PORTERBROOK has announced it is to donate a pair of its surplus HST power cars to the 125 Group when they are handed back by East Midlands Railway.
Once they pass into 125 Group ownership, Nos. 43048 T.C.B. Miller MBE and 43089 will be based at Ruddington, Great Central Railway (Nottingham) where they will operate with the group’s fleet of Mk.3 coaches. The two power cars were chosen on account of their engineering condition.
The announcement regarding the donation came on October 11 – just two days after it had been revealed that the Science Museum Group had decided not to renew the loan of prototype power car No. 41001, which will instead be returning to the National Railway Museum (see story below).
GRATITUDE
The 125 Group has expressed its thanks to Porterbrook for the donation of Nos. 43048/089, which reaffirms the leasing company’s support of the group’s aims, having previously made a sizeable donation towards the group’s depot appeal.
In line with its objectives, the 125 Group plans to refit an original Paxman Valenta power unit to at least one of its power cars – it has several such power units that were acquired when the fleet was re-engined. Nos. 43048/089 are both currently fitted with VP185 power units, and a ‘retro conversion’ from one of these to a Valenta is considered to be simpler than from an MTU-engined power car.
Depending on the timing of the handover, which has yet to be determined, and the condition of the vehicles at the time, it is hoped that they can remain main line certified. This would enable the power cars to be used on charter trains, or visit other railways without the need to be dragged by another locomotive.
…but NRM takes back prototype power car
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