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AFAIK the HS1 (former CTRL) is built to Berne gauge (UIC gauge), and can operate conventional trains in addition to Eurostars. Is there anything that would prevent a service using conventional loco hauled stock to UIC gauge operating into St Pancras thru the tunnel?

From the steam era, I understand the standard was that the brake end on coaches like BTKs were to face the end of the train - e g a BCK at the front with the Brakevan end facing forward, and a BTK at the rear with the Brakevan end facing rearward, and if there were more than two, the others...

Perhaps imagining the government in the late 40s instead of nationalising had decided to give the "Big Four" an economic aid package instead. Could the "Big Four" have survived into our time? Would we have seen an even more streamlined network in that case? Would they have ended up merging into...

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/db-class-90-updates.243097/ Freightliner next?

Video from Watford Junction in summer 1991 seems to show two (presumably northbound) night trains: The first one is at around 4:15, hauled by a Class 87 and has a pretty weird formation of 2 Motorail GUVs, 3 SLE/SLEP, 1 TSO, 2 BSO with the van areas facing each other, 2 TSO. Strangely large...

I know diesel power was always the preferred even on electrified lines (the Royal Train having a pair of dedicated Class 47s at least from around 1990), but given it's name, it'd have to at least be very tempting to put 87002 at the head of the Royal Train if it was travelling on an...

Freight cars owned by BR or UK Railway companies intended for use through the "chunnel" or to be ferried across the channel, always got UIC designations in addition to the usual three-letter UK code. But recently it seems these get applied even to domestic UK freight cars - are the TOPS...

Most other European countries' capitals have been able to concentrate the railway traffic in and out of the city on one single terminus - at least for long distance traffic. Would something similar (perhaps a merged St Pancras/Kings Cross?) be feasible in the UK? Was something like this ever...

86s operated on the GEML, and hauled mail trains (and possibly freight?) on the ECML. 90s took over for 86s on the GEML, and also hauled mail trains (and possibly freight?) + occasionally stepped in for 91s on the ECML. And both 86s and 90s hauled freight on the North London line. But did 87s...

I've seen the ECML Terminus written both ways, Wikipedia says Kings Cross, lots of other sources say King's Cross - what is actually correct?

The most common Pendolino is the Italian ETR 470, which apart from Italy is also used in Switzerland (Cisalpino), Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Finland. How related are the British Class 390s to the Italian original? Is it only the tilting equipment, and nothing else?

While in North America and Australia, "Freight Train" always seems to have been the favoured term, in the UK both terms have been used colloquially, but with "Goods train" seeming the most prevalent, at least in the steam era. What made "Freight Train" become the more prevalent term even in the...

"Buckeye" couplers have been used on passenger trains in the UK since the 1930s, AFAIK, although for freight traffic they're a more modern phenomenon, mostly post-privatisation. BUT - are these 'buckeyes' the same? I've seen some suggestions that the passenger buckeyes are a lighter/weaker type...

AFAIK the Class 66 wrecked at Great Heck was only a few months old when the accident happened, are there any locos/trains that got an even shorter career before they were wrecked/retired? I think one or two Class 37s got very short careers too?

The Deltics were hardly 20 years old when the HSTs were introduced, yet the whole series of locos were retired pretty shortly after the HST introduction.... You'd think high-power 100mph-capable diesels would be welcome elsewhere on the rail network, they could easily, age-wise, have operated...

Are the ex-GEML Class 90s all going to Freightliner? And does this mean Freightliner will get rid of the 86s?

The HSTs were originally planned to have two catering vehicles, and were delivered in the formation DMB-TF-TF-TRUK-TS-TS-TRSB-TS-TS-DMB for East Coast sets and DMB-TF-TF-TRUK-TS-TRSB-TS-TS-DMB for the South Wales sets, and the initial sets were delivered as such. By the time the XC HST sets were...

Mod Note: Posts #1 - #22 originally in this thread. Or how about just moving to the UIC standard numbering system? :P

From photos from the early 90s, it seems that the Mk2c BFK-Mk1 RBR/RMB-5 mk2d-f TSO formation was pretty common on XC services at least until the summer of 1991, with the Mk1 BG-Mk2f RFO-5 Mk2d-f TSO formation holding out until perhaps 1993ish before giving way to the RFO-5 TSO-BSO formation...