Far from home, had a stopover in London… and grabbed some shots at London Paddington (where I hadn’t been since 1984, and had blown all my shots with too slow film on that previous trip).
This time I was ready with a DSLR.
First image is of what is reported to be the fastest diesel in the world, the nearly 30 year old Class 43 on a train to Penzance.
It’s a testament to the engineers who designed the BR HST that 30+ years later they are all still in front-rank service, clocking up thousands of miles every day at 125mph. It’s not exaggerating to say that they saved non-electrified express train services in the UK from a slow lingering death (the increase in passenger numbers when they were introduced was dubbed the ‘nose-cone effect’ [:)] )
The only really major modification to the power cars (class 43) in that time is the recent re-engining of most of them with MTU 4000 series diesel engines (= loud humming noise+faint exhaust haze), in place of the original Paxman Valenta engines (= deafening turbocharger scream+smoke effects). The passenger cars have been re-furbished internally several times and fitted with central door locking. I think the current plan is that some of them will still be running in 10 years time…
I’m certainly not the only one who thinks that the ride quality and spacious passenger ambience (in their original layout) of the HSTs has not even been equalled, let alone bettered, by anything more modern on UK domestic train services. (The 186mph electric Eurostar trains are probably better in ride/ambience terms, but they only run international services and are in a different league in build/maintenence cost terms).
Do the Brits have a policy regarding photography at their large railroad stations? They are in much more imminent danger than we are. Perhaps understanding their policy might give us a window into deciding how reasonable our own is.
I did some internet browing on the topic before I left, and found that a lot of folks posted that British policy on photography was the same as US policy (no law against it, but that doesn’t stop you from being stopped). Can’t vouch that this is accurate, but it is what is reported on the net.
When I was in London (for all of a couple hours), if I was by myself, I just snapped away. If I saw an official of any kind, I asked permission. Didn’t have a single person say no.
I did have one woman come up to me and ask me why I was photographing the outisde of Victoria Station. At first I assumed her concern was security, but as she quized, rather rudely, I discovered that she was worried that I was with the press.
(but in reality enthusiasts are commonplace around the network, so unless you are unlucky and get a ‘jobsworth’ character amongst the station staff - or you do stupid things - you are unlikely to be bothered).
In 30+ years of train-watching in the UK (and a terrorism threat around for nearly all of that time), I’ve never felt the need to ask permission, but you have to judge each situation as you find it.
To be honest I’ve always found the railfanning situation in the US much the same - I was on the platforms at LAUPT last September one evening and someone shouted across from the opposite platform - but only to check I wasn’t a ‘lost’ passenger [:)]
Just digressing slightly, on Saturday last I was at Bristol Temple Meads station. I was lucky enough to see one handful of the Class 57/6 locos First Great Western use to haul sleeping cars on ther London Paddington - Penzance “Night Rivieria” service. (One of the few remaining such trains left in Britain) Just before noon #57 602 “Restormel Castle” showed up from the London direction on a set of sleeping cars. Anyway, the train pulled up on one of the centre road, between Platforms 3 and 5, # 57 602 ran round, and then headed off back to London. I wonder if this might be some sort of training exercise as nowadays loco hauled passenger trains (and class 57s!) are about as common as hen’s teeth here; I thought may be as the crews don’t get much practice at coupling/uncoupling locos and carriages this was a training exercise for that purpose.
Anyway, it transpires that #57 602 had failed earlier in the week and having been repaired was having a test run from Old Oak Common sidings in west London to Bristol and back, which I gather went OK.
There’s a nice pic on page 10 of this week’s “Railway Herald”:-
Much coverage today on the BBC about the electrification of the GW main line from Paddington as far as South Wales. There’s also a table shewing how far we’re behind Continental Europe in railway electrification percentages - Switzerland is 100%; UK only about 40%!
You’ll be able to pick up the spiel via the BBC web-site.