HST drags and assistance

[50047]

Recent talk of how we used to avoid HSTs when we were bashing in the 1980s and beyond, gave rise to thoughts of times when we didn’t. There was something very satisfying about having a loco hauled HST or a loco assisting a partially dead HST…..

Here a few to get the debate going…I hope!

And before anyone jumps in and defends HSTs, I think you must be daft not to accept that the HST has been a great success story. Having worked on them at one time almost daily, I only recall two complete failures that saw me getting out the detonators, but it does rather help when you have a loco on each end!

Dead HST Drags:
03/07/86 45139 1P12 17.10 St.Pancras-Derby / St.P-LR
16/09/89 50027 07.35 PZ-PD / EX-PD via the desert
04/08/90 56060 17.00 St.P-Sheff / LR-Sheff via Toton ‘Master Cutler’
11/04/02 47747 1A70 13.32 HHD-Euston / Rugby-Eus

One power car assistance:
05/10/89 50015 11.10 PD-Ply / EX-Ply
05/10/89 50015 15.10 Ply-PD / Ply-EX
03/11/93 37012 1C38 11.15 PD-Ply / EX-Ply
17/04/02 47756 1V41 06.45 Newc-Ply / EX-Ply

A broken windscreen I think?
05/06/99 47377 1S37 12.20 BM-Edin / OX-BNSt

Over to you..........

Did anyone have an electric loco hauling a HST?

 

[12CSVT]

Did anyone have an electric loco hauling a HST?

I once saw an 87 piloting a HST at Stafford (both power cars were running but not under power). It was a Euston - Holyhead service, possibly in 1998 or 1999. Other than the fact that it was late evening I can't remember any other details.

 

[50047]

I once saw an 87 piloting a HST at Stafford (both power cars were running but not under power). It was a Euston - Holyhead service, possibly in 1998 or 1999. Other than the fact that it was late evening I can't remember any other details.

Must have been one of the rarest HST drags as I can't imagine many AC locos of any type assisting HSTs


Forgot about this one albeit I only rode the ECS.
15/07/86
I was at Bedford waiting for the 15.50 NM-St.P HST to go to work. Shortly after arriving on the staton I am told that its running at least 60 late as it had failed at Glendon Junction and a loco had been sent out to assist. A quick phone call and I found out that the loco is 25057! There must have been only a handful left in service at this time but I'd only had her a couple of months before this paired with 25109 on a tour from Brum to South Wales so knew she was probably up to the job. Sure enough in rolls a battered looking rat only for the train to be announced as cancelled. The option of the EMU was rejected in favour of chancing the ECS to St.Pancras. The thrash was fantastic, and appreciated all the more as I had the train to myself after a flash of the pass to the crew. Great stuff !
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Has anyone seen the latest Traction DVD? Theres a shot of a pair of power cars rescuing a failed HST. Highly strange!

 

[12CSVT]

Has anyone seen the latest Traction DVD? Theres a shot of a pair of power cars rescuing a failed HST. Highly strange!

On one of the Traction DVDs, or possibly VHS tape, from several years ago (sorry I can't remember which one) there's a shot of a Virgin HST power car hauling a class 08 shunter.

 

[Whistler40145]

How often did buffer fitted HSTs get rescued by either a Diesel or Electric loco?

 

[43167]

My list.

16th Aug 98: 47737/43160+(041) Leeds-Wakefield Westgate on a Newcastle-Bristol.

8th Aug 99: 47771/43116+(120) Kings Cross-Peterborough on 1100 Kx-Aberdeen.

23rd Apr 00: 47782/(43013+158) York-Leeds via Milford on 1550 Newcastle-Plymouth. AWS fault on 013 so dragged via Milford to turn set.

26th Aug 00: 47793/(43115)+038 Newark NG-Doncaster on 1600 Kings Cross-Edinburgh. Air-con fault on 115.

16th Jul 03: 91129/(43120)+039(ets only) Kings Cross-York on 1600 Kx-Aberdeen. Air-con fault on 120

26th Jan 05: 67013/(43112)+006(ets only) Doncaster-Leeds on 1750 Kx-Lds

14th Apr 11: 50019/(43082+075) Thuxton-Dereham on 1430 Wymondham-Dereham. Ok not a failure, but part of the Drags weekend at the Mid-Norfolk when the HST worked a charter from London, then formed a normal service during its visit. HST also dragged the 50 on the 1330 Dereham-Wymondham.

 

[Royston Vasey]

How often did buffer fitted HSTs get rescued by either a Diesel or Electric loco?

Very often during Grand Central's early days! By 66s, 67s, their short-lived pair of hired-in 37s, and at least once by another of their HSTs.

 

[sprinterguy]

Very often during Grand Central's early days! By 66s, 67s, their short-lived pair of hired-in 37s, and at least once by another of their HSTs.

It wasn’t an unusual occurrence during Virgin Crosscountry days either.