GNER IC225 coach letters

[Arjen Dijkgraaf]

I recently purchased a Hornby GNER IC225 set with some extra coaches and
I would like to get the coach letters right. However I can't find out
how the lettering system works. Judging from photos the Standard Class
end coach is either 'A' or 'B', the restaurant coach is either 'G' or
'H' and the First Class coaches can be anything from 'H' to 'M'. Can
anyone explain?

Arjen (from the Netherlands, which don't even have an East Coast)

[Jack Taylor]

Post by Arjen Dijkgraaf
I recently purchased a Hornby GNER IC225 set with some extra coaches and
I would like to get the coach letters right. However I can't find out
how the lettering system works. Judging from photos the Standard Class
end coach is either 'A' or 'B', the restaurant coach is either 'G' or
'H' and the First Class coaches can be anything from 'H' to 'M'. Can
anyone explain?

Check out: http://www.gner.co.uk/pages/finding_seats.html

There have been some differences between train formations in the past, due
to the different types of trains used. The IC225 sets are now being
refurbished under Project Mallard and all of the Mallard sets will be of a
standard formation, with the IC125 trains following the same layout now that
they have been extended to nine vehicles. With the additional IC125 sets
that will pass to GNER later in the year the "White Rose" Eurostar sets will
no longer be hired in.

[Arjen Dijkgraaf]

Post by Jack Taylor

Post by Arjen Dijkgraaf
I recently purchased a Hornby GNER IC225 set with some extra coaches and
I would like to get the coach letters right. However I can't find out
how the lettering system works. Judging from photos the Standard Class
end coach is either 'A' or 'B', the restaurant coach is either 'G' or
'H' and the First Class coaches can be anything from 'H' to 'M'. Can
anyone explain?

Check out: http://www.gner.co.uk/pages/finding_seats.html

Thanks, but according to that page the restaurant coach should be
between H and J... I'm getting more confused all the time....

Post by Jack Taylor
There have been some differences between train formations in the past, due
to the different types of trains used. The IC225 sets are now being
refurbished under Project Mallard and all of the Mallard sets will be of a
standard formation, with the IC125 trains following the same layout now that
they have been extended to nine vehicles.

The current Hornby 00 models are of pre-Mallard vintage. They are
announcing a refurbished set but AFAIK it hasn't been released yet...

Arjen.

[Jack Taylor]

Post by Arjen Dijkgraaf
Thanks, but according to that page the restaurant coach should be
between H and J... I'm getting more confused all the time....

Try http://www.icrs.org.uk/Site/Coaching_Stock/cs_gner.htm

[Arjen Dijkgraaf]

Post by Jack Taylor

Post by Arjen Dijkgraaf
Thanks, but according to that page the restaurant coach should be
between H and J... I'm getting more confused all the time....

Try http://www.icrs.org.uk/Site/Coaching_Stock/cs_gner.htm

Quite enlightening, thank you. Hmmm, so according to this site the end
coach should always be 'A' , the restaurant is G and either B or K are
left out. Situation as of June 8th. However I spotted a set at Leeds on
May 30th: the end coach was B and the firsts were L and M. Sadly I
didn't write down any numbers. So how often do they change these
formations?

[Steve Blighton]

Post by Jack Taylor

Post by Arjen Dijkgraaf
Thanks, but according to that page the restaurant coach should be
between H and J... I'm getting more confused all the time....

Try http://www.icrs.org.uk/Site/Coaching_Stock/cs_gner.htm

A word of warning here. The ICRS page still uses the old coach lettering
scheme which was changed a while ago. Whilst the vehicle formations may
well be correct, they do not carry the letters indicated on that page.
Specifically IC225 rakes start with "B" not "A" and the catering coaches are
either "H" or "J" and not "G" as shown on that page.

[Jack Taylor]

Post by Steve Blighton
A word of warning here. The ICRS page still uses the old coach lettering
scheme which was changed a while ago. Whilst the vehicle formations may
well be correct, they do not carry the letters indicated on that page.
Specifically IC225 rakes start with "B" not "A" and the catering coaches are
either "H" or "J" and not "G" as shown on that page.

