Before the ECML was ekectrified, the acceleration from the HST was awesome and you could feel the power when the train was travelling between York and Doncaster at 125 mph. WCML was never the same.
Remember going on these in my early teens up to Scotland - windows down behind the loco not knowing anything about trains and thinking that sound was completely amazing. A shame it is difficult to find anything like it these days to be passionate about.
One of the few diesels that has the theatricals of a steamer. In the sound mix is some Tie Fighter roar and Millennium Falcon whistle, that’s some proper premium 1970s sci-fi.
This brings back loads of memories of when I was really young between late 2006 and 2007 my grandad would take me to Newcastle and we'd see lots of GNER trains, we even went on a few together before they closed
I still remember standing under the canopies at the old Reading back in the 80's listening to these wind up . Stunning to be stood next to one as the turbo scream kicked in. Even a close encounter with Concorde on one occasion couldn't match it. Designed in Britain, engineered in Britain, built in Britain, maintained in Britain, run on the railways of Britain, we were the best in the world. WTF happened to this country?
Reminds me of being a small child at the station with my nan, we used to go watch them on the weekend and the roar of the HST’s dispatching or flying by used to scare me a lot because they was so loud and would make everything rumble but that was also the reason I liked them so much. I do miss the days of a diesel smelling Smokey platform with Slam doors, whistles and loud engines. Today isn’t the same
Remember standing on Didcot station waiting for a connection to London in the 1970s and wondering why they'd painted yellow lines along the platform. I soon found out!
