It’s an electric train on continuous welded track - it ought to be quick and smooth! I have found these trains quite rough riding with quite alarming jolts over points. Perhaps things have got better.
Class(es) 800-804 are simply perfect InterCity trains. It's all about acceleration and thus making intermediate stops less time consuming. Can such trains replace a modern high speed railway network? Of course not. But with the introduction of these trains Britain will at least have one of the best (perhaps even THE BEST) conventional InterCity network in the world. This train has already covered the famous "flying scotsman" route from London to Edinburgh in 3:59 hours INSPITE OF AN INTERMEDIATE STOP IN NEWCASTLE!!!! Looks like Britain has learned her lesson: If you don't build a high speed railway network (which is really a great pity) you at least must do everything you possibly can to improve the conventional InterCity network. This train suits that role perfectly. GWR, Transpennine, LNER etc.... They all have ordered and gradually introduced this train at almost the same time. It's fantastic! 😊 I can't wait to see the new ETCS level 2 signalling systems to be FINALLY introduced in the next 2 yers or so. That means 140mph instead of 125mph. We'll see. After decades of false "140-promises" I refuse to believe them anything until its first day of practical "real life" introduction.😂
Britain is building a high speed network, aiming to have more trains running on it than any other country, will see if they can get that many trains really working on it. The trains will double the current intercity speeds
@@WelshGuitarDude I know. HS2 would be great. But so far I remain sceptical that it's really gonna come. In the long run it will be a necessity. I genuinly believe that modern nation that has highly populated urban areas cannot stay competitive without high speed rail. I currently live in Germany. The high speed net work took about 30 years to build. One can only hope that Britain gets it done faster. Until then class 800-804 will do as good a job as possible. As I said: Within the limits of a traditional InterCity network it's really great.
Although the train looks great and sounds good, it is a bit noisier and has slightly harder seats, other than that I believe it is a very good train and will allow our regional and intercity routes to be revolutionised to create better journey times
@@supremethunderous4566 Yes, absolutely. As far as seating comfort is concerned these trains are in deed a huge disappointment. i usually travel first class and even there the seats weren't very good. I liked the last refurbished version of GWR's mark 3+4 (in first open) best. Noise levels wil probalby NEVER AGAIN be as low as the were. That's simply because (sadly) the age of the loco-hauled passenger carriage is over and every car has its own motor. I guess that#s the price we have to pay for higher acceleration.
I use that app and one called drag racer too. The new Eastern FLIRTS have the quickest acceleration I've measured 0-60mph in 32 seconds and 0-100 under 90 on electric. 800s feel quick on electric but you really notice the difference on diesel.
The 3 or 4 car 755s accelerate to 60 in 27 seconds with AC mode. That mad , so imagine a 4 car 745 to 60mph given it has the same motor ratio. It would probably be faster because it would lack the engine equipment
I wonder if Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Sir Daniel Gooch would be impressed, or perhaps they'd be a tad disappointed that it isn't even quicker! This is proof that IKB was very forward thinking all those years back to predict such speeds (and plan the line acordingly), while George Stephenson was gently chiding him in public, saying that 40mph was the most viable line speed (although he was, of course, talking about economic viability and basing his comments on the technology of the day).
@B.A.L G.B.R that's due to Infrustructure of the uk vs Japan, I have no doubt the uks slow electric Infrustructure growth relitive to Japans is the reason they have superior acceleration not always the trains themselves. Also likely lack of research and funding etc at the time of the 90s. Our units in the uk were still splendid, but it's true Japan were really ahead of their time for sure. The amount of emus Japan has is insane. The advanced igbt and gto even back then , some sounding very similar to ours, their trains accelerated like bullets regardless but our units were given a small percentage of power when compared. Even European emus are alot quicker off the mark despite being alot bulkier by comparison. I do prefer the uks designs but the acceleration of Japan/European trains was way ahead of ours . Nowadays our electrical Infrustructure is better in some departments to be able to supply less power and better acceleration. But that can't be said for third rail, our trains on our third rail are better than the older ones, but the third rail Infrustructure is kind of old and needs some work mostly likely.
Unfortunately I think the government cheaped out and is only doing electrification out to Cardiff! Such a shame, the amount of money they invest in the southeast and they can’t even electrify to Swansea.
@@corbinvickers9993 Public expenditure is higher in Wales and Scotland than it is in the South East or all of England thanks to the Barnett Formula. Last year, Northern Ireland spent the most per head, at £11,590, followed by: Scotland at £11,247 Wales at £10,656 England at £9,296 Just to set the record straight and burst this myth about 'the SouthEast'. Try living in East Anglia. As for railways we all ought to be grateful the UK taxpayer is keeping trains running at all.
