FQ's trips around the globe

[sprinterguy]

I had forgotten that there is a blasted 180 on the Kings Cross to Sunderland each day.

Interestingly,all three of the HSTs have been out to play each day on the Sunderland turns up until about a week and a half ago. Back to the more recognisable pattern of two HSTs and a 180 now, though.

Compared to the trams, the interior of this is like the interior of a 390 (and probably 221; I've never been in the position to check). Probably even worse than a pendo and it definitely isn't like a 175, what it is based on. The experience of the ride made me hate inadequalantes (my nickname for 180s) even more than I originally had.

I'm surprised that you can't see the similarities between the interior of a 180 and a 175. There's definitely a familial resemblance between the two, just the 175s have seen more TLC over their lives to date. I'm even more surprised that you can liken the interior of a 180 to a Pendolino: To me, the interior of a 180 is very similar to that of a mark 3, but better in regard to noise insulation and lack of draughts due to the lack of droopy droplight windows and better in terms of ride quality, without the mark 3 tendency to soss and wallow about on their soft suspension when getting towards their next exam.

 

[backontrack]

HSTs are known as trams because they used to be in a fixed formation and go back and forth all day. It's a name that has passed through from the 1970/1980s.

Pacers are in a fixed formation and go up and down all day. And they's passed through from the 70s/80s too! :lol

 

[sprinterguy]

An enjoyable read...

I must, however, disagree with you regarding the 180s... I recently travelled on a 180 from Hull to Retford (see my most recent report) and found the unit I used to be the most enjoyable and comfortable of modern units I have used so far - so much so that I actually nodded off at one point which is a rare thing indeed

Hear hear: I think the 180s are cracking units from a passenger point of view: If only the unfortunate things had worked out of the box, I would welcome them with open arms on Crosscountry services in place of the Voyagers. As it is, I do like my long distance travel to be less of a gamble (though they're performing much more reliably nearly fifteen years on with the right amount of attention).

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Pacers are in a fixed formation and go up and down all day. And they's passed through from the 70s/80s too! :lol

Rather like my love life then... *sniggers*

I wonder who first came up with the term "Nodding Donkey" for the Pacers...? Or, for that matter, I wonder how nicknames often start

 

[backontrack]

Hear hear: I think the 180s are cracking units from a passenger point of view: If only the unfortunate things had worked out of the box, I would welcome them with open arms on Crosscountry services in place of the Voyagers.

They're great units. The 175s are meant to be good too.

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Pacers are in a fixed formation and go up and down all day. And they's passed through from the 70s/80s too! :lol

My beloved Pacers were a product of the 80s. (Exits pedant mode and dives for cover .....)

Rather like my love life then... *sniggers*

I wonder who first came up with the term "Nodding Donkey" for the Pacers...? Or, for that matter, I wonder how nicknames often start

When they first came out, some fractions of the enthusiast fraternity would call
the Pacers "Tonka Toys" on account of their being simply sheet of metal riveted together and on wheels. If you're familiar with some of the cruder Tonka Toys from the mid 80s, you'll soon see the resemblance.

 

[Kite159]

Get yourself down to Middle Earth and grab a 180 from Worcester towards Oxford/Reading/Delightful Slough/Paddington

And nothing wrong with some trains from the 1980s

 

[Techniquest]

Looks like another excellent day there Fishquinn! I see you've endured the horrors of being bowled out by 180s when expecting an HST too, I've had that happen too, but I was usually going across from the other side of the country for a GC HST. Imagine the disgust when it happened to me, after an all-nighter move too...

180s are similar to 175s inside, but those disc brakes, argh! 175s are better IMO but lack power sockets and WiFi, the best thing about GWR 180s.

I'm sure they're not 15 years old yet though, they were still very new in autumn 2003 which puts them at 12 years old at least.

 

[Kite159]

Looks like another excellent day there Fishquinn! I see you've endured the horrors of being bowled out by 180s when expecting an HST too, I've had that happen too, but I was usually going across from the other side of the country for a GC HST. Imagine the disgust when it happened to me, after an all-nighter move too...

180s are similar to 175s inside, but those disc brakes, argh! 175s are better IMO but lack power sockets and WiFi, the best thing about GWR 180s.

I'm sure they're not 15 years old yet though, they were still very new in autumn 2003 which puts them at 12 years old at least.

