Class 43 High Speed Trains
BRISTOL ST PHILIPS MARSH OPEN DAY: 2nd May 2016 which celebrated 40 years of the introduction of the HST on the Western Region, and the opening of St Philips Marsh as a HST Depot in 1976. In this film we see the six power car line-up comprising 43172, 43423, 43013, 43300, 43048 and 43187, plus the revealing of 43002 in original BR Blue & Grey beside Prototype HST power car 41001, introduced in 1972. What was truly amazing today, is scenes demonstrating how the HST, once reviled for killing off beloved diesel classes like the 'Westerns,' 'Peaks,' 'Deltics' and 50s, is now being afforded iconic status that were attributed to the 'Westerns' and 'Warships' before them! Long live the HST! www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MYQJN5l5yM
Illustrating GWR Class 43 HST and Class 802 IET diversions over the Southern 'Waterloo' route, we see five diversions (four HST / one IEP!) between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil Pen Mill on 21st February 2019. Diverted due to the closure of Whiteball Tunnel for engineering works, locations include Whimple, Wilmington and Yeovil Pen Mill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFVwd_plblE
43002 Sir Kenneth Grange
Celebrity Class 43 HST power cars W43002 Sir Kenneth Grange & 43185 Great Western climb Hemerdon Bank at Hemerdon Summit with the 1A28 1512 Plymouth - Paddington on 13th August 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2u6V5YRN0s
Celebrity Class 43 HST power cars 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange / 43185 Great Western leave Plymouth North Road with the 1A94 1550 Penzance - Paddington on 6th August 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF-XXjtEw6w
Inter-City 125 liveried Class 253 253001 / Class 43 W43002 Sir Kenneth Grange & 43018 enter Plymouth working the 1C86 1506 Paddington - Plymouth on 10th June 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWSKsV6BzqI
In original Inter-City 125 blue & grey livery, Class 253 253001 / Class 43 W43002 Sir Kenneth Grange + 43017 pass Norton Fitzwarren on 14th May 2016 working the 1C89 Paddington - Penzance. Would be wonderful to see a whole 125 set in original Blue & Grey! www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV5S-gp1nlk
43005
A GWR HST piebald hybrid rake mixture of GWR Green power cars & FGW coaches as recently repainted GWR liveried 43005 / 43041 Meningitis Trust Support for Life climb Rattery Bank at the site of the now demolished Tigley Signal Box as they work the 1C86 1457 Paddington - Penzance on 26th March 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbw4tM484XE
43041 Meningitis Trust Support for Life
A GWR HST piebald hybrid rake mixture of GWR Green power cars & FGW coaches as recently repainted GWR liveried 43005 / 43041 Meningitis Trust Support for Life climb Rattery Bank at the site of the now demolished Tigley Signal Box as they work the 1C86 1457 Paddington - Penzance on 26th March 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbw4tM484XE
43061
A real blast from the past and how quickly we forget what a Paxman Valenta HST screaming sounded like! Pausing at Totnes Station, we see Midland Main Line HST 43061 call with the 1V29 0705 Leeds - Plymouth, before starting the ascent of Rattery bank on 10th February 2006. At the time, this was a daily MML HST working returning as the 1E53 1625 Plymouth - York. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0YjNvUbRE
43074
In the days when there was a daily diagrammed Midland Mainline HST to Plymouth, with her Paxman Valenta units screaming, we see MML Class 43 43074 climbing Rattery Bank at Tigley whilst working the 1V29 0705 Leeds - Plymouth on 20th January 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nC67HANvkI
43094
FGW Class 43 HST 43174 / 43094 enter Plymouth working the 1A82 0900 Penzance - Paddington 'Cornish Riviera' on 29th October 2018. Good to see one of the Western Region's premier named expresses still in the hands of the venerable HSTs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3vVbp0YR3E
43128
On Sunday 17th April 2016 First Great Western HST 43165 Prince Michael of Kent & 43128 headed the 'Tarka Tourer' charter from Paddington to Barnstaple, becoming only the third High Speed Train to ever reach the former North Devon junction of Barnstaple, and the first HST to reach Barnstaple in around 20 years, and in this film we see the tour at a variety of locations as it makes its way along the Barnstaple Branch. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fOFJMRpxfM
43149 University of Plymouth
In an extremely rare working, back to back FGW Class 43 HST power cars 43187 + 43149 University of Plymouth pilot a sickly DRS Class 57/3 57310 Pride of Cumbria away from Plymouth with the 1A40 2355 Plymouth - Paddington 'Night Riviera' sleeper on 15th December 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az008V7vPy4
43165 Prince Michael of Kent
On Sunday 17th April 2016, First Great Western HST 43165 Prince Michael of Kent & 43128 headed the 'Tarka Tourer' charter from Paddington to Barnstaple, becoming only the third High Speed Train to ever reach the former North Devon junction of Barnstaple, and the first HST to reach Barnstaple in around 20 years, and in this film we see the tour at a variety of locations as it makes its way along the Barnstaple Branch. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fOFJMRpxfM
43174
FGW Class 43 HST 43174 / 43094 enter Plymouth working the 1A82 0900 Penzance - Paddington 'Cornish Riviera' on 29th October 2018. Good to see one of the Western Region's premier named expresses still in the hands of the venerable HSTs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3vVbp0YR3E
43185 Great Western
In the iconic 1980s Inter-City 'Swallow' livery which first appeared in this guise in 1987, some 30 years ago, 43185 Great Western with W43002 Sir Kenneth Grange (in original 'Inter-City 125' livery on the rear) pass Laira Junction working the 1C76 0851 Paddington - Penzance on 6th August 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cZoDZQdBdY
Inter-City 'Swallow' liveried Class 43 HST 43185 Great Western / 43153 enter Bodmin Parkway with the 1A87 1140 Penzance - Paddington working as GWR 42xx 2-8-0T 4247 leaves on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway with a branch service to Bodmin General. 24th June 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWcny-lDbs0
43187
In an extremely rare working, back to back FGW Class 43 HST power cars 43187 + 43149 University of Plymouth pilot a sickly DRS Class 57/3 57310 Pride of Cumbria away from Plymouth with the 1A40 2355 Plymouth - Paddington 'Night Riviera' sleeper on 15th December 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az008V7vPy4
43305
The very first VTEC / Virgin Trains liveried HST in the Far West! (albeit one power car!). Deputizing for a failed XC power car, VTEC Class 43 43305 and XC 43207 climb Hemerdon Bank at Hemerdon Summit working the 1S51 1225 Plymouth - Glasgow Central on 13th August 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9VEEevsz_Y
High Speed Trains (General)
In this film, we take a final look at the classic GWR location of Sonning Cutting before electrification as part of the GWML Electrification. Included are FGW / GWR Class 43 High Speed Trains as well as FGW Class 165 and Class 166 Turbo-Star DMUs. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAzLNQNoJko
With electrification of the Great Western Main Line rapidly progressing, and much in evidence at Didcot Parkway, we see a range of FGW / GWR High Speeds Trains / Inter-City 125s calling at and passing through Didcot Parkway at speed. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPwS_fTV1Rw