East Coast Main Line celebration - spectacular lineup - 23 April 2017

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

Not seen this mentioned anywhere here.  Looks quite an interesting event: https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/news/four-trains-four-generations---history-to-be-made-on-yorkshires-east-coast-main-line/

[ChrisB]

chatter on uk.railway last week. Wonder how many will get trackside this time?

[stuving]

Wot no Deltic?

[JayMac]

A Deltic will apparently be on the rear of the set hauled by Flying Scotsman.

[old original]

Good pictures on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Breakfast this morning -Flying Scotsman, a HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)), a class 91 and a new Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) running parallel on the ecml four track into York, where a Deltic was waiting...

[SandTEngineer]

Photographs and video here: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/watch-four-iconic-trains-travel-side-by-side-through-yorkshire-to-celebrate-the-east-coast-main-line-1-8507308

[Adelante_CCT]

Shouldn't this thread be merged with this one?

[ChrisB]

Deltic was waiting at York for the other 4 to arrive

[Chris from Nailsea]

Shouldn't this thread be merged with this one?

Yes - so both topics have now been merged here.  CfN. 

[Rhydgaled]

Might have been spectacular if the class 800 had plug doors, the IC125 in blue&grey, the IC225 in Swallow (with the class 91 leading) and Flying Scotsman in Apple Green with the number 4472 and without those odd-looking sideplates (smoke deflectors?). In fairness they did use the National Railway Museum livery class 43, which looks reasonable, on the IC125 but the other three trains don't really appeal in their current condition (there's something about the mark 4 DVTs^▸ (Driving Van Trailer (carriage) or Deep Vein Thrombosis, depending on context) that looks weird, even though I love the look of the class 91s (although I don't like the VTEC livery)). I'm glad I stayed at home and didn't go to York on the off-chance of a Swallow 91.

[Western Pathfinder]

Don't think that was ever going to be happening after all the whole event was run by VTEC ,still it was good to see it on the Telly .

[chrisr_75]

Might have been spectacular if the class 800 had plug doors, the IC125 in blue&grey, the IC225 in Swallow (with the class 91 leading) and Flying Scotsman in Apple Green with the number 4472 and without those odd-looking sideplates (smoke deflectors?). In fairness they did use the National Railway Museum livery class 43, which looks reasonable, on the IC125 but the other three trains don't really appeal in their current condition (there's something about the mark 4 DVTs^▸ (Driving Van Trailer (carriage) or Deep Vein Thrombosis, depending on context) that looks weird, even though I love the look of the class 91s (although I don't like the VTEC livery)). I'm glad I stayed at home and didn't go to York on the off-chance of a Swallow 91.

Easily pleased then?! 

I can't really see the point in this stunt at all really, it's a working railway, not a scene from Thomas and Friends, save that stuff for Sodor! Bah humbug! 

[bobm]

I can't really see the point in this stunt at all really, it's a working railway, not a scene from Thomas and Friends, save that stuff for Sodor! Bah humbug! 

It got the railway some national television coverage.  The only other time that normally happens is when the annual fare rise is announced, when the annual fare rise takes effect, there is a strike or, as last week, Euston is closed by a fire halting all trains.

[old original]

I can't really see the point in this stunt at all really, it's a working railway, not a scene from Thomas and Friends, save that stuff for Sodor! Bah humbug! 

It got the railway some national television coverage.  The only other time that normally happens is when the annual fare rise is announced, when the annual fare rise takes effect, there is a strike or, as last week, Euston is closed by a fire halting all trains.

It still didn't stop the usual sarcastic introduction on breakfast tv of them hopefully arriving on time etc...

[chrisr_75]

I can't really see the point in this stunt at all really, it's a working railway, not a scene from Thomas and Friends, save that stuff for Sodor! Bah humbug! 

It got the railway some national television coverage.  The only other time that normally happens is when the annual fare rise is announced, when the annual fare rise takes effect, there is a strike or, as last week, Euston is closed by a fire halting all trains.

It must've caused some knock on delays surely? If so they were conveniently forgotten about. Much as my opinions on mainline steam loco running, I don't think a modern operational railway is the place for such stunts. It would never, ever happen on a motorway for example.

My comments were largely tongue in cheek, but what really facilitated this publicity stunt was the fact we have still yet to embrace the 7 day railway in this country and have some slack on Sunday mornings. If the only publicity the railway can routinely get for itself is negative, then it frankly needs to have a look in a mirror at itself rather than dreaming up pretty pointless publicity stunts!