HST formations

[guest311]

I've been looking around for details on HST formations, and while I've found several sites that list the coaches within the set, what I haven't been able to find out is which end the first class coaches are.

ie when a Kings Cross - Inverness set is at Kings cross, are the first class at the buffers [south] end or the other end.

I assume that as the sets basically shuttle between two points they will always be the same way round, or am I wrong in assuming that ?

any info or links would be appreciated

cheers

alan

[Adam1701D]

East Coast HSTs and Mk4s nearly always have first class at the London (south) end of the train. Occasionally a set gets reversed but this is quite rare.

[Paul B]

FGW (First Great Western) sets are the same - usually the first class coaches are nearest the buffers at Paddington, although you will occasionally find one the wrong way round (just to confuse us poor commuters first thing in the morning! )

[poliss]

The first class end is nearest the buffers at London stations so the poor rich people don't have to walk far.

[StufromEGDL]

The first class end is nearest the buffers at London stations so the poor rich people don't have to walk far.

Except Anglia for some reason....

STU from EGDL

[guest311]

many thanks for this,

yet another excample of the wealth of knowledge on this forum

cheers

alan

[MJKERR]

By tradition the First Class, on a London service, is at the London end
This is so that people boarding at London have less distance to walk
Sadly this often means at their destination they can have the longest distance to walk!
The converse also applies southbound

Except Anglia for some reason....

Has this been a recent change?
When I travelled on their services in 2009 all the sets had First Class at the London end

[Chris]

I saw this set on Saturday:




Yes - a 2+4 set, and although not clear is the photos, both end coaches were 1st class, so formation was 43484+TFO+TRFB+TSO+TFO+43480.

Anglia sets are normally 1st class at the London end coupled to the class 90 loco, although given how plain most of the mk3 stock is, it's hard to tell!

[StufromEGDL]

Anglia sets are normally 1st class at the London end coupled to the class 90 loco, although given how plain most of the mk3 stock is, it's hard to tell!

Hi Guys;

Sorry for the duff gen....certainly used to be the case in IC days ....but that IS a few years ago now.  Seems like 1st Class at the London end all round now....

Later;
STU from EGDL

[Sprintex]

Grand Central are a law unto themselves, their sets tend to consist of whatever was useable on the day! 

ECML sets also occasionally get turned the "wrong" way round, usually if they get re-routed into Newcastle 


Paul

[poliss]

Newcastle is on the ECML. They would have to leave by the High Level Bridge to get turned round the wrong way.

[Sprintex]

Err, isn't that pretty much what I said above??? 

Re-routed into (or indeed out of) Newcastle, as in not using the regular route of King Edward Bridge, and using the High Level instead 


Oh, and all this talk of Anglia sets is rather redundant since the original question was about HST formation, Anglia don't have any HSTs, only loco-hauled stock 


Paul