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.