Two little questions about my trip to Grimsby yesterday.

[Harlesden]

Sitting on Doncaster Station at around 6:15PM last night, I saw a full train of EWS wagons go through. Never seen a train made up solely of EWS vehicles. What was it?
I was amazed to find that my East Coast service back to London had old fashioned slam doors - with the window that goes up and down. How unique is this? I thought the slam door carriages had all gone.

 

[gordonthemoron]

all HSTs still have slam doors IME

 

[Laryk]

Can't answer your first question, although this lists the Freight that passed Doncaster between 1800-1900.

All HST's still have slam doors, albeit with Central locking.

 

[CallySleeper]

Could you tell us in which direction the freight train was running? I can't be sure exactly but it may have been this train.

All High Speed Trains (class 43 locomotives plus MkIII stock) all have slam doors and are still very much in use daily on the East Coast, Midland and Great Western mainlines.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . . All High Speed Trains (class 43 locomotives plus MkIII stock) all have slam doors and are still very much in use daily on the East Coast, Midland and Great Western mainlines.

Indeed. Which can be quite a lot of work for a Guard at those unstaffed stations at which the trains must be self-dispatched; even moreso where they are on a curve (such as Alnmouth).

 

[High Dyke]

Could you tell us in which direction the freight train was running? I can't be sure exactly but it may have been this train.

Every chance it was that train...

I guess the OP was on travelling forward on the 18:15 Leeds - KGX, it was the only service calling at Donny that had an HST allocated at that time.

 

[sprinterguy]

Sitting on Doncaster Station at around 6:15PM last night, I saw a full train of EWS wagons go through. Never seen a train made up solely of EWS vehicles. What was it?

All of DB Schenker’s high capacity HTA bogie coal hoppers were delivered, and still retain, EWS’ red and yellow livery, so block trains of EWS branded stock are incredibly common, and particularly so in the vicinity of Doncaster where there are regular power station coal flows.

EWS also had delivered prior to their takeover a large number of 102 tonne bogie tank wagons that carry the EWS “three beasties” logo in the red house colour over a light grey bodyside shade. These are also a common sight, although it seems more common for these to be mixed in with wagons of different vintages, without the EWS logos, in a typical 20 to 30 wagon block train. DB Schenker also operate a large number of aggregate hoppers that display a similar colour scheme of grey with the red EWS logo.

Finally, the vast majority of DB Schenker’s intermodal flat wagons, used for carrying shipping containers, are painted EWS red with the gold lettering.