"Project Miller"/125 Group

41001 has always been moved by rail, as it usually brings it's own train with it.

 

Is this the best use of space at Ruddington? One would have thought a better use of the space is accommodation for the GCRN's passenger coaches which are in a depressing condition.

 

I don't actually know where the 125 Groups building is going, and there is nothing to indicate that on their website either. All I was told was that they had met with the local planners and that a full application had now gone in. I thought that most of the available space within the complex was already "spoken for" with various proposed buildings that have been mentioned over the years. A building has been going up (slowly) for the GCR heritage stock, and there appeared to be a new building for the road transport collection going up when I was last there in October 2018.
As it is a seperate group who are making plans to house their own collection of vehicles (in the same way as RVP on the "southern" GCR), storage of the GCR(N) stock falls outside their remit and should surely be a concern for the GCR(N) themselves.
There appears to be a reasonable amount of space available in the "50 Steps Bridge" area, where the Ruddington spur joins the main line, so perhaps the 125 Groups shed might be going in somewhere like that. The building would certainly need space to expand in the future if they obtain a full production HST set, which is their stated intention.

 

Must have been imagining it arriving at MNR in December on a low loader....damn photoshop,cannot believe anything you see these days.

 

Pedantic as ever I see.

 

No correcting your incorrect statement.

 

Correcting the grammar on yours.
Couldn't you do it a bit more politely then? Or were you bought up with no manners?

 

So if 41001 is on one end, what goes on t'other? Their website shows a production HST in "vandal disco" livery, but is unclear whether that is the tail ender or not. How hard would it be to make a 43 look like 41002?

 

Another Air braked diesel! At the Mid Norfolk when I had it there it did one trip with 37905, at Ruddington it's usually run with 56097 so that's a Paxman power unit at both ends. As regards converting a Power car to 41002 I don't know how easy it would be, although I rather like the idea of the prototype one end and a production car the other at some point. Such a shame 41002 made it to 1990 before being cut up.

 

41 001 also allegedly attending the Mid Norfolk diesel gala in April along with 50 008

 

Mark Hopwood is pretty sentimental about the 43's. Perhaps he could be persuaded to lend one of the FGWR units to be the tail end when they are retired. It would be a tragedy if the production 43's weren't represented in preservation, but it'll be a few years before they are much of a draw for Joe Public

 

Yes, it will stop the 125 groups stock getting as bad as the stock you mention. As has been said, other stock isn't really in the 125 groups remit. Personally, I'm very pleased to see such a forward thinking approach by them. Decent accommodation will save them a fortune long term.

 

It's also amazing how much they have managed to do so far without a covered work area.

 

The 125 group have the power units...

 

They've had a lot of help from the 'Big Railway' The likes of Wabtec and East Midlands Trains have helped them out, but saying that I think a lot of the guys on the technical side are professional railway people so they know what they're doing. I do agree thoug it's not easy to maintain stock in the open air.

 

Re the Midland Pullman - whilst they looked good they were only Hastings units with a face lift and came with all the riding characteristics. The Midland Pullman suffered the fate of all long distant services on the Midland route and was transferred to WCML but ran as loco hauled stock being under the wires. Caught it a couple of times when we were still able to book first class above a certain jub level. Great for breakfast.

 

Slight correction... The two Midland Pullman sets were transferred to the Western Region, where they ran in multiple on several services. Then they were scrapped. The WCML 'Pullmans' were dedicated MK2 air conditioned coaches to diagrams 15( First parlour kitchen ), 78 ( First parlour) and 85 ( First parlour brake). It is these later cars, also run as 'The Lakeland Pullman', which became a charter set ( EN960) and some eventually made it into preservation via West Coast at Carnforth.

 

Are those what were the SLOA Pullman set?