Is there likely to be a Valenta HST farewell tour?

[Class 33]

With the last Valenta engine'd HST likely to be replaced within just a matter of months now, is there likely to be anything special planned before it goes? Like a railtour, or at least an advertised scheduled service that it will be working?

I know that they are still being used by Grand Central. But the problem is it appears the services hauled by them varies from week to week, or even day to day. Not very useful if you want to plan a journey on them, and with Grand Central's train fares being higher than East Coast's.

 

[43167]

York-Kings Cross Off Peak return: Grand Central £69 East Coast: £83.70

I hope something does happen, but I expect as soon as one arrives from Loughborough another goes in for MTU-ilation.

1730 Sunderland-KX was 123/084 today.

 

[Class 33]

43167, I'm referring to the advance fares. For instance the cheapest York-London single with Grand Central appears to be £39(however far in advance you book), whilst with East Coast you can get fares for a bargain £11.25.

To be honest though I think if I knew it was definitely going to be a Valenta HST I would be prepared to pay £39 single for a York-London/London-York single. To have one last final blast on them. But wouldn't be very keen paying that if the journey I book turns out to be a MTU HST or a Class 180.

 

[142094]

Easy solution to that problem would be to get advance tickets to York and use GC from there. Granted it wouldn't give you that 200+ miles York - KX but if money is a problem that'll be the best way around it.

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

There was some mumbling of GC doing one. More when know (if any more gets known...)

In the meantime.... If you want to see one with a Valenta after its working life, see my sig.

 

[BOSCH]

Class 33,we(GC)dont do advance fares at the moment but it is something that is being looked at,as for a Valenta Farewell,as far as I am aware it is still in the pipeline to go ahead as I for one want to be driving the bugger as it was my idea !!

The first 2 germanised pc's will be back early september and after that it will be 1 pc at a time going to Brush,43068/080 only went together because they were knackered at the same time

 

[4SRKT]

AFAICT they have to use a HST every day on one of 2 diagrams. Each of these diagrams covers 3 single journeys, so if it's on the diagram commencing at Sunderland today, it will on the one commencing at the Cross tomorrow. If you can get gen about what it's doing today, you can plan for tomorrow. No good for cheap running if you want to travel south of York, but the York > Sunderland section is excellent value at £16 return. Even if you just turn up at York for the first northbound working at 10:46, you've a 50/50 chance of Valentas. If you get bowled, simply head to the Maltings until the 13:22 which should then be the desired Valentas, which may be more enjoyable still after 2 hours in the pub!

OK, so you don't get the mileage in, but you do get 5 start-ups instead of one

 

[theblackwatch]

OK, so you don't get the mileage in, but you do get 5 start-ups instead of one

///Aircons\\\

 

[4SRKT]

///Aircons\\\

Very good!

 

[theblackwatch]

Very good!

I'm afraid you walked straight into that one!

 

[4SRKT]

I'm afraid you walked straight into that one!

Although back in 1981 aircons didn't matter so much. On a modern railtour with aircons there are more cranks than openable windows, whereas on an ECML service train there were always enough vestibules to go round. Likewise on the WR Jumbo trains in the mid-80s ((((double headed 50s))))).

 

[Class 33]

Class 33,we(GC)dont do advance fares at the moment but it is something that is being looked at,as for a Valenta Farewell,as far as I am aware it is still in the pipeline to go ahead as I for one want to be driving the bugger as it was my idea !!

Any further news on a Valenta tour?

With still no news, and reports that the last two Valenta's will be replaced with MTU's during October(this month), then it's not looking very likely that there will be a Valenta tour. Though I'd be more than happy to be proved wrong on that.

 

[metromuppet]

Any further news on a Valenta tour?

With still no news, and reports that the last two Valenta's will be replaced with MTU's during October(this month), then it's not looking very likely that there will be a Valenta tour. Though I'd be more than happy to be proved wrong on that.

are there only 2 left now? Wow, they are going quick!

 

[theblackwatch]

Given that Grand Central is frequently struggling to have enough operational stock to run its timetabled services, I would think it highly unlikely that it would be able to spare a couple of power cars (and set of coaches) to run a tour!

 

[anthony263]

I have heard that they are waiting for one power car to come back after being repaired and i think there are only 2 valenta engined hst's power cars left now.

Any idea when the last 2 are due to be sent off as i will have to book to spend a few days in the york area

 

[Aictos]

Given that Grand Central is frequently struggling to have enough operational stock to run its timetabled services, I would think it highly unlikely that it would be able to spare a couple of power cars (and set of coaches) to run a tour!

