GWR operating short 'HSTGTi' sets (see diagrams section for workings)

[TEW]

Chiltern plug doors.

EDIT: Also, what's the point of pocket doors on an EXPRESS passenger train when they were designed to speed up boarding on STOPPING trains. IMO it looks daft and out of place. Plug doors also keep the lines clean rather than the break-up of them on the Super Hitachi Intercity Trains.

Designed to cut dwell times rather than to specifically speed up boarding. It achieves that very easily because the automatic doors are much quicker and easier than the slam doors. The sliding door rather than plug door has also meant far less modifications are required in the vestibule area.

 

[PHILIPE]

GWR Journey Check, Short Formation Section, today shows the booked trains formed 2 vice 4.

 

[jimm]

I have to say I am very surprised there is room for the ridiculous door pocket, the toilet and the corridor there. I'm also disappointed that the rubbish pressure pad doors are still there.

At least initially, the GWR project was conceived as a short-term stop-gap to make up for the need to retain more Turbo sets than expected in the Thames Valley area as the result of electrification delays, which required 158s intended for the Devon-Cornwall regional service to stay on other jobs - hence the GWR project does not involve major work beyond the installation of the sliding doors and toilet tanks.

Chiltern plug doors.

EDIT: Also, what's the point of pocket doors on an EXPRESS passenger train when they were designed to speed up boarding on STOPPING trains. IMO it looks daft and out of place. Plug doors also keep the lines clean rather than the break-up of them on the Super Hitachi Intercity Trains.

The Chiltern 'conversions' actually involved cutting off and rebuilding both ends of each coach - so ever so slightly more expensive than the insertion of the sliding doors now being carried out.

Have you ever observed how much time is spent at station stops on GWR HSTs, even on shorter platforms, checking slam doors are shut? Sliding doors will make the lives of the guards and platform staff (where available) a sight more straightforward. Press a button, doors close and lock, indicator lights go out and away you go.

 

[simon7929]

Some pics here..

https://hiveminer.com/Tags/43093,hst

 

[Bletchleyite]

Some pics here..

https://hiveminer.com/Tags/43093,hst

Such a timeless design that with the slamdoors removed it could almost be brand new. Those BR engineers knew what they were doing and should be very proud.

 

[hexagon789]

Some pics here..

https://hiveminer.com/Tags/43093,hst

The recessed doors don't actually look too bad compared to plug doors on the Chiltern Mk3s, they still look a bit narrow though

 

[co-tr-paul]

Set may run to LA for its regular weekend a exam later today but unsure yet. Interior layout will most probably have more tables when "production" sets get converted.

 

[hexagon789]

Set may run to LA for its regular weekend a exam later today but unsure yet. Interior layout will most probably have more tables when "production" sets get converted.

Could definitely do with a few more tables. Are all the Trailer Standards High-density ones?

 

[Sebastian O]

Can’t seem to find the related post - can anyone confirm which 43s have been removed from service for the change to short form? I believe it’s only 093 and 016 so far.

 

[co-tr-paul]

On this set, just the one table on either side per coach.

 

[swt_passenger]

With the very recent news that ALL the Turbo fleet is to be made available for use in the west of the franchise, when is it anticipated that these temporary short sets will no longer be needed?

 

[route101]

Looking at travelling Bristol to London next Sunday the 8th , wondering if the morning services are HSTs ?

 

[PHILIPE]

Looking at travelling Bristol to London next Sunday the 8th , wondering if the morning services are HSTs ?

Where are you travelling from ?

 

[Mikey C]

Have you ever observed how much time is spent at station stops on GWR HSTs, even on shorter platforms, checking slam doors are shut? Sliding doors will make the lives of the guards and platform staff (where available) a sight more straightforward. Press a button, doors close and lock, indicator lights go out and away you go.

And passengers! Having to lower the window and turn a stiff exterior handle to get out was an anachronism back in the 1970s, never mind 2018...

 

[route101]

Where are you travelling from ?

Bristol Temple Meads . Looking to get HST.

 

[swt_passenger]

And passengers! Having to lower the window and turn a stiff exterior handle to get out was an anachronism back in the 1970s, never mind 2018...

Mind you, there's almost bound to be a post eventually from a contrary RailUK member reporting that he was imprisoned on one of these trains because he couldn't get the window down, and there were no notices or warning announcements...

 

[CC 72100]

The lack of interior layout modification is a bit odd. They are not exactly very pleasant to spend hours on, and pretty awful for people standing or with bulky luggage. Plus I thought they would want something more tourist friendly, rather than the crazy layout with 2 tables.

