In October 2019 RUDDINGTON.info reported that two former Midland Mainline Inter-City 125 Powercars would be coming to GCRN – Great Central Railway (Nottingham) on a permanent basis thanks to leasing company Porterbrook.
As planned, high speed trains 43048 and 43089 were both duly handed over The 125 Group at the end of their careers with East Midlands Trains to be based in Ruddington – with the intention of running passenger trips between the Heritage Centre and Loughborough (eventually to Leicester North). We understand they are still in storage.
Meantime, their eventual arrival here has been trumped by even bigger news announced by The 125 Group at last Friday’s ‘Forward Fund’ Community Event (9th July) – that the joint holder of the world speed record for the fastest diesel train will also be a new exhibit in Ruddington! Class 43 Powercar 43159 is the joint holder of this speed record of 148 mph achieved on 1st November 1987 with Powercar 43102 (now in the National Railway Museum at York). It served with Great Western until April 2019 and has also been kindly donated by Porterbrook to the Ruddington based 125 Group.
Originally due to arrive today, 43159 actually got here yesterday evening by road transporter from Nemesis Rail in Burton-on-Trent. Consequently, it was welcomed only by a select few rail enthusiasts armed with their cameras. (Our thanks to Jim Hill and John Akinin for the photos capturing this moment).
The second Powercar is due to arrive later this month to complete the set. Both are then to be restored to working order, although it’s reported that 43044 remains in superb external condition and will be re-engined with an original Paxman Valenta engine. It looks as if 43159 might need a little more work to get it back to its former glory days with First Great Western (below) having sat in storage for two years before being transported here.
The 125 Group is still fundraising to build a depot in Ruddington for these heritage locomotives – and base an HST set at the NTHC for both mainline and heritage rail operation.
