The History of HSTs in the West

[@Bicyclehub]

Your train videos are always first class.

[@steezio777]

I see what you did there 👀

[@frostycola42]

Agreed

[@N330AA]

And without the dodgy aircon units

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

*Blue Pullman if successfull noises*

[@safirahmed]

KZbin regret to announce that there are no refreshments provided for this video.

[@johnbuoy1401]

This is why people are tuning to KZbin etc. just clear, factual documentaries focusing on the actual subject. Not trying to push an agenda or crowbar in a sob story or ‘life affirming journey’. Respect

[@PJWey]

Like a good documentary should be

[@sockstarnik]

Totally agree

[@macjim]

It’s a testament to the designers of the HST, that the 125’s still look modern, even when placed alongside the Hitachi trains: and they’re not gone yet too… Inter7city 125’s are even better (after the refurbishments) than the more modern trains, before they replaced their younger cousin, running between the seven cities of Scotland. The 800 class trains; cracking trains, literally 🤣 The modern equivalent of the HST could be the Pendolino trains, good hardworking units and good at what they were designed for... One for a future review of?

[@Eliteerin]

It's just a shame they don't have the slam doors and fully opening windows any more :)

[@Muzer0]

I'd much rather be sat on an IET (even a cracked one) than a Pendo... And it's not just me, I know a lot of people who don't like them because of the claustrophobic and poorly-designed interiors and small windows. As for HSTs - I love them, but they've really had their day. Despite the introduction of sliding doors they're still rather stuck in the past when it comes to thinks like accessibility regulations and (as Carmont sadly showed) crashworthiness.

[@jimtaylor294]

^ Debatable. They were the first on the network with internal sliding doors, and in a crash a slam door is much more likely to open, than an electric one. (indeed; there's been notable instances of trains breaking down, and the passengers losing both the canned air and the exit doors... not an encouraging thought, nor a problem on earlier trains, as it was the passenger's role to open and close the windows & doors where appropriate) Granted an HST-125 is harder to get on and off of when with a wheelchair or otherwise disabled, but that used to be an issue the station crew were there to assist with. (yeah; customer service once was a concept taken seriously, before machines made it a rare occurrence to be served by another human being)

[@christhomas3901]

Question, why new trains when you could renovate and refit the HSTs to be on the over head cables? Surely they would be more reliable and cheaper?

[@jimtaylor294]

@@christhomas3901 I'm not sure how convertible the Class 43 HST's would be to electric power, as they weren't designed for it. The Class 91 HST's by contrast were electric from the start. Unfortunately relatively few Class 91's were built, 31 sets, compared to 197 Class 43's. Would have it been cheaper to continue production of both into the 1990's?; definitely. With the botched psuedo-privatization of the '90's though; that was doomed not to be. As a result we now have a hotch potch of various HST classes (mostly foreign), rather than a standardized domestic pair.

[@stuartkinnear2478]

The HSTs were the right train at the right time - safety incidents notwithstanding. I always love your train videos - thanks so much for this one and looking forwards to the next.

[@YaoboyProd2K15]

The most legendary diesel trains in the British mainline scene, with 45 years of operation and are still going strong up to this day in 2021.

[@lukethomas.125]

Sadly no more in 2023, stupid Hitachi IETs are taking over

[@maimadha]

​@@lukethomas.125we want HSTs not class 800s and 802s

[@lukethomas.125]

@@maimadha Indeed. We need HSTs back on the mainline where they belong

[@mraeroboy398]

gotta love how the short term relief turned out to be one of the most important trains in brittain

[@camhalls9366]

That was tradition for British Rail though, just look at the pacer

[@gerritliskow2399]

Among the many merits of your work, I think the use of English really stands out. The wording of your commentary/narration is impeccable - precise without sounding pedantic, unambiguous without being unimaginative. Something there for the aspirational layman (like myself) and for the mature specialist as well, I'd imagine. And it really brings the topic to life. Very well done and many thanks.

[@mdhazeldine]

There's only one thing missing from this video: The awesome sound of that Valenta engine screaming at you as it whizzes past!

