Great Western Coffee Shop

The designer behind the 125 get a knighthood...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20860592


Moderator note: Edited to change link to a whole article about Kenneth Grange's knighthood. bignosemac

Just seen this online and have to say this is one award that is deserved.

To me the HST is still an iconic symbol of the railways in the UK although I still think they look better in the intercity swallow livery something I hope we will see return  to the uk rail network before the hst's are finally retired from most of the GW services

Hooray! Someone thought beyond sport and showbiz to a person who has had a more subtle but very real positive impact on our lives.  Well deserved.

A well deserved gong. I think I may change my forum signature to include a picture of a HST.

If I were you I'd change your avatar. That old bloke in the hat should be falling out of favour these days for building on a flood plain!!! ;-)

How about HST 43003 - named after the great man?

Agreed; well deserved. But (before someone else points it out) isn't that technically a picture of a model of an HST?

The only HST picture in profile of a decent size and resolution I could find. With a mirror image and pasted 'Inter-City 125' for the right hand portion.

And I suspect Sir Kenneth Grange only ever built a model of the HST to go with the design drawings.  ;)

Always good to see honours being made to those involved in engineering, science, technology and medicine.  The sort of advances that affect the lives of thousands, maybe millions, who would otherwise go unacknowledged in the public eye.  Much more preferable, in my opinion, than honouring celebrities or sports stars who have already been given their five minutes of fame.

Surprised a hst hasn't been named after him already no doubt it is something that needs to happen

Errrr it has - 43003 is named IKB - or were you suggesting bignosemac?  ;D ;D

I meant Kenneth Grange or perhaps we could ask FGW if they would name one of their hst's after Bignosemac I am sure he would very honoured  ;D

Yes please! 43143 for preference. 14 and 3 being the day and month of my birth. That's if the people behind 'Stroud 700' don't mind giving up their nameplate.  ;)

Here you go - see http://www.flickr.com/photos/21611052@N02/4430398282/ - and in swallow livery, for anthony215!  ;)

'Swallow' only comes fourth in my favourite HST liveries. First is the original production BR colour scheme, second is Great Western Trains' 'Merlin' and third is Midland Mainline's 'Teal and Tangerine'.

Today, 17th July 2024, is also Sir Kenneth Grange's 95th birthday. Designer of the iconic Class 43 power car.

Happy birthday Mr HST.

Happy belated birthday, Sir Ken.    I have made a decision to have very, very few birthdays "On this day" but  I expect we can make an exception  ;) or two.

I can't find this anywhere else on the internet, but sadly.....

R.I.P. Sir Kenneth (https://www.pentagram.com/news/in-memory-of-sir-kenneth-grange-1929-2024)

Thank you for sharing that.  A know some of our members had met Sir Kenneth and perhaps they would like to share their memories.

A truly excellent industrial designer and a nice chap to boot. I had an all too brief chat with him on board the final GWR scheduled HST service from Paddington. We talked about Finn and dogs mostly! A brief excerpt of our chat:

https://youtube.com/shorts/IZkf5Kf4-tQ?si=2Y78HIwvGxYOQaoY

I also saw him, at distance, in St Phillips Marsh depot on their open day in 2016, when power car 43002 was unveiled by GWR having been returned to the original BR interCity 125 livery and named 'Sir Kenneth Grange'.

He met Finn too.

(https://i.postimg.cc/kGXyDVbc/7-zpsrzxlgixd.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qRJNfSSt/13-zpsyhfaipnq.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5t4mp41T/DSC-0357.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/NFr9bTZb/11-zpsn5gtdhgy.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pdJDngFC/IMG-20190518-190526.jpg)

He passed away 21st July 2024 https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2024/07/high-speed-train-designer-sir-kenneth-grange-passes-away.html

Effusive obituary from The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/jul/26/sir-kenneth-grange-obituary

Written by someone who died four years before him.

But Finn met him.  ;)