125 Group

HST February Running at GCRN

SATURDAY 16th, SUNDAY 17th, SATURDAY 23rd, SUNDAY 24th FEBRUARY 2019

The Prototype High Speed Train will be running passenger services on these dates at Great Central Railway (Nottingham). Featuring historic HST Power Car 41001 which broke the world record for diesel trains in 1972 reaching 143mph, still powered by the ‘screaming’ Valenta original type engine. Coaches will be 125 Group’s sleek, air-conditioned Mk3s which provide comfortable seating with plenty of tables, perfect for railway enthusiasts and all the family, whatever the weather.

Services depart from Ruddington station, the GCRN Yellow Timetable B operates on these dates, new for 2019:
1045 and 1445 departures from Ruddington to Loughborough High Level, 90 minute return trip.
1245 and 1345 departures from Ruddington to Rushcliffe Halt, 50 minute return trip.

English Electric Class 20 locomotive D8154 / 20154 is planned to be working top’n’tail with 41001 on all four dates.

After departing from Ruddington, all trains reverse at Fifty Steps (no station) then run southbound along the former Great Central Mainline through the scenic Nottinghamshire countryside calling at Rushcliffe Halt station. The route continues through Barnstone Tunnel to Loughborough High Level, which has no station but affords a great view over the Midland Mainline and looks down into Brush Works, with locomotives for overhaul often visible.

Our traditional ‘Buffet 125’ will be open on-board, serving (subject to availability) a selection of delicious breakfast baps and other hot foods, cold snacks, hot and cold beverages plus alcoholic drinks including bottled ciders, beers and wine. Our volunteers will be pleased to advise on availability and delighted to serve you. The 125 Group sales stand will also be on the train with a wide range of merchandise available. We look forward to welcoming you on-board.

Ruddington station (sat-nav postcode NG11 6JS) is the base for Great Central Railway (Nottingham) with many heritage transport exhibits, miniature and model railways, car parking and bus links to Nottingham and Loughborough. Rushcliffe Country Park is also here and overlooks the line. Train tickets can be purchased on the day or from the GCRN website which has more information HERE.

Happy New Year from 125 Group!

A massive thankyou to all individuals, members, monthly direct-debit donors, organisations and companies who have worked with and supported 125 Group during the past year! There have been so many highlights of 2018, here are just a few …

Prototype Power Car 41001 and our Mk3 coaches have continued working regular passenger trains at home base Great Central Railway (Nottingham) throughout the year, both planned and at short notice, with our ‘Buffet 125’ catering volunteers serving tasty food and drink on-board. In February our Mk3 coaches were used for public services hauled by Steam Locomotive 60163 Tornado at GCRN. Over Easter we were followed for two days by film crews making the Channel 5 two-part documentary ‘InterCity 125’ which was first broadcast in May and still available for viewing on-line HERE.  In May we also helped the railway industry celebrate 40 years of HSTs on the East Coast Mainline.

Our first book ‘125 The Enduring Icon’ was published in June to critical acclaim, copies are still available from our on-line shop HERE. July saw us purchasing Mk3 catering coach 10202 from Arriva to provide maintenance back up to our existing RFM 10206, protecting our catering revenue stream. In addition to ongoing maintenance of 41001 and our fleet of Mk3 coaches, our engineering team returned 10202 to service and have recently been busy restoring TSO 12134 for passenger use planned for the new year.

Launch of our HST Depot Appeal took place in June, raising funds with a target of £100,000 to build our own maintenance facility at Ruddington GCRN for our existing fleet and future HST acquisitions. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far. We welcome donations, more information HERE.

During the year we also operated our first private charter ‘Cream Tea Special’. 41001 and our Mk3s are available for private party hire, plus look out for more public cream tea trains in 2019. We have given talks at railway societies across the nation during the year, the 125 Group sales stand has travelled far and wide including the Warley Model Railway Exhibition, complimenting our increasingly busy on-line shop, all raising funds for our preservation efforts.

The biggest highlight of 2018 has to be November’s ‘The Screaming Valentas’ railtour operated by our kind friends at East Midlands Trains and Branch Line Society, taking an EMT HST from Derby to Ruddington for 41001 haulage over unusual track at GCRN, with 125 Group Hon President Sir Kenneth Grange on-board as VIP guest, raising over £20,000 for our HST depot appeal. Bringing the year to a close, 41001 helped out the Mid-Norfolk Railway with their ‘Polar Express™’ train ride operations, conveying hundreds of happy families and children to visit Santa Claus at The North Pole.

We look forward to a very exciting 2019 which marks 125 Group’s 25th year, as we continue working towards our objective of preserving a production High Speed Train. We welcome new members, join up on-line HERE to support our cause and receive our members only magazine ‘One Two Five’ packed full of behind the scenes detail on our activities, informed articles on the current HST scene, plus a dose of nostalgia. Happy New Year from everyone at 125 Group!