GWR Celebrity Power Car Watch W43002/43185

[nat67]

43185 is on the rear of 1000 Paddington-Bristol with 43163 on the front

Do you mean 162?

 

[LA50041]

Do you mean 162?

Oops, yes I do. Fat fingers and trying to type while walking

 

[158747]

43002 is at the front of 06.47 Penzance - Paddington today, with 43170 at the rear.

 

[Mag_seven]

43185 (plus 43162) is on the 14.45 Pad-Swansea

 

[_toommm_]

I finally understand why 43185 is a celebrity powercar! Looks amazing when it was at Cardiff earlier.

 

[trainmania100]

Useful thread, thanks for this. I still need 43185, if it's still around on 13th May I'll try see it at Paddington before I leave the country.

 

[43096]

I finally understand why 43185 is a celebrity powercar! Looks amazing when it was at Cardiff earlier.

You need to look more closely. It’s a wreck.

 

[nat67]

You need to look more closely. It’s a wreck.

Yes the last time I saw it the vinyl edging was ripped and so not as good as if it had the same treatment as 47828.

 

[dave87016]

Sunday 7th April Allox

43185 + OC55 + 43162

1A08 08:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington

1C80 11:30 Paddington to Paignton

1A29 15:45 Paignton to Paddington

1G88 20:27 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa

5G88 22:44 Cheltenham Spa to St Philips Marsh

 

[Mag_seven]

43185 is the lead power car on 1A02 0530 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington. Should therefore now work the following services today (HST on an IET diagram):

1G11 0736 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
1L50 1036 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
1G38 1336 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
1L80 1620 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
1U28 1912 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads

 

[Peter C]

Is what I've heard about 43002 and 43185 working together on the "HST Farewell" railtour true? I seem to remember someone saying it wasn't but it doesn't hurt to ask. The Railway Herald website says that this "HST Farewell" railtour, which will run around the parts of the GWR network which are, or once were, served by HSTs on the 1st of June, will be hauled by a "FGW HST". Any help appreciated. Apologies if this topic has its own forum/has already been discussed here.

-Peter

 

[QuestRail]

Is what I've heard about 43002 and 43185 working together on the "HST Farewell" railtour true? I seem to remember someone saying it wasn't but it doesn't hurt to ask. The Railway Herald website says that this "HST Farewell" railtour, which will run around the parts of the GWR network which are, or once were, served by HSTs on the 1st of June, will be hauled by a "FGW HST". Any help appreciated. Apologies if this topic has its own forum/has already been discussed here.

-Peter

All I've seen on the RailAdvent articles and the Long Rock Open Day Facebook page is that the power cars will be "subject to operational requirements" unfortunately.

 

[Peter C]

All I've seen on the RailAdvent articles and the Long Rock Open Day Facebook page is that the power cars will be "subject to operational requirements" unfortunately.

Oh OK. It's a bit sad that GWR are going to the efforts of making this event a special one but they (at the moment at least) aren't going to try to put some special engines on it. Surely it can't be that difficult! Am I right in thinking that the service starts at Bristol Temple Meads? Therefore, can't GWR just get the two power cars to St. Phillip's Marsh Depot (or the nearest one if that isn't) before the event? It's not like allocations are just discovered or made up by fairies... is it?

-Peter

 

[QuestRail]

Oh OK. It's a bit sad that GWR are going to the efforts of making this event a special one but they (at the moment at least) aren't going to try to put some special engines on it. Surely it can't be that difficult! Am I right in thinking that the service starts at Bristol Temple Meads? Therefore, can't GWR just get the two power cars to St. Phillip's Marsh Depot (or the nearest one if that isn't) before the event? It's not like allocations are just discovered or made up by fairies... is it?

-Peter

I hope they're just covering themselves in case they can't get them on there, but we'll see. Given that all full diagrams will have gone over to IET's by then you'd think they'd have some leeway to get them to SPM in time, but I have little to no understanding of how these things work. Hopefully they use them, I still don't have a very good picture of W43002. That said, 43093 (Old Oak Common - HST Depot 1976-2018) would also feel appropriate to me, given it has the 'Legends of the GWML' livery and this tour celebrates a legend of the GWML, but I'm not too fussy.

I just hope the pricing for the tour isn't too steep, but that's a topic for a different thread.

 

[nat67]

In my opinion the last HST should be 43002/198 as it would be the first and last production power cars together for what could be the last time.

 

[Peter C]

I hope they're just covering themselves in case they can't get them on there, but we'll see. Given that all full diagrams will have gone over to IET's by then you'd think they'd have some leeway to get them to SPM in time, but I have little to no understanding of how these things work. Hopefully they use them, I still don't have a very good picture of W43002. That said, 43093 (Old Oak Common - HST Depot 1976-2018) would also feel appropriate to me, given it has the 'Legends of the GWML' livery and this tour celebrates a legend of the GWML, but I'm not too fussy.

