Favorite UK High Speed train

[Swift-Deere]

What you favorite high speed train operating in the UK

I love Pendolino, HST and Javelins

But in the end Ive gone for the Electra one of my favorite trains of all time!!!

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I went for the Class 43 HST(Paxman Valenta idealy) because to me its briatins most iconic train and I dont care what anyone else says.

 

[mrcheek]

Gotta be the 43. I was going to suggest that there should be a Valenta option, but I guess that would go without saying...

 

[gordonthemoron]

surely the Class 91 is a loco, whereas the rest are full trainsets?

 

[Aictos]

surely the Class 91 is a loco, whereas the rest are full trainsets?

Yes but you go with that view, you should really consider the HST as being in the same category as the 91 then as the power cars are classed as Class 43s.

The trainset is a HST and when first introduced to Western and Eastern Region services, they were allocated Classes 253 and 254 respectively.

I've travelled on the 390, 91s and Mk4s, HSTs as well as the 395s when they were still testing them on HS1, whereas the 390 has a bad rep I couldn't see any issues myself and actually enjoyed the journey, the 395 is amazing from the passenger view which for a expensive commuter train does it's job pretty well. As to the 91s and HSTs, well they are my staple diet on the ECML and use them every other day.

So for me, my vote is split 50/50 between the HST for non electrified lines and the 390s for electrified lines.

 

[Mintona]

Only one option surely? 395.

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Only one option surely? 395.

You mistyped 390

 

[Mintona]

Just cannot see why anyone would vote for a 390 over a 395. Have these people even been on one?!

 

[Swift-Deere]

Just cannot see why anyone would vote for a 390 over a 395. Have these people even been on one?!

Its a close call to be fair, Javelins are super fast but they can't match the Pendolinos for elegant looks!!!

 

[gingerheid]

Has to be the 91. And of course it should be wearing IC Swallow, which is what all proper long distance trains should be painted in...

 

[Swift-Deere]

Has to be the 91. And of course it should be wearing IC Swallow, which is what all proper long distance trains should be painted in...

Agreed Possibly the best livery of all time the 91 was made for it!!!!

 

[delt1c]

Is there a reason for ommitting the Adelante's. Surely they are high speed trains?

 

[Swift-Deere]

Is there a reason for ommitting the Adelante's. Surely they are high speed trains?

Yes the reason being...i forgot them

 

[delt1c]

Can you update the selection then to include the 180's

 

[Swift-Deere]

Can you update the selection then to include the 180's

No sorry there's no way for the polls to be edited, the admin/mods might be able to but am not sure

 

[matt]

Can you update the selection then to include the 180's

180 option added

 

[poshbakerloo]

Class 91 Electra is nice! Looks good and can go 140Mph...

 

[ukrob]

Class 91 Electra is nice! Looks good and can go 140Mph...

Same as a Pendolino then.

Of course, neither of which do in service.

 

[Drsatan]

Definitely the HST for me. Firstly, they've lasted for a lot longer than expected, since they were first concieved as a stop-gap for the APT. They were also the first European trains to achieve 125mph in normal service. Furthermore, the passenger hears practically zero noise, and they're still very comfortable (with the exception of FGW's refurbishments which are more akin to a budget airliner).

On the other hand...I don't like the 220s/221s since one hears the attendant underengine noise that goes with them, they feel cramped, the air con stinks and they're way too short for XC services. However, since they have an RA of 2, in my ideal world they'd be dumped on low-density long-distance services e.g. Glasgow - Fort William or the Cumbrian Coast Line, providing they're refurbished so the seats line up with the windows and the air con's replaced.

Only problem with the 373s is that some of the seats don't line up with the windows, and even on HS1 and the LGV Nord they're prone to rough riding.

The class 180s are slightly better than the Voyagers: they are more attractive, the seats are more comfortable and line up with the windows, and I prefer their interior decor to that of XC's Voyagers. Only problem is they break down every 5 miles and are still too damn short.

Can't comment on the 91, 390 or 395 since I haven't travelled on either yet.

 

[TrainBrain185]

HST got my vote only by virtue of the repower to MTU. The guy who was behind the MTU repower deserves a knighthood!!
They sound far far better than the Valenta too.....and a thousand times cleaner burning.

 

[Lampshade]

HST got my vote only by virtue of the repower to MTU. The guy who was behind the MTU repower deserves a knighthood!!
They sound far far better than the Valenta too.....and a thousand times cleaner burning.

hock: hock: hock:

*thump*

I have actually just died, what on Earth are you on about??????? MTU better than a Valenta???????

Although I think the HST is the best, I've gone for the 180 because notwithstanding the unreliability, they look awesome and I love the thunder of the engines

 

[gingerheid]

Having lived next to a railway station that 125s passed through when I was trying to sleep, and in view of the realities of the world today in relation to fuel consumption, I have to agree that MTUs are the way ahead.

They've let good trains live longer and work more efficiently. Of course nostalgia says Valentas are better, but on the other hand, nostalgia could also say that Steam trains, or horse drawn trams, or indeed horse drawn carts were better.

