Blood and Custard
IN THE long hot summer of 1983, the original Paxman Valenta engines in the IC125 power cars were suffering badly from overheating, exacerbated by loss of coolant. British Rail chairman Sir Peter Parker had sent a strongly-worded letter to GEC boss Sir Arnold Weinstock about the poor performance of his subsidiary’s engines.
However, ‘Informed Sources’ reported that with the problems being resolved, thoughts of re-engining were fading. As Roger Ford pointed out, such a course would be ‘fraught with imponderables’. The Captain went on: ‘Until a decision is reached on a BR electrification programme, BR engineers cannot know for how long the HST fleet will remain in front line service’. But ‘continued service beyond the end of the century is feasible,’ he thought.
RAILWAY CHILD
Shades of Nesbit: we couldn’t resist this shot of LNER Chairman Robin Gisby taking a photo of a young enthusiast with Flying Scotsman at Darlington on 30 July during the Azuma launch event (p10). The lad was behind the barriers protecting the professional snappers from the general public when his mother asked the gentleman from the First Class carriage if he could have his photo taken …
