Mitchell Hurd
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- Joined
- 28 Oct 2017
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Hello. I feel its only right that in a separate thread we discuss past memories, current trips and future planned trips on the iconic HST's (or InterCity 125's if you like).
I'm 99.9% sure my first ever train trip was on one nearly 25 years ago from Oxford on a CrossCountry service heading towards Blackpool North. Either that or an air-conditioned Mark 2. But it's the first train I remember anyway. The first big station I came across was Birmingham New Street on an HST as well around the same time.
The HST was also the first GWR (when FGW) train I went on from Didcot Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads (14:05 service with Mum on the way to Plymouth on a Sunday in the summer holidays in 2003). I'm 26 now. Since that trip, I've really become interested in trains.
Long story short this next bit but Mum and I caught one from Plymouth, 05:30 Paddington service, straight through to Didcot Parkway one morning around August / September. I remember the service being written on a white board at Plymouth around 4:30 that morning when we arrived there. Platform 6 it went from - I could actually see the train ! I experienced my first trip through Weston-super-Mare then by train nearly 13 years later on the way to Taunton from Didcot Parkway on the Torbay Express HST.
My first trip to Bournemouth I'm quite sure was on an HST - from Didcot Parkway this was in around mid-August 2001 early in the morning on a Virgin XC service with Mum and my sister, Michelle.
I had my first Quiet Coach experience on this service - quite a while ago, I realised that I was sat next to the Paxman Valenta power car !
One trip from Plymouth on a Friday, 12th March I think, in 2004, Mum and I were catching the 17:58 from Plymouth to Reading, changing there for Didcot Parkway. We thought it was a Virgin Trains service (I dreaded even spending 30 minutes on a Voyager until late 2004 when I travelled better on them)!
I went to a ticket office at Plymouth and asked if the 17:58 was Virgin or Great Western - imagine my relief when I was told Great Western. I thought that was my first sighting of Reading station but a while ago (as of the 20/05/19) I remembered this was on the Virgin XC train in 2001.
I remember on one HST trip the seat moquette was blue in the Standard Class coach Mum and I were in - 08:12 from Didcot Parkway to Plymouth on Friday 2nd December 2005. A transfer from then Midland Mainline perhaps? I remember Mum and I being around 55 minutes late due to signalling problems at Swindon. It took around 75 minutes from Didcot to Swindon. We didn't bother with compensation that time. We couldn't decide til the day to be honest.
To save this being any longer I've had fantastic memories on the HST's!
I'm 99.9% sure my first ever train trip was on one nearly 25 years ago from Oxford on a CrossCountry service heading towards Blackpool North. Either that or an air-conditioned Mark 2. But it's the first train I remember anyway. The first big station I came across was Birmingham New Street on an HST as well around the same time.
The HST was also the first GWR (when FGW) train I went on from Didcot Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads (14:05 service with Mum on the way to Plymouth on a Sunday in the summer holidays in 2003). I'm 26 now. Since that trip, I've really become interested in trains.
Long story short this next bit but Mum and I caught one from Plymouth, 05:30 Paddington service, straight through to Didcot Parkway one morning around August / September. I remember the service being written on a white board at Plymouth around 4:30 that morning when we arrived there. Platform 6 it went from - I could actually see the train ! I experienced my first trip through Weston-super-Mare then by train nearly 13 years later on the way to Taunton from Didcot Parkway on the Torbay Express HST.
My first trip to Bournemouth I'm quite sure was on an HST - from Didcot Parkway this was in around mid-August 2001 early in the morning on a Virgin XC service with Mum and my sister, Michelle.
I had my first Quiet Coach experience on this service - quite a while ago, I realised that I was sat next to the Paxman Valenta power car !
One trip from Plymouth on a Friday, 12th March I think, in 2004, Mum and I were catching the 17:58 from Plymouth to Reading, changing there for Didcot Parkway. We thought it was a Virgin Trains service (I dreaded even spending 30 minutes on a Voyager until late 2004 when I travelled better on them)!
I went to a ticket office at Plymouth and asked if the 17:58 was Virgin or Great Western - imagine my relief when I was told Great Western. I thought that was my first sighting of Reading station but a while ago (as of the 20/05/19) I remembered this was on the Virgin XC train in 2001.
I remember on one HST trip the seat moquette was blue in the Standard Class coach Mum and I were in - 08:12 from Didcot Parkway to Plymouth on Friday 2nd December 2005. A transfer from then Midland Mainline perhaps? I remember Mum and I being around 55 minutes late due to signalling problems at Swindon. It took around 75 minutes from Didcot to Swindon. We didn't bother with compensation that time. We couldn't decide til the day to be honest.
To save this being any longer I've had fantastic memories on the HST's!