MNR

HST 41001 Reaches The North Pole

Prototype HST Power Car 41001 at Dereham ready to depart with The Polar Express™ bound for The North Pole. ©125 Group

Prototype 41001 has broken new ground for High Speed Trains by reaching The North Pole. The historic power car hauled The Polar Express™ on the Mid-Norfolk Railway taking children and families from Dereham all the way to The North Pole where Santa was waiting to greet them.

HST Power Car 41001 is part of the National Collection, restored by 125 Group and is helping out on the MNR over the Festive Season. As well as pulling the 9 coach train on selected dates, the power car’s 850 Volt DC electric train supply is keeping the carriages warm and air-conditioned for all the excited travellers. 125 Group drivers and technical staff have also been provided to look after the national treasure.

125 Group is really pleased to be supporting the Mid-Norfolk Railway for their The Polar Express™ train ride operations this Christmas. Travel is strictly limited to Mid-Norfolk Railway The Polar Express™ customers only and no on the door passenger fares will be obtainable. Tickets MUST be booked in advance on the Mid-Norfolk Railway website here: https://midnorfolkthepolarexpressride.com

Marvellous Mid-Norfolk!

The Prototype HST Power Car and 125 Group’s matching Mk3 coaches have completed a marvellous weekend of passenger running at the Mid-Norfolk Spring Diesel Gala. There were many highlights, including photo-shoot run pasts at the picturesque private station of Hardingham, working with the MNR’s resident Mk3 and Mk2 coaches with electric train supply from 41001, a trip to the current northern end of the route at Hoe and the unforgettable Saturday evening run on which 41001 hauled a combined load of six Mk2 coaches and three class 50 locomotives, working the classic Valenta power car harder than ever!

41001 Dereham MNR (c)125 Group

Thankyou to all who came along and bought tickets to travel over this wonderful weekend, we hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did. The 125 Group team would like to offer special thanks to everyone at the Mid-Norfolk Railway for their excellent organisation and very warm welcome, it has been an absolute pleasure operating the Prototype HST with you on your splendid railway.

41001 and the Mk3s are today (Monday 4th April) leaving the MNR on the next leg of their Spring tour, bound for Leicester then onto the Nene Valley Railway. The HST departed from Dereham at 0615 as part of a convoy hauled by top’n’tail class 50 locomotives, running as 5Z50 via Wymondham (0722-0726), Ely North Curve, March (08/44), Peterborough (09/04), Oakham (09/36), Leicester (1028). The full schedule for the movement can be found courtesy of Realtime Trains here: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K96040/2016/04/04/advanced  These are the planned timings, routing and traction, all of which can change at short notice on the day subject to operational constraints, and the train may run early or late.