European Railroad Discussion > East Coast Greyhounds on their last journey

I don't as a rule get too sentimental when trains reach the end of their useful life, but yesterday was a bit of an exception when four class 91 electrics, which have hurtled up and down the ECML between London and Edinburgh for the last 30+ years, were dragged to Sims scrapyard in Newport Docks.

Originally designed for a top speed of 140 mph signalling kept them limited to 125 mph. I lived a mile or so from the ECML from 1996 to 2017 and my parents lived in North Yorkshire, again only a short distance from the ECML, from 1986 to 2007 so I've watched and travelled behind them since they were introduced in 1989.

When I was off to mum and dad's for the weekend I'd catch the 18:00 ex King's Cross which was first stop York, in 105 minutes IIRC, which was an average of a shade under 100 mph.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/21 05:44 by 86235.

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And here's a shot from May 1989 when they were being run in on the 17:36 King's Cross to Peterborough. The Mk 4 cars hadn't been delivered so the 91 was substituted for an HST power car in a standard HST set. With 8000 hp available these hybrids went off like a Ferrari!

And here's one in its prime in the early 1990s on the ECML passing Alne in North Yorkshire where my parents lived at the time



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/21 01:23 by 86235.

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1)  Here's one in East Coast livery on a frigid day in December 2014 heading north at Finsbury Park. 
2)  And here's one same date at Kings Cross with one of its predecessors in the background!

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Nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

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Living at Wakefield, I've witnessed the 91s from testing, right through to their finale. However, with the Azuma issues, 91110 was on the morning Bradford - London service today. My favourite was always the Skyfall version.  Finally, one a comissioning run in 1988, when they terminated their test runs at Wrenthorpe, Wakefield.   chris uk

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I saw the "scrap train" between Westerleigh Junction and Bristol Parkway.

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