working from Kidderminster (Severn Valley) to Derby Etches Park.

Have to say that the Saturday HST event brought back a few memories.  In 1976 I was fortunate enough to be an Engineering Assistant in the HST section at CMEE Paddington, before moving to OOC a couple of years later.  I did the 6 week technical course split between Bath Road and OOC (as I suspect Electric Train did, and does anyone else remember ex RAF instructor George Longley going through all the electronic circuits in minute detail and expecting us to understand?).

Following the successful launch of the HST’s Leslie Lloyd, the formidable General Manager of the Western Region at the time, organised a “thank you” event at the Castle Bar BRSA to which wives etc were also invited.  He even organised a special DMU from Castle Bar back to Reading (via West Ealing West Curve).

Many of the early problems with HST’s have been mentioned before in the forum, but I haven’t seen any references to, for example, trailer car axle box and lateral control rod failures, power car yaw dampers become partially detached and hitting shunting signals etc., and power car guard’s van doors falling off and being found by the track.  There were many other technical problems which will be remembered by fewer and fewer people as the years go by.

They were interesting times for those of us lucky enough to have been involved.

My videos from the day.

First, two of the four sets arriving at Paddington.



A brief chat with Sir Kenneth Grange about how to approach dogs!


A few words for this forum from GWR Managing Director, Mark Hopwood.

(Yes, I know the prototype was 1972 - I had been conceived!)

And finally, the last HST departing Taunton, almost synchronised with a departing IET. The old bows out, the new has a hard act to follow.

A very well written and practiced speech by Mark Hopwood there. And an impressive bit of reversing in the first clip.

One of my best shots from the day was when I got back to Chippenham, and I have now posted it on Flickr.

The caption is a bit contrived given the comparison I've made, but you'll see that if you read it... ;)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/93122458@N08/47907171771/

Flickr not letting me for the last 20 minutes; will try later.

The site is down for maintenance at present. They run on Pacific time so they think it's half past one in the morning at the moment... :)

That might be a nerdy fact, but it's neat and I like it.  :D
(And I think it might technically be "geeky" rather than "nerdy" ;D)

One year ago today that the final four GWR HST scheduled passenger services left London Paddington, on the evening of 18th May 2019.

I'm actually missing them. But happy memories of the day. A highlight being meeting Sir Kenneth Grange and having him sign a couple of souvenir booklets for me.

(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/15898287086500_zpsulzgbtoj.jpg)

I'm seeing so many reminiscences of. year ago ... yes, sad they're not still around.  A tear, but a look forward.

My final view of a full length GWR HST ... a couple of weeks earlier

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/finalfullhst_9.jpg)

Looks to me like four different liveries on one train there!  :D

Well spotted ... Harry Patch on the front

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/finalfullhst_8.jpg)

A year ago today, I went on a lovely day trip from Plymouth to Exmouth, calling in at Topsham and Starcross and including the last service HSTs from and to Plymouth.  Weather was good, like it has been today.

Certainly iconic, played a major part in the keeping British Rail alive and competitive.  They certainly served well, as a stop gap until full network electrification.

However, they were not without their reliability issues, especially in the early days.


But still a British railway engineering great

They were indeed a wonderful stop-gap measure, although sadly the gap wasn't stopped during the 40 years of their expected 25.We'll get it right one day.