An Up Valenta HST screams out of Reading on the Down line

[jblsound13]

Why Do they have to re-engine every last one BR doesn't sound the same any more, well at least we still have the HST I suppose 1 good thing come from MTU!

[MAPFWH]

Waterloo line on the right.... I used to commute into and out of Reading in the 1980s..... Oh the halcyon days, the trips through Sonning, window hanging, steam heated Peak on Thames-Clyde relief after failures, 40s on GLC waste, 56s on Freightliner container work, cab rides to Reading West, (and back!!) Watching a woman get crushed by the info board on the foot of the Waterloo platforms as a departing EMU reversed and hit the buffers...... IC125 with rear power car fuel leak...railside debris!

[deathstardisco]

I remember being in the first carriage of a HST in like 1993 or something when I was a child. The valenta scared me shitless and everytime the driver opened the taps I thought the train was going to leave the ground lol.

[bxmachine]

Worked on Reading Station in 1990, I had that soundtrack all day. Miss it!

[RailRKO57]

Oh my! C'mon Reading time get up n get to work, this is your wake up call,,,, Valenta style!!

[clusterfak]

Loved watching that little kid jumping for joy! That was me years ago here in Canada watching CPR's 4-6-4 Hudson doubleheading The Dominion...woot!

[roguesniper]

That's the proper sound for an HST!

[ciarang8235]

best scream ever

[mentalmidget1960]

We are rebuilding a Paxman YHA, these were the forerunner of the Valentas & have huge Napier turbos fitted as standard. Sounds goereous under load. Mad technology considering the YHA was buils in 1957.

[spotifyZ]

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD....THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JET TAKING OFF!!!!

[clusterfak]

Doesn't get any better than that my friend!

[mjdc500]

I really feel I've missed out having not seen one of these Valenta HSTs pull out of a station in person.

[SANSPAREIL1977]

@mjdc500 Where have you been the last 30+ years, youve missed the boat now my friend, all gone mate! For now anyhow....

[mjdc500]

@SANSPAREIL1977 well, i'm only 21 so that should explain most of it! never got a chance as a child to travel on long distance trains, such as HSTs unfortunately.

[sexyjw2]

@SANSPAREIL1977 Your comment "for now anyhow" makes me wonder whether these HST125s will, once retired, perhaps grace the mainlines as specials (with Valenta?), much like the steam trains do today? As more and more of the network becomes electrified, diesel is becoming almost as special as steam.

[tantive4]

Takes me back to my days platform ending at Reading... Great Stuff

[mcgherkinstudios]

I can't wait for the 43's to be decomissioned. Because then I bet a load of private railways will buy them and there'll be replica Valentas going in left, right and centre.

[365275]

Fabulous. The Spitfire of trains ! Reminds me of my own youth in the late 70s watching these babies go through Twyford at top whack. Love the kid jumping up and down too. Bet he doesn't do that with Pendolinos... 

[Sxkcils]

0:42 Child abuse?

[vorlonb3]

There's just something magical with the sound in this shot, love it.BTW MTU's are nice at speed, sod all at setting off :-)

[TheNitebeatDisco]

excellent video mate

[Pugragger]

i miss valentas

[TimeMeddler]

Superb. so glad you guys have recorded these beauties for posterity. BTW, is that platform 4A to Waterloo on the right? If so, I used to frequent there in my youth in the 1970's, eek.

[rorymacve]

I see that kid being a future trainspotter, hahaha

A priceless vid m8, of better times!!

[starkey7uk]

Amazing. Unusual to see a London-bound train going from 4.

[Kohsomusto]

Dammit, they never do that round my way - Brunel's to blame for the billiard table. I need the cooling fan!

[smiffy1071]

Visit Australia, and travel on the XPT (just like a HST125) You will quickly realise what brillient track we have in this country!

[resigamer17]

@smiffy1071 yeah but u have vp185s not valentas, its the same as using east midlands trains except the line speed isnt 125mph

[smiffy1071]

@resigamer17 You've mis-understood me. i'm not australien, I just like to go on holiday there! I was trying to illustrate how good the track is here in England, rather than the bouncy castle they have down under. Actually, they did start out with 12RP200L valenta engines, but due to over heating problems, they were re-engined with vp185.

[33wilbur]

This wurgs us!

[DarkRage960]

my favourite FGW HST livery has got to be the fag packet livery

[thewaytosuccess]

H, that was weird. I live in reading and I've never seen them depart from that platform going towards London ...weird?

[xgaygeekx]

Samee! how strange..

[DarkRage960]

reading will never be the same as what it used to be

[justplainrichard]

Nothing wrong with MTU's - i like both Valenta, VP185 and MTU - and anyway - most of those MTU's are starting to get very noisy now and even the Fgw ones do scream alittle

[crazyshedlife]

not meaning to sound silly...but what is all this MTU and Valenta stuff? Is it some new engine that the HSTs have been fitted with ?

[justplainrichard]

Yep - FGW started to re - engine there entire fleet of hst's with mtu 4000 series engines and then other companies like nat ex and xc soon followed on. but seeing as the mtu's replaced the valenta alot of people pretty much moaned and groaned about them for being to new - but now they sound rather nice specialy as they tend to growl and make some sort of screeming nosie

[SANSPAREIL1977]

Was at reading the other weekend, MTU defo not loud but are starting smoke a bit. Reading is a dull place now...

[43055sheffieldstar]

try to get an mtu to take off that quickly....

[FGW43037]

MTU will never last this long

[AllianceB95]

I wouldn't say that, the Class 218 dieselloco from germany also has MTU engine(s) and until 1996 they cept thier old MTU engine out of the year 1967. And those MTU engines are also screamers.

Anyway Great vid mate 5*

[HSTJames2]

Nice video.

[SANSPAREIL1977]

Not had any opportunity to see any older decent Irish traction first hand. Only seen modern stuff. The word on the street though is that they are good. Many UK railfans have headed over the Ireland for the older GM's so must be good. Am sure they are GM's.

[nikosjk1]

Great video! I agree, i wonder how anyone kids will get interested in trains anymore which such dull trains like MTU's and Voyagers, glad that here in the US theres still some decent trains. the scream of a HST accelerating out of the station is something that will never be forgotten, also look how much faster it accelerates compared to a MTU, progress........

[SANSPAREIL1977]

Spot on, i thought that given GM's over here the US wouldnt be interesting for rail fans other than for the size of the trains. How wrong I was! The GM's/GE's are loud there unlike anything that gets exported to the UK!

[89001avocet]

ye well. . .the Americans don't care about noise-levels, but until we have a clamp-down on petrol-heads with large exhausts, why can't we have more beasts like this? :O

[iloveamericans1]

@nikosjk1 HSTs are the best,voyagers suck.

[jammymark]

@nikosjk1 Unfortunately they don't accelerate faster than DEMU's. Virgin voyagers are one of the fastest accelarating trains out there. This is of course tested fully laden with all trains having to hit 0-60mph in 60 seconds fully laden with full fuel and full complement of passengers. The voyagers cracked it in 44 seconds!

[dod4luce]

so sad, I am going to miss that noise. effin mtus. so dull!!

[smarshthelegend]

Another fantastic departure well done mate!

[HSTsteven]

wow such a sad sight considering FGW have 2 left now such a great sound we still have the grand central hsts though making this noise

[PoliceAndTrainMadNat]

live the scream of HSTs, its a shame theyre so rare nowadays!

[delticmatt]

beast