1) Much less likely to have people standing on those services now that it's gone from a 2-car 150 to 4 Mark 3 coaches - double the capacity

2) As per above - significantly more luggage capacity than a 150 that it replaced.

... Or we can just not bother and go back to a full and standing 150/1 through Cornwall which is useless for any luggage of any description - I know what I'd choose!

 

[PHILIPE]

Bristol Temple Meads . Looking to get HST.

Difficult to say in advance as this has been discussed on the Class 800 Weekend Diagram thread. The Diagrams are altered every week due to the extensive Engineering work going on over the network. Much depends on the availability of IETs and the problems caused by these due to matters such as crewing 10 Car trains, insufficient drivers trained and swaps having to be made on the day. If you were to ask GWR (Via Twitter) they would ask you to enquire again on the day itself.

 

[Non Multi]

With the very recent news that ALL the Turbo fleet is to be made available for use in the west of the franchise, when is it anticipated that these temporary short sets will no longer be needed?

Nearly all. Not all the 2 car Turbos can head west, due to the need for them on Greenfords and the Marlow donkey.

 

[twpsaesneg]

Some pics here..

https://hiveminer.com/Tags/43093,hst

Thanks! Looks like the door opening has been sorted out compared to those first shots taken at Plymouth! Looks really good.

 

[swt_passenger]

Nearly all. Not all the 2 car Turbos can head west, due to the need for them on Greenfords and the Marlow donkey.

True. All bar 3 or 4 units then?

 

[hexagon789]

On this set, just the one table on either side per coach.

Will that be the same on the other sets?

 

[Non Multi]

True. All bar 3 or 4 units then?

Somewhere near that figure, probably too soon to say. Depends on how the 769s fare in the real world, and what upgrades to the Marlow branch occur in the near future. The Greenford branch may also move over to the Chiltern franchise.

 

[JonathanH]

With the very recent news that ALL the Turbo fleet is to be made available for use in the west of the franchise, when is it anticipated that these temporary short sets will no longer be needed?

The Turbos create slack in the West fleet for more capacity in the Bristol area rather than to replace the short HSTs?

 

[Bletchleyite]

With the very recent news that ALL the Turbo fleet is to be made available for use in the west of the franchise, when is it anticipated that these temporary short sets will no longer be needed?

Taking away proper InterCity trains and replacing them with suburban DMUs, and not particularly good suburban DMUs at that[1], will *not* be a popular move.

[1] They'd get away with 4-car Class 158 formations, but nothing less good I reckon.

 

[Bletchleyite]

And passengers! Having to lower the window and turn a stiff exterior handle to get out was an anachronism back in the 1970s, never mind 2018...

The UK really, really missed a trick by not adopting the UIC folding slamdoor with autocloser and 5km/h door blocking with the Mk2 coach (and for everything afterwards until plug-sliding replaced it). It would have saved many lives and countless aggregated hours of delays in walking back to shut a door some muppet had left open.

"Not invented here". Even the version trialled on the XP64 set, while appearing similar, opened inwards rather than outwards so I believe used to drag on the carpet, and had neither the autocloser nor door blocking.

 

[swt_passenger]

Taking away proper InterCity trains and replacing them with suburban DMUs, and not particularly good suburban DMUs at that[1], will *not* be a popular move.

[1] They'd get away with 4-car Class 158 formations, but nothing less good I reckon.

They aren’t being converted to provide ‘proper intercity trains’ but as a fall back option for local services on the line currently operated by DMUs.

This is clearly explained in post #1 and is surely common knowledge by now?

 

[Bletchleyite]

They aren’t being converted to provide ‘proper intercity trains’ but as a fall back option for local services on the line currently operated by DMUs.

This is clearly explained in post #1 and is surely common knowledge by now?

I know what they are for (though the station spacing on many of the services they will run makes them probably more of a regional express even if they do in fact call at all stations). What I mean is that if you give the passengers really nice trains (possibly the best on the network) they are not going to be impressed with nasty Turbos replacing them, with their 3+2 seating, barely adequate aircon and stink of diesel fumes.

 

[Master29]

I know what they are for (though the station spacing on many of the services they will run makes them probably more of a regional express even if they do in fact call at all stations). What I mean is that if you give the passengers really nice trains (possibly the best on the network) they are not going to be impressed with nasty Turbos replacing them, with their 3+2 seating, barely adequate aircon and stink of diesel fumes.

A good point but are you talking about 165s or 158s? 158s aren't too bad a replacement even if they are a tad older than Turbos.

 

[adc82140]

Not without precedent though- Northern Rail 180s- weren't they replaced with something considerably more basic?