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MK3 carriage announcement chime

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bronzeonion

bronzeonion

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Evening,

Greater Anglia, Chiltern and some of First Great Western's carriages use a chime that sounds almost like a guitar before an announcement. I was wondering when this chime was introduced? I noticed the Cargo-D liveried ones with Wrexham & Shopshire made this noise too, is it maybe a BR thing?

Thanks!
 
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Jordy

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I was always under the impression it was introduced by Virgin, but I may be wrong. Would certainly make sense given the number of MK3s they had and the wide distribution of them these days!
 
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hairyhandedfool

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That would make sense if only some of FGWs Mk3s do it, They took on some of the ex-Virgin HSTs IIRC, GA have the former WCML Mk3s (except the buffet cars) and Chiltern/WSMR took them on too.
 
C

cjmillsnun

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Yep it was a virgin thing. I believe they changed the PA system to add in the chime. The original BR system had no chime and you would only hear the guard or steward
 
ryan125hst

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What about East Coast's HST's? This video shows that they also chime, unless it happens to be an ex Virgin Cross country coach.

I thought that East Midland Trains' HST's had a chime as well?
 
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cjmillsnun

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ryan125hst said:
What about East Coast's HST's? This video shows that they also chime, unless it happens to be an ex Virgin Cross country coach.

I thought that East Midland Trains' HST's had a chime as well?
Click to expand...

That's a bing bong rather than the chime the ex-virgin coaches have. I think the bing bong was introduced to GNER/NXEC/EC HSTs as part of the Mallard refurbishment.
 
fgwrich

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bronzeonion said:
Evening,

Greater Anglia, Chiltern and some of First Great Western's carriages use a chime that sounds almost like a guitar before an announcement. I was wondering when this chime was introduced? I noticed the Cargo-D liveried ones with Wrexham & Shopshire made this noise too, is it maybe a BR thing?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Im glad im not the only one who's noticed this on some of FGWs HSTs, as i mentioned something on the lines of this several years ago but to no avail. The chime would also strike me as a ex Virgin thing - the same chime also comes across the PA on the (ex Virgin) Mk3s (RFM, TSO BFO) as used in the Night Riviera sets.
 
CC 72100

CC 72100

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fgwrich said:
Im glad im not the only one who's noticed this on some of FGWs HSTs, as i mentioned something on the lines of this several years ago but to no avail. The chime would also strike me as a ex Virgin thing - the same chime also comes across the PA on the (ex Virgin) Mk3s (RFM, TSO BFO) as used in the Night Riviera sets.
Click to expand...

I've never noticed it on the HST sets (perhaps I'm unlucky!) but it was one of the first things I noticed on the Night Riviera.

Think it would make a great text tone on my phone ;)
 
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oversteer

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I would love that as a text tone too. is there a better sound clip of it anywhere?
 
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shaun

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The 'chime' was introduced when Virgin refurbished their Mk2/Mk3 stock in the late 90s. Can't say i ever noticed it travelling on the VWC HSTs, but certainly it was there from when they started running the loco-hauled stock post-refurb.

Personally i really like it, it's a pleasant sound which gives you a bit of warning before the train manager starts talking...and it's nowhere near as intrusive as the horrible Voyager/Pendo 'BING BONG'!

You should be able to hear it now in public service on Chiltern, Anglia and maybe on the Pretendolino when it appears (unless they removed it and replaced it with that BING BONG?)
 
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Welshman

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The stock used by ATW on the renovated "Gerald" or "WAG" express from Holyhead to Cardiff also has this chime, only when I heard it I thought it was supposed to imitate a welsh harp!
 
LE Greys

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shaun said:
The 'chime' was introduced when Virgin refurbished their Mk2/Mk3 stock in the late 90s. Can't say i ever noticed it travelling on the VWC HSTs, but certainly it was there from when they started running the loco-hauled stock post-refurb.

