Is there likely to be a Valenta HST farewell tour?

[DarloRich]

I hope they do run this trip - Would love to be a passenger. Should be a decent trip if they put on a decent long distance run, perhaops with some long non stop portions at full bore!

 

[4SRKT]

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.

Balls to that! It's the last Valenta FFS! For your generation this is like the last Deltic, so forget the work and get out there!

 

[142094]

Balls to that! It's the last Valenta FFS! For your generation this is like the last Deltic, so forget the work and get out there!

Lol, I suppose I could have a day off...

 

[theblackwatch]

Balls to that! It's the last Valenta FFS! For your generation this is like the last Deltic, so forget the work and get out there!

Perhaps the aircons are putting him off!

 

[142094]

Perhaps the aircons are putting him off!

The best air con you can get is sticking your head out of the window!

 

[4SRKT]

The best air con you can get is sticking your head out of the window!

He's referring to an ongoing row between me and another poster about the suitability of aircons for railtours. I don't like 'em in that context, but obviously on an HST tour it's hard too see how it could be avoided!

Get on this tour if it runs or regret it forever.

 

[142094]

He's referring to an ongoing row between me and another poster about the suitability of aircons for railtours. I don't like 'em in that context, but obviously on an HST tour it's hard too see how it could be avoided!

Ah yes, think I have seen a few of the threads. At least Pacers don't have air con (unless you count the gaps in the doors).

 

[Poolie]

Balls to that! It's the last Valenta FFS! For your generation this is like the last Deltic, so forget the work and get out there!

For my generation it must be like 11th August 1968.

 

[anthony263]

Have had word that it is going ahead but no date although considering it is november already maybe towards the end of this month or during december unless something goes terribly wrong.

Had some further information this morning, Looks like the trip will be around the northeast with a possible sprint down to London. Will be a sunday either later this month or early december it seems

 

[beatbox]

It is my understanding that on Sat 18/12/2010 a special valenta powered train,43084 and 43123 will work sunderland-kx,kx-bradford,bradford-kx,kx-sunderland. Then on the Monday 20/12/2010 work Sunderland to Kilmarnock special to take last set up for refurb,the powercars then go to Brush for MTU's.
43465 and 43467 should return with refurbed set from Kilmarnock on Fri 17/12/2010.

this is still to be confimed but is in the planning stages.

The downside is 43084 is currently in traffic with engine isolated after throwing its engine oil out of the breather,further investigation required to see if its got piston/turbo damage.

cheers Ian

 

[anthony263]

It is my understanding that on Sat 18/12/2010 a special valenta powered train,43084 and 43123 will work sunderland-kx,kx-bradford,bradford-kx,kx-sunderland. Then on the Monday 20/12/2010 work Sunderland to Kilmarnock special to take last set up for refurb,the powercars then go to Brush for MTU's.
43465 and 43467 should return with refurbed set from Kilmarnock on Fri 17/12/2010.

this is still to be confimed but is in the planning stages.

The downside is 43084 is currently in traffic with engine isolated after throwing its engine oil out of the breather,further investigation required to see if its got piston/turbo damage.

cheers Ian

Thank you for those details, i had a message saying that it could be on those dates. Luckily i would have finished university for christmas, do we have any idea on possible timings & prices etc.

Also i have had a message on another forum saying that the special to Kilmarnock is not happening

 

[Aictos]

It is my understanding that on Sat 18/12/2010 a special valenta powered train,43084 and 43123 will work sunderland-kx,kx-bradford,bradford-kx,kx-sunderland. Then on the Monday 20/12/2010 work Sunderland to Kilmarnock special to take last set up for refurb,the powercars then go to Brush for MTU's.
43465 and 43467 should return with refurbed set from Kilmarnock on Fri 17/12/2010.

this is still to be confimed but is in the planning stages.

The downside is 43084 is currently in traffic with engine isolated after throwing its engine oil out of the breather,further investigation required to see if its got piston/turbo damage.

cheers Ian

I've done both GC routes although how can they do Kings Cross to Bradford & return if they're not cleared between Bradford and Doncaster via Wakefield Kirkgate unless they're getting special permission from Network Rail?

I would be interested in the Sunderland to Kilmarnock Special as well as the Bradford Special as it ought to cover some much needed routes for me

Thanks for the details so far....

 

[Jordy]

A tour to Kilmarnock sounds highly dubious to me but we'll see.

 

[43021HST]

Sorry if this has already been repeated but does anyone know any dates and locations yet?

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

Ihow can they do Kings Cross to Bradford & return if they're not cleared between Bradford and Doncaster via Wakefield Kirkgate unless they're getting special permission from Network Rail?

They're cleared now AFAIAA

 

[Jordy]

Sorry if this has already been repeated but does anyone know any dates and locations yet?

No, and someone did ask that already - three posts above yours! Once some solid gen is available I'll make sure it is re-posted here.

 

[beatbox]

On Monday 20/12/2010 the last remaining un-refurbed coaches will go to Kilmarnock just like the previous 2 sets did,the powercars are then detached and go back to back to Brush. it makes sense to use this oppertunity to run a farewell special.

