One of those days

[AleisterCrowley]

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!

Thanks, just needed to vent. As you were.
incidentally, anyone been on the new HST replacement (Class 800?) trains? Any thoughts ? My second trip on one today and I'd rate it better than Voyager/Pendolinos , but not as good as the HST 125.
That's progress..

[YeadonLad]

It takes a lot to beat a HST although in my opinion mark 4's do. What is interesting is that the same stock at different train companies can be so different - East Midland class 158's/South Western class 159's are the best but Northern's 158's are dire (even the ones that have just been refurbished).

Could have been worse though, it could have been a Pacer.

[AleisterCrowley]

I like the mark 3 coaches,wish they'd carried on using them and just updated the power cars
Lots of space, comfy seats, plenty of toilets (no barging through three full carriages to get to the nearest loo, which is probably out of order)

[UncleEbenezer]

We don't get shiny modern trains in the southwest. Just the diesel 125s, and little trains. That is, when our line working at all and isn't under the waves 'cos they won't spend 1% of the cost of HS2 on reopening the inland route between Exeter and Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock.

My main gripe about changes is the loss of luggage space in the intercity carriages. Back in the Good Old Days, half or more of the seats were in groups of four seats around a table. The floor-level space between back-to-back seats presented rather more luggage space than either the overhead racks that'll take nothing bigger than a coat or briefcase[1] or the utterly inadequate luggage space at the end of a carriage.

[1] Why can both airplanes and older trains take so much more in overhead racks?

[AleisterCrowley]

I do a lot of trips to Exeter on the HSTs (IC125s)
Lovely trains compared with the alternatives. The Reading>Oxford>Brum>Wolves route I use occasionally has the ghastly Cross Country Class 220 Voyagers which are usually rammed, with little luggage space - narrow overhead racks

[AleisterCrowley]

Is there a trainspotters' board?
Can we start one ?

[scottnsilky]

I am constantly intrigued by the depth and width of knowledge shown by members of this forum, I'm going to Inverness next month, first Transpennine to Glasgow, then Scotrail, what rolling stock can I expect? Also, if I may, what's the food like in first class, with these operaters?

TIA,

dp

[AleisterCrowley]

...what's the food like in first class...

dp

How the heck would I know ?!

[kiloran]

I am constantly intrigued by the depth and width of knowledge shown by members of this forum, I'm going to Inverness next month, first Transpennine to Glasgow, then Scotrail, what rolling stock can I expect? Also, if I may, what's the food like in first class, with these operaters?

TIA,

dp

First Class Scotrail from Glasgow? Got to be deep-fried pizza, surely.

--kiloran

[bungeejumper]

Is there a trainspotters' board? Can we start one ?

I think you just did.

Mind you, a word of warning. You'll have to put up with us old farts whiffling on about how we used to lean through the broken fence to wave to the drivers of the Flying Scotsman as it passed through. And about how the drivers always waved back to us. (True, they always did.) And about how filthy you could get if you chose to stand on a footbridge while a steam train passed underneath. (It livened up going to Sunday school, though.)Deltics were no fun at all by comparison......

There, I told you you'd regret it.

BJ

[JMN2]

Is there a trainspotters' board? Can we start one ?

I think you just did.

Mind you, a word of warning. You'll have to put up with us old farts whiffling on about how we used to lean through the broken fence to wave to the drivers of the Flying Scotsman as it passed through. And about how the drivers always waved back to us. (True, they always did.) And about how filthy you could get if you chose to stand on a footbridge while a steam train passed underneath. (It livened up going to Sunday school, though.)Deltics were no fun at all by comparison......

There, I told you you'd regret it.

BJ

Anoraks...let's combine it with old west history and cryptozoology, some HEMA thrown in for good measure...

[rabbit]

We don't get shiny modern trains in the southwest. Just the diesel 125s, and little trains. That is, when our line working at all and isn't under the waves 'cos they won't spend 1% of the cost of HS2 on reopening the inland route between Exeter and Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock.

My main gripe about changes is the loss of luggage space in the intercity carriages. Back in the Good Old Days, half or more of the seats were in groups of four seats around a table. The floor-level space between back-to-back seats presented rather more luggage space than either the overhead racks that'll take nothing bigger than a coat or briefcase[1] or the utterly inadequate luggage space at the end of a carriage.

[1] Why can both airplanes and older trains take so much more in overhead racks?

