125 Group’s three MkIII coaches, FO 11074, RFM 10206 and TSO 12092 made a trouble-free journey yesterday from Ruddington on the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) to Kilmarnock. The movement ran as planned with prototype power car 41001 hauling the coaches from Ruddington to Rushcliffe Halt, from where 56301 and 56098 took over for the run to Scotland, under the charge of Rail Operations Group. The coaches are now safely delivered to Wabtec Rail Scotland’s works where they will be spending the next few weeks, including a visit to the paint-shop. The train operated under schedule 5Z56 09+08 Hotchley Hill to Kilmarnock, running as booked via Leicester, Nuneaton, WCML, Carlisle and Dumfries. Sincere thanks to our friends at GCR(N) and ROG for ensuring the movement went smoothly and to Wabtec Rail Scotland for having us at Kilmarnock.

The MkIIIs are owned by 125 Group and we are looking forward their return to GCRN in the New Year when they will look very different! To find out more, join up as a member of 125 Group and receive our members’ only magazine ‘One Two Five’, packed full of detailed information on our preservation activities and news on the mainline HST fleets. Membership fees and donations all help towards our aim of preserving a production Inter-City 125 High Speed Train. www.125group.org.uk