[@jimtaylor294]

Definitely. Loved watching them thunder past through Sandy (Bedfordshire) in the 1990's. Post-2007 ones were still fun to observe in full cry though.

[@micknotfromleitrim]

That turbo when they shift through the notches as they pull away has always been a spiritual thing for me, a moment of reflection as my chest vibrates in sympathy with its magnificent strokes, a symbiotic pulse in the air pressure. "TAKE IT" I want to scream "TAKE THE AIR....... IT'S ALL YOURS" Paxman valenta, to some just a name.....

[@RichardDzien]

As amazing as that sound was, it's a pity it always had to be accompanied by you choking to death on diesel fumes. "ha-haaa!!" it said, "you want to breathe oxygen ??? No you may not, here is some black soot instead"

[@jimtaylor294]

^ Only if you're standing next to one indoors with no ventilation at all XD.

[@tonybell3422]

As you say, missing the Valenta scream.

[@collinblack_60103-]

The Australian cousin the XPT is going to be withdrawn in the next two years. Great information about the HST.

[@ajf3202]

Whats replacing it?

[@844SteamFan]

rip

[@poshlad6275]

@@ajf3202 trans rapid maglev

[@rhyswhiddon8882]

A 160kmph DMU.

[@N330AA]

That's a shame, i took that train Syd-Melbourne once, was a great journey

[@albuquerqueaerialimagery6133]

I'm American. I was 10 in 83 when we went to visit my uncles. We rode the intercity 125 several times. I still remember the rides like it was yesterday. I later received model trains of the 125. I still have them. I turn 50 this year.

[@faithshepard7895]

This video gives me watery eyes. I’ll always remember those rosy days travelling with Intercity 125 from Paddington to Reading. Some truly emotional stuff there.

[@tosspot1305]

I grew up to the sound of that Paxman Valenta. So iconic. I do miss it

[@pauldelcour]

Well done, very informative in a pleasantly compact way. I do love the HST's, though the 800's are sort of the modern version and are quite appealing.

[@owenchuarbx]

Although I didn't ride the HSTs on the GWML, I did on the ECML back then when VTEC was in charge of long distance operations on that sector, Riding from London King's Cross to York. A lot of hunting from these sets compared to newer trains but looking at its age, I'm surprised how well built these trainsets are. Definitely miss those experiences.

[@paulkurilecz4209]

I rode on these between Paddington and South Devon. It was truly impressive. Smooth as silk, no vibration, quiet and very comfortable.

[@fletchertriclawgaming1486]

I loved these things as a kid, although only ever got to go on them a few times. I just remember them being so smooth and quiet and fast. The hitachi ones feel very cramped compared to the HSTs.

[@jimtaylor294]

The Class 800's also have an overheating problem as of 2021; due to an inadequate amount of space allocated for the cooling system.

[@seansands424]

I prefer the HST then the Hitachi ones more comfy than the Hitachi ones

[@joewalker2152]

Used to love it when we as a family used to travel from Paignton all the way to Durham to visit family on HST's in the 80's. Very happy memories.

[@patrickwebb7311]

Its interesting how wedge front engines seem to save passenger service. Here in the US, the General Electric (GE) Genesis, the US' equivalent of the HST's in a way, saved Amtrak services through their reliability and modern aesthetic. (there were other engines as well, though these best fit the analogy). And like the 43's are slowly being retired in favor of new engines after decades of service.

[@Andrewjg_89]

I will miss them so much. I went on them many times and they will be remembered as the best British built trains in the 20th Century. Farewell Class 43 HST.

[@stevehallam0850]

Badgerline was originally a local bus company based in Weston-super-Mare! Excellent review of one of the classic and most successful train designs.

[@tedthesailor172]

I'd forgotten about that terrible collision & fire at Paddington...

[@lukegreen5341]

11:11 I've Used To Go On The First Ever British Rail Inter City 125 High Speed Main Line Diesel Express Passenger Train From London Paddington To Plymouth In Devon And Cornwall In England In The United Kingdom Back In 2004 When I Was A Kid And It Was Then On The Return Trip From Exeter To Plymouth Back In 2015. Awesome. Thanks Mate. X

[@YourLocalDumbassIguess]

For fuck's sake, that capitalization hurts my eyes.

