PRESERVATION
Latest purchase will be rebuilt with a Valenta engine.
125 Group acquires third power car; ‘Pacer' boost for Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr; Severn Valley Railway spring diesel gala is go.
THE 125 Group has saved a third HST power car for preservation.
The purchase of No. 43044 from Porterbrook, the leasing company that also donated Nos. 43048/89 to the group in 2019, has been funded by two long-serving group members.
No. 43044 has been chosen as the recipient of a Valenta power unit and Marston Excelsior cooler group, as fitted when originally outshopped from construction at Crewe in March 1977.
The operation of a power car in this configuration has always been one of the objectives of the 125 Group, and when the vast majority of the HST fleet was being rebuilt with MTU engines, the opportunity was taken to acquire the components to enable this to take place.
The 125 Group has six Valenta engines and five Marston cooler groups in storage. While this number may seem high, it will ensure a Valenta-engined power car can be supported for many years to come.
REVERSE ENGINEERING
The saving of No. 43044 will come as a surprise to some, given it was stopped with a defective power unit in 2019 and subsequently used as a ‘Christmas
Tree' at Neville Hill depot (Leeds), providing parts for other power cars in the East Midlands Railway fleet. The missing components all exist, however, and work took place at the depot in late February to put the power car back together.
The power car's non-operational VP185 power unit has been included in the sale and it, together with the Brush cooler group, will provide useful parts to enable the continued operation of Nos. 43048/89.
It is planned to undertake the ‘reverse engineering' work on No. 43044 at Ruddington and this will, as far as possible, be undertaken by volunteers. The chosen power unit/cooler group will need some work undertaking on them, as they have been in storage for more than 10 years.
The new owners already have considerable experience of working on a Valenta engine, having returned the NRM's prototype power car No. 41001 to operational condition when it was in 125 Group custodianship from 2011 to 2019.
Prior to its move from Neville Hill, it is probable that No. 43044 will undergo a repaint. While the 125 Group is yet to disclose the chosen colour scheme, it says the livery will be one not currently carried by an HST power car, leading to speculation it could be original InterCity ‘Executive' style, which has not been seen on an HST power car since 1992.
Of course, there are also many early privatisation colour schemes that have not been around for a number of years, either – so take your pick!
Looking ahead, with Valenta and VP185-engined power cars now in its fleet, the 125 Group says it ideally needs a spare for each end of its set
at the GCR(N). MTU example is the obvious gap in the HST story, so it will consider acquiring an example at a future date should any become available at the right price.
■ Although the 125 Group already has a Valenta power unit for fitting into No. 43044, its rebuilding back to original condition will still cost a significant sum, with repairs to the engine, materials, and engine/cooler group lifts needed. On top of that, there is the rest of the set to look after. Donations to help make the sound of a Valenta powered HST turn into a reality can be made by visiting www.125group.org.uk