My final ride on a full length HST?

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Description says "Each box contains 238 different labels used on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services for the period from January to May 2019."   Now does that mean 1 of each of 238 variants used across a week?   

Given each train uses at least eight if not more individual labels having 30 boxes left over doesn't seem to over generous.

[TaplowGreen]

Three Pullman meals could be purchased for that money, perhaps four if going easy on the drink.

But after the meals are long, long gone you'll still have those labels to admire.

……..or indeed, should toilet paper be included in the list of post Brexit shortages, a ready made (albeit a little rough) replacement! 

[eightonedee]

Guess someone slightly over-ordered, perhaps entered an extra 'zero' to the quantity unintentionally.

Perhaps they had no confidence that the dot matrix destination signs on the side of the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) would work, so ordered some just in case.

I wonder when they will feel confident enough to sell boxes of seat reservation tickets as HST^▸ (High Speed Train) souvenirs?

[smokey]

On the 12th November 2011 London Midland ran a "Farewell Class 150".
150 001 and 150 106 ran around the West Midlands including a run along the SVR to Bridgnorth.

Next day I arrived at Worcester SH for a Train to Birmingham and found myself riding on 150 001 (my first ride on the 3 car 150/0s).

Not sure if the 150s are still used in the Midlands but some 150s were used for years after the Farewell tour, but with Stock shortages I won't write off Full length HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) for a while

[tomL]

Yesterday (Sunday, 31/01/2019) 1A10 (early morning up Weston-Super-Mare/Bristol service) was formed of a 9 car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) which makes me think my last scheduled/planned HST^▸ (High Speed Train) trip has come and gone. 

[Richard Fairhurst]

I was sorry to just miss the last (?) Cotswold HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on Sunday. We were in Worcester, dropping the boat off at Lowesmoor Basin for blacking. Walking out of the basin we checked Live Departures to see when the next train home from Shrub Hill would be... only to hear a rumble and a hoot, turn round, and see the HST inching along the embankment. Five minutes earlier and we'd have made it...

Nice touch of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to put the retro Intercity Swallow power car on it.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I didn’t post at the time, but I had planned my last HST^▸ (High Speed Train) bash for last Thursday.  Plan was 0933 Reading – Totnes arr 1151, then back on the 1228 to Reading with a Pullman lunch.

With the events at Stoke Cannon this was not to be.  Perhaps surprisingly, there was no information at Reading on the likely disruption to the 0933 prior to departure.  But as soon as we were on board the Train Manager gave out clear information as she received it, and spent the whole journey to Taunton (where we terminated) walking through the train helping people.

At Taunton there were many passengers waiting onward journeys.  As I was on a jolly I decided to vacate the area quickly and caught the first train north, which was the 1104 to Cardiff.  Half an hour on a crowded 150 was quite enough so I hopped off at WSM and had fish and chips on the prom - very nice, but not quite the same as a Pullman lunch. Returned to Reading on an 80x.

The TM^‡(resolve) on the 0933 from Reading, the gateline and platform staff at Taunton, and the Conductor on the 1104 from Taunton were all excellent, giving out information, helping stressed out passengers and remaining calm.  Well done and thank you to them.

[Robin Summerhill]

Anyone wanting a "fix" of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) would have enjoyed being at Bristol TM^‡(resolve) at 1215 today. I arrived on the 1030 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to WSM to find three of them around the place:

A full 8 set waiting to work the 1300 to Paddington on platform 15
Presumably a 4-car set (I didn't think to check) on platform 3 working a Taunton to Cardiff
Another one lurking on one of platforms 5 to 8 that I didn't manage to identify the service - may have been ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) by then

[JayMac]

Provisional timings for the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Charity Railtour on Saturday 1st June 2019 are now in RealTime Trains.

The train starts the day at St Phillips Marsh then on to Bristol Temple Meads at oh-my-god o'clock. From there it's off to Paddington via Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot and Reading.

After a half hour turn round the special then heads for Carmarthen via Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Charlbury, Moreton-in-Marsh, Worcester, Hereford, Newport, Cardiff, Port Talbot and Llanelli.

After about 20 minutes in Carmarthan the HST then returns to Paddington via Swansea, Cardiff, Gloucester (via Chepstow), Swindon (via Kemble), Didcot and Reading.

Finally, after another 30 minute turnround at Paddington, the special runs nonstop to Plymouth via the Berks & Hants.

ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) off St Phillips Marsh: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V43775/2019/06/01/advanced
Bristol TM^‡(resolve) to Paddington: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V43771/2019/06/01/advanced
Paddington to Carmarthen via Cotswold Line: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V43772/2019/06/01/advanced
Carmarthen to Paddington via Gloucester: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V43773/2019/06/01/advanced
Paddington to Plymouth non-stop: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V43774/2019/06/01/advanced
ECS Plymouth to Laira: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V43770/2019/06/01/advanced

[Celestial]

Have the prices been released for this yet?  I'm guessing it's not going to be cheap.

[JayMac]

Have the prices been released for this yet?  I'm guessing it's not going to be cheap.

No detail on prices yet. It remains the case that attendees of the Long Rock Open Day on April 13th will be offered the first chance to buy tickets.

[Robin Summerhill]

No detail on prices yet. It remains the case that attendees of the Long Rock Open Day on April 13th will be offered the first chance to buy tickets.

Assuming that means the trip is aimed at people from Plymouth (where the special terminates), how are they going to get to Bristol by daft-o-clock in the morning to join the train in the first place?

Similarly, anyone from Bristol who gets up at "sparrow yawn" to join the train, ends up in Plymouth at 2203 that night, with no chance of getting home before the next day.

Perhaps I'm being dense, but this doesn't seen to be particularly well thought out to me.

[JayMac]

I fully expect the special to be ticketed such that you can chose specific legs. It just isn't practical to do the whole day unless you are a real diehard/masochistic HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fan.

[martyjon]

I fully expect the special to be ticketed such that you can chose specific legs. It just isn't practical to do the whole day unless you are a real diehard/masochistic HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fan.

I'm privvy to one whose travel plans once he's got his ticket are :-

Friday, travel to Bristol and early night in Holiday Inn Express, Temple Gate, Bristol.

Saturday, the trip followed by Saturday night in the Copthorne Hotel, Drakes Way, Plymouth.

Sunday, return home to Penarth.


His very first train ride at the age of three was on an HST day trip from Bristol to York with his mum, dad and grandfather. It was a Fielding and Watts Railtour of which the Watts side of the name remains in the railtour business to this day in the guise of Pathfinder Tours.

[TaplowGreen]

I fully expect the special to be ticketed such that you can chose specific legs. It just isn't practical to do the whole day unless you are a real diehard/masochistic HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fan.

I'm privvy to one whose travel plans once he's got his ticket are :-

Friday, travel to Bristol and early night in Holiday Inn Express, Temple Gate, Bristol.

Saturday, the trip followed by Saturday night in the Copthorne Hotel, Drakes Way, Plymouth.

Sunday, return home to Penarth.


His very first train ride at the age of three was on an HST day trip from Bristol to York with his mum, dad and grandfather. It was a Fielding and Watts Railtour of which the Watts side of the name remains in the railtour business to this day in the guise of Pathfinder Tours.

I hope the Copthorne has improved since the last time I stayed there, although it is very handy for North Road Station!