[@johnkeepin7527]

Well done. A topic larger than it looks, as with many things in the railway industry! One of the most important features of the HSTs was the substantial braking performance compared with loco hauled rolling stock. They can run at 125 mph with braking distance almost identical to loco hauled stock at 100 mph. This made it easier to introduce, without too many signalling alterations (there were quite a few other features, a bit off topic). As to some of the other disciplines that made it happen, it’s worth noting that there was a lot of Permanent Way work done to raise the line speed for them, and Civil Engineering work as well. Also, a few road level crossings were abolished, either with road over bridges (51°35'13.0"N 1°39'22.5"W), or under bridges (51°35'59.9"N 1°36’04.2”W), e.g. Quite a few of them. The Paddington to Bristol route did not have too many level crossings, and only a couple now. The Mk 3 stock used was fitted with disc brakes, as part of this feature, rather than clasp brakes on the treads. That was relatively novel in the 1970s, and had it’s own side effects, as it were; that’s another subject worth following up, for those who are interested. One of the oddities is that the lifecycle of this stock was almost lined up with mine, so I’ve done at least 500, 000 miles on them.

[@keithporter9822]

Great video! Really enjoyed it. Still prefer travelling on IC125s than the new IEPs too :)

[@Spookieham]

I used to ride them on occasion between Paddington and Plymouth. I always paid the extra for 1st class and it was a cracking way to travel. Quick and comfy. A couple of times I broke the journey at Newton Abbott and detoured to Dawlish just to watch them go past. Happy Days

[@billhall8745]

A very good video and the only one that I have seen that mentions the four power cars that had the Mirrlees MB190 engines fitted. I designed the engine control system for these Mirrlees sets. I traveled about in these four power cars for many months. The drivers loved them for their extra power being able to get up to speed much sooner. I traveled in one that did 143mph in normal passenger service. Happy days 🙂

[@timwatson8151]

it's been neat being able to track how modernization really occurred in the UK, especially the roughly 25-year period of TPWS' development and the clever technology that went into something that most people aren't even aware of.

[@j3xk72r9]

I miss the HST's on the services to London. The Hitachi trains are a poor substitute, very uncomfortable, poor ride and noisy. For passenger comfort, we have gone backwards. When I first travelled on an HST in 1977, I could not believe how smooth and quiet they were. If you weren't looking, you didn't realise they had started.

[@David-ci1vn]

I was doing the Bristol to Paddington and back virtually every weekend from late '77 and concur.

[@SimonCapewell]

Same with the Voyager units on CrossCountry. More cramped seating, the seats themselves are less comfortable and you've got an engine roaring under the floor of every coach. Even sat at the extreme end of coach A on an HST set, you got an almost magically silent pull away from stations.

[@jonistan9268]

We're going backwards with passenger comfort pretty much everywhere. Seating like in some sort of regional train, no restaurant or buffet cars and lighting being way too bright, especially at night. Also, EMUs are generally louder (and usually have more annoying sound) than loco hauled trains.

[@ironmantrains]

Economics is the classic excuse used for that sort of thing. It's unacceptable. It is possible to save money and still provide good quality comfort.

[@willsham45]

But in a news article GWR insisted that social media said they were comfortable and they would not lie. Though in lines of lets blame someone else I hear the fault lied with DFT who messed up standards meaning lots of new trains got bad seats and now they are replacing seats with better ones. Though I am not holding my breath hopefully things will get a little more comfortable soon.

[@liamgrealish3138]

Remember being on one off the first sets on the journey from Bristol to Paddington. The thing that sticks in my mind is the awful smell from the brakes 😫

[@ironmantrains]

14:55 I was travelling on a Castle HST a few weeks ago from Weston to Bristol and was meant to be a semi-fast service. It had acquired a 20 minute delay near Saltash and so eventually at Weston they sent it non-stop to Bristol just like the good old days of when they used to operate intercity services.