I just hope the pricing for the tour isn't too steep, but that's a topic for a different thread.

Good point - if they say that they'll get 002 and 185 will be on the railtour and then they're not, people will be annoyed. If they don't say anything, and the service arrives at the station with these "celebrities" on, people will be happy.
Also, as all of these diagrams will have gone over to IET operation by the time this railtour runs, surely GWR will be able to, within reason, pick and choose which power cars go on the train. Obviously they can't use the ones which are in Scotland or ones which are non-operational.
On a slightly different note, I hope that 43002 is preserved by a group such as the NRM so that we can see it more often. They'd have to find some Mk3s if they don't have them already, though, so it works.

-Peter

 

[Peter C]

In my opinion the last HST should be 43002/198 as it would be the first and last production power cars together for what could be the last time.

That could also work.
If only we could just connect up all of the "special" power cars, e.g. 002, 093, 185, and 198, together so that we can have one hell of a send off!

-Peter

 

[nat67]

That could also work.
If only we could just connect up all of the "special" power cars, e.g. 002, 093, 185, and 198, together so that we can have one hell of a send off!

-Peter

You could have 002/198 and 093/185 would work. 43093/185 both were on the last HST out of Old Oak set.

 

[Mag_seven]

43185 is the lead power car on 1A02 0530 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington. Should therefore now work the following services today (HST on an IET diagram):

1G11 0736 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
1L50 1036 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
1G38 1336 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
1L80 1620 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
1U28 1912 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads

There appears to have been a set swap at Padd - 43185 is now on the 14.03 Padd to Penzance.

 

[Peter C]

You could have 002/198 and 093/185 would work. 43093/185 both were on the last HST out of Old Oak set.

So two trains? Interesting. If only some of us here could control the network...


-Peter

 

[43055]

So two trains? Interesting. If only some of us here could control the network...


-Peter

Or 1 train and 4 power cars? 3 one end and 1 at the other.

 

[D6700]

43185 is leading the 07:41 Penzance to Paddington this morning.

 

[Peter C]

Or 1 train and 4 power cars? 3 one end and 1 at the other.

3 power cars at one end! Yes! This is the sort of thing that GWR should be doing on a daily basis!...

-Peter

 

[Thunderer]

I hope they're just covering themselves in case they can't get them on there, but we'll see. Given that all full diagrams will have gone over to IET's by then you'd think they'd have some leeway to get them to SPM in time, but I have little to no understanding of how these things work. Hopefully they use them, I still don't have a very good picture of W43002. That said, 43093 (Old Oak Common - HST Depot 1976-2018) would also feel appropriate to me, given it has the 'Legends of the GWML' livery and this tour celebrates a legend of the GWML, but I'm not too fussy.

I just hope the pricing for the tour isn't too steep, but that's a topic for a different thread.

Being a traditionalist, 43093 is an ER power car, then Cross Country on cascade. It came to the GWML late in its career, so I don't class 43093 as an "original" WR power car. Im saddened they let the other half of 253001 (43003) go to Scotland, should have reen retained by GWR (along with 43002) as a celebrity power car. Shame there was not more of the life-long GW power cars retained instead of original ER/XC power cars.

 

[Thunderer]

In my opinion the last HST should be 43002/198 as it would be the first and last production power cars together for what could be the last time.

Excellent idea as 43198 was also originally allocated to Laira (Therefore also a WR original allocation) in its 'very very' early days for XC NE-SW workings before being sent to the ER/MML to make up the numbers for St Pancras - Nottingham/Sheffield new HST services.

 

[Peter C]

Do we know if 43002 is being preserved by either the NRM or Intercity125 group (or whoever owns/runs 41001, I can't remember the name)

-Peter

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Do we know if 43002 is being preserved by either the NRM or Intercity125 group (or whoever owns/runs 41001, I can't remember the name)

It's the NRM that is having it.

 

[Peter C]

It's the NRM that is having it.

Oh. Having been to the NRM late last year, I hope that they will make sure that it gets the attention and maybe even exhibit it deserves. Yes, I know that the NRM has to cater for everyone, but they seem to have made everything so basic that it's an insult to any rail enthusiasts who go there. Instead of signs giving the really interesting facts, they say things like (not a real quote): "this is a diesel engine. It was used on express trains. It is old".
I know that this probably isn't the place to give my opinion on the NRM, but I thought that it would fit the current topic of conversation.

-Peter

 

[43096]

It's the NRM that is having it.

Is it? Where is that stated? It has been designated by the Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board but that does not mean the NRM will take it.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Is it? Where is that stated? It has been designated by the Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board but that does not mean the NRM will take it.

I thought I'd read it somewhere else on this forum... Could have been in a magazine somewhere; I don't keep notes of where I read things like this.