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Post by goldenarrow on Nov 1, 2017 18:14:47 GMT
Tomorrow on Tuesday the 2nd of November the continental rolling stock of the Venice Simplon Orient Express will visit St Pancras International having arrived at Dollands Moor Freight Yard earlier this morning (1/11/17).
This historic occasion of continental stock visiting UK rails via the Channel Tunnel and HS1 is to coincide with the film premier of one of Agatha Christie's most famous novels all which have helped make this one of the world's most famous rail journeys.
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Post by Deep Level on Nov 3, 2017 19:04:17 GMT
One assumes it was pulled through the Channel Tunnel and up HS1?
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Post by holborncentral on Nov 3, 2017 19:26:39 GMT
I wish I'd been there to see it. Such an iconic train. I might go and see the Agatha Christie film at some stage. I actually did see it once a long time ago (but I'm not sure if it was continental or UK rolling stock). It was the year before I moved to Ireland. I was with my parents waiting for a train at Woking station in Surrey and the train was delayed. The delay turned out to be a good thing though as while we were waiting the Orient Express came by. If I'd had a camera at the time I would have snapped a photo.
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Nov 3, 2017 20:09:40 GMT
One assumes it was pulled through the Channel Tunnel and up HS1? Yup! |
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Post by norbitonflyer on Nov 3, 2017 22:23:00 GMT
I'm not sure if it was continental or UK rolling stock There are very few places on the UK network other than HS1 that continental rolling stock will fit. Woking is definitely not one of them! The UK VSOE vehicles are in Pullman umber-and-cream, not the blue of Wagon-Lits. Two Night Ferry Wagon-Lits cars (which were built to UK loading gauge of course) were preserved, one on the Bluebell and one at the NRM, but both are on static display. |
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Post by holborncentral on Nov 3, 2017 22:36:57 GMT
I'm not sure if it was continental or UK rolling stock There are very few places on the UK network other than HS1 that continental rolling stock will fit. Woking is definitely not one of them! The UK VSOE vehicles are in Pullman umber-and-cream, not the blue of Wagon-Lits. Two Night Ferry Wagon-Lits cars (which were built to UK loading gauge of course) were preserved, one on the Bluebell and one at the NRM, but both are on static display. Oh ok. I can't remember what colour it was, but going by what you say it must have been UK rolling stock then. I only wish I'd had a camera as it would have been a nice photo to have. There's a posh hotel where I am now (not far from my college) which has an old Pullman carriage converted into a restaurant: www.glenloabbeyhotel.ie/en/pullman-restaurant-galway/ I was in it once because my dad's friend (who died in 2004  ) took us all there for dinner. I don't go in it now though as I can't afford it and I didn't really like the menu. |
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Post by fish7373 on Nov 4, 2017 1:27:22 GMT
One assumes it was pulled through the Channel Tunnel and up HS1? Yes pulled through the channel tunnel and up HS1 to big for are railway rolling stock to continental loading gauge the great central was continental loading gauge i believe. At southall railway centre had one of them coaches going into the shed used to hit the shed roof really big. |
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pitdiver
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Post by pitdiver on Nov 4, 2017 8:18:06 GMT
I wonder what the possibility of the VSOE starting from St Pancreas in the future is. That would make an interesting journey London to Venice without changing.
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Post by peterc on Nov 4, 2017 8:48:46 GMT
Does the train satisfy the tunnel safety rules or did it go through as ECS (Empty Coaching Stock)?
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Nov 4, 2017 11:44:18 GMT
It went through ECS this time, but that's not to say it couldn't run in passenger service.
It would need a loco on both ends, but that's simple (assuming there are locos rated for passenger operation in the tunnel, as all normal passenger movements are EMUs). Whether the doors line up with the tunnel evacuation doors is probably the biggest issue, but I have no idea whether they do or not.
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Post by nickf on Nov 4, 2017 12:55:58 GMT
I was a junior technician on the original Murder on the Orient Express...43 years ago, for Heaven's sake! The Istanbul station scenes were shot in a goods station in Paris, the ferry sequence was shot on location going across the Bosphorus and most of the rest shot in the studios at Borehamwood. There was a sequence shot near Finsbury Park where Poirot meets Bianchi, and another location at High Cannons House where a flashback sequence was shot. A happy film to work on.
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Post by domh245 on Nov 4, 2017 13:08:45 GMT
It went through ECS this time, but that's not to say it couldn't run in passenger service. It would need a loco on both ends, but that's simple (assuming there are locos rated for passenger operation in the tunnel, as all normal passenger movements are EMUs). Whether the doors line up with the tunnel evacuation doors is probably the biggest issue, but I have no idea whether they do or not. I think the biggest issue would be speed. Not only is the stock old (and so generally not as good for high speed, but this is just conjecture), but the only locos that could haul it, in the form of class 92s, are 20kph slower (160kph vs 140kph) than the Shuttle services - which would mean that timetabling it in between all of the shuttle services, as well as the eurostars would be difficult, the Chunnel is already quite a busy railway. |
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Nov 4, 2017 13:31:10 GMT
I'm not sure the old stock is sufficiently fire-retardant.
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Post by fish7373 on Nov 4, 2017 13:36:35 GMT
Two french locomotives hauled it from Dollands moor to st pancras And a 92 through the tunnel i believe.
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Nov 4, 2017 14:14:47 GMT
It must be possible to path it, otherwise it couldn't have come through as ECS. Presumably it could use a freight path.
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Post by countryman on Nov 4, 2017 17:20:02 GMT
It went through ECS this time, but that's not to say it couldn't run in passenger service. It would need a loco on both ends, but that's simple (assuming there are locos rated for passenger operation in the tunnel, as all normal passenger movements are EMUs). Whether the doors line up with the tunnel evacuation doors is probably the biggest issue, but I have no idea whether they do or not. I think the biggest issue would be speed. Not only is the stock old (and so generally not as good for high speed, but this is just conjecture), but the only locos that could haul it, in the form of class 92s, are 20kph slower (160kph vs 140kph) than the Shuttle services - which would mean that timetabling it in between all of the shuttle services, as well as the eurostars would be difficult, the Chunnel is already quite a busy railway. There are already goods services through the tunnel, including the one from China. What is used to haul them? |
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Post by domh245 on Nov 4, 2017 17:45:12 GMT
They are hauled by 92s operated by DBC (occasionally borrowing from GBRf as well when they are running short) but as far as I'm aware they only operate overnight. Admittedly, that isn't a massive issue with sleeper services in hindsight. This flickr user has some interesting insight into the operations of freight services through the tunnel, and has also got a couple of photos of the stock waiting in Dolland Moor yard having come through the tunnel |
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) took us all there for dinner. I don't go in it now though as I can't afford it and I didn't really like the menu. 