[@Ben31337l]

You missed out a driver strike on BR during the introduction of the HST and APT sets. The driver basically protested because there was only room for a driver in the cabin. This means that the other driver / firemen e would have been laid off. But, and this is my opinion, staff wouldn't have been laid off, just retrained into a different role. It is why the APT-E and prototype HSTs only had a window large enough for a single driver while the production variants had room for 2.

[@sct913]

In the US, the Budd SPV-2000, which was touted as the "second generation" replacement for their highly successful rail diesel car (RDC), was similarly modified - the prototype unit had only a single cab window, but the production units had two.

[@66kbm]

Those HST's in the 1980's were invaluable to me and my mates in the Army coming into the UK from Germany on leave Nice ride, nice Buffet. Could not fault it, no wonder it did 40 years of service. Long live the 125.

[@sct913]

I rode several HSTs when I visited Britian in the late 1980s. The first time I got on one, I thought "Oh great, the window's scratched" as we accelerated out of Edinburgh. Then I quickly realized that the window was fine, and that the blurry appearance of close objects was because of the speed we had already attained.

[@mickd6942]

I can remember travelling on one from Bath in the late 70’s on my one and only visit to corsham , they were brand new

[@TheFokker03]

very good and informative.having been into trains for over 50 odd years (i'm 62) this is an amazing video.hope you do more on the HST.

[@davidashton3396]

Your videos are always good, thanks for making them. HST for me is the best train ever, introduced when I was 18, still running now I am 65! So many journeys to Bristol on them and I’m afraid I did not look forward to the Class 800 takeover, they just feel lower quality…although better on GNER in Azuma format.

[@jim-kl1fi]

RIP the HST, I loved trainspotting them at Leicester but the gone now, your train videos are the best.

[@macjim]

They’re still running here in Scotland under the Scotrail Brand; Inter7city, and are all refurbished with power operated sliding doors.

[@jimtaylor294]

The slam doors will be missed. Made them quite distinctive to get on and off of when they were still operating in the east-midlands. The internal doors were always powered though. Hopefully a few will keep that feature into preservation.

[@Martindyna]

@@jimtaylor294 Indeed but the inward opening slam doors of the XPT are safer, if more awkward to use. However the safety issue was negated later for the IC125s when they gained central locking I guess.

[@maimadha]

​@@jimtaylor294I wish the MK3 carriages still had the slam doors

[@robertjones8667]

Another great video RM, always love your train videos. Would love to see one on the 37 or the deltic.

[@Shadow_tv_edits]

I've seen a gwr class 43 or hst (same thing) at Bristol temple meads from swindon

[@frostycola42]

they will live on train simulator thanks to armstrong powerhouse. i love the swallow livery also seen on class 47 86 87 90 and 91. very good video.

[@aaravsgaming337]

lol

[@zulkiflijamil4033]

the Automatic Warning System ( AWS). Thanks for the uploading.

[@MRCSANY]

6:18 I don’t know why, but Ruairidh saying “Absolutely Fly” in such a matter-of-fact tone is so funny to me 😂

[@tonybell3422]

Excellent video and commentary. Thanks for sharing.

[@nudisco300]

The low seats they had in the 80s and 90s were so comfortable and absorbed all the bumps, then they refurbish them with high seats with all the comfort of a park bench. Progress.

[@adamlee3772]

Excellent video, knowledge base second to none, well presented. Thanks for producing it.

[@toomanyuserids]

I rember walking into Paddington and...well, us Americans marveling I could get on a train to Temple Meads every hour or so. Magnificent noise. I paid for a plate on the SSGB some years back.

[@AustralianRailwayVideos]

I admire the HSTs, they are an awesome choice for BR and also was the base design of Australia’s equivalent, the XPTs!

[@justandy333]

They've got such an iconic look to them, I dont know about anyone else but I'd of loved it if hitachi made everything on the inside of the 800's as bang up to date as possible. But crucially kept the looks on the outside as close to the HST as possible. They're doing interesting work with some of the older freight locomotives. Stripping out completely the old sets, literally everything apart from the main chassis and body and modernising everything, but preserving the classic aesthetics.

