The 125s & Future Usage (Fantasy)

[rf_ioliver]

As this is a fantasy thread, and anything is permitted...

Pyongyang - Seoul

And after that we'll get Uckfield-Lewes

t.

Ian

 

[ainsworth74]

The bin.

^^This is the correct answer^^

*Retreats to bunker*

 

[duffield]

... also seems to be increasing speculation that the MML electrification may be paused again indefinitely this time due to Network Rails money situation which could have consequences regarding MML HST's and any replacement.

Any source for this speculation?

Edit: OK, found an article in the Nottingham Post:
http://www.nottinghampost.com/gover...en-t-changed/story-29851599-detail/story.html

If anyone has any further info please add to the existing MML electrification thread.

 

[AnonymousUser1]

High speed freight services, with doors and runners to handle airline style containers. Bring back the parcels service, bet you it would make more money now with online shopping than back when it was scrapped.

hub and spoke in the current logistics world couldn;t operate on the railways unless miraculously there was a way for hundreds of 2 and 3 car parcel MUs to be rapidly processed ...

even seen a parcels hub or a major multichannel retailers RDC ?

hundreds of 'platforms' ( loading docks ), all of whom are not blocked by another other platform/ dock

 

[D6975]

Aberdeen to Penzance, Euston to Holyhead/Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth and Manchester to Bournemouth.

The last one via Bath Green Park I take it?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Forgetting the smoke issues for a moment, but is there any reason why a HST set could not run through the channel tunnel?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Taunton to Taunton via Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Junction, Exeter... calling at reopened stations at Langport, Somerton, Chard Junction, Hele & Bradninch, Cullompton and Wellington. You'd only need one power car in that direction but a second would help anti-clockwise due to the climb out of St. Davids!

 

[ainsworth74]

Forgetting the smoke issues for a moment, but is there any reason why a HST set could not run through the channel tunnel?

They're not equipped with the necessary in-cab signalling system.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

They're not equipped with the necessary in-cab signalling system.

Okay, forgetting the smoke and if the train was run with the tunnel otherwise closed to traffic, is there anything stopping it? Should get the set through dimension wise?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Okay, forgetting the smoke and if the train was run with the tunnel otherwise closed to traffic, is there anything stopping it? Should get the set through dimension wise?

You have seen the size of the shuttle vehicles, right?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Okay, forgetting the smoke and if the train was run with the tunnel otherwise closed to traffic, is there anything stopping it?

Chunnel passenger vehicles have to be hermetically sealed.

 

[Blaahh]

Ryde to Sandown

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Chunnel passenger vehicles have to be hermetically sealed.

Okay, but you could certainly get a HST set in there?

Newhaven Marine - Aberdeen (via Doncaster)

 

[jopsuk]

Which routes would you like to see 125s on?

The 0730 between my ear and my chin...

 

[RichmondCommu]

Derby to Crewe to replace the class 153s.

 

[MotCO]

Ok - real fantasy.

Picking up on the freight / home delivery idea, convert them into driverless freight trains of three or four coaches to go more or less anywhere. If we can have driverless lorries, why not driverless trains?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Okay, but you could certainly get a HST set in there?

Physically - yes, they will fit the infrastructure.

But not with passengers on board; Mk 3 stock is not hermetically sealed. The only exemption that was ever granted in that respect was for the class 319 charters when the tunnel was first opened.

 

[Rick1984]

Why's no one mentioned the Lymington Branch?

 

[swt_passenger]

Why's no one mentioned the Lymington Branch?

The Lymington branch would already be full of end to end 442s surely?

 

[125Forever]

Colne to London Euston, if capacity on the WCML won't be too badly affected.

 

[randyrippley]

Something else that I recall is that BR initially wanted to order a batch of HSTs for regional routes such as North Transpennine and Edinburgh - Glasgow, but the Government had no interest in financing so many sets and as such the order was restricted to the major Intercity routes (with the MML only receiving HSTs belatedly, as a result of squeezing the ECML, XC and Great Western fleet allocations). As such, the regional routes had to wait until the late eighties and Sprinterisation for new stock to appear, and the rest is history.

