Latest News – Page 81

The Mid-Norfolk Railway and 125 Group are proud to announce the first away heritage railway visit of restored Prototype High Speed Train power car 41001 will be to the Dereham to Wymondham line for the Spring Diesel Gala in early April 2016.

41001 hauling 125 Group’s Mk3s coaches in 2015 prior to repaint into Prototype HST Livery ©125 Group

With its distinctive original type Paxman Valenta engine, 41001 will visit the MNR with 125 Group’s three matching Mk3 coaches, representative of the type that it would have operated with in the 1970s, First Class 11074, Standard Class 12092, and Restaurant-Buffet car 10206. The coaches are currently being re-liveried in the original prototype blue and light grey colours and the visit to the Mid-Norfolk Railway will be the first opportunity to ride on the Prototype High Speed Train away from its home base at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham). 125 Group are the custodians of 41001 which is part of the National Collection.

Prototype HST at White Waltham near Maidenhead September 1975 ©Dave Hird

The diesel gala itself will run from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd April with an intensive service operating on the 12 mile line between Dereham and Wymondham. There will be other visiting locomotives which will be announced nearer to the event including representatives from other heritage railways and mainline operators.

For event information and how to book tickets, see the MNR website: www.mnr.org.uk/category/events

The story of how 125 Group restored 41001 under ‘Project Miller’ can be found on our website: www.125group.org.uk

125 Group is very pleased to announce that our three Mk3 passenger coaches are being painted into British Rail Prototype High Speed Train blue and grey livery to match Power Car 41001.

This professional work is being carried out for us by Wabtec Rail Scotland at Kilmarnock. First Class coach 11074, Second Class 12092 and Restaurant-Buffet 10206 are all being stripped down, prepared and repainted using state-of-the art equipment, to the same high standard as vehicles in use with mainline Train Operating Companies. As well as making the coaches look fantastic, this will provide good protection from the elements for many years in preservation, where we are not always blessed with the luxuries of covered storage space!

The Mk3s were formerly in faded Virgin and ‘one’ liveries from their previous lives as loco-hauled vehicles on the West Coast and Great Eastern mainlines. The coaches were purchased by 125 Group in 2015 to run with last remaining Prototype HST Power Car 41001 which is part of the National Collection and restored to working order by us under the ‘Project Miller’ banner.

41001 and its set of Mk3 coaches are based on the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) and will be making their first public runs together in matching livery from Ruddington on Saturday 26th March, recreating the look of the historic Prototype HST back in the 1970s, complete with authentic sound effects from the power car’s screaming Paxman Valenta engine. The train will be in regular use at GCR(N) during the coming year plus we also have exciting plans to visit some other preserved railways during 2016, look out for announcements very soon!

125 Group would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Wabtec Rail Scotland team at Kilmarnock for their excellent work and support.

Mid-Norfolk Railway first visit for Prototype HST

Prototype HST Livery for 125 Group MkIIIs