Following the successful Community Event and launch of our Forward Fund to reopen the rail line on 9 July, Great Central Railway welcomes an exciting new exhibit on Friday 16 July.
The joint holder of the world speed record for the fastest diesel train.
Class 43 Powercar 43159 is joint holder of the world diesel train speed record of 148 mph achieved on 1 November 1987 with 43102, now in the National Railway Museum.
It served with Great Western until April 2019 and has kindly been donated by Porterbrook to 125 Group.
The 125 Group is based at NHTC and is restoring the renowned Inter-City 125 High Speed Trains which are being withdrawn from mainline service. On Friday it will bring 43159, the first of TWO Class 43 HST Power Cars, to Ruddington for restoration to working order.
The second Powercar will arrive later in July. 43044 is in superb external condition and will be re-engined with an original Paxman Valenta engine. The 125 Group plans to build a depot and base an HST set at the Centre for mainline and heritage rail operation.
Professor David Rae, Chair of the East Midlands Railway Trust which owns the Centre, said:
“We are excited and very proud to welcome 43159 as a record-breaker and its new partner 43044 to Ruddington, the new Home of the HST. These iconic trains embodied the very best of British engineering and we hope they will operate from Ruddington for years to come”.