The initial MML fleet came from the Western stock. The Paddington-Torbay service was downgraded to class 50 haulage to provide them

 

[randyrippley]

Taunton to Taunton via Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Junction, Exeter... calling at reopened stations at Langport, Somerton, Chard Junction, Hele & Bradninch, Cullompton and Wellington. You'd only need one power car in that direction but a second would help anti-clockwise due to the climb out of St. Davids!

Two power cars required: reverse at Castle Cary.
But if you ran circular Taunton-Temple Meads-Bath-Westbury-Yeovil-Exeter-Taunton then there'd be no reverse and a single ended train would work

 

[sprinterguy]

The initial MML fleet came from the Western stock. The Paddington-Torbay service was downgraded to class 50 haulage to provide them

Sources both written and online agree that the Midland Mainline allocation was formed of five sets from the Western region, three from Crosscountry and two from the East Coast. From the 125 Group website:

http://www.125group.org.uk/past-operators/history/
The InterCity services from St. Pancras to the East Midlands and Yorkshire had missed out on getting their own fleet of HSTs although the fleet of aged locomotive hauled trains were in need of replacement.

Partly due to the falling demand for services and partly due to improved utilisation, 5 HST sets were released from the Western Region fleet, whilst three sets were released from the Cross Country fleet by the retention of some locomotive hauled operation on the NE-SW route. Two spare sets were resourced from the ECML fleet so that a total of 10 sets could be provided to operate a near full HST service on the Midland Main Line.

 

[krus_aragon]

Sources both written and online agree that the Midland Mainline allocation was formed of five sets from the Western region, three from Crosscountry and two from the East Coast.

I know this is too serious a conversation for a “fantasy” thread, but how did ICWC acquire its small batch of HSTs?

 

[randyrippley]

Sources both written and online agree that the Midland Mainline allocation was formed of five sets from the Western region, three from Crosscountry and two from the East Coast. From the 125 Group website:

Sources can be wrong.......my memory of press reports at the time is that eight sets went from the Western. Unlikely any went from XC as they were underresourced and struggling for stock

 

[sprinterguy]

I know this is too serious a conversation for a “fantasy” thread, but how did ICWC acquire its small batch of HSTs?

Three sets were sourced daily from the Great Western allocation from 1991, which was made possible by the allocation of additional ex-ECML sets to the Western region following ECML electrification.

 

[43096]

Three sets were sourced daily from the Great Western allocation from 1991, which was made possible by the allocation of additional ex-ECML sets to the Western region following ECML electrification.

Which became a permanent allocation of 3 sets to West Coast from the onset of privatisation.

 

[59CosG95]

How on earth has no-one mentioned 2+5 HSTs on Stansted-Brum services?

 

[sprinterguy]

How on earth has no-one mentioned 2+5 HSTs on Stansted-Brum services?

I know that this is a fantasy thread and I admire your creativity, but I don't think that even short HSTs would be suitable for Stansted to Birmingham (Variable demand east and west of Leicester, some short platforms limited by level crossings right at their ends such as Melton Mowbray, a short platform for diesel stock at Stansted Airport, and possibly some speed limit differentials they wouldn't be able to make use of), but 2+5 or 2+6 sets on Nottingham to Cardiff wouldn't be at all bad: It would free up additional Turbostars for Birmingham - Leicester/Stansted services, allow for a catering offer at least comparable to that on the Crosscountry inter-city routes and be able to make use of any 100mph+ speed limits that exist on the Derby - Cheltenham section.

 

[59CosG95]

I know that this is a fantasy thread and I admire Your creativity, but I don't think that even short HSTs would be suitable for Stansted to Birmingham (Variable demand east and west of Leicester, some short platforms limited by level crossings right at their ends such as Melton Mowbray, a short platform for diesel stock at Stansted Airport, and possibly some speed limit differentials they wouldn't be able to make use of), but 2+5 or 2+6 sets on Nottingham to Cardiff wouldn't be at all bad: It would free up additional Turbostars for Birmingham - Leicester/Stansted services, allow for a catering offer at least comparable to that on the Crosscountry inter-city routes and be able to make use of any 100mph+ speed limits that exist on the Derby - Cheltenham section.

Ah yes, I really was clutching at straws with that idea!