‘Scene’ since the Seventies Class 43 HST Power Cars (HST) once more on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

I believe that the word ‘Iconic’ has become much overused in our language,

being trotted out daily in the media to mark some insignificant event.

 

I think for something to be truly iconic, it should be meaningful and lasting.

 

The HST as been just that.

 

Born out of the necessity for finding something to replace the Advanced Passenger Train which was years before its time. 

 

Now approaching their final days, the class 43s have stood the test of time.

 

I think that it will live in the collective memory like Sir Nigel Gresley’s A4 or Sir William Stanier’s Black Five before it.

 

Friend Peter Rose and I have been photographing HSTs for many years and this short series of blogs are our joint tribute to it.

 

43139 ‘First Great Western’ Driver Stan Martin.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Pictured at Exeter St. Davids.

 

 

 

 

43014 ‘Network Rail’ The Railway Observer & 43062 John Armitt.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Doncaster.

 

 

 

 

42076 ‘East Midland Railway’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Trowell Junction.

 

 

 

 

43239 ‘Virgin’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Grantham.

 

 

 

 

43154 ‘Great Western Railway’. Compton Castle.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Bristol Temple Meads.

 

 

 

 

43274 ‘East Midland Railway’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Trowell Junction.

 

‘Scene’ since the Seventies Class 43 HST Power Cars (HST) again on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I believe that the word ‘Iconic’ has become much overused in our language,

being trotted out daily in the media to mark some insignificant event.

 

I think for something to be truly iconic, it should be meaningful and lasting.

 

The HST as been just that.

 

Born out of the necessity for finding something to replace the Advanced Passenger Train which was years before its time. 

 

Now approaching their final days, the class 43s have stood the test of time.

 

I think that it will live in the collective memory like Sir Nigel Gresley’s A4 or Sir William Stanier’s Black Five before it.

 

Friend Peter Rose and I have been photographing HSTs for many years and this short series of blogs are our joint tribute to it.

 

43144 ‘First Great Western’, BUILDING A GREATER WEST.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Pictured approaching Dawlish station on a London bound service.

 

 

 

 

43307 ‘East Midland Railway’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured travelling south, approaching Trowell Cross Junction, Derbyshire.

 

 

 

 

43303 ‘Cross Country’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured entering Derby station.

 

 

 

 

43185 ‘Great Western Railway’, InterCity.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured entering Westbury station.

 

 

 

 

43194 ‘Great Western Railway’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

The coaches it is hauling are painted in the old ‘First Great Western’ Dynamic Lights livery.

 

Pictured entering Newton Abbot station.

 

 

 

 

43052 ‘EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

Pictured in Nottingham station.

 

‘Scene’ since the Seventies Class 43 HST Power Cars (HST) on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I believe that the word ‘Iconic’ has become much overused in our language, being trotted out daily in the media to mark some insignificant event.

 

I think for something to be truly iconic, it should be meaningful and lasting.

 

The HST as been just that.

 

Born out of the necessity for finding something to replace the Advanced Passenger Train which was years before its time. 

 

Now approaching their final days, the class 43’s have stood the test of time.

 

I think that it will live in the collective memory like Sir Nigel Gresley’s A4 or Sir William Stanier’s Black Five before it.

 

Friend Peter Rose and I have been photographing HSTs for many years and this short series of blogs are our joint tribute to it.

 

43002 ’First Great Western’ running as set No. 253 001, Inter-City 125, Sir Kenneth Grange.  

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

When the trains were first (no pun intended) introduced they were classed as either class 253 eight car sets for use on the Western Region of British Rail, or class 254 seven car sets for use on the Eastern Region of British Rail on the East Coast Main Line.

 

Sir Kenneth Grange was responsible for the exterior design and interior layout of the HST.

 

Pictured at Westbury, Wiltshire.

 

 

 

 

43049 ‘East Midlands Trains’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Operating an ‘LNER’ service, the power car being on hire.

 

Pictured at Montrose, Scotland.

 

 

 

 

43296 ’Virgin Trains’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Peter Rose has supplied these details.

 

‘East Coast’ was the ‘operator of last resort’ set up by the Department for Transport when ‘National Express’ gave up their franchise on the East Coast Main Line. 

 

‘Virgin East Coast’ took on the franchise and this image is a Virgin service with the stock still carrying ‘East Coast’ livery but with the power car lettered for ‘Virgin’. 

 

‘LNER’ is the current ‘operator of last resort’ having taken over from ‘Virgin’. 

 

‘Virgin’ introduced the red livery which was later lettered ‘LNER’, and indeed ‘EMR’ when they took on some sets.

 

Pictured at Dunkeld & Birnam, Scotland.

 

 

 

 

43078 ‘First Great Western’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Westbury, Wiltshire.

 

 

 

 

43357 ‘Cross Country’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Duffield, Derbyshire.

