Arriva XC - HSTs?

[Matt Forbes]

Just out of interest - from where are Arriva proposing to source these
"re-introduced" HST sets that they are going on about in their pre-
takeover press releases? As far as I'm concerned, now that Great
Central have taken their power cars, there's none left available,
since FGW have bought most of the ex-Virgin and ex-MML stock.

Would a more sensible (and actually *possible*) suggestion be to
refurbish a load of ex-WCML Mk3s and DVTs and run them push-pull with
a 67?

Just something I was musing this morning when my mind should have been
elsewhere - apologies if this subject has already been raised.

Cheers

M

[Roland Perry]

Post by Matt Forbes
Just out of interest - from where are Arriva proposing to source these
"re-introduced" HST sets that they are going on about in their pre-
takeover press releases? As far as I'm concerned, now that Great
Central have taken their power cars, there's none left available,
since FGW have bought most of the ex-Virgin and ex-MML stock.

Been raised before. Off the cuff I think one is coming from GNER
(currently used as cover while they refurbish their fleet) and the rest
from MML (who have plenty to spare now they have the 8/9 car Meridians).

[Stephen Patterson]

Post by Roland Perry
Been raised before. Off the cuff I think one is coming from GNER
(currently used as cover while they refurbish their fleet) and the rest
from MML (who have plenty to spare now they have the 8/9 car Meridians).

There've been 6 MML HSTs parked up at Neville Hill this week, they
normally only keep a couple there.

[Michael Parkes]

Post by Matt Forbes
Just out of interest - from where are Arriva proposing to source these
"re-introduced" HST sets that they are going on about in their pre-
takeover press releases? As far as I'm concerned, now that Great
Central have taken their power cars, there's none left available,
since FGW have bought most of the ex-Virgin and ex-MML stock.
Would a more sensible (and actually *possible*) suggestion be to
refurbish a load of ex-WCML Mk3s and DVTs and run them push-pull with
a 67?
Just something I was musing this morning when my mind should have been
elsewhere - apologies if this subject has already been raised.
Cheers
M

Also of interest. There looks as if there could be split up of the
Virgin Voyager fleet from November. Birmingham to Scotland via WCML is
being handed over to Virgin West Coast, reading elsewhere that they
will be taking 21 Voyagers for these services plus the future Euston
to Chester-North Wales services.

This will leave Arriva with the remainder for Cross Country south of
Birmingham and to Scotland via ECML.

Michael

[Steve Broadbent]

Post by Michael Parkes
Also of interest. There looks as if there could be split up of the
Virgin Voyager fleet from November. Birmingham to Scotland via WCML is
being handed over to Virgin West Coast, reading elsewhere that they
will be taking 21 Voyagers for these services plus the future Euston
to Chester-North Wales services.
This will leave Arriva with the remainder for Cross Country south of
Birmingham and to Scotland via ECML.

Been known about as fact for some considerable time......

SB

[The Good Doctor]

Post by Matt Forbes
Just out of interest - from where are Arriva proposing to source these
"re-introduced" HST sets that they are going on about in their pre-
takeover press releases? As far as I'm concerned, now that Great
Central have taken their power cars, there's none left available,
since FGW have bought most of the ex-Virgin and ex-MML stock.

It has already been reported on this newsgroup that four HST sets will
come from Midland Main Line and one from GNER.

Post by Matt Forbes
Would a more sensible (and actually *possible*) suggestion be to
refurbish a load of ex-WCML Mk3s and DVTs and run them push-pull with
a 67?

No.

Post by Matt Forbes
Just something I was musing this morning when my mind should have been
elsewhere - apologies if this subject has already been raised.

It has. See above.

[Jack Taylor]

Post by The Good Doctor
It has already been reported on this newsgroup that four HST sets will
come from Midland Main Line and one from GNER.

I thought that it was three from MML, one from GNER and one from fGW? I
remember JP mentioning that there was one to be released at the end of their
refurbishing programme - or is that the MML set of trailers that they
currently have being counted as an MML set by some?

[The Good Doctor]

Post by Jack Taylor

Post by The Good Doctor
It has already been reported on this newsgroup that four HST sets will
come from Midland Main Line and one from GNER.

I thought that it was three from MML, one from GNER and one from fGW? I
remember JP mentioning that there was one to be released at the end of their
refurbishing programme - or is that the MML set of trailers that they
currently have being counted as an MML set by some?

Probably the latter.

If we are going to be really precise about these things, perhaps we
should refer to these HST sets by owner (ROSCO) rather than the TOC to
whom they are hired.

[allan tracy]

Post by Jack Taylor
I thought that it was three from MML, one from GNER and one from fGW?

FGW will have 14 spare sets once their HST refurbishment program is
complete trouble is they won't be HSTs.

[JP]

Post by allan tracy

Post by Jack Taylor
I thought that it was three from MML, one from GNER and one from fGW?

FGW will have 14 spare sets once their HST refurbishment program is
complete trouble is they won't be HSTs.

Who will have 14 spare sets? I think it will be Angel.

[allan tracy]

Post by Matt Forbes
Just something I was musing this morning when my mind should have been
elsewhere - apologies if this subject has already been raised.

I tell you a question I haven't seen raised and that is will the
Arriva XC HSTs have a buffet or a trolley?

