HST statistics.

[SwindonPkwy]

A few questions here. Not intended to form a lengthy debate.

How many HST sets were built?
How many remain in service today?
Any ideas on how much mileage they have done?

 

[Lrd]

Take a look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_43_(HST)

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125

Plenty of info on there.

 

[jopsuk]

There are, I'm pretty sure, more "sets" in service now than built? There's a fair few trailer cars have been converted from hauled stock, and spare power cars have been formed into sets. Three power cars scrapped (not including the prototypes).

 

[Lampshade]

197 power cars built, 3 scrapped.

There are approximately the same number of "sets" in service as before although most are longer than as built, due to remarshalling of existing rakes and the conversion of LHCS in the case of Grand Central.

Not sure whether or not you'd class the NMT as a HST though.

 

[sprinterguy]

Take a look at:

....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125

Plenty of info on there.

The second article, highlighted above, provides the most detail

In summary, 95 HST sets were originally authorised:
Batch 1: 27 sets for the GWML
Batch 2: 32 sets for the ECML
Batch 3: 14 sets for the South West
Batch 4: 18 sets for Crosscountry NE-SW
Batch 5: 4 additional sets for the ECML, having originally been requested as seven sets, but then reduced to just two but later increased following a public outcry.

Initially, there were intended to be 42 East Coast sets, 16 South West sets and an additional eighteen sets for Crosscountry, mirroring the NE-SW build, that would have covered the Glasgow/Manchester to Bournemouth/Brighton axis, but as is now well known these services continued to operate with class 47 + mark 2s right up until "Operation Princess".

Interestingly, in the design stages there were also thirty sets set aside for "other routes" such as Transpennine and Edinburgh-Glasgow.

All but the ECML sets were classified as class 253 and were seven carriages in length: The East Coast trains were classed as 254 as they were originally intended to incorporate higher powered 2500hp engines in order to cope with the additional weight of the eight car formations on the East Coast.

The Midland Mainline fleet was not formed up until the eighties, made up of five sets from the Western Region, three sets from Cross Country and two sets from the ECML, brought about largely by tightening up diagrams.

There are now:
54 sets with FGW
14 sets with East Coast
10 sets with EMT
5 sets with Crosscountry
3 sets with Grand Central

Giving a total of 86 sets.

The biggest change has been the extension in length of most HST sets, even after the construction of the TGS vehicles. The NMT makes use of a good few mark 3 vehicles from the prototype HST, IIRC.

I believe that 43008 is the most travelled power car. I think that it's covered over 8 million miles at this stage, although most of the other power cars probably aren't that far behind. Given that a typical set can cover around 1000 miles on a single pair of tanks of fuel, and many are rostered to cover such a mileage in a single day, this isn't surprising.

 

[SwindonPkwy]

Thank you sprinterguy.

 

[Temple Meads]

The second article, highlighted above, provides the most detail

In summary, 95 HST sets were originally authorised:
Batch 1: 27 sets for the GWML
Batch 2: 32 sets for the ECML
Batch 3: 14 sets for the South West
Batch 4: 18 sets for Crosscountry NE-SW
Batch 5: 4 additional sets for the ECML, having originally been requested as seven sets, but then reduced to just two but later increased following a public outcry.

Initially, there were intended to be 42 East Coast sets, 16 South West sets and an additional eighteen sets for Crosscountry, mirroring the NE-SW build, that would have covered the Glasgow/Manchester to Bournemouth/Brighton axis, but as is now well known these services continued to operate with class 47 + mark 2s right up until "Operation Princess".

Interestingly, in the design stages there were also thirty sets set aside for "other routes" such as Transpennine and Edinburgh-Glasgow.

All but the ECML sets were classified as class 253 and were seven carriages in length: The East Coast trains were classed as 254 as they were originally intended to incorporate higher powered 2500hp engines in order to cope with the additional weight of the eight car formations on the East Coast.

The Midland Mainline fleet was not formed up until the eighties, made up of five sets from the Western Region, three sets from Cross Country and two sets from the ECML, brought about largely by tightening up diagrams.

There are now:
54 sets with FGW
14 sets with East Coast
10 sets with EMT
5 sets with Crosscountry
3 sets with Grand Central

Giving a total of 86 sets.

The biggest change has been the extension in length of most HST sets, even after the construction of the TGS vehicles. The NMT makes use of a good few mark 3 vehicles from the prototype HST, IIRC.

I believe that 43008 is the most travelled power car. I think that it's covered over 8 million miles at this stage, although most of the other power cars probably aren't that far behind. Given that a typical set can cover around 1000 miles on a single pair of tanks of fuel, and many are rostered to cover such a mileage in a single day, this isn't surprising.

Excellent info, cheers, I'd never realised FGW had so many more HST's than any other operator.

 

[sprinterguy]

Excellent info, cheers, I'd never realised FGW had so many more HST's than any other operator.

It's true: It just doesn't occur to me that FGW operate such a large share of the total number of HST sets until I take a look at the actual numbers involved.

 

[The Decapod]

There's also one modified HST set in service with Network Rail, painted yellow and nicknamed the Flying Banana.

Also one of the prototype HST power cars is on display at the NRM York.

 

[Hydro]

There's also one modified HST set in service with Network Rail, painted yellow and nicknamed the Flying Banana.

Also one of the prototype HST power cars is on display at the NRM York.

Possibly the politest of the nicknames I've heard for it...

The prototype power car at the NRM is slated for a restoration to working order, apparently.

 

[GearJammer]

3 scrapped? I know of 2, the Southall and Paddington power cars, which one has slipped my memory?

 

[NIMBUS]

43173 after Southall, 43011 after Ladbroke Grove and 43019 after Ufton Nervet.

 

[GearJammer]

Thanks NIMBUS, i did'nt know 43019 was scrapped.

 

[Moog_1984]

Love 'em or hate 'em, they were probably the best thing to happen to British Rail.

Will the voyagers last as long? Doubt it.

 

[Jobsworth]

If memory serves me correct, set 24 was partially destroyed at Southall (coaches F/G/H). It was reformed then ironically went on to be largely destroyed at Ladbroke Grove.

Set 06 was destroyed at Ufton Nervett. Not sure how many individual coaches survived but the set itself was disbanded.

Set 97 was created by forming up maintenance spares. These were the set numbers before the fleet was reformed and renumbered into high and low density sets about 4 years ago.

I believe the VP185 engine from 43173 was recovered and reused.

 

[fgwrich]

Don't forget, the final set - EC54? Was transfered over to FGW between December 2008 & April 2009 - Mk3s refurbished by BRUSH Kilmarnock, power cars at Loughborough.