HST PIS in the mid 90's?

[Transilien]

I had just started watching this video on the cross-country shadow franchise and at 0:36 there is an display showing 'Welcome to the Cornishman'. Was this a prototype of the HST refurbishment that BR had planned but never managed to implement because of privatisation?

 

[danielnez1]

Yes that is the case, two coaches were given a prototype refurb, with one of the coaches being fitted with a guards office, the idea being that they would be more accessible being in the middle of the train. I'm not sure what happened to the coaches in the end though.

 

[JonathanH]

Yes that is the case, two coaches were given a prototype refurb, with one of the coaches being fitted with a guards office, the idea being that they would be more accessible being in the middle of the train. I'm not sure what happened to the coaches in the end though.

41178 and 45084 got rebuilt as normal standard class coaches 42362 and 42360 for Great Western - see https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...tercity-crosscounty-hsts.239568/#post-5933710

 

[Transilien]

Yes that is the case, two coaches were given a prototype refurb, with one of the coaches being fitted with a guards office, the idea being that they would be more accessible being in the middle of the train. I'm not sure what happened to the coaches in the end though.

Interesting, most of these ideas that BR had never got done by private operators until much later!

 

[WesternLancer]

I had just started watching this video on the cross-country shadow franchise and at 0:36 there is an display showing 'Welcome to the Cornishman'. Was this a prototype of the HST refurbishment that BR had planned but never managed to implement because of privatisation?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Sep 2024 ==

Great video. Good find. Lots of staff featured. I wonder where they are now?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Lots of staff featured. I wonder where they are now?

The driver setting up the desk and driving the 47 and the bearded senior conductor shown shortly after City Basin Jct were Plymouth based. The driver retired and the guard (if it’s who I think it is) has sadly passed away.

 

[WesternLancer]

The driver setting up the desk and driving the 47 and the bearded senior conductor shown shortly after City Basin Jct were Plymouth based. The driver retired and the guard (if it’s who I think it is) has sadly passed away.

Thanks - interesting to read. I guessed some of the older looking staff in it would have retired by now and of course thought some may no longer be with us.

It's a good example of a corporate video of that era, and coveys a sense of a high quality service - which sadly isn't really the impression I associate with XC services nowadays in many respects.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

The display and font looks exactly like what you have on the older SNCB/NMBS stock