Festive HST Action – Weds 28th December

41001 and 125 Group’s matching Mk3 coaches at Ruddington GCR(N) ©125 Group

Wednesday 28th December sees Prototype HST Power Car 41001 and 125 Group’s matching Mk3 coaches working a full day of passenger services at home base Great Central Railway (Nottingham). Come along for a ride and experience living railway history, the original iconic High Speed Train in action – the perfect antidote to turkey sandwiches and sales overload!

Services run from GCR(N)’s main station at Ruddington with car parking available, postcode NG11 6JS. The ‘Yellow Timetable’ will be in operation with departures at 1030, 1215, 1400 and 1545. Prototype Power Car 41001 is currently on the north end of the coaches, Class 25 locomotive D7629 is planned to be on the south end of the set, the first time it has worked passenger trains with the HST.

Why not bring the whole family? Our comfortable train is fully heated and air-conditioned, the bright Mk3 coaches have large picture windows and seats mostly arranged around tables. The journey from Ruddington takes us through the scenic Nottinghamshire countryside almost 10 miles south on the former Great Central mainline. Feeling a little peckish? ‘Buffet 125’ will be open all day on the train, serving hot bacon/sausage baps, burgers, hot dogs, hot and cold drinks plus alcoholic beverages including wine and bottled ale.

The 125 Group Sales Stand will also be open on-board, a great place to spend that Xmas gift money, all in aid of our preservation efforts. A full range of HST merchandise is available, including 40YEAR badges and mugs, plus beautiful line drawing prints of Inter-City 125s.

The miniature railway at Ruddington will also be open for rides – wrap up warm! – the model railway will be open too. For more information about tickets and how to get to GRC(N), view their website www.gcrn.co.uk.

Farewell East Midlands Trains!

125 Group would like to say a massive Thank You to East Midlands Trains for 11 years of support and friendship, helping us grow from an enthusiast group into a fully fledged preservation group and registered charity, still the only one focused on the Inter-City 125.

Project Miller – our restoration of the National Railway Museum’s Prototype HST Power Car 41001 from static museum exhibit to fully working iconic treasure – received help from many companies in the railway industry but East Midlands Trains’ massive input hosting 41001 at Neville Hill and giving expert guidance was key. Three very special events ‘The Screaming Valenta’, ‘HSTs@40’ and ‘The Screaming Valentas’ all featured EMT HSTs running with 41001 at GCRN, providing entertainment to thousands of enthusiasts of all ages. Numerous other railtours, also run by volunteer EMT staff in their own time, took their HST fleet where no Inter-City 125 had gone before, all raising money for charitable causes including 125 Group, for which we are most grateful.

As East Midlands Trains draws to a close, we send best wishes to the excellent staff at all levels who are transferring to the new operator, starting a new exciting chapter with East Midlands Railway. We look forward to working with you in the future!