[@therailwaycatuk5477]

west country based here - HST is just such a staple of our main line, it tends to boggle the mind when my Friends up north or further east "mourn" them as the HST still runs wild down this way. They act like theyve won the lottery when they travel this way and their train is an HST. haha The Hitachi trains did take some time to get used to seeing. My Dad grew up along the Seawall line areas, he's seen the evolution of western mainline trains. Says the Warships were his fave to see.

[@Marcsworld2012]

5:47 BRO USED THE HORNBY MODEL 🎉

[@julianlockwood3040]

Great video. Thanks for posting.

[@peternolan7606]

Another first class video on a well known but little covered British rail great.

[@poorboybmx2511]

All the character has been omitted in the new sets, just like the aviation industry, it's all gone incredibly boring 😪 Another fantastic video, thank you so much, damn I'm getting old

[@jimtaylor294]

I have to agree on the lack of character bit; one can't help but look at the Intercity 125 & 225 and ponder how we lack a proper sequel to them.

[@Muzer0]

Character only accrues over time. When the HSTs came out all the rail enthusiasts of the day thought they lacked character.

[@poorboybmx2511]

@@Muzer0 That stopped me in my tracks, valid & very correct point 👍

[@paulcaswell2813]

@@Muzer0 As an East Coast person, when the HSTs took over from the Deltics we all moaned!

[@stephenharper9961]

IEP has been a massive failure with lots of overcrowding reported daily, and reliability issues, which I've witnessed a few times alone

[@TEBEnthusiast]

I remember them when I took them from Paddington to St Erth

[@limeyfox]

Southall was caused by the driver not paying attention (he was packing his bag) while driving at 125mph with the AWS isolated due to a fault. He also wasn’t using the ATP system, which would have prevented the accident, as he wasn’t trained on it, and it was only a trial installation at the time. He missed the YY and Y signal aspects because he wasn’t looking. Running without AWS was permitted by the rule book at the time but later banned.

[@highdownmartin]

Driver Harrison would also have spent his entire career double manned. First as a second man then as a driver. Privatisation had just seen the end of double manning over 100 mph and he was bullied into taking a Bristol to London train with no aws when for his entire career he would have been used to the WR atc on the hydraulics then later the BR standard AWS. So although he fucked up, the railway management insisted on changing a safer railway into a more dangerous one. No coincidence that the aws isolation rule was reintroduced! The cowden/ Uckfield collision of 95 was similarly driver error but singling the line removing trap points and piss poor radio coverage of the recently resignalled branch were huge factors in the outcome. Again, cost cutting and ignorant management. It’s very easy to blame the driver, especially if he’s dead.

[@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330]

I lived in Reading when the Ufton Nurvet rail crash happened. My housemate was a chef who had worked with the chap that suicided himself so the whole thing was a little bit too close to home. I used to take the 125 train myself into London and the train would be utterly packed by the time it got to Reading. I don't think I ever got a seat on the way in, but I did have a folding bike that worked pretty well as a chair when folded up. So I used to wake up speeding along at 125 mph going into London, the window open and scenery going by rather rapidly. The window had to be open for people to be able to breathe. The return journey was frequently delayed by suicides. Once that happened the scene would be handed over to the authorities for about two hours. The option was to go to Waterloo and then get the slow train that stops in places like Richmond and Bracknell to arrive late in the evening, or to wait it out and eventually have the line cleared. Sympathy for those that did take their lives by jumping in front of the 125s was low. Interestingly I did not always travel with a ticket. I bought season tickets but often with Bank Holidays and other non-standard weeks I found myself 'between tickets'. At the Reading end, because I had a bicycle the staff would just usher me through the barriers that could be circumvented by taking the lifts if you wanted to cheat. At the London end only a few of the platforms had barriers so it was like roulette at that end, if desperate for work, running late or just without a ticket for other reasons, it was always possible to make the journey as a fare dodger. Which I quite like about the rail network. Homeless people can make it across the country if they wait until late at night when the barriers are not manned and therefore left open. I very much miss the 125s. They are emotional trains albeit not to the extent that steam trains were. However, I must say that I am extremely impressed with the new trains and the feeling of speed that you get on the approach to Paddington. They are not actually as good for people with pushchairs though.

