Re: Is it viable ?

[Dave Proctor <david@sd3.mailbank.com>]

On Wed, 30 May 2001 12:20:36 +1000, "Les Chandra"
<les_chandra@asparagus.hotmail.com> wrote:

>MKIIIs are the HSTs. They are the main rolling stock in use on (to name a
>few) Great Western main line, Midland Main Line,  and whatever Virgin calls
>Intercity Cross Country these days.  MKIVs are the Intercity 225s used only
>on the east coast main line (GNER).

There are non HST Mk III's - they basically used the Mk III carriages
when they formed the HST's and placed a class 43 at each end to get
the Class 253 and 254 DMU's (which did not last for long). I believe
that Anglia operates loco hauled Mk III's, as does Virgin West Coast

>There are currently plans in afoot to replace most of the HST duties with
>modern DMUs, but these are all some time off.
>
>While there may be spare MKIII sleepers, there is certainly no spare seating
>or catering stock. So there would definitely be a need to build or undertake
>major refurbs for these.
>
>Big question I have is what would the ride quality be like anyway?

The Mk III rides better than the Mk IV, IMNSHO, at least the times
that I have ridden on them. I used the Roger Ford test and stood a
coin up on its side (cant remember which coin it was, but it was
shaped like an Australian 50¢ coin) - and along the same bits of track
the coin would stay standing up on the Mk III whereas it would fall
over on the Mk IV. This was on various stretches of the East Coast
Main Line where GNER operate both Mk III's (in HST's) and Mk IV's.

Dave