On board screens on Intercity CrossCounty HSTs

[northernbelle]

I was recently watching a promotional video for Intercity CrossCountry, which appears to show a digital PIS screen on board an HST coach. In the clip it scrolls to say "Welcome aboard The Cornishman".

It can be viewed at

at about the 0:35 mark and again at 3:30.

Does anybody know any more?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It looks like some sort of concept coach. The purple seat covers aren't standard BR, nor are the reservation holders nor the handles nor the folding table clips.

 

[43096]

I was recently watching a promotional video for Intercity CrossCountry, which appears to show a digital PIS screen on board an HST coach. In the clip it scrolls to say "Welcome aboard The Cornishman".

It can be viewed at

at about the 0:35 mark and again at 3:30.

Does anybody know any more?

It's in one of the two InterCity "market test vehicles" that received experimental refurbishments in the early 1990s. TF 41178 (shown in the video) was converted from 42011 and TCSD (Trailer Conductor Standard Disabled) 45084 was a conversion from 44084. They had a number of experimental features which were included to test customer reactions.

They later became 42360 (ex-45084) and 42362 (ex-41178).

 

[Neptune]

It looks like some sort of concept coach. The purple seat covers aren't standard BR, nor are the reservation holders nor the handles nor the folding table clips.

45084 was a concept coach made from TGS 44084 but had the Guards van remodelled as a conductor compartment as on the Pendolinos as well as some other stuff (possibly a disabled toilet). TF 41178 also had some concept work done, nothing radical though.

 

[FOH]

Yes it had a new luggage rack at one end with seat reservation displays and 3.5mm jack for listening to radio channels too.

I distinctly remember traveling on it in coach D from Bristol TM to Paddington on a strike day when there was a £10 flat fare

 

[fgwrich]

A feature we came close to, but sadly was not taken forward, on the 2006 FGW HST Refurbishment.

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It's rather impressive that such a similar feature has only made it into HSTs from 2018 onwards (and it's the rather basic TrainFX system). Shame though, as there isn't too much behind that black piece of glass and certainly enough space to fit some kind of screen into.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Nov 2022 ==

It's in one of the two InterCity "market test vehicles" that received experimental refurbishments in the early 1990s. TF 41178 (shown in the video) was converted from 42011 and TCSD (Trailer Conductor Standard Disabled) 45084 was a conversion from 44084. They had a number of experimental features which were included to test customer reactions.

They later became 42360 (ex-45084) and 42362 (ex-41178).

Ironic that both should end up in the Great Western fleet, a fleet which seemed to have it's fare share of experimental and modified Mk3s. Presumably none of the features trialled were taken forward due to cost?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Purple pink flashing, green curtains, brown seats...what were they thinking?!

 

[Helvellyn]

If I recall both coaches had some of original IC70 seats modified to have folding armrests. As concept coaches the idea was to trial features for the proposed mid-life refurbishment of the InterCity Mark 3 fleet from the mid-1990s.

The idea of Trailer Conductor Standard Disabled was to move the wheelchair accommodation next to the buffet and provide a universal access toilet. The Conductor would also be more visible by having a mid-train office. Surprised no TOC took that concept forward and instead kept the TGS, whilst fitting universal access toilets to standard trailer coaches.

 

[Devonian]

Purple pink flashing, green curtains, brown seats...what were they thinking?!

I always assumed that an unholy tussle was going on between those who wanted a distinct 'Great Western' look for their flagship train company (chartreuse green and brown being a 'modern' take on older colours) and those who wanted to impose a 'First and First only' look (the carriage exteriors of that development stock had no mention of Great Western at all) resulting in an unholy mess being shown to the public. Mind you, if you think that First Class was bad, the standard class was positively eyepopping. And top-heavy glasses for the Pullman ... what were they thinking?!

Back to the IC market test vehicles, I also remember travelling on them: with the scrolling information display welcoming us to "the carriage of the future". I remember the audio jacks in the luggage racks and seem to recall darker maroon seats in First Class, with refurbished lavatories having rather smart integrated fittings and including paper towels rather than roller towels - but not including large enough bins for the consequent litter.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I remember travelling on them. There was a cute but quite subtle map that lit up the stations called at as the journey progressed, so you knew roughly where you were.

 

[LowLevel]

If I recall both coaches had some of original IC70 seats modified to have folding armrests. As concept coaches the idea was to trial features for the proposed mid-life refurbishment of the InterCity Mark 3 fleet from the mid-1990s.

The idea of Trailer Conductor Standard Disabled was to move the wheelchair accommodation next to the buffet and provide a universal access toilet. The Conductor would also be more visible by having a mid-train office. Surprised no TOC took that concept forward and instead kept the TGS, whilst fitting universal access toilets to standard trailer coaches.

To be fair with the adoption of the role of train manager as an evolution of senior conductor on most TOCs they seemed to work from the buffet/restaurant bunk anyway.

 

[AY1975]

Yes it had a new luggage rack at one end with seat reservation displays and 3.5mm jack for listening to radio channels too.

I distinctly remember traveling on it in coach D from Bristol TM to Paddington on a strike day when there was a £10 flat fare

I remember travelling on what I presume was TCSD 45084 on the Midland Main Line from St Pancras to Alfreton in about 1993. I believe that those two coaches ran on the MML for a time as well as on the Great Western and CrossCountry routes. I wonder if they ever ran on InterCity East Coast or on IC West Coast's Euston-Holyhead service?

 

[JonathanH]

The two concept coaches operated for a period on captive diagrams on each of the main IC125 routes.

While on the GW network they were formed in set LA38 either side of the buffet coach working the up and down Golden Hind from Penzance to Paddington and a fill in trip to and from Bristol.

It appears that they must have done the Cornishman while on XC. Not sure what they did on the MML and ECML.