HST and that is not short for Hot and Sunny Today!

Although it is hot and sunny today the HST I am talking about is the train type. Introduced way back in 1976 and only just being withdrawn the High Speed Trains or Class 43 to use their official designation were so advanced when they came into service back in the 70's and still, in my view, look modern today. Having ridden on so many other the years I am not quite sure why I did not have an 00 gauge model of one before now but last year I started to look about for a second hand example as I was not paying out the £300 to £400 just for the two power cars that the new Hornby models are selling for. Instead I managed to find a Hornby Train Pack from about 2007 with the revised body modelling which is much better then the ones from before the Millennium. It still has the old Ringfield and non DCC ready motor in it and only one of the power cars has the motor but I was happy!

The pack not only contained models of the two power cars but also two coaches. Whilst the contents of the box does not make up the 8 plus car trains that the HSTs ran in it certainly starts you off.

I do like the Intercity Swallow livery that these trains wore - I think it just looked so right even now.

Over the past few months I have kept an eye out for the right coaches second hand to extend the initial set. Learning about the various marks and production runs of coaches has certainly been an education and but I have ended up with one coach that is completely wrong as it is the old style 7 window coach from the 80s Hornby HST model. That is staying in its box for the moment. Two coaches are actually designed for a Class 91 and DVT and have two small windows side by side at one end of the coach body instead of one at each end - it just gets complicated - but I am going to run them in this set anyway on the basis that unless you know you will never spot this! Two further coaches are actually the right ones being the buffet car and the guards end coach. The end result is that I have an eight car unit which is big enough for my needs.

Looks impressive - to me anyway!

I need to change the couplings on one coach and put a DCC chip into the power cars so that I can run it but for an outlay of roughly half the price of two new Hornby HST power cars I have an eight car formation that looks the business. 

Mrs. Woody would be proud of my budgetary skills and savings but probably not pleased that I bought it in thye first place - I cannot win!