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The Railway Magazine/Virgin Speed attempt

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Galvanize

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VIRGIN Trains is to make an official attempt at breaking the record for the fastest journey ever from Glasgow to London on the West Coast Main Line -
and, in an exciting, exclusive and unprecedented development, readers of The Railway Magazine are to be allowed on board!!

This once-in-a-lifetime venture will feature a hand-picked, specially-prepared 'Pendolino', which will attempt to run NON-STOP from Glasgow to Euston IN UNDER FOUR HOURS.

If it achieves 3 hours 59 minutes, it will become the first train ever to run southbound between the capital cities in under four hours.

If it achieves 3 hrs 58 minutes, it will establish a new West Coast record by setting an average speed of more than 100mph for the full 401-mile route.

If it achieves 3hrs 52 minutes, it will break the all-time West Coast record, which was set by British Rail's Advanced Passenger Train (on a northbound run) in 1982!

The record attempt takes place on 22 September, and further details can be found in the new edition of Railway Magazine or by telephoning 020 7261 5821 (OR 5797 OR 7541) , credit card bookings now open.

Cost, with proceeds to Virgin Trains nominated charity is £59.99 second class, £99.99 First class. No discounts, not even for Railway Magazine Staff- they pay full price. VT staff on board, are volunteers for the day.

( most text copyright Railway Magazine / Virgin Trains)
 
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Table 52

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So delays for everyone on the WCML on 22nd September as they get shifted to the slow lines! :lol:
 

87015

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Another Virgin "we own the WCML" PR stunt...yawn...
Hope the Pendo collapses en-route!
 

Nick W

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Maybe we could run a Eurostar on the WCML a day after to slash the record.
 

Coxster

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Since when was Glasgow the capital of Scotland? It was the Railway Magazine that covered the Southern Speed Record too with a free CD (full-length cab ride and other bits n' bobs includiong jamie on the GCR).
 

Techniquest

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I'd love to see that, pass Preston, Carlisle and Motherwell! Not enough money for such a cool bash though!

And yeah, a Eurostar up the route on full wang would show them up considerably!

'Please stand well away from the edge of platform 3. The approaching train does NOT stop here! The next train at platform 3 is a non-stop Eurostar get the F**K back from the edge!'

*Cue 186mph turbulence in Carlisle*
 

TheSlash

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Lesjordans said:
Yeah but we all know the proper capital should be Glasgow, better everything :D
And we all know Haydrians wall should never of been taken down, but the facts still stand 8-)
 
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HR2

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Glasgow ought to be the Capital of Scotland. A nice vibrant, lively city and full of fun. Edinburgh is a miserable stone heap full of toffee nosed snooty folk.
 

xtradj

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Coxster said:
Since when was Glasgow the capital of Scotland? It was the Railway Magazine that covered the Southern Speed Record too with a free CD (full-length cab ride and other bits n' bobs includiong jamie on the GCR).

got a copy of that cd fella?
 

Techniquest

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Tomnick said:
*Cue bits of Eurostar scattered over Carlisle North Junction*

;)

lol, yes, might be a bit difficult to storm Carlisle at 186mph! Would be an amazing sight, but in terms of engineering, it couldn't yet happen. Pity.

I'd love to be on the 390 that does this record run, wave out of the window to all of the poor souls waiting on the platforms for their train, going 'Ha ha ha ha ha, we're on the non-stop service, na na na na na!'. The fact it will probably get stuck behind a stopper train, routed onto slow lines, diverted via an alternative route, stuck behind a freight train or held at reds en-route is not relevant. Bound to happen, but not relevant for the purpose of celebrating.

It would be cool if the Superman 390 (which I saw last week in PO's shed from the sleeper towards London) does the run. Is that a bird? Is it a plane? Close, but no, it's SuperPendo! :thumbrig:
 

Techniquest

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Cool.

As for the bash, non-stop, I am seriously considering it! It'll be incredibly fun to see Virgin do it!

Now where's that spare £60...
 

bunnahabhain

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WSXFan said:
lol, yes, might be a bit difficult to storm Carlisle at 186mph! Would be an amazing sight, but in terms of engineering, it couldn't yet happen. Pity.

What difference does it make between a Eurostar running at 300km/h on the CTRL, to a Eurostar running at 300km/h through Carlisle Citadel?

None, as far as I'm aware, in terms of viewing pleasure and self satisfaction.
 

Max

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Sorry for my stupidity! Of course Edinburgh is the capital. Not sure what I was thinking.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland though.
 

xtradj

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Coxster said:
Yeah. Not just the cabride but videos and other stuff.

full unedited cabride from glasgow to euston?

how would i go about getting a copy? cheers
 

Techniquest

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Jamie said:
What difference does it make between a Eurostar running at 300km/h on the CTRL, to a Eurostar running at 300km/h through Carlisle Citadel?

None, as far as I'm aware, in terms of viewing pleasure and self satisfaction.

I get the feeling the infrastructure does not have the strength to put up with that speed. Indeed, as Carlisle's station is on a curve, storming round them at 186mph would put serious undue stress on the rails, the most likely result being a derailment on a big scale. Then, as Tomnick pointed out, Carlisle North Junction would see to the end of that!

In terms of satisfaction, it would be off the scale, the sight would truely be one to behold! To actually sample it, that would be absolutely amazing!
 

LucaZone

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The best place would be at euston to catch it arriving no?

Sure you dont get the pics of it wizzing along, but then to stand on the side of the track for over an hour, just to see one train hurtle passed isnt my idea of catching the action. Hence why I didnt bother with the Eurostar speed Record, I just bagged myself a ticket in first class on the first public train along the line :)

........join the queue for tickets on the first service running the full length of the CTRL, Pancras to Paris :D
 

86242

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Galvanize said:
If it achieves 3hrs 52 minutes, it will break the all-time West Coast record, which was set by British Rail's Advanced Passenger Train (on a northbound run) in 1982!

It just shows no progress has been made on the WCML since 1982 its all been steps backward....

And what are Virgin trying to prove here a 91 (in 1992 IIRC) did 380 miles from London to Edinburgh in 3hrs 29 as if a pendo could ever have average speed like that on the WCML...

And if virgin are trying to get people off airlines they are going the wrong way about it, why would anyone want to sit in some train with hardly any windows, plastic seats for 4 hours they they could fly in a nice airplane which does it in under an hour...
 

Tomnick

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WSXFan said:
I get the feeling the infrastructure does not have the strength to put up with that speed. Indeed, as Carlisle's station is on a curve, storming round them at 186mph would put serious undue stress on the rails, the most likely result being a derailment on a big scale. Then, as Tomnick pointed out, Carlisle North Junction would see to the end of that!

In terms of satisfaction, it would be off the scale, the sight would truely be one to behold! To actually sample it, that would be absolutely amazing!
If you wanted to run southbound through platform 3, as originally posted, the crossover to the down road at North Junction would definitely end the party rather rapidly ;).
 
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