39 Years of Inter-City 125 – Meet the Designer!

Today marks 39 years since the start of HST squadron service on the Western Region. The new timetable of 4th October 1976 introduced regular 125mph running for the first time on British Rail, with HSTs slashing journey times offered by the existing locomotive-hauled trains.

Inter-City 125 Power Car 43014 at Paddington ©John Zabernik

Back in the 1970s, Industrial Designer Sir Kenneth Grange produced the styling of the Inter-City 125 and you can meet the man responsible for the look of this iconic train, this coming Saturday 10th October on-board the ‘First Devon and Exeter Explorer’ HST Special from London Paddington. This charity railtour in aid of First Devon and Exeter Prostate Cancer Fund will be taking a GWR HST into unusual territory, through to Buckfastleigh on the South Devon Railway and the freight branch to Heathfield.

Sir Kenneth, 86, who is Honorary President of 125 Group, will be available for a chat and to sign autographs in return for a donation to this worthy cause. The 125 Group sales stand will also be on-board with a range of HST related merchandise. Our friends at the Branch Line Society are handling bookings for the railtour, ‘pay on the day’ fares will be available, for full details see their website www.branchline.org.uk/events.php

125 Group wins award

125 Group volunteers collecting Rail Express HRA Award in 2022
125 Group volunteers collecting the Rail Express Modern Traction award on 19th March 2022

125 Group is very proud to report it has won a HRA award for the Rail Express Modern Traction category. The award is presented for “the Group’s power cars Nos. 43048 and 43089, plus eight Mk.3 coaches, achieved a preservation speed record, when the consist reached 125mph during a planned stock movement south of Retford on the East Coast Mainline” on 19th February 2021. Full details can be found in the latest edition of Rail Express.

Our HST will be operating services at the Midland Railway – Butterley over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd April. Running a shortened set of our award winning vehicles, we will be providing the timetabled service throughout the weekend with power cars 43048 and World Speed Record Holder 43159.  This will not only be 125 Group’s first operation of our own preserved HST, but will also be the first time that an HST has operated in passenger service on the Midland Railway Trust line.

In addition to the overall operation, we will be opening Buffet 125 serving drinks and snacks in trailer car 40730, together with a good range of products available from Shop 125.

Ticket sales and revenue will support the Midland Railway Trust and development of their operations whilst all sales on board will support our ongoing preservation efforts. Come and take a ride with us through Derbyshire’s delightful countryside and enjoy some HST action.