Proposed Droplight Fairwell Tour

[QueensCurve]

A friend is considering a #droplightfarewell tour with a view to travelling in droplight stock before the PRM regulations make it all obsolete. He is asking for help with the routes on which droplight stock might still be founds.

First thoughts:-

Great Western HSTs
Cross Country HSTs (which workings will these be found on?)
MML HSTs (which workings will these be found on?)
VTEC HSTs
Greater Anglia Mk3
East Anglia Loco Haul?
Gerallt Gymru?
The Chiltern Banbury commuter set
Fife Circle Mk2
Caledonian Sleeper
[list updated from suggestions below]

Are these valid? Does anyone have any other ideas?

Any information much appreciated.

 

[Ben.A.98]

Caledonian Sleeper

 

[QueensCurve]

Caledonian Sleeper

I remember thinking of that one at the outset, then forgot to include it on the list.

 

[221129]

Why bother? Droplights won't be leaving the network any time soon...

 

[cactustwirly]

A friend is considering a #droplightfairwell tour with a view to travelling in droplight stock before the PRM regulations make it all obsolete. He is asking for help with the routes on which droplight stock might still be founds.

First thoughts:-

Great Western HSTs
Cross Country HSTs (which workings will these be found on?)
MML HSTs (which workings will these be found on?)
VTEC HSTs
Greater Anglia Mk3
East Anglia Loco Haul?
Gerallt Gymru?

Are these valid? Does anyone have any other ideas?

Any information much appreciated.

You'll have to be quick with the GWR HSTs as the 800 introduction ramps up in January
The MML HSTs can be found on the xx15 services from London to Nottingham, and xx30/32 SO from Nottingham to London (except early mornings and late evenings), as well as services to Leeds.

 

[221129]

You'll have to be quick with the GWR HSTs as the 800 introduction ramps up in January
The MML HSTs can be found on the xx15 services from London to Nottingham, and xx30/32 SO from Nottingham to London (except early mornings and late evenings), as well as services to Leeds.

GWR HSTs will still be common place with droplights this time next year...

 

[cactustwirly]

GWR HSTs will still be common place with droplights this time next year...

But on a lot less services, mainly to Plymouth & Penzance

 

[Darandio]

But on a lot less services, mainly to Plymouth & Penzance

Indeed, but this is supposedly a farewell. Normally it's a farewell when something is ceasing to happen, not when it's reducing.

The OP might want their friend to rethink the hashtag though....

 

[NSEFAN]

There's also the Northern class 37s and Scotrail class 68s, using mk2 carriages. The Chiltern Banbury commuter set has droplight mk3 carriages. Anglia has mk2 carriages on Norwich-great Yarmouth.

 

[221129]

Also the XC sets will be retaining droplights (albeit only on the TGS)

 

[NSEFAN]

I wonder if one could do the following, which I think covers everything?

Day 1:
Penzance-Paddington sleeper
GWR HST Paddington - Cardiff
Cardiff - Holyhead WAG express

Day 2:
Cardiff - Chester on WAG express
Chester - Warrington on ATW mk3 commuter train
*Normal train to Preston
Preston - Carlisle via Barrow on Northern mk2 hauled stock
*normal train to Edinburgh
Fife loco hauled to Kirkaldy
VTEC HST somewhere
Sleeper to Euston

Day 3:
GA class 90 Liverpool Street - Norwich
Wherry lines loco hauled from Norwich
*normal train to MML
EMT HST to Leeds

Day 4:
XC HST to Birmingham
*normal train to Marylebone
Chiltern Banbury commuter train.

Or something like that! I've done a similar plan to day 2 with fellow forum user Muzer, but a 4-day your would be quite fun!

 

[Merseysider]

Day 1:
Penzance-Paddington sleeper
GWR HST Paddington - Cardiff
Cardiff - Holyhead WAG express

Day 2:
Cardiff - Chester on WAG express

You appear to be starting from Cardiff for two consecutive journeys

 

[NSEFAN]

You appear to be starting from Cardiff for two consecutive journeys

Should read Holyhead - Cardiff. I will blame my phone for it, somehow

 

[Merseysider]

Should read Holyhead - Cardiff. I will blame my phone for it, somehow

I do like the run from Holyhead to Chester, during which you can see the sea at various points. Nothing spectacular but worth doing if time allows.

 

[NSEFAN]

I do like the run from Holyhead to Chester, during which you can see the sea at various points. Nothing spectacular but worth doing if time allows.

One could always stay overnight in Chester. Perhaps more pleasant than Holyhead for a visit, and you get a bit more sleep!

 

[cambsy]

Your itinerary looks like you would be using a 7 day All Line Rover (ALR), in which case plan for it to last 7 days.

There is no point in wasting the extra 3 days available, and if you want to do new trains, IET 800’s etc then it is fairly easy to combine that with your droplight farewell

I did a 7 day 1st class ALR last January, and did a similar thing with saying goodbye to the VTEC HSTs, though I am doing one again end of this month, so that’s ended up now not being a goodbye after all. I’m going mix it up a bit this year with doing HSTs and IET 800s etc, no exact plans yet.

 

[QueensCurve]

There's also the Northern class 37s and Scotrail class 68s, using mk2 carriages. The Chiltern Banbury commuter set has droplight mk3 carriages. Anglia has mk2 carriages on Norwich-great Yarmouth.

The Northern DBSO/Class 37 sets do have droplights albeit with Maryport and Carlisle bars.

 

[QueensCurve]

Why bother? Droplights won't be leaving the network any time soon...

But replaced by compliant stock or modified to make accessible [removing the droplights in the process].

But on a lot less services, mainly to Plymouth & Penzance

The Cornish end was on his target list.

The OP might want their friend to rethink the hashtag though....

Homophone corner. Amended above.

 

[221129]

But replaced by compliant stock or modified to make accessible [removing the droplights in the process].

There are no current plans for any modifications on the EMT HSTs or replacements. Likewise the GWR sleeper stock. And the XC HSTs will be retaining droplights on the TGS vehicles.