@@corbinvickers9993 As a SWML local, I can tell you that they have only electrified the line as far as Cardiff. The Hitachis have to switch to diesel to continue to Swansea, which they do every hour.
Hope this isn’t a dumb question, but is there any discernible difference between electric and diesel, in regards to the overall experience on this class? I’m thinking of, for example, Cardiff to Swansea. Thx
If its DMU mode then yeah, but if its electric mode, then it can use a bit more juice. Class 395s are older but tank this trains acceleration by miles. It's around 40 seconds to 60mph for 395s.
It's amazing to think how Japanese already mastered train traction/propulsion system a long ago, ahead of everyone. You will find this level of acceleration even on JR/Tokyo Metro train with old chopper/GTO unit
Certainly fast acceleration but I have been on class 800 train from Plymouth to Exeter and the seats are quite uncomfortable particularly on longer journeys.
Longest Journey I've been on the GWR 800s is from Exeter to London. Comfort for me personally wasn't too bad. Ironically I've got weird back muscle problems and the seats actually helped alot. The HSTs were very comfortable but comfortable to the point I'd want to fall asleep 😂
The acceleration on them is great but it would be better if the rail infrastructure on existing tracks allowed to go over 125mph/200kmh then these would be true high speed trains but good video anyway
For a lot of the lines its not so much the track, its the signalling. For the newly electrified lines to Bristol the new signalling tech is in place to support in cab signals like the French system used on their high speed lines or the UK HS1 line. However you would need all trains to have the updated in cab equipment and all drivers to be trained on it. The new HST trains have the ability to have it added but there are large numbers of local stopping trains and freight and other bits of kit that would need big changes being made. This is one of the many reasons why HS2 is going to be faster, the new trains wont have to share the lines with the old kit.
GPS based speeds tend to be poor at low speeds, not enough change in location. They make a good estimator for speed but I wouldn't rely on one if a completely accurate recording is needed!
0 -124 mph in 1 minute flat in a class 800. 1hour later you need to get the hell off the train as any longer in the cement seat you are sitting on will destroy whats left of your Arse and your back. Give me a longer journey time and comfort over discomfort fast acceleration and a shorter journey time any day of the year. The GWR class 800s are the mist uncomfortable intercity train I've ever been on. Not recommended for a trip to Penzance , even just going to Bristol is awful. What were you thinking GWR.
But unlike mallard, these can do 140mph all day, mallard blew up trying to do 126. It is impressive for a steam train to go that fast,but it has nothing on modern train performance
@@garthhentley5957 Mallard had major bearing issues after its run. The linkages did not get enough lubrication due to the forces involved. The best steam trains would struggle to reliably get to 100mph on a day to day run.
Slightly different topography TBF and no 25kv to play with. Diesel acceleration on Cl.800’s up to about 60mph is good, but they take a little longer to hit higher speeds (where line limits permit obv!). West of Exeter the fastest stretch is down to Powderham Castle and a little less along the Teign. The 1:36/1:40 banks each side of Totnes are actually well handled by the 800’s with traction power spread along the train.
@@letrainavapeur And it couldn't maintain that speed for any significant distance (was it for 1/2 a mile on the record breaking run, and on a declining gradient?). As soon as steam engines start climbing even very shallow gradients, they start losing speed..........
Judging how fast the scenery went by it looked a fair bit faster than the 124 mph covered and to it in 5 miles doubt the class 43 HST could live upto that
@@Pete4000uk really they seem to come and go these days these clubs that start up supporting a type of train/locomotive then fizzle out six months later.
@@Pete4000uk Indeed, and many reached 130-135 in service too, as well as the 140mph 7 car sets on Great Western at the time and East Coast. Nothing has beaten the HST in passenger service yet. I did two journeys in the late 1980's and early 1990's on HST's that did London - York in 1hr40 mins. When the 800's even match that I will take note. But in reality, they should be able to beat a 1976 diesel, yet don't due to several issues that are merely bureaucracy and no excuse.
That's 800's for you - a rattly mess that are deeply uncomfortable with hospital lighting and poor bogies just to add that 'crunch' over points. Terrible dampers (sure there aren't any!).
The 800s are mechanicaly amazing. They rattle slightly more but they take a 3rd of the time to get to 125mph. The interiors are nasty and the ones on the mk3s were much better. But that has got nothing to do with the trains and all to do with the operators cheaping out