 

 

 

 

43180 ‘Grand Central’.

BREL Crewe built Diesel Electric Power Car

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured at Doncaster.

 

‘Scene’ when a World Speed Record holder visited the Midland Railway Butterley (MRB) on 03/04/2022 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

My wife and I were out for our usual Sunday morning walk when I noticed more cars than usual in the car park.

 

So, being curious as to the reason, I looked over the wall to discover this scene.

 

A preserved DMU parked up with no sign of any action. 

 

But why all the people?

 

Butterley railway station.

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Details below jointly supplied by son Andrew and friend Peter Rose.

 

Class 127  British Railways Derby DMU built in 1959. 

 

Formed of DMBS 51625, TSL 59609 and DMBS 51591.

 

Stored out of use according to the ‘MRB’ website.

 

 

 

 

43048 ‘125 Group’ British Rail Crewe built Class 43 HST power car /1.

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

This turned up wearing the remains of its ‘East Midland Trains’ livery.

 

Further investigation when I got home showed that 125 Group (who, I believe, are based at Ruddington, Nottinghamshire) were using its two Class 43 power cars No. 43048 and No. 43159 together with a rake of five coaches to provide a timetabled service from Butterley over the weekend of 2nd & 3rd April 2022.

 

It is, I understand their intention is to run excursions using the set using Butterley as a base.

 

Personally, I think that is a wonderful idea and I look forward to be able to support them when they do.

 

Power(cars) to their collective elbows.

 

Then with a mighty roar and a burst of exhaust smoke it departed.

 

 

 

 

43048 ‘125 Group’ British Rail Crewe built Class 43 HST power car /2.

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

43159 ‘125 Group’ British Rail Crewe built Class 43 HST power car /1.

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

It’s not everyday that a World Record holder visits Butterley but 43159 together with 43102 holds the World Speed Record for Rail Diesel Traction at a speed 148.5 mph recorded on the East Coast Main Line in November 1987.

 

The power car wearing the remains of its ‘First Great Western’ livery accelerating away up the slope towards Swanwick Junction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

43159 ‘125 Group’ British Rail Crewe built Class 43 HST power car /2.

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

As the HST disappears into the distance, a look down the yard reveals 141113 ‘British Leyland’ built DMU’ ‘West Yorkshire Metro’ and part of a Class 143 set.

 

Two HST power cars, a Class 141, and half a Class 143 and we only went out for a walk!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Scotland. ScotRail HST’s on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Whilst on holiday in Scotland recently friend Peter Rose caught up with some of the activities on the rails.

 

As usual with Peter’s railway work his images are not edited by me and are reproduced here with his permission and my thanks.

 

One of the most notable feature of recent times has been the adoption of short 4 coach rakes of coaches with an HST power car at either end.

 

I sampled this type of formation some time ago on the ‘Great Western Railway’ and observed that the acceleration rate was phenomenal.

 

 

43179 ‘ScotRail’ paired with 43015. BREL Crewe built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured working 1B14 Inverness to Edinburgh at Edinburgh Haymarket.

 

The provision of all that overhead electricity supply seems to cry out for bi-mode trains.

 

 

 

 

43036 ‘ScotRail’ paired with 43034. BREL Crewe built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured working 1B24 Aberdeen to Edinburgh at North Queensferry.

 

 

 

 

43150 ‘ScotRail’ paired with 43126. BREL Crewe built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured working 1B31 Inverness to Edinburgh at Inverkeithing.

 

 

 

 

43183 ‘ScotRail’ paired with 43028. BREL Crewe built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Pictured working 1B35 Aberdeen to Edinburgh at Inverkeithing.

 

‘Scene’at Trowell Junction. ‘East Midland Railway’ HST’s on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Anticipating the withdraw of HSTs in mid May by ‘East Midland Railway’, friend Peter Rose has been out and about again with his camera to see what he could find.

 

As usual with Peter’s work, the images are unedited by me and produced with his permission for which I thank him.

 

 

43274 ‘East Midland Railway’ with 43102 in tow. BREL built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

 

43102 ‘East Midland Railway’ (EMR) ’Intercity Swallow, The Journey Shrinker.’ BREL Crewe built HST 

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Originally numbered 43102, but later re-numbered to 43302.

 

This power car formed one part of the set which set set a new World speed record for Rail Diesel Traction in 1987.

 

The record being 148.5 mph.

 

The re-paint and re-numbering into the current livery was done to mark the anniversary of the event which took place between Northallerton and York on the East coast main line.

 

The other power car being No. 43159.

 

 

 

 

 

43320 ‘East Midland Railway’ with 43238 in tow. BREL built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

 

43272 ‘East Midland Railway’ with 43309 in tow. BREL built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

‘Scene’ at Nottingham Railway station 30/04/2021 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

My son Andrew was on Nottingham station on Friday 30th. April when this turned up.

