SDR Engineering wins Colas HST power car contract
Railway Engineering has taken delivery of Colas Class 43 HST power car 43277, having won a contract to carry out work on the vehicle, along with a repaint. 43277 is one of five HST power cars (the others being 43251/257/272/274) that were leased to Colas last year by Porterbrook. The fleet is to be used on Network Rail infrastructure works, along with supplementing the NR power cars that are used on the New Measurement Train (43013/014/062, 43290/299).
The quintet of Colas power cars were initially moved to the Severn Valley for storage at Arley, before 43272 and 43274 were taken to Derby for reactivation, followed shortly afterwards by 43251 and 43257, leaving 43277 at Arley, until it too was moved to Derby in December. It is now the only Class 43 out of the five not to have been returned to traffic with its new operator.
The power car was moved by road to Buckfastleigh on March 11 and admitted to the SDR Engineering workshops shortly after arrival. It is unknown if the works are for the complete reactivation of the power car or just replacement of certain components, and an enquiry from Railways Illustrated to the railway had not been answered as this issue closed for press. It is also unknown if the work being carried out is just on 43277 or whether the other Colas power cars will follow in the future for similar attention.
If, as expected, the power car is repainted into full Colas livery, 43277 will become the first HST power car to carry the striking yellow, orange and black colour scheme. 43251/257/272 all currently carry the obsolete Virgin East COAST/LNER red livery with Colas decals applied to the bodyside, while 43274 carries East Midlands Railway aubergine with Colas branding.