Personally i really like it, it's a pleasant sound which gives you a bit of warning before the train manager starts talking...and it's nowhere near as intrusive as the horrible Voyager/Pendo 'BING BONG'!

You should be able to hear it now in public service on Chiltern, Anglia and maybe on the Pretendolino when it appears (unless they removed it and replaced it with that BING BONG?)
Click to expand...

The bing-bong is certainly pre-Mallard, I remember it being there for as long as I've been travelling on HSTs (at least 20 years). It probably dates from BR's refurbishment in the 1990s. MkIVs had their deeper buuung sound before refurbishment, and I'm almost certain they've had it from new.
 
ryan125hst

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LE Greys said:
The bing-bong is certainly pre-Mallard, I remember it being there for as long as I've been travelling on HSTs (at least 20 years). It probably dates from BR's refurbishment in the 1990s. MkIVs had their deeper buuung sound before refurbishment, and I'm almost certain they've had it from new.
Click to expand...

I'm sure i've also seen a video of a HST with an older sounding "Bing Bong Bing" sound (do you like my desciptions? :D) Was this the sound they were fitted with from new?
 
ryan125hst

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Here's the one that I was taking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu_SuS3bdGg&t=1m15s

It is on the ex East Midlands Trains set, so it might have been added by them, or Midland Mainline before them?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Birdbrain said:
See 2:32 on this video
Click to expand...

Here's what you want: http://youtubetime.com/

Just enter the URL of the video and the time that you want to skip to (in this case, a couple of seconds before the PA chime). Then click "Get Link" and you can take us straight to that time. I didn't realise that it could be done until I saw someone else on here do it the other week! :)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Birdbrain said:
I enjoy the ATW 158 chime which is very similar to the one being discussed.
Click to expand...

As it is a Class 158, wonder if it is one of the ones that Virgin used to use? Didn't they have a few 158's in the early days?
 
Birdbrain

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@Ryan125HST - Brilliant, very clever! I think its a new feature since the ATW refurb although Virgin did run 158s. I'm not 100% though

@DavidGoddard - I last travelled on a 175 in March and it didnt have this chime :( Not sure if they are fitting it though.
 
8

8J

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The pretendolino has it yes, it should be re-introduced if you ask me. Was very discreet, but did the job of introducing the Train Managers announcements.
 
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jon0844

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I know it's not a Mk3, but the chime on a 395 is the same as on many Swedish trains, so I can only presume it's a standard sound from a CIS manufacturer?

Could it be the same on the other trains, where the sound is simply chosen from some presets on whatever PA system is in use (which might have been upgraded at some time)?
 
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cjmillsnun

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LE Greys said:
The bing-bong is certainly pre-Mallard, I remember it being there for as long as I've been travelling on HSTs (at least 20 years). It probably dates from BR's refurbishment in the 1990s. MkIVs had their deeper buuung sound before refurbishment, and I'm almost certain they've had it from new.
Click to expand...

I've never personally experienced it on an HST or a Mk3, and travelled extensively on HSTs on the cross country routes and on Mk3s from Euston in the early 90s. The first you normally knew the PA was in use was "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your senior conductor speaking....."

I also don't recall a BR refurbishment in the '90s I seem to recall it was the late 80's that introduced the pink theme into first and the orange into standard.

Indeed this video is from the '80s and shows the theme... (admittedly in Mk2s).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv640aRwFS8

Looks like the TOCS introduced their own chimes in as part of their refurbishments (from the mid 90s)

EDIT. A video from Intercity days on an HST... have a listen from 2:40 to the stewards announcement. That's how they used to be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDMoDq8x1vk

But I agree the bing bong was on the 225 sets from new.
 
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table38

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AdamW said:
Think it would make a great text tone on my phone ;)
Click to expand...

I had this on my phone for a long time, but it just got too irritating when I was at a station and had to physically restrain myself from checking my phone every time the PA went off :)
 

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