 

Which as many of you will know is the current ‘celebrity’ HST power car.

 

My thanks go to him for my use of the image here.

 

43102 ‘East Midland Railway’ (EMR) ’Intercity Swallow’. BREL Crewe built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Originally numbered 43102, but later re-numbered to 43302.

 

This power car formed one part of the set which set set a new World speed record for Rail Diesel Traction in 1987.

 

The record being 148.5 mph.

 

The re-paint and re-numbering into the current livery was done to mark the anniversary of the event which took place between Northallerton and York on the East coast main line.

 

The other power car being No. 43159.

 

This power car and the others currently operated by EMR are due to be withdrawn this month (May 2021). 

 

‘Scene’ in the Derwent Valley on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend and fellow railway enthusiast Peter Rose has taken his camera for another daily walk and has sent me this selection of images for which I thank him.

 

Regular readers will know that he likes to see his images in their environment and I must admit that they look good against the rural background.

 

All the images were taken just South of Ambergate junction on the ‘Midland Mainline’.

 

The junction used to see Manchester bound trains heading Northwest and Sheffield and beyond bound trains heading Northeast.

 

Nowadays, the Northeast branch still sees heavy traffic whilst the Northwest branch is just that, a branch line serving the Derwent Valley stations until it terminates at Matlock.

 

We start with a train that has just joined the main line on its way from Matlock via Derby and Nottingham to Newark Castle. 

 

156922 ‘EMR Regional’. Metro-Cammell built ‘Super Sprinter’ DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 2N23 the 08-37 Matlock-Newark Castle.

 

 

 

 

67027 ‘Charlotte’ leads 67023 ‘Stella’. Alstom built Diesel Electric Locomotives

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working the 1011 ‘Network Rail’ Derby RTC-Derby RTC.

 

A round trip so to speak. 

 

 

 

222023 ‘EMR Intercity’. Bombardier built high speed DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working IC27 the 0900 Sheffield- London St. Pancras.

 

 

 

 

43207 leads 43366 ‘CrossCountry’. BREL built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 1V50 the 0606 Edinburgh-Plymouth.

 

 

 

 

221139 leads 221136 ‘CrossCountry’.  Bombardier built high speed DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 1V48 the 0640 Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads.

 

‘Scene’ on the Midland Main Line at Duffield on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend Peter Rose has sent me his latest collection of images captured whilst out on his daily walk.

 

As usual they are posted without cropping and with his consent.

 

43357 paired with 43303 ‘CrossCountry’. BREL Crewe built HST

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 1V54 the 0808 Edinburgh-Bristol Temple Meads. 

 

I know this location but I have never noticed before how the gradient changes under the bridge.

 

 

 

 

222104 ‘EMR INTERCITY’. Bombardier Transportation built DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Working 1C40 the1129 Sheffield-London St. Pancras

 

The new livery is slowly spreading across the fleet.

 

Whilst I like the new livery, I think that looked at more or less head on that the main colour is very close to the shade of purple used by Cross Country. 

 

Just compare this image with the HST above.

 

‘Abellio’ the operators of the East Midlands franchise has committed themselves to withdrawing these units and replacing them with Class 800’s.

 

I would hope that another operator would find a use for the units which are only 15 years old and I would suggest still have a useful life in them. 

 

It would be a shame to see them scrapped.

 

 

 

 

222005 ‘EMR INTERCITY’. Bombardier Transportation built DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 1F20 the 1022 London St. Pancras- Sheffield.

 

 

 

 

156410 ‘EMR REGIONAL’,  Metro Cammell built Super Sprinter DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 2A30 the 1039 Newark Castle-Matlock.

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in the Snow on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Lest it be thought that we Derbyshire folk are only fair-weather photographers, I present this selection of images captured by friend Peter Rose.

 

As is usual with his efforts, they are not cropped and posted with his approval.

 

Captured during his daily walk, South of Belper and North of Milford Tunnel.

 

Peter comments that operating conditions were difficult due to frozen points in Derby.

 

 

156406 ‘East Midland Railway’. Metro Cammell built Super Sprinter DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

What might well be one of my favourite images of the year.

 

Working 2A22 the 0839 Newark Castle-Matlock.

 

 

 

 

43303 ‘CrossCountry’ paired with 43378. BREL Crewe built HST 

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working 1V50 the 0606 Edinburgh-Plymouth.

 

 

 

 

222015 ‘EMR INTERCITY’. Bombardier Transportation built DMU

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Working Empty Coaching Stock.

 

 

 

 

56094 COLAS RAIL FREIGHT. BREL Built Diesel Electric Locomotive

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Apparently this particular working at been held at Chesterfield and was running 272 minutes late.

 

Working 6M80 the 1702 Grangemouth-Sinfin.