[@highdownmartin]

You’re nicked sonny!

[@jimtaylor294]

Worth noting also that the Class 800's have been postponed due to an overheating problem (as of May 2021); due to an inadequate amount of space allocated for the cooling system during the design phase. Though not without some issues; the HST-125 was never known for overheating :D .

[@mattevans4377]

Didn't they only just get back into service after the crack incidents? What's next, the doors fall off?

[@jimtaylor294]

@@mattevans4377 Probably XD

[@barrieshepherd7694]

I'm afraid it was, in a way. Manifold problems meant they would need extra coolant at regular intervals - I'm pretty sure that HST water bowsers were strategically located at some ECML stations for a while until the issues were sorted.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Oh dear. Only the Midland Region's Blue Pullmans were all First Class. The two 8-car sets built for the Western Region has 2 Second Class coaches in each set.

[@andysedgley]

That's the trouble with making videos about trains, your audience is obsessed with every last detail!

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@andysedgley accuracy is required. It maintains the author's credibility, allowing the viewer or reader to accept what they can't independently verify.

[@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206]

LIGHT YEARS ahead of its time for 1976 ..

[@petermcgarrymusicandflying]

Love this. Thanks very much.

[@jamesinbolton]

Always enjoy the vids... but one point I couldn't overlook. There are no "amber" signals on the UK rail network, they're yellow!

[@barrieshepherd7694]

Actually there are some amber signals - the point set indicators on the RETB lines in Scotland use amber lights not yellow to avoid driver confusion. Edit. At least they did when the lines were commissioned - I have not been up there to check recently.

[@kungfuwitcher7621]

I always wanted to take a trip on an HST but never got around to it. I have never lived in a region where they operated sadly, but hopefully heritage rail somewhere will operate some. Mind you due to take a holiday down Torquay area soon so maybe those four coach sets will be around. Great video as always 😊👍

[@leonblittle226]

They mainly work the Penzance/Plymouth to Bristol/Cardiff stopping trains and are now limited to 100mph as 4 coaches doesn't provide sufficiant brake force for 125mph running.

[@kevinh96]

Take a holiday to Scotland. Refurbished and modernised HST sets are the backbone of Scotrail intercity services.

[@kungfuwitcher7621]

@@kevinh96 Thank you. My partner and I are thinking of a trip up to Scotland next year. Even more reason to now 😁

[@kungfuwitcher7621]

@@leonblittle226 Thank you. Interesting info about the braking force. I would have never thought about that.

[@icarus_falling]

I'm looking forward to your thoughts on GBR

[@Captain_Yorkie1]

It works for London Overground and buses so why not the whole network. Hopefully the one livery would be good, imo it should be a classic livery.

[@outmodeR_]

you should have a million subs, your videos are great

[@ianr]

As always excellent video. 👏🙂

[@xr6lad]

Love the GWR branding and the green colouring. They should go the whole hog and recreate the old ‘Go Great Western’ and ‘Summer Saturday’s’ poster campaign. Appeal to its very West Country Britishness for holiday traffic.

[@jimtaylor294]

Aye. The head/tail lamps on the refits are quite hideous though.

[@barrieshepherd7694]

I hate the green branding and ancient GWR logo. It projects an old tired railway living in the past then you enter the train and meet a sterile coach interior devoid of any character, comfort or ambiance.

[@vernonmatthews181]

World class narrating of the HST in the western UK, Thanks.😎👌👍

[@Martindyna]

His videos are virtually always excellent content wise but for me this one in particular is spoilt somewhat due to his inability to pronounce his Hs properly as in Haitch S T. Just forget the H and he'd be OK. It's the same on the Radio / TV with presenters saying Haitch, the mispronounciation is becoming normal.

[@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy]

7:47 the glorious days when you could ride a train and stick your head out of the window! This will probably never happen again.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

I would love to have been on the blue Pullman. I need to go to UK and do some long over due train surfing!

