Adelante in Taunton

Post by **James** » Fri May 21, 2004 7:47 pm

I've not seen a First Great Western Adelante train in Taunton before, but there was one at platform 2 (down) a week or so ago...is this unusual? What routes do they run on, because I've not been on one yet, neither from Taunton-London nor Bristol Temple Meads-London

Post by **James** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:10 pm

Am I right in thinking Adelantes still can't travel south of Exeter?

Post by **AJR** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:49 pm

Pete has got a couple of terrific pictures of one taken at Taunton last Saturday

Marvellous they are!!

Post by **James** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:09 pm

Erm...can't find them

I'm sure the pics are marvellous, even if the subject isn't

Post by **James** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:54 pm

Anyway, the reason I ask is because I'm planning on treating myself to a First class Taunton-London return BY HST along the Castle Cary route (my favourite) before they all disappear and I didn't want to end up on a new-fangled plastic train after spending all that money

I'm looking at the 12:30-14:20 up and the 11:05-13:00 back...both are Plymouth trains so they're HSTs...right?

Post by **madhattie** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:11 pm

James wrote:Erm...can't find them

They ain't up yet!

I'm currently working on 700+ pics! Unfortunately (or fortunately considering it's what I do!) work has gone completely mental since Christmas and I'm really struggling.

As to the Adelantes in Taunton. I think there are two services a day with the rest being HSTs. You used to be able to tell which services would be the 180s because the timetable had an A alongside the train description. I don't know if that's still the case.

Most 180s have been transfered to services around Oxford for the time being.

I took my family for a walk to Filton Abbey Wood a couple of Sunday's back (the way you do...) and an Adelante went through. Ooooo I cooed, not seen one of them go through here before. Turned round and two coupled together went in the opposite direction! What was that all about !

Post by **James** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:08 pm

madhattie wrote:
James wrote:Erm...can't find them

As to the Adelantes in Taunton. I think there are two services a day with the rest being HSTs. You used to be able to tell which services would be the 180s because the timetable had an A alongside the train description. I don't know if that's still the case.

Ah yes! I looked at the FGW pocket timetables and they do have an A in a circle for the Adelante trains. Of course this doesn't show on TheTrainline.com which is where I was looking

There will be Adelantes or other new trains everywhere before long and everyone will be saying "Damn I wish I'd taken more pictures of the HSTs".

Well it happened at the end of steam anyway...the everyday things people took for granted were suddenly no more. I know I'm going to miss the HSTs...they feature in some of my earliest railway memories!

*dissolves into fits of uncontrollable sobbing*

Graham · Post by **Graham** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 2:39 am

The only problem I have with HSTs is the noise outside the train... If a HST blasts through a station (happens at Oldfield Park a lot!) the noise from the front and rear engines is EXTREMELY loud! And if you're ever at Cheltenham Spa, and a HST has started to pull away and revs up - boy, is the noise ear piercing!
It's a different matter inside the train of course, extremely quiet

Post by **madhattie** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:40 pm

Graham wrote:The only problem I have with HSTs is the noise outside the train... If a HST blasts through a station (happens at Oldfield Park a lot!) the noise from the front and rear engines is EXTREMELY loud! And if you're ever at Cheltenham Spa, and a HST has started to pull away and revs up - boy, is the noise ear piercing!

I'd agree with that!

There's been a few times when I've been getting pics at stations with the little 'uns in tow when I've had to protect their ears from a HST as it pulls away. I can't believe that they operate within legal noise limits. Not when they're in a built up area anyway!

Post by **madhattie** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:42 pm

James wrote: Well it happened at the end of steam anyway...the everyday things people took for granted were suddenly no more. I know I'm going to miss the HSTs...they feature in some of my earliest railway memories!

*dissolves into fits of uncontrollable sobbing*

LOL!

Well, I think the HSTs will deffinately go down as one of the best railway designs of all time. They're unbeatable on the present day network even though they're almost as old as I am!

Post by **James** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:06 pm

Yeah everyone I know says they should build more HSTs

I dunno why they don't...sure they'd have to update them a lot but then that's what they do in the aerospace industry, look at the Boeing 747: First unveiled in 1966, they are still being produced today, albeit in a much more modern and massively improved form thanks to years of continuing development.

But nooooo...we have to buy Brand New Exciting Replacements, instead of developing the Ageing Rolling Stock.

I wonder how much an HST power car would cost...