First overhauled Colas Class 43 returns to traffic

COLAS RAIL Class 43 High Speed Train power car 43277 has returned to service with the operator – almost exactly a year after it moved to the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh for a major overhaul by the SDR’S commercial engineering company. The locomotive has been completely overhauled by South Devon Railway Engineering since arriving at its base on March 11, 2022.

With work completed, it was moved by road back to Loram at Derby on February 23.

The power car has been painted into an attractive hybrid Colas/network Rail livery, incorporating Colas’ deep orange paintwork on the majority of the power car, with Network Rail’s bright yellow colours at the other end, separated by a thick black angled band over the radiator grilles.

Its first working took place on March 2, when it worked a test run from Derby to Rugby, coupled to 43251. The move to Rugby was to allow 43277 to be named Safety Task Force the following day by Network Rail’s Safety Task Force director, Nick Millington MBE. 43277 was last in service on the East Coast Main Line with LNER until it was withdrawn when the operator stopped using HSTS on its services at the end of 2019.

It was one of a number of power cars transferred for use with East Midlands Railway on its HST services and was moved to Barrow Hill for storage. However, it was never revived for use with the Midland Main Line operator, and after EMR also ceased using HSTS, it was subsequently one of five Porterbrook-owned Class 43 power cars – 43251/257/272/274/277 – to be moved to Arley on the Severn Valley Railway in July 2021 for temporary storage. This was ahead of a return to use with Colas.

It was hauled from Arley to Loram at Derby in December 2021, becoming the last of the quintet to leave the SVR. The other Colas power cars are also expected to have similar work carried out to them over the coming months, although whether this will be done at SDRE or elsewhere is currently unknown.

43251/257/272 all carry former Virgin Trains East Coast red and grey colours with Colas branding, while 43274 carries the unique East Midlands Railway aubergine livery that was applied for its final weeks in service with EMR in 2021.

The company also operates 43013/014/062, 43290/299 on behalf of Network Rail on the New Measurement Train.

Rob Reedman Kevin Delaney Passing Leicester depot on its first working on the main line following overhaul by South Devon Railway Engineering, 43277 leads classmate 43251 on a working from Derby to Rugby, via Barnetby, on March 2. The locomotive’s Safety Task Force nameplates were covered up at this stage, with the newly overhauled and repainted power car named the following day by Nick Millington MBE. Looking far from its now pristine condition, a rather decrepit 43277 spent several months in store at Arley on the Severn Valley Railway during 2021. On July 29, 2021, the Porterbrook-owned power car waits patiently for its turn to be revived by Colas Rail.