Titled Express Trains Then and Now

[Whistler40145]

How about the Clansman, Euston to Inverness via Edinburgh Waverley.

 

[ainsworth74]

How about the Clansman, Euston to Inverness via Edinburgh Waverley.

Who needs the Clansman when you've got the Highland Chieftain

 

[Johnuk123]

How about the Clansman, Euston to Inverness via Edinburgh Waverley.

Forgot that one and I've been on it as well.

 

[Whistler40145]

Not forgetting in it's later years it was cut back to Edinburgh.

 

[Lankyline]

A few missing from that list off the top of my head.

Thanet Belle
Sussex Scot
Sunny South Express
South Wales Pullman
Day Continental/Benjamin Britten
Bristol Pullman
Zephyr
21st Century Limited
Devon Scot
Dorset Scot
Bon Accord
Night Limited
Empress Voyager - Euston-Liverpool
Empress Voyager - Glasgow-Grennock
Admiral (Something) from Liverpool St.

I imagine there are quite a few more too especially some that were very short lived.

I'd left out the continental connection services such as the Antwerp Continental, Admiraal de Ruitjer and Benjamin Brittain. Bon Accord and Empress Voyager are in the list, but didn't include 21 century limited as it is a modern day (2010) invention, I love the name the Sunny South Express, a 1920's service?

 

[Johnuk123]

I'd left out the continental connection services such as the Antwerp Continental, Admiraal de Ruitjer and Benjamin Brittain. Bon Accord and Empress Voyager are in the list, but didn't include 21 century limited as it is a modern day (2010) invention, I love the name the Sunny South Express, a 1920's service?

Yes Sunny South Express does sound rather exciting especially for a child to ride on.

It started in 1905 and stopped when WW11 started and never ran again.
It was from Liverpool Lime St. and Manchester London Rd to Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings so either it was very early or it would be midday by the time it got there.
I don't know if there were 2 seperate trains or a joining together at Crewe.

 

[Mag_seven]

Some more to add:

Glasgow to Harwich - "The European"
Euston to Inverness Sleeper - "The Royal Highlander"
Glasgow to Poole - "The Wessex Scot"
Euston to Glasgow all seated overnight service "The Nightrider"

There might have been a service from Glasgow to Inverness on a Friday in the 80's that I think was called "The Jacobite" before the Fort William to Mallaig steam service took the name. I also have a vague recollection of a loco hauled service from Glasgow Queen St low level in the 90's to Fort William that might have been named "the Scottish Hosteler" or something like that.

 

[Lankyline]

I wonder if petitioning VWCR's marketing dept could bring back the Royal Scot ?

 

[Whistler40145]

I wonder what the reason was for Virgin West Coast to dispense with named trains?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wonder what the reason was for Virgin West Coast to dispense with named trains?

I think it was simply that when they are operating a consistent Taktfahrplan throughout the day, which they near enough are, none of the trains stand out for naming purposes.

OTOH, that didn't stop DB who have been operating a Taktfahrplan for years.

 

[Condor7]

I wonder what the reason was for Virgin West Coast to dispense with named trains?

The whole point of giving a train title is that is stands out in some way that makes it special. Usually that is its end to end speed, normally achieved by only having limited stops. It could also be one that takes a more unusual route such as the "European' which used to meet the boat train at Harwich and take passengers across country to Scotland.

To pick a train at random and give it a title would be a pointless excercise, so I don't think it is that Virgin have a policy not to give trains titles it is more that the way they operate they do not have a train that stands out enough to be titled.

 

[Whistler40145]

I presume it was easier for Virgin to have named trains when the high intensity timetable had still to be implemented and it was at the time when loco hauled stock and DVTs was the norm.

 

[Envoy]

A newer named train still runs on the GW = ‘The St.David’. However, unfortunately, ATW stations do not tend to show named trains on their screens & neither are they likely to be mentioned in announcements.

 

[Lankyline]

It's amazing how many "titled" trains still operate on GWR's services, they obviously see some sort of marketing benefit in this. But the argument for VWC not having a titled train doesn't rally stack up with them operating the east coast and still retaining the Flying Scotsman service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's amazing how many "titled" trains still operate on GWR's services, they obviously see some sort of marketing benefit in this. But the argument for VWC not having a titled train doesn't rally stack up with them operating the east coast and still retaining the Flying Scotsman service.

They don't operate the East Coast. It is a Stagecoach operation with Virgin branding.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I'm pretty certain that the class 87's used to run with a Royal Scot headboard when hauling that service. I'm assuming that practice continued until Pendolino's took over the service.

 

[Mag_seven]

I'm pretty certain that the class 87's used to run with a Royal Scot headboard when hauling that service. I'm assuming that practice continued until Pendolino's took over the service.

Apart from the odd special occasion, these did not run with headboards e.g.


http://www.rail-net.co.uk/jpgpage.php?picid=926

 

[RichmondCommu]

Apart from the odd special occasion, these did not run with headboards e.g.

Oh really, because I seem to remember seeing them on class 87's in the late 1970's / early 1980's. Thanks for the picture

 

[LAX54]

In East Anglia:

The Anglian
The Broadsman
The Loreley.