The first 'Nine'

[bunnahabhain]

Well yesterday on my way to the Severn Valley Railway I decided to change my plan and leave a little earlier so I could catch 1B06, the 0623 Nottingham - St Pancras, this service was, and will be formed of a 9 Car Meridian (222007) until September when a decision will be made as to if these units have a future with Midland Mainline, if yes, then a second diagram will be turned over to these units, if no, then it will remain with this one diagram.

Overall the unit's are great, they are pretty much the same as the 4 Car Meridians, except that these have a lot more room and a lot more seats, infact these have more seats than the old Cross-Country HST's, and the Engine Noise isnt intrusive at all, infact the only noise that was intrusive was the outside noise due to me choosing to stand in the vestibule at the front of the train rather than walk all the way through to First Class.

This is because the units have to stop with the Southern End on the platform at Loughborough, which is the opposite way to a HST, which stops with the Northern end on the Platform, however that's not much of a problem as long as the train stops, and it's scheduled to do so on all it's journeys, so hoorah for me.

I took a couple of photographs and plonked them here, http://tigermon.fotopic.net/c604622.html

It's interesting to note that they put a note on the Boards.....

*NEW* 9 Car Meridian Service

 

[Techniquest]

Good thing I wasn't there hoping for a HST, I'd be jumping off at Leicester and waiting for the HST! Failing that, I wouldn't be on the 222 at all, getting the first HST full stop!

Nice pictures mind, the angle with the twisted angle is quite interesting.

 

[bunnahabhain]

I didnt mention it was 23 mins late at Loughborough due to a TCF at Nottingham, and it was actually early into London St. Pancras, if it was a HST it would have been at least 10 mins late.

 

[Techniquest]

Well TBH if the 222 couldn't make up the time with its nine engines it wouldn't have been worth building the things, if they weren't capable to acclerating and hitting top speed quicker. Probably slack timings were still used from the HST timetable for it.

 

[richa2002]

Got this coming through Harpenden on the 18:55 London St Pancras - Nottingham service.

Shame about the rubbish light!

 

[Techniquest]

I'll see if I can get a picture when I go to London a week Friday.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

who would want to photograph that! nice pictures, but you know me, anything that replaces a HST is in my head evil! I will say on seeing the cab pictures of the 222, looks quite similiar to the voyagers does it not - probably just as comfy in that case!