 

[Aictos]

They're cleared now AFAIAA

In that case, purely for operational simplicity the Bradford crews ought to be trained up on the HSTs so the Bradfords and Sunderland could equally be run using either of GC's 180s or HSTs.

The short term cost of this would be worth it in the long run as it means the HSTs wouldn't be restricted to the Sunderlands.

 

[beatbox]

Crofton Depot are not geared up for HST sets,dont think shed is long enough either. 2 GC 180 sets are serviced here each night but return to Heaton for B and C exams
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
If the specials do happen i'm sure notch 5 could be reinstated for the last day,it only takes 5 seconds to do this.

Notch 5 has been removed from all Valenta powercars for about 12 months so as to prolong the unreliable Valenta engine.

 

[142094]

The trip Sunderland - KGX - Bradford etc sounds very good if it is actually going to happen. Kilmarnock would be good too.

 

[Aictos]

Well the special between Kilmarnock and Sunderland interests me, however by using the first service from Kings Cross and changing at Newcastle for the Nunthorpe service means you get into Sunderland at 1049 and if you use GC's service direct via Hartlepool, you get into Sunderland at 1150.

I do hope there are some good times provided for the Monday outing if it goes ahead.

 

[wensley]

Well the special between Kilmarnock and Sunderland interests me, however by using the first service from Kings Cross and changing at Newcastle for the Nunthorpe service means you get into Sunderland at 1049 and if you use GC's service direct via Hartlepool, you get into Sunderland at 1150.

I do hope there are some good times provided for the Monday outing if it goes ahead.

Very good point. Operationally it would make more sense to operate the tour from Newscastle but that could add extra issues in gaining permissions etc.

I looked at return times and the latest you can really leave Kilmarnock is 1657hrs and that takes you up to Glasgow in time for the 1750hrs back South!!

South a little dodgy to me...

The Saturday sounds a safer bet but my thought that it could be done with standard timnings and swapping sets off 1A60/A71 over in London has just gone out of the window. On a weekday this could be done with time to spare but the turn-a-round would be -14mins on a Saturday!!!!!!!

Also, HST sets are cleared by Network Rail to Bradford and the sets that have already been refurbished now have SDO. There are currently no plans to interchange HSTs with 180s on the West Riding due to the issues already discussed regarding crew training and maintenance, which is currently not possible as Crofton. Having said this the Bradford crews would dearly love to have HSTs on the West Riding route!!!

Guess we shall have to wait and see the plans in more detail
And now I've got to get a day off work just a week before Christmas and I work in Waterstone. Busiest time of year = not a hope!?

 

[Adam_Harrison]

i bloody well hope they don't put the HST's on the west riding route..

 

[wensley]

i bloody well hope they don't put the HST's on the west riding route..

You are the only person I have ever heard say that! (Apart from the Sunderland crews who don't want to give their HSTs away )

 

[Aictos]

If the HST used on the Sunderland to Kilmarnock working is stabled overnight at Heaton, surely it would be better to start the working from Newcastle rather then having to work ECS to Sunderland then in service from there?

I wouldn't mind knowing what the issue is with HSTs on the West Riding services as I find both HSTs and 180s operated by GC to be comfortable and that includes the wonderful staff,

 

[4SRKT]

If the HST used on the Sunderland to Kilmarnock working is stabled overnight at Heaton, surely it would be better to start the working from Newcastle rather then having to work ECS to Sunderland then in service from there?

I thought this as well. It would make the tour a lot more accessible, while only depriving cranks of about 11 miles. Is Sunderland station really geared up for a whole trainload of cranks to be waiting on its only platform for a tour to turn up?

Regarding accessibility, I can't see it being an issue for getting to and from the south, unless the tour leaves Sunderland either too late or too early. It isn't going to take much more than 3 hours to get from either Sunderland or Newcastle via either the ECML or Tyne and Nith Valleys, so with (say) a noon departure it'd still be dead easy to catch the aforementioned 16:57 Kilmarnock > Glasgow. What would worry me is if it timed nicely at Kilmarnock for either the 13:49 or 16:49 to Carlisle, and you get hundreds of cranks trying to pile onto a 2-car 156!

 

[Snapper]

It is my understanding that on Sat 18/12/2010 a special valenta powered train,43084 and 43123 will work sunderland-kx,kx-bradford,bradford-kx,kx-sunderland. Then on the Monday 20/12/2010 work Sunderland to Kilmarnock special to take last set up for refurb,the powercars then go to Brush for MTU's.
43465 and 43467 should return with refurbed set from Kilmarnock on Fri 17/12/2010.

this is still to be confimed but is in the planning stages.

The downside is 43084 is currently in traffic with engine isolated after throwing its engine oil out of the breather,further investigation required to see if its got piston/turbo damage.

cheers Ian

Hmmm. I'm not sure where this idea came from as when the option of a tour has been discussed by GC there's never been any intention to take it near Kings Cross.

 

[laird]

Any idea of the route from Sunderland to Kilmarnock, perhaps via Bathgate for added interest?

 

[43021HST]

No, and someone did ask that already - three posts above yours! Once some solid gen is available I'll make sure it is re-posted here.

I ment times and locations

 

[MCR247]

How could there be times and locations if no-one knows for a fact if its actually running?!