Great Western Coffee Shop

https://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/railtours/ (https://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/railtours/)

11 April 2026: To East Somerset Railway (date confirmed)
20 June 2026: To Paignton (provisional)
19 September 2026: To Stamford and the Old Dalby Test Track (provisional)

There's just something about those trains - perhaps being brought up with them passing through Petts Wood and occasional opportunities to ride.  Happy memories of travelling from Southampton to Fawley on one - and would hope to do so again some time.

Proper trains, of the suburban type.

Weren't the Hastings DEMUs mainline, rather than suburban.  Some even had buffet cars (although these were later removed during their life)

Mainline for Southern - journey about 75 miles.   Mainline from my viewpoint as a resident in the area ... local trains from Charing Cross and Waterloo called at all stations to Orpington, which was the first call of the semi-fasts.   The Hastings trains did not call at Orpington - first stop after Waterloo was Sevenoaks.  "Express".

+ 1 to that. Self contained. 75mph running and looks very cheerful at a sustained 75 too.

Also, when awaiting a dusty-windowed Kent coast service at London Bridge, it was not uncommon that a... characterful noise... preceeded the bustling appearance of a Hastings diesel from the Charing Cross direction, prompting a ... 'What, whaaat's that thing? Has it been on a diet?'

Mark

So ... characteristic ... waiting on platform 3 at Orpington for the local to Sevenoaks ... a Hastings Diesel glided in at line speed from London and as he went through the platform, the engines roared up from idle to top notch to put on power as the train hit the rise toward Knockholt summit. I can imagine the sound to this day.

Hmmm. I wouldn't describe a Hastings Diesel as able to 'glide'.... :( ??? ;D

It can coast though. Historically, the south coast, but now, the other points of the compass too.

Mark

I have added the first two of those dates to our Coffee Shop forum calendar. The third date seems rather more 'provisional', so I'll leave it here for now.

I commuted for 10 years or so on these from T Wells. In the morning everyone formed a neat queue opposite each door stopping place. As the train entered Grove Hill tunnel everyone counted the number of windows. If the train included a 'short ' unit (seven windows per carriage rather than eight) the queue neatly snaked forward to the revised stopping place. No pushing or shoving. All very civilised!

I'm glad we're all different.   I did search for a word though.  My alternative was coasting.   As the train rolled into Orpington at line speed, no sound from the engines, but as it passed by they turned up to a 'screaming' full throttle ;  I can still hear than sound as I write today, over half a lifetime later, far better than I can translate it into words.