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Enjoyed this even though I could rarely afford to use the actual HST.

[@dukc9012]

8:34 But you would have to ignore the the double yellow, yellow, and red signals prior to that freight train. The AWS is supposed to be a backup safety system if you are unable to see the signal aspects.

[@Martindyna]

If I remember correctly the driver was too busy getting his stuff together preparing to leave the train to bother with viewing signals !! There was a documentary about it (may be on YT).

[@Robslondon]

Excellent video Ruairidh

[@mikeburnitt403]

Excellent video , the 2+4 HSTs on the GWR network are now being withdrawn, 2 sets (GW01 and GW13) have already been stopped, the rest will be phased out over the next 11 months with the last 3 sets gone by the December 2023 timetable change.

[@tosspot1305]

What are they replacing them with?

[@mikeburnitt403]

@@tosspot1305 nothing, just re-jigging diagrams to release some IETs, this will cause short-forms elsewhere, well they wont actually be short-forms but trains which are now booked a 10 car will be booked a 5 instead..

[@tosspot1305]

@@mikeburnitt403 great.. . :/ Sounds like a recipe for even more overcrowding.

[@mikeburnitt403]

@@tosspot1305 indeed, hut there we are.

[@maimadha]

​@@mikeburnitt403class 800s and 802s deserve to be hated and have to be scrapped

[@AnthonyFurnival]

Great video, really enjoyed it and very informative

[@mrrolandlawrence]

& still going strong. while some are in storage & some to be used as donors, the rest are still in operation or being actively preserved.

[@ashleycrane415]

I lamented the withdrawal of these trains due to their configuration. Being loco hauled the passenger is insulated from the noise created by engines and motors. Modern designs feature under floor power and the serenity is gone. Even electric trains like those on crossrail are far from silent in the way a Mk3 carriage manages.

[@b_altmann]

A small thing: the copyright notices can be smaller and even fade out. I don’t think the guys who took the photos will sue you.

[@fhwolthuis]

Great video again! 👍

[@Mike-kc8rl]

Nice informative video ! The HST even now holds its own in a modern looking design that really is an age less icon there's no way the 800/802s will see 43 years service ? They seem to be falling to bits already, with reported stress cracks etc .

[@allyreneepenny9447]

Awesome trains ❗💯 So beautiful 👍

[@gregorylenton8200]

well done video again

[@richarddx22]

Nice video, only correction is, the Southall crash wasn't the first 125 fatality, that happened in 1995 when a man died after jumping from a 125 that caught fire.

[@Clivestravelandtrains]

I still see them whizzing through Lenzie on their way to Inverness and Aberdeen.

[@chrisrichmond403]

Errors to be corrected. 1. The prototype HST was powered by the Paxman Ventura not Valenta engine 2. Southall Crash , The service was the 10.32 Swansea - Paddington 3. Ladbroke Grove crash the HST was on the 6.06 Cheltenham- Paddington. 4. The Accident at Ufton Nervet was 6 Nov 2004 on the 17.35 Paddington - Plymouth not Paignton.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

After 40 years on the great western mainline and the midland mainline and the east coast mainline the hsts time is finally come for them because they are retiring

[@lnerb1class1415]

i swear, im gonna be commenting ALOT oif this guy's vids

[@N330AA]

The Mark 3 coach is still the best on the network

[@jamesbedford7327]

It is for comfort, but becomes splinters in a crash

[@barrieshepherd7694]

@@jamesbedford7327 What are you on about? It's steel and pretty strong, no wood at all. Met all the crash worthiness tests of the day.

