Yesterday (Sat 21st Dec) saw the final use of the ex BR High Speed Train (HST) sets on what is now the LNER train operation in the UK. The trains entered service on the East Coast London-Scotland route (and associated branches) back in 1978 so have seen 41 years continuous service up until the timetable changes which came in from Sunday 15th December.
To commemorate this, one of the sets (2 power cars + passenger cars) was repainted (not a cheap option) in their original BR colours to operate a special 4-day series of excursions, which concluded yesterday with a one-way passenger trip between Leeds and London.

I travelled over to Peterborough to see the train come through there yesterday lunchtime......





No expense seems to have been spared to get a high-quality paint finish which seems to indicate that this set could well be destined for preservation with one of the operators of historic stock on the mainline here. Various rumours abound as to who this might be, but nothing definite has been stated yet.

The set is destined to do one private trip for rail staff in Scotland next weekend, but then seems to be going into secure storage thereafter.

HST's are continuing in very reduced numbers on some other lines for a few years yet (EMR/GWR/Scotrail), but their days are now numbered. Two of the powercars have already been pledged for donation to the 125 Preservation group on the Great Central (Nottingham) preserved line - see http://www.125group.org.uk for more details

These are some of the most significant trains in the past half-century, and remain wholly relevant (both in their engineering and potential uses) in many contexts today.

The correct URL requires a secure HTTP connection; not only will most browsers not resolve it correctly, they won't suggest the correct alternative. The 'right' link is

https://www.125group.org.uk/

"The HST was initially intended as a stop-gap solution (just like the distinctly non-highs-speed Pacers that dominate the north). However, it instantly proved a hit with passengers."
https://www.citymetric.com/transport/he ... -ever-4869

Is it possible that the HST is destined for preservation at York?

Looking at the Facebook page of the National Railway Museum at York, power unit 253001 is on display.

Just a minor correction - The 253001 number actually refered to the entire operating "set" of two power cars + passenger cars when the HSTs were originally introduced. The actual running number of the power car at the NRM is 43002 and was named in recent years after their designer....
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/2-8 ... after-him/

The NRM (or just plain "Railway Museum" as it seems to style itself nowadays..) certainly doesn't have room for a complete HST set, so has taken the aforementioned 43002 to add to one of the original early 1970's prototype cars, 41001, which they have owned for a number of years.

The prototype cars looked quite different.....

This was actually restored to operation whilst on loan to the 125 Group and was controversially "reclaimed" by the NRM earlier this year.

As an aside, here is one of the original sets on test at York back in 1978...

Its an awful Kodak Pocket Insatamatic 110 size photo (remember them?) but obviously on test, given the red banded (catering) car next to the power car. Haven't got the exact date, as in the middle of a house move at the moment....

The train on the right most probably had something decent like a Deltic on it at the time!