40th Anniversary of InterCity125

[JackJones125]

40th anniversary of the InterCity125 this year, anyone know if anything is happening to commemorate this? Been hearing a lot suggesting a HST might get painted into the original livery scheme, assume that's the InterCity blue/yellow concept if it was too be true. Probably complete guess work.

Cheers.

 

[antharro]

I would guess that 41001 will be brought out for special events. Would be great to have it running on the mainline but I suspect that won't happen.

 

[43074]

The Prototype was 40 years old in 2012 (dating from 1972), the production trains are actually from 1976, so the production model is actually 40 years old next year, in October.

A TOC will probably repaint a HST to mark the end of their operations in 2018/9/20, but until then I'm not convinced a TOC would repaint a HST solely because it's their '40th'. Do you have an official source for that?

 

[cjmillsnun]

I don't know. For the end of Valenta operations, FGW did apply 253001 to 43002 and 43003 They may well do something

 

[Murph]

It would be nice to see a couple of sets in IC Executive livery again, as well as the original BR Blue.

 

[BestWestern]

It would be nice to see a couple of sets in IC Executive livery again, as well as the original BR Blue.

I agree; Swallow was my personal favourite. Be nice to see perhaps 002/003 in different historic liveries, and 43 125 named 'Intercity 125'.

 

[Kite159]

FGW will probably rename one of their power-cars into "40 years of excellence" or something like that.

 

[Ash Bridge]

It would be nice to see a couple of sets in IC Executive livery again, as well as the original BR Blue.

I agree; Swallow was my personal favourite. Be nice to see perhaps 002/003 in different historic liveries, and 43 125 named 'Intercity 125'.

I would go along with that aswell, must admit though the original Great Western livery (when first privatised) looked good, although with a predominance of white maybe not so practical, also liked the prototypes pullman style livery. What are you're views?

 

[fishquinn]

Maybe Network rail will put there power cars into passenger service for a bit with EC, FGW or EMT.

 

[gordonthemoron]

why has the prototype got no lights on the cab?

 

[Murph]

why has the prototype got no lights on the cab?

Are they not streamlined in behind the glass panel below the windscreen?

 

[gazthomas]

As they're eager to have advertisers I wonder how much East Coast would charge to vinyl wrap a whole set? Before they handover to the new franchise holders of course!

 

[sprinterguy]

Are they not streamlined in behind the glass panel below the windscreen?

Yep, the lights on the prototype HST were located behind the lower glass screen on the cab front.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I would go along with that aswell, must admit though the original Great Western livery (when first privatised) looked good, although with a predominance of white maybe not so practical, also liked the prototypes pullman style livery. What are you're views?

It's a weird looking thing, isn't it?

The livery of course came back for the West Coast Desiros (350/1s) delivered before LM came into being.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...1920px-Hugh_llewelyn_350_104_(6314708088).jpg

Neil

 

[Ash Bridge]

It's a weird looking thing, isn't it?

The livery of course came back for the West Coast Desiros (350/1s) delivered before LM came into being.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...1920px-Hugh_llewelyn_350_104_(6314708088).jpg

Neil

Yes, I suppose it is looking at it now, it was a good move getting Kenneth Grange in to restyle the front end on the production series. That picture btw I took at the Shildon 150 Cavalcade in August 1975, is it possible any one else on the forum was in attendance that day? Oh and I see your point about the 350 also!

 

[ivanhoe]

40 years on and they are still a good ride. The short time it took to go from proto type to being in production was typical of BREL at the time. An era of can do with great engineers. I remember moving down to Leicester in 1980 and seeing one of these beauty's approaching LondonRoad station. It had a wow factor which I'm afraid can't be said for many trains these days. It should have started a revolution on the railways but alas there was no vision from the Government and sadly no cash.

 

[pinkpanther]

That picture btw I took at the Shildon 150 Cavalcade in August 1975, is it possible any one else on the forum was in attendance that day?

I was...at the grand old age of 9!

 

[cjmillsnun]

40 years on and they are still a good ride. The short time it took to go from proto type to being in production was typical of BREL at the time. An era of can do with great engineers. I remember moving down to Leicester in 1980 and seeing one of these beauty's approaching LondonRoad station. It had a wow factor which I'm afraid can't be said for many trains these days. It should have started a revolution on the railways but alas there was no vision from the Government and sadly no cash.

Also, built as a stopgap. I suspect they had a design life of no more than 20 years.

Yet they will be over 40 years old when they start to leave frontline service.

They still look modern to this day.

 

[yorksrob]

It had a wow factor which I'm afraid can't be said for many trains these days. It should have started a revolution on the railways but alas there was no vision from the Government and sadly no cash.

I would say that it helped to kick-start the renaissance of the railway that we enjoy today.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I was...at the grand old age of 9!

Can give you 10years, I was nineteen, and we travelled there and back on a class 40 hauled charter

Also, built as a stopgap. I suspect they had a design life of no more than 20 years.

Yet they will be over 40 years old when they start to leave frontline service.

They still look modern to this day.

Yet we have to look to other parts of Europe or worst still America or Japan to build our trains today

I would say that it helped to kick-start the renaissance of the railway that we enjoy today.

Absolutely,the 125 made trains cool again! (Daughter would use that description anyway)

 

[RichmondCommu]

I would say that it helped to kick-start the renaissance of the railway that we enjoy today.

In terms of Intercity travel I completely agree. However away from the HST's and Mk 3 stock nothing else really started to improve until the mid to late 1980's.

 

[yorksrob]

somewhere, f Intercity travel I completely agree. However away from the HST's and Mk 3 stock nothing else really started to improve until the mid to late 1980's.

Yes, a lot of that has to do with the business sectors of course. But everything has to start somewhere, and of course, rail cards and innovative pricing were beginning to come about at the same time.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Yes, a lot of that has to do with the business sectors of course. But everything has to start somewhere, and of course, rail cards and innovative pricing were beginning to come about at the same time.

The best thing about it was the branding Intercity 125. To their credit BR got a lot of mileage out of that. Even my sisters knew what a Intercity 125 was! Says it all really.

 

[BananaRepublic]

They still look modern to this day.

I think they look distinctly old fashioned, retro modern, but in this case in a nice way. Much like many of those 1970's sports cars and super cars, which often look very amateurish by modern design standards. The HST just about still pulls it off though IMHO.

 

[scotraildriver]

Also, built as a stopgap. I suspect they had a design life of no more than 20 years.

Yet they will be over 40 years old when they start to leave frontline service.

They still look modern to this day.

You mean get refurbished again and transferred to Scotrail!

 

[59CosG95]

You mean get refurbished again and transferred to Scotrail!

Do you know what the refurb of the HSTs will entail?

 

[theageofthetra]

Didn't the front end have to be redesigned because the rail unions insisted on a secondman in the HST cab?

 

[sprinterguy]

Do you know what the refurb of the HSTs will entail?

Power doors, toilet retention tanks, shortening to 2+4 and 2+5 formations (still seems to be some discussion on this point), full internal refurbishment to incorporate buffet and at seat catering options.

 

[Murph]

Didn't the front end have to be redesigned because the rail unions insisted on a secondman in the HST cab?

That was just internally. The nose came about almost by accident, when the chap tasked with designing the paint job decided to play around with the styling as well. BR liked his unsolicited changes, and the rest is history.

BR's quick fix, short term or stop gap train turned out to be a world-class success, that's still world-class 40 years on. The iconic design feature for it happened almost by accident. There's little doubt that all involved were excellent engineers, but the HST certainly had its fair share of luck on top of that.

 

[alexl92]

On the idea of them going back into BR Livery, I heard that EMT were up for doing it.