This may not be very realistic nor useful but for dreamers out there. Wouldn't it be great if HST Class 23 was one day to appear on NTP route? That is my proposal. I apologise for lack of pictures and links over here thou but HST Class 23 is looking (was) so good in BR livery (in my opinion) and after going throu some footage in YouTube, I have fallen in love with it just like with HST Class 43. Now, it would make more sense to add it on some services between Leeds and Manchester (mainly express runs) and why not even add some more express services. It would also add a lot on a route that has already a lot going on.
Love the fact that the Intercity strapline back in those days was "We're getting there..." They might as hell have run with "Not as terrible as we used to be!"
Probably. Only, class 253 and 43 are exactly the same. Originally the entire HST was considered one DEMU and got a number in the 200s range, accordingly. This turned out to be unpractical though, for example when individual cars were swapped from one trainset to another, so BR changed the nomenclature, declaring the power cars to be diesel locomotives and the coaches, well, coaches.
I think he means 253 - as in, the earliest Intercity livery use of the HST. They were just reclassified as 43s though, right?
Kind of. 253/254 were DEMU sets but it was found out that keeping them in a "set" proved difficult. Some power cars were still carrying set numbers with "Executive/Intercity" livery in the latter part of the 80s: Still carrying '253' set numbers, a pair of HSTs stand at the blocks at Paddington. by Jeremy Gould, on Flickr
Yes please! Hopefully it would be more reliable in the game. I know there are those that clamour for more modern routes but the era the class 23 comes from with it's diverse range of traction and workings is a fascinating one. A baby Deltic might also grow up to be a full sized one with any luck. Actually locomotives that have no examples preserved and have all been scraped would be great candidates to be resurrected in the game. But I digress, back to the 253/43. (A class 252 would be interesting!)
Some people call them Class 253 or 254 - some call them Class 43 Most Enthusiasts and Railwaymen call them a HST But we already have the HST in the Great Western route - it just need some new paint jobs On the 18th May 2019 HSTs finished out of Paddington. GWR repainted some of the Power cars back in to older colours https://www.tauntontrains.co.uk/photos/gallery/heritagepowercar Peter