Construction of the TMST (Class 373)

[A60K]

Re-reading some old issues of Modern Railways I came across the wonderful news that in 1987 a variety of companies in France, Britain and Belgium were nominated by their national railways as potentially having the expertise necessary to build part of the TMST, later known as Class 373. These companies then received formal invitations to tender for construction as part of a consortium:

Nominated by British Rail were:
BREL (of course)
Brush (supplied the shuttle locos)
GEC (building the Class 91 at the time)
Metro Cammell (building the Mk4)

and in the same list

NEI Peebles
Leyland Bus
Walter Alexander

 

[Crossforth]

Leyland Bus

Why does the image of Pacers through the tunnel come to mind?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well, when the abortive attempt at building a tunnel was made in the early 1970s, BR published some artist's impressions showing what were clearly EPB units inside the tunnel...!!

Unfortunately I don't have any of those images myself, but I do clearly remember seeing them somewhere a few years ago.

 

[A60K]

There was also the consortium of UK rail manufacturers that suggested a pair of regeared 91s plus 16 coaches of Mk4 stock for the international services - nowhere near as prosaic as the EPB service I agree!

 

[bengley]

Why does the image of Pacers through the tunnel come to mind?

I dunno how to tell you this, but...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Hmmmm... the driver has forgotten to change the destination blind! That train is heading towards Lille isn't it?!