[c***@onetel.com]

Just an observation, but when all the HST's come back into commission,
I suspect that all together they will be covering more miles a day,
and be being worked harder, than the same fleet was doing 30 years
ago.

A real tribute to the BREL engineers and craftsmen of that time. We
shall not see their like for a long time.

[Chris Tolley]

Post by c***@onetel.com
Just an observation, but when all the HST's come back into commission,
I suspect that all together they will be covering more miles a day,
and be being worked harder, than the same fleet was doing 30 years
ago.
A real tribute to the BREL engineers and craftsmen of that time. We
shall not see their like for a long time.

Well, it all depends on what you find laudable about them. From the
point of view of the technicalities, they are a notable achievement.
From my point of view of actually sitting in them as a passenger, there
are much better trains out there. On lines where there are other trains
running in parallel with them, I'd accept a moderate wait in order to
avoid an HST so that I could travel on a 180/22x instead.

[c***@onetel.com]

Post by Chris Tolley

Post by c***@onetel.com
Just an observation, but when all the HST's come back into commission,
I suspect that all together they will be covering more miles a day,
and be being worked harder, than the same fleet was doing 30 years
ago.
A real tribute to the BREL engineers and craftsmen of that time. We
shall not see their like for a long time.

Well, it all depends on what you find laudable about them. From the
point of view of the technicalities, they are a notable achievement.
From my point of view of actually sitting in them as a passenger, there
are much better trains out there. On lines where there are other trains
running in parallel with them, I'd accept a moderate wait in order to
avoid an HST so that I could travel on a 180/22x instead.
--http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9633090.html
(50 048 at Basingstoke, Mar 1991)

That's a matter of personnal taste, but my point was essentially an
engineering one. It looks as though these 30 year old units are now
being worked harder than they ever have been before. Are there any
other trains/units with which they can be compared (non-electric)?

[Sam Wilson]

Post by Chris Tolley

Post by c***@onetel.com
[HST]
A real tribute to the BREL engineers and craftsmen of that time. We
shall not see their like for a long time.

Well, it all depends on what you find laudable about them. From the
point of view of the technicalities, they are a notable achievement.
From my point of view of actually sitting in them as a passenger, there
are much better trains out there. On lines where there are other trains
running in parallel with them, I'd accept a moderate wait in order to
avoid an HST so that I could travel on a 180/22x instead.

I'm with you on the 180 but the Virgin 22xs, whilst pleasant, feel to me
very cramped compared to an HST. If they put higher backed seats in
refurbished ones that advantage may disappear.

Sam

[Roland Perry]

the Virgin 22xs, whilst pleasant, feel to me very cramped compared to
an HST. If they put higher backed seats in refurbished ones that
advantage may disappear.

Can anyone report what the seatback tables are like in the high-backed
FGW HSTs? My laptop only has an A4 footprint, but doesn't fit on a
Voyager table at all (partly because it's raked towards you and there's
nowhere for the top of the screen). It's great on a classic HST, though.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Post by Roland Perry
Can anyone report what the seatback tables are like in the high-backed
FGW HSTs? My laptop only has an A4 footprint, but doesn't fit on a
Voyager table at all (partly because it's raked towards you and there's
nowhere for the top of the screen). It's great on a classic HST, though.

I've only experienced an HD-HST stationary at Paddington (saw one
there and couldn't resist), and was impressed.

The seatback tables are pretty small: but once they're down, you can
pull out a further metal (U-shaped) frame, This supports a laptop very
nicely (it worked fine with my iBook), and I presume was designed to
do exactly that.

I'm not 100% convinced by the HD-HSTs yet, but for laptops, I think
they've got it.

Richard

[Roland Perry]

Post by Richard Fairhurst

Post by Roland Perry
Can anyone report what the seatback tables are like in the high-backed
FGW HSTs? My laptop only has an A4 footprint, but doesn't fit on a
Voyager table at all (partly because it's raked towards you and there's
nowhere for the top of the screen). It's great on a classic HST, though.

I've only experienced an HD-HST stationary at Paddington (saw one
there and couldn't resist), and was impressed.
The seatback tables are pretty small: but once they're down, you can
pull out a further metal (U-shaped) frame, This supports a laptop very
nicely (it worked fine with my iBook), and I presume was designed to
do exactly that.
I'm not 100% convinced by the HD-HSTs yet, but for laptops, I think
they've got it.

Thanks. One of the problems with the Voyager tables (not so bad with
Meridians for some reason) is the front half of my laptop hangs off the
table. Although the Meridian tables do vibrate up and down a lot, to the
extent that my laptop "rattles" with the underside drumming on the
forward lip of the table unless I hold it down.

[Peter Masson]

Post by allan tracy
I tell you a question I haven't seen raised and that is will the
Arriva XC HSTs have a buffet or a trolley?

The number of seats they are quoting per train suggests that it will be a
trolley.

Peter

[JP]

Post by allan tracy

Post by Matt Forbes
Just something I was musing this morning when my mind should have been
elsewhere - apologies if this subject has already been raised.

I tell you a question I haven't seen raised and that is will the
Arriva XC HSTs have a buffet or a trolley?

I'm sure I read it was a buffet. Their team were at Moreton the other
week checking the stored examples.