I think that that was what Arjen was after, as he is modelling using a
Hornby rake and, therefore, using historical formations.

[Arjen Dijkgraaf]

Post by Jack Taylor

Post by Steve Blighton
A word of warning here. The ICRS page still uses the old coach lettering
scheme which was changed a while ago. Whilst the vehicle formations may
well be correct, they do not carry the letters indicated on that page.
Specifically IC225 rakes start with "B" not "A" and the catering

coaches

Post by Jack Taylor
are

Post by Steve Blighton
either "H" or "J" and not "G" as shown on that page.

I think that that was what Arjen was after, as he is modelling using a
Hornby rake and, therefore, using historical formations.

I was after the 'historical' letters indeed..
Many thanks to you all!

Arjen.

[David E. Belcher]

Post by Jack Taylor
With the additional IC125 sets
that will pass to GNER later in the year the "White Rose" Eurostar sets will
no longer be hired in.

What will happen to them instead? Are they going back to international
services to cater for increasing Eurostar passenger numbers?

David E. Belcher

[Matt Wheeler]

Post by David E. Belcher

Post by Jack Taylor
With the additional IC125 sets
that will pass to GNER later in the year the "White Rose" Eurostar sets will
no longer be hired in.

What will happen to them instead? Are they going back to
international
services to cater for increasing Eurostar passenger numbers?

No idea, but i know what they *should* do with them.
Split them down to their "half-sets", and have a new build of loco's
or DVTs, so instead of 6 or 7 full trains you get 12 or 14 shorter
ones, to use on the kent domestic services on the CTRL. I know it
won't be enough for what they've got planned, but it should be enough
to provide some sort of reasonable service as far as Ashford.

[David Haggas]

Post by Matt Wheeler
No idea, but i know what they *should* do with them.
Split them down to their "half-sets", and have a new build of loco's
or DVTs, so instead of 6 or 7 full trains you get 12 or 14 shorter
ones, to use on the kent domestic services on the CTRL. I know it
won't be enough for what they've got planned, but it should be enough
to provide some sort of reasonable service as far as Ashford.

People who live in Yorkshire would like them to stay right where they are.
We've had the HST era and thought we had moved on.....

[Richard]

Post by David Haggas
People who live in Yorkshire would like them to stay right where they are.
We've had the HST era and thought we had moved on.....

And people on the WCML are looking forward to regional Eurostar services - a
service which is due for reexamination on completion of the CTRL.

[Steve Blighton]

Post by Arjen Dijkgraaf
I recently purchased a Hornby GNER IC225 set with some extra coaches and
I would like to get the coach letters right. However I can't find out
how the lettering system works. Judging from photos the Standard Class
end coach is either 'A' or 'B', the restaurant coach is either 'G' or
'H' and the First Class coaches can be anything from 'H' to 'M'. Can
anyone explain?
Arjen (from the Netherlands, which don't even have an East Coast)

GNER are currently running various permutations as follows:

IC125: (PowerCar)-A-B-C-D-E---G---J---L-M-(PowerCar)
IC225: (Class 91)---B-C-D-E-F-G---J---L-M-(DVT)[not yet overhauled]
IC225: (Class 91)---B-C-D-E---G---J-K-L-M-(DVT)[not yet overhauled]
IC225: (Class 91)---B-C-D-E---G-H---K-L-M-(DVT)["Mallard" rakes]

In all of the above cases
Cars A - H are Standard
Cars J - M are First Class.
Car H is the "Bistro".
Car J is the Restuarant.
Note that the letter "I" is not used.

and for completeness - the Eurostar rakes...
Class 373: (PowerCar)-A-B-C-D-X-G-H & K-M-X-R-S-T-V-(PowerCar)
Cars A-D & R-V are Standard Class
Cars G-M are First Class
The Buffet cars (shown here as "X" do not carry a letter).