30th November 1977

British Rail (E.R.)
(Inter-City 125 Staff Invitation Trip)

HST Used 254004 (43062+43063)

Route : 1G07 throughout

HST Route
as listed London Kings Cross - (via ECML) - York
as listed York - (via ECML) - Peterborough
as listed Peterborough - (via ECML) - Grantham
as listed Grantham - (via ECML) - London Kings Cross

Notes :
(1) Gordon Lacy comments: This was advertised to BR (ER) staff as "The schedule is designed for Driver training purposes, stopping and starting at intermediate stations and reaching high speeds between stops". Booking Office staff and representatives from local papers were invited to 'sample' the then new HSTs. 125 mph was achieved before Scrooby on the outward run, but having  braked to 7 mph at Retford on the return, we appeared to have 'lost' one engine - so much for my first ECML HST run!
(2) Gordon Lacy also comments that the booked timings "applied all week" - confirmation of which dates this HST ran is required (and was it the same set on all runs?). Gary Thornton was at St Neots on 2nd December and photographed an HST set passing through both north and south - possibly 254004 - was this the same run?

Source : Gordon Lacy (joined/left the train at Grantham)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gordon Lacy)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Kings Cross 09.25d ?   16.06a ?
Stevenage ? ?   15.42a ~ 15.44d ?
Huntingdon ? ?   15.15a ~ 15.19d ?
  ??.??d ?
See table below
Peterborough ? ?   14.00a ?
Grantham 10.42a ~ 10.45d 10.52 ~ 10.53   13.28a ~ 13.33d 13.43 ~ 13.44
Barkston South Jn 10/50 10/57   13/23 13/39
Newark Northgate 10/57 11/04   13/16 13.28 ~ 13.28
Retford 11/10 11/19   13/04 13/05½
Doncaster 11/31 11/32   12.48a ~ 12.50d 12.49 ~ 12.49
Shaftholme Jn 11/35 11/35½   12/43 12/44
Selby 11/46 11/46   12/33 12/35
York 12.04a 12.04   12.20d 12.22

 

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Peterborough 14.11d ?   ??.??a ?
Grantham 14.32a ?   14.45d ?


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