Why don't Grand Central just run a regular service and promote it as the Valenta Farewell?

No need to use extra stock, just use the existing stock!

 

[4SRKT]

Why don't Grand Central just run a regular service and promote it as the Valenta Farewell?

No need to use extra stock, just use the existing stock!

They probably don't want hundreds of scruffy Valenta bashers hogging the vestibules and making cryptic utterances like 'my lordz' and generally frightening the normals by making the whole place look like a Star Trek convention.

It'd be quite an expensive tour this way unless they dropped the fare a bit for the occasion.

 

[Aictos]

Charters usually are expensive so don't see a issue with the fare unless Grand Central elected to offer discounted fares just for the day by offering a similar offer to EMT and LM by offering a ticket valid for all day travel on Grand Central services for that day only.

 

[Darandio]

They probably don't want hundreds of scruffy Valenta bashers hogging the vestibules and making cryptic utterances like 'my lordz' and generally frightening the normals by making the whole place look like a Star Trek convention.

It'd be quite an expensive tour this way unless they dropped the fare a bit for the occasion.

 

[metromuppet]

I have heard 'my lords' said quite alot but what does it mean? Same with 'hellfire' . I can guess its someone expressing their like for the decent stock but where did these sayings come from?

 

[4SRKT]

I've often tried to get to the bottom of the origin of the phrase 'my lords'/'my lordz' (the latter spelling seems more common these days, but is even more shrouded in mystery than the correct one) but without success. Nobody seems to have the slightest idea what it means, but the best I've managed to establish is that it started with the Whizzo bashers on the Western Region in the 1970s, and migrated from there to become near universal.

'Hellfire' is more obviously related to extreme thrash and clag, and I suppose 'dreadful' for something really good is just straightforward irony.

 

[sprinterguy]

Personally, I’ve always reserved “My Lords” for 37s, and occasionally other English Electric products with noses. I too have no idea what it means or why it started, but I think once folk start plastering it over anything that has more grunt than a lawnmower and, dare I say it, multiple units, as happens at the moment, it loses something in the translation.

It’s a real shame that it seems that the last two Valenta engined HST power cars are just going to quietly slip into history without any sort of fanfare at all. I mean, even First Great Western, with their legendary chronic stock shortages of old, managed to put together 43002 and 43003, the first two production power cars, as a Valenta farewell just before they went for conversion.

 

[Darandio]

After all the talk about trespass in other threads, maybe NR have advised against the idea?

 

[Foxhound]

the best I've managed to establish is that it started with the Whizzo bashers on the Western Region in the 1970s,

The legend is that it began on the Newquay branch in about '75, I've heard. It's apparently an abbreviation of the exclamation 'My Lords, that's it!' when power was applied somewhat gratuitously. Of course, I was 6 then, so it wasn't me, but I expect some gentle questioning of some of the Hydraulic Hierarchy (DTG/D&EPG?) would garner an explanation. Used it lots myself, don't care what normals think. In my day job, I am a Normal. The vast majority of us are, really. :roll:

cryptic utterances like 'my lordz' and generally frightening the normals by making the whole place look like a Star Trek convention.

And what's wrong with Next Gen uniforms???

43002

Was a complete hoss IIRC, though not a patch on 43009....

 

[anthony263]

Just had an email telling me that there is mention of a possible grand central valenta farewell for November/december in: 125 Group magazine issue 92

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

Just had an email telling me that there is mention of a possible grand central valenta farewell for November/december in: 125 Group magazine issue 92

Yes, OTF92 says that GC have approached 125Group to let them know about a possible farewell. Nothing set in concrete though.

[blatant plug] Now to keep up to date on this and other HST News why not join the 125group? (http://www.125group.org.uk/index.php?mo ... play&pid=2) [/blatant plug].

 

[Class 33]

That would be BRILLIANT if there is a farewell HST Valenta tour. I was thinking about doing the Hastings unit tour in December. But I'll hold off on that for the mo to see if the HST Valenta tour is announced. That would be my preference. As that really would be the last opportunity to ride on them, whereas I could do a Hastings unit tour another time.

 

[anthony263]

Have had a message that this is going ahead now using the last 2 valenta power cars but a date has yet to be set

 

[142094]

Have had a message that this is going ahead now using the last 2 valenta power cars but a date has yet to be set

That is both good and bad news, good as I'd like to be on it, bad because I have a lot of work to do and can't really afford to take a day off.

 

[Aictos]

Sounds good, just waiting for further details