Valentas were great and ground breaking in their day, but their day was yesterday.

 

[fgwrich]

Having lived next to a railway station that 125s passed through when I was trying to sleep, and in view of the realities of the world today in relation to fuel consumption, I have to agree that MTUs are the way ahead.

They've let good trains live longer and work more efficiently. Of course nostalgia says Valentas are better, but on the other hand, nostalgia could also say that Steam trains, or horse drawn trams, or indeed horse drawn carts were better.

Valentas were great and ground breaking in their day, but their day was yesterday.

Agreed, and Dont forget that its pretty much a miracle that the valenta engine has survived so long in the hsts, as it is afterall, a Ship engine that was built for the purpose of long distance running for almost days on end, rather than the stop -125 MPH - stop routines the HST runs at....

And as the end of the day, various parts were becoming harder to find, requiring more maintenance almost daily, aswell as the coolent which those things drank like water in a hot desert, hence why most of them ended up overheating, a common problem in summer and they leaked almost as much oil as the 180s would in a day...Whereas the new MTU 16V series 4000 engines run perfectly fine, create far less emissions and remain very fuel efficient mainly due to the Engine Management System...


So times have changed, things have become more expensive and at least the MTUs really are starting to roar even more now, certainly on FGW, its getting to the point where each and everyone sounds different...

And why are we complaining about a German Diesel Engine...when the Westerns are powerd by Maybach..the forerunner to todays MTU Friedrichshafen...

As ive said to others...If you want to work on a Valenta Engine...Join the Royal Navy...As their Type 23 Frigates and 'Sandown Class' Single Role Minehunter remain Paxman Valenta powerd...


Sure enough i do somehow miss the scream of the valenta engine, but just think about it this way, if it wasnt for First & Angel Trains Life Extention project, we might not be seeing the best thing ever built by British Rail still running on our railways today...And again credit due to FGW for replacing the sadly unreliable 180 fleet with yet more HSTs!

Details of the Valenta Engine...
http://www.goingloco.org/forum/knowledge/kb_show.php?id=17

 

[TrainBrain185]

Having lived next to a railway station that 125s passed through when I was trying to sleep, and in view of the realities of the world today in relation to fuel consumption, I have to agree that MTUs are the way ahead.

They've let good trains live longer and work more efficiently. Of course nostalgia says Valentas are better, but on the other hand, nostalgia could also say that Steam trains, or horse drawn trams, or indeed horse drawn carts were better.

Valentas were great and ground breaking in their day, but their day was yesterday.

Agreed. I have to say, which some guys may disagree, that historically, BR and its Private successors have never been happy with the Paxman unit. They were an achilles heel for the 43 Loco right from the start. They have always been heavy smokers with early mods made to try and deflect emissions at roof level, coolant mods, oil seal mods etc etc. The miles per casualty have always been dissappointing. Even the later type VP185 engine was not much better.
Personally, I hated the screaming sound of the Valenta, always thinking the engine was being used in an unhappy application in unhappy conditions. At the time of build, the Paxman was the only suitable engine that could fit the HST loco engine room dimensions and being able to deliver the required power output. Times have moved on and the MTU is a unit that provides better torque at lower engine revolutions, up to date fuel management and has been terrific for the HST! The MTU engines also "do" both sound better and sound more at home in the HST engine room than the Valenta or VP185 ever did.

 

[Wyvern]

Personally, I hated the screaming sound of the Valenta, always thinking the engine was being used in an unhappy application in unhappy conditions.

Wasn't/isn't the screaming sound from the supercharger?

I have to say it gives me a nice warm feeling that something we put together all those years ago in Derby is still giving such good service.

And also the work that was done in those days, when BR was an international leader, is why we have all these high speed trains.

 

[37401]

Class 41

 

[Techniquest]

By far and away, my vote goes for the HST. But that was bloody obvious!

The 395s come a very close and tied second, tied with the Eurostars. For the pure thrill factor in regular service (that doesn't require a passport!), the 395s are just amazing. They go like the proverbial, look alright (far better than the 380s will do anyway!) and fast. The Eurostars win on the noise factor though between the two though!

However nothing will ever be more fun than a HST to me. Give me a 2+8 HST with a pair of 12RP200Ls, a pair of NA256s, a pair of Marston coolers and IC70 seats and I will be very happy.

Excuse me whilst I trip down Memory Lane to 1st December 2007...

 

[SWT Driver]

Anything that's fast...

Pendolinos, HST's, Eurostars, 91+EC sets.

 

[poshbakerloo]

Its a close call to be fair, Javelins are super fast but they can't match the Pendolinos for elegant looks!!!

They both have a top speed of 140Mph...but the 395s are set out like commuter trains, which would turn me off them...still think they are good tho.

 

[Swift-Deere]

They both have a top speed of 140Mph...but the 395s are set out like commuter trains, which would turn me off them...still think they are good tho.

Didn't know they both had the same speed, thought jav was faster, i thing ive got mixed up as pendo's are limited on the WCML but javs will be allowed to take it full speed on HS1 (unless there limited as well i read something about them only going 140mph when there late dint know if this is the case thought)