More HST coaches go for scrap

REDUNDANT HST stock last used by GWR, ScotRail, LNER and EMR all found its way to Sims, Newport during February as both Angel Trains and Porterbrook disposed of vehicles.

After a failed attempt to move the coaches on February 4 (owing to problems with loco No. 37510), eight TGS coaches were sent for scrap on February 11. With Nos. 37884 and 37611 supplying traction, and running as the 5Q78/07.20 Ely PapworthNewport, Nos. 44001/007/010/011 /018/038/039/093 undertook their final journey. All were former GWR coaches, but Nos. 44010/011/039 saw temporary use with ScotRail in 2019.

Another movement from Ely Papworth to the South Wales scrapyard took place on February 18, when eight former LNER vehicles were sent for disposal. Nos. 42104/122/161/171/172/219, 44031/056 were hauled by Nos. 37510+37611, although No. 37510 ran into problems again so No. 37611 had to run round at Cambridge to ‘top and tail' the formation. Another former LNER coach, No. 41092, was moved by road to CF Booth, Rotherham in late January. The departure of all these vehicles means there are now less than 70 HST coaches in store at Ely (see table).

Ten coaches from the ‘old' EMR fleet arrived at Newport Docks on February 22. Nos. 66783/749 operated the 5Q51/09.13 Gascoigne Wood-Sims, Newport, made up of Nos. 40749, 41061/064/077, 42121/151/153/164/165 and 44054, which were all formerly part of sets NL03 and NL04. Other coaches from NL03 have been purchased by the 125 Group – see Headline News story on page 8.