[@willhovell9019]

I remember the excitement of the introduction of these HST trains , when in was working for BR in Paris in 1975/76. BR also owned Sealink ferries and Hoverspeed , hovercraft services . Pity that BR didn't hold it's nerve with the brilliant aircraft type design of the APT , latterly imported as the Pendolino of Italy. Peter Parker really started to turn BR around, backed up with BREL engineering centres at Derby & York and elsewhere. All this BEFORE the SNCF of France introduced the TGV on costly brand new non curved and often lines. De- nationalisation has been an unmitigated disaster with rising tax payer subsidies ,massive imports of locomotives and trains from Canada , Italy & Germany. The latter with v narrow uncomfortable seating / unsuitable legroom for people of rising median height like myself , I'm 6ft 3 ins in old money . Just look at the Southern company with inferior trains and employee relations from the stone age . At least many of these TOCS are coming back into YES the more efficient state sector as East Coast and LNER have clearly demonstrated. Though Virgin West Coast did do a reasonable job . The Government clearly believes in State owned railways, but state owned of other countries , DB , SNCF and NL railways to name just 3 . In London we even have the appalling RATP of Paris running buses and French State owned EDF , supplying the power for the Underground system We're about to import the first overseas Underground trains from Germany with doors made in Austria! The French , Germans , Spanish , Italians and Swedes wouldn't put up with this nonsense.

[@MrJimheeren]

Never vote Torie

[@Martindyna]

Excellent rant Will, agree with most of it. Only the Italians already had their own tilting trains, they only bought some of the BR patents to improve on them.

[@AFCManUk]

The class 800. Looks nice, accelerates like a dream, but Jesus Christ...! ...those seats are bloody uncomfortable!!!

[@chrisw_321]

Remember the advert, ‘The Journey Shrinker’ 👍

[@thomasyip1925]

Can you review the Desiro trains for us or the origin of Class 442?

[@nicopavvi8494]

Would you talk about the Intercity 250, the proposed high speed train that never was, but it can be considered the ancestor of the Eurostar?

[@toomanyuserids]

And give Brunel's grading of the Great Western some credit for the ride quality.

[@willsham45]

They should not retire them. They had just refurbished the lot and there replacements are very much lacking. Nice vid :)

[@jamesbedford7327]

Increasing maintenance costs and very poor crashworthyness (by todays standards) will mean that they will all go in time

[@mrantcor1981]

HST is defo my favourite train ever

[@SeriousClassics]

Why were the old train doors only openable from the outside?

[@Martindyna]

So you didn't accidently open them while the train was moving. Later central locking was installed so that feature was no longer necessary.

[@barrieshepherd7694]

They were able to be opened from the inside but the handle was blanked off because so many idiots opened them either during a journey or too early when approaching a platform. People would claim that the door "opened itself" but that was never believable as quite a sustained force was needed on the inner handle to release the double latch mechanism. That was also an issue for people who could not apply the necessary force being stuck in the coach not knowing that the window could be dropped and the external handle used. I travelled on HSTs (& MK2D/E/Fs) frequently and was always going to close open windows that let gales blow in wreaking the AirCon operation. The original design must have anticipated the windows being locked closed I think (for AirCon benefit) as you can see the square lock 'guards key' mechanism at the top of the window frame.

[@ghosthorse77]

Far better than the new class 800 rubbish.

[@Quasihamster]

"Finally on October 4th 1976, the first production HST ended revenue earning service in the Western Region between London Paddington, Bristol and south Wales."

[@LJRailfan-Gamer_07.]

I think he said “entered”

[@cris_261]

Durable design, that can still pull it's weight decades after introduction. The HST is one train I'd love to ride. The other being the TGV. Are there plans to set aside a train set, or two, for preservation?

[@bricksathome1]

One HST set has been repainted into a Blue Pullman style livery and is currently performing railtours throughout the country, I doubt they’ll withdraw that from service any time soon. A complete set has been repainted into original intercity livery as well, along with the power car that achieved the diesel high speed record being donated to the National Railway Museum, and the intercity 125 group are aiming to preserve a full set with original Valenta engines. I’d say the chances of at least one full set being preserved is almost certain

[@Martindyna]

You can still ride a reduced 4 car formation IC125 in Scotland (Inter7city) and in the English West Country (being used as stopping trains). They have all been retrofitted with outside sliding doors and it is intended, I believe, that all trains will eventually be converted to aircraft style effluent retention toilets. Maximum design speed I understand is reduced to 100 mph possibly due to the reduced number of trailers to 4 affecting the braking efficiency.