Last ride of the Intercity 125

[Nick]

LNER Trains have announced the last runs of their Intercity 125 trains as the new Azuma trains are being introduced.

The special part? British Rail blue paint scheme!

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/tickets-on-sale-for-lner-s-four-day-farewell-to-the-high-speed-train
http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/rail-news/lner-to-say-goodbye-to-inercity-125-high-speed-train-

[NARSES2]

Yup I received an e-mail from them with all the details.

Have also received a couple of e-mails from Virgin West Coast "celebrating" their 20 years or so of the West Coast franchise as the new holders of it take over from tomorrow.

I'm no fan of Virgin and have had some problems with them in the past, especially when I was using them frequently on business, and the recent return from Telford was horrible. However it will be a case of "better the devil you know" until I've travelled with the new lot a few times.

[PR19_Kit]

The HSTs will still be around though, it's just the LNER ones will be ending their service, being replaced by the dreaded Azumas. I hope that the LNER versions have better seats than the GWR 800s, as they're made of concrete I reckon!

HSTs will be operated by Scotrail and on some Cross Country services for a while yet, although maybe not at 125 mph.

[Martin H]

We still have them on the Midland main line going past my gatehouse.
Now operated under East Midlands Railways since stagecoach lost the franchise a few months ago. Not sure how long they will remain in service thou.

[sideshowbob9]

A bit hard to feel nostalgic about them for me. They are all lobotomized, watered-down versions of their previous selves. The Paxman Valenta scream, gone but not forgotten.

[Doug K]

The HSTs will still be around though, it's just the LNER ones will be ending their service, being replaced by the dreaded Azumas. I hope that the LNER versions have better seats than the GWR 800s, as they're made of concrete I reckon!

HSTs will be operated by Scotrail and on some Cross Country services for a while yet, although maybe not at 125 mph.

The Scotrail HSTs look fantastic, and even though they are somewhat elderly, once they get the sliding door MK3s they will be a superb advance over the younger DMUs they are replacing - which, frankly, are bloody useless for a national railway system. They will be rated up to 100mph I believe in the highlands.

[Doug K]

Oh, and I love the new Azumas, was on one last week, quiet and very fast acceleration. I came back on the Caledonian sleeper, not so fast but the MK5s are a huge step forward.

[PR19_Kit]

The Scotrail HSTs look fantastic, and even though they are somewhat elderly, once they get the sliding door MK3s they will be a superb advance over the younger DMUs they are replacing - which, frankly, are bloody useless for a national railway system. They will be rated up to 100mph I believe in the highlands.

That's because they're only 2+4s, and they don't have the braking power of the full sets, so they're limited to 100.

Oh, and I love the new Azumas, was on one last week, quiet and very fast acceleration. I came back on the Caledonian sleeper, not so fast but the MK5s are a huge step forward.

What are the seats like an Azuma though? Those on the GWR 800s, pretty much the same vehicle, are diabolical over any distance.

[NARSES2]

What are the seats like an Azuma though? Those on the GWR 800s, pretty much the same vehicle, are diabolical over any distance.

I'll let you know in January Kit

[ChernayaAkula]

<...>
What are the seats like an Azuma though? Those on the GWR 800s, pretty much the same vehicle, are diabolical over any distance.

I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but if anyone were to tell me the seats on public transport the world over were designed by sadistic hobbits with the intent to make the ride as unpleasant as possible in the quickest way possible for anyone taller than average height, I'd totally buy into that!  Planes, buses, trains -  people 6'3'' and over are apparently mythical beasts. As they don't exist, their knees and backs don't need to be taken into consideration. 

[kitnut617]

<...>
What are the seats like an Azuma though? Those on the GWR 800s, pretty much the same vehicle, are diabolical over any distance.

I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but if anyone were to tell me the seats on public transport the world over were designed by sadistic hobbits with the intent to make the ride as unpleasant as possible in the quickest way possible for anyone taller than average height, I'd totally buy into that!  Planes, buses, trains -  people 6'3'' and over are apparently mythical beasts. As they don't exist, their knees and backs don't need to be taken into consideration. 

That can apply to cars too, the seats in mrs kitnut's Dodge Nitro have a horizontal ridge that happens to be positioned right across my shoulder blades, driving for any distance, it digs in and just gives me a headache/backache. Mrs kitnut on the other hand finds the seat fits just perfectly for her.

[Doug K]

The Scotrail HSTs look fantastic, and even though they are somewhat elderly, once they get the sliding door MK3s they will be a superb advance over the younger DMUs they are replacing - which, frankly, are bloody useless for a national railway system. They will be rated up to 100mph I believe in the highlands.

That's because they're only 2+4s, and they don't have the braking power of the full sets, so they're limited to 100.

Oh, and I love the new Azumas, was on one last week, quiet and very fast acceleration. I came back on the Caledonian sleeper, not so fast but the MK5s are a huge step forward.

What are the seats like an Azuma though? Those on the GWR 800s, pretty much the same vehicle, are diabolical over any distance.

The seats were fine between Waverley & KingsX. But I thought the GWR ones were fine from Paddington to Gloucester earlier this year....

[rickshaw]

I suggest that none of you have traveled to Simla in India.  The train they use on the narrow gauge line from Kalka.  It looks like a converted bus and dates back to the first quarter of the 20th century under the Raj.  I traveled it and found the seats were designed for Hobbits and I'm on 5'8" tall.  It was the most uncomfortable trip I have ever had.  Fantastic views but a bugger in the train!