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Grand Central Trains?

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northernrail2009

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Im due to travel by Grand Central Trains this weekend and wanted to know what are they are like?

Is it true they only have 2 Trains?

I did see a prog about them on the TV ages ago and they seem ok.
 
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Techniquest

Techniquest

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Personally I'd say GC are one of the best operators out there, with the other two in my top three being WSMR and FGW.

For HST bashers, you cannot go wrong with GC. Pairs of Valentas and of course proper seats. If I lived on the East Coast, I'd be travelling with them every week.
 
Zamracene749

Zamracene749

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Comfy seats, lovely cheerful staff, valenta powered 125s, proper buffet and low walk on fares. Whats not to like? :)

Oh and if you travel as far as Sunderland-a ride along the Durham coast line too- short but nice!
 
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Spaceflower

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Techniquest, whatever are you going to do when the inevitible happens and these trains are withdrawn??:roll:
 
martyn29

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Same here I worship the rails that they travel on! God knows what I will do when they withdraw the HST!
 
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43034 The Black Horse

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william said:
Techniquest, whatever are you going to do when the inevitible happens and these trains are withdrawn??:roll:
Click to expand...

Get giving to the 125Group now and these trains won't be withdrawn(From service yes but not from Railtours....). Myself, I am hoping GC won't get rid of their Lovely powercars for sometime yet. IC70s can go soon but not the lovely engines!:D
 
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northernrail2009

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Wow I booked with Grand Central today for this Saturday from York to Sunderland for the great Price of £13 for me and my son on the 10am from York and the 17.30pm from Sunderland and for some reason I am so looking forward to it as will be my First time on one of there Trains.
 
Royston Vasey

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90019 said:
Just because you've leased something doesn't mean you have it yet.
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Exactly :D

Mind you, service is meant to start in a couple of months and the lease is signed so I'd imagine they'd have them for crew training fairly soon

MODS: Merge with GC Discussion?
 
Royston Vasey

Royston Vasey

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GNERman said:
Na this is different...
Photo of a mock up GC 180 is here...
http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=5675
Fair nice eh?
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Look good don't they. Thinking out loud here, but having 2 x 180s may means they have another set to cover the other diagrams if rolling stock (or coaching stock) issues present themselves, I doubt they'll be restricted to just one diagram.

I can't remember the last time I saw one of the HSTs in normal formation! There was one at KGX the Saturday evening before last with just 1xTF and 3xTS, that's it! There was no buffet car, which their website had mentioned being possible due to maintenance. I had heard on here that that wasn't long enough formation to allow full speed running due to brake force issues?

Oh and the lights in the TF weren't working...
 
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Techniquest

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I'm the other way around, I dislike it on the 180 but on the HST it is beast. I like Scott hope it's HST vice 180 one day!
 
Royston Vasey

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By the way northernrail2009, recently (not sure if still the case) sometimes sets were running with a declassified first class coach at the north end of standard class. Assuming you're in standard, head for that end, you may get lucky with a comfier seat and some curtains for nowt!
 
whoshotjimmi

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I just want to add my comments to the class 180 mock up in GC livery - it has me salivating at the very sight. I hope very much that they pop it in the livery shown - unlike the HST which looked much better in the original mock up in my opinion. If it looks like that, I shall certainly be heading to the ECML more often!

I always thought the 180 was a beautiful machine but that First Barbie livery did not suit it. THAT is abso-flippin-lutely stunning. Finally, it looks as though it (could) belong.
 
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northernrail2009

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There may be someone on here that knows how numbers are going on GC trains at mo but does anyone think the 10am from York to Sunderland also the 17.30pm back from Sunderland to York on Saturday will be busy?
 
spoony

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northernrail2009 said:
There may be someone on here that knows how numbers are going on GC trains at mo but does anyone think the 10am from York to Sunderland also the 17.30pm back from Sunderland to York on Saturday will be busy?
Click to expand...

As mentioned before theres a football match at Sunderland so you may get some increased traffic. Especially between Sunderland-Hartlepool. You may have some Wigan fans doing York-Sunderland.
 
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