We might be getting some of these new-fangled 800s down in the far south west soon, provided their feeble diesel engines can get them over the gradients on the Devon Banks (they're bi-modes, running on electricity where overhead lines exist, and on underfloor diesels where they don't). I've not been on one, but Aleister's comments are pretty representative of those that have, and I believe they can be quite rowdy when the diesel engines fire up! So enjoy the HSTs while you can.

The good news is that some of the redundant HSTs are being refurbished with such mod cons as powered doors and retention toilets (!) and are being reconfigured into four carriage trains for local mainline services in the South West. As someone who is more likely to be travelling down to Cornwall on a stopping local service these days, rather than to London, I'm quite looking forward to these.

Answer to [1] as far as older trains are concerned - no aircon taking up overhead space.

[bungeejumper]

Where are the wacky engineers these days?

Sending sports cars into outer space? Getting rocket boosters to do fancy triple vertical landings?

I was watching a programme about Indian railways the other night (Portillo, I think?), in which he said that India is to get a high-speed, high-tech Maglev system - by 2019, I believe? I suppose it'll be all right as long as the low-speed, low-tech holy cows remember to stay off the line?

BJ

[AleisterCrowley]

There is (was??) one at Brum NEC. Not exactly high speed ...
The name Eric Laithwaite rings a bell

[Slarti]

There is (was??) one at Brum NEC. Not exactly high speed ...
The name Eric Laithwaite rings a bell

I remember Prof Laithwait demoing Linear Induction Motors with sheets of steel on Tomorrows World, but ISTR that BR and various politicians were against making proper trains using it.

Wasn't the Brum one between the airport and the "international" station?

Slarti

[AleisterCrowley]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirRail_Link
Looks like the MagLev stopped in 95
I definitely went on it - I think we'd parked on the airport side prior to a gig at the arena..last NEC gig i went to was about 89!

[gryffron]

Back in the Good Old Days, half or more of the seats were in groups of four seats around a table. The floor-level space between back-to-back seats presented rather more luggage space than either the overhead racks that'll take nothing bigger than a coat or briefcase[1] or the utterly inadequate luggage space at the end of a carriage.
[1] Why can both airplanes and older trains take so much more in overhead racks?

I like the mark 3 coaches,wish they'd carried on using them and just updated the power cars
Lots of space, comfy seats, plenty of toilets (no barging through three full carriages to get to the nearest loo, which is probably out of order)

Disability access requirements have an awful lot to answer for. Terrific for the 1% of wheelchair users who want to get on a train. At the cost of genuine discomfort for the other 99.99% of the travelling public.
Huge toilets with power doors that break. They take up a huge amount of space, so far fewer of them.
Wider doors and gangways means fewer seats.
Space for wheelchairs leaves all those standing areas.

I'm all for making allowances - where it is practical. But our cramped little trains don't have much space. Is it really worth disadvantaging so many, for the benefit of so few? Surely we could have ONE wheelchair access car in a train, and cram way more seats, toilets and luggage in all the others.

Gryff

[AleisterCrowley]

The upgraded Mark 3 sets seem to have the right balance. One accessible toilet next to a series of wheelchair spaces. I rarely see those spaces being used, and i travel by train a lot.

[YeadonLad]

I am constantly intrigued by the depth and width of knowledge shown by members of this forum, I'm going to Inverness next month, first Transpennine to Glasgow, then Scotrail, what rolling stock can I expect? Also, if I may, what's the food like in first class, with these operaters?

TIA,

Transpennine to Glasgow will most likely be a four car class 350 electric multiple unit although some services use the three car class 185 diesel multiple units - the 13:00 from Manchester Airport (13:15 from Manchester Piccadilly) to Glasgow and 17:10 return is always diesel.
First class in either will be tea/coffee and biscuits.
https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/onboard-facilities/first-class

Glasgow to Inverness will be either a class 158 or class 170 diesel multiple unit, most likely the latter.
First class:
When the train has a catering service, you’ll get a free hot or soft drink and a sweet or savoury snack for the journey. You can also buy refreshments from the trolley service.

There is a free bus service between Central and Queen Street when you have a train ticket.
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/travel-connections/glasgow-stations-link-bus

[LadyGagarin]

There is (was??) one at Brum NEC. Not exactly high speed ...
The name Eric Laithwaite rings a bell

Under no circumstances to be confused with Eric Olthwaite.