The problem is that the GC 180s do look that old, they are a bit tired inside compared to the 180s on GWR/Hull.

 

[sprinterguy]

I'm sure they're not 15 years old yet though, they were still very new in autumn 2003 which puts them at 12 years old at least.

The units were built between 2000 and 2001, they ARE that old, even if they didn't enter service immediately (well documented teething troubles ). It's okay, it's alright to feel old : I remember a railway scene when 158s were half that age, and I remember seeing my first Voyager on test in (I think) April 2001.
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The problem is that the GC 180s do look that old, they are a bit tired inside compared to the 180s on GWR/Hull.

They were in a terrible state when they arrived at Grand Central, after a lack of attention either with Northern or in store: I remember being astonished to see the reading lights in first class either hanging limply out of their sockets on loose wires or missing entirely, and the generally tired and worn look of the interiors. I'm glad to say that, in comparison, Grand Central have worked wonders on the trains since!

 

[FQ]

I will have to try a GWR/HT one sometime. But through Middle Earth, there is trams!

 

[sprinterguy]

Pacers are in a fixed formation and go up and down all day. And they's passed through from the 70s/80s too! :lol

With the HSTs it was also to differentiate them from the "proper" loco-hauled trains that they replaced on inter-city services. Also, I've heard that it was something to do with the way the front air dam sweeps down beneath the solebar, so from the front they look like they're really low to the track, like a tram.

 

[James Wake]

Great read Fishquinn, having done the GC 180 from Sunderland to Kings Cross on my ALR, and a Hull Trains one from Kings Cross to Hull a few days later, I can say categorically that Hull Trains have the best one. I really liked the 180s, although the seats on the GC got a bit uncomfortable after a delayed 6 hour and 5 min journey due to a bad incident at Sandy.

 

[Techniquest]

I will have to try a GWR/HT one sometime. But through Middle Earth, there is trams!

Only at certain times of the day! 1022 Padd-Hereford is HST as is the 1514 return, the 0822 Padd-Hereford and 1209 return is normally Turbos (I think a pair of them as far as Worcester, where one comes off to work a Worcester Shrub Hill to Padd).

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I will have to try a GWR/HT one sometime. But through Middle Earth, there is trams!

Including the well known service between Birmingham and Rohan

 

[Kristofferson]

Enjoying the reads here and the photos! How did I miss the model shop in York??

 

[FQ]

Thanks! The model shop is quite a way from the station but probably most easily found from the city walls.

 

[backontrack]

fishquinn, I think you need to change your avatar.

 

[FQ]

To what?

 

[backontrack]

This:

 

[FQ]

Love it!

 

[backontrack]

Quinn, here's an interesting idea (which you don't have to do; don't feel any sort of obligation). You go on trips and do reports; I don't (otherwise I'd do this). But why not try doing a report entirely in pictures instead of words?

 

[FQ]

Hmmm... Interesting idea. I usually don't take enough photos on a trip to do it but on a WMDT or WMDR sometime I could try it. What does everyone else think?

 

[Techniquest]

Photo-heavy trip reports don't sound too good for us lot who read them on the move via mobiles

An interesting concept though!

 

[ooo]

Hmmm... Interesting idea. I usually don't take enough photos on a trip to do it but on a WMDT or WMDR sometime I could try it. What does everyone else think?

I like the sound of it

 

[FQ]

I could try it to suit the mobile users - Smaller photos than I currently put on my trip reports.

 

[backontrack]

Would you mind supplying a text version as well, then?

 

[Techniquest]

I could try it to suit the mobile users - Smaller photos than I currently put on my trip reports.

Make sure you put in a textual description of the photos too please, not just for me and my fellow mobile users.

It'll be interesting to try still, I was once going to try something similar years ago but with video instead, but that's fallen by the wayside!

 

[backontrack]

And I'd be happy to type up the textual version for you if you left me some notes. I've never written a report before, but I could give it a try...
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...AND THAT'S MY ONE-THOUSANDTH POST!!!!!!!



Thanks to Quinn, to Paul, to DL, to OxtedL, to Tim, to Clag, to Gary, to Springs Branch, to Darren, to Quakkerillo, to Tech, to Dan, to IanD, to Andrew and to all the other people that make RailUKForums so great. You're all awesome.

 

[Techniquest]

Congratulations on reaching that milestone! If I've helped make the forum a more interesting place, then I'm honoured to have been of some use in that!