THE FLEET of high speed train vehicles at the Colne Valley Railway has expanded following the delivery of another two Class 43 HST power cars in early May.
The latest arrivals are former First Great Western MTU4000 engine fitted power cars 43023 and 43165, which now join the existing 125 Heritage fleet currently consisting of former FGW power car 43071, along with ex-East Midlands Railway power cars 43073 Neville Hill HST Depot 42 Years and 43082 Railway Children.
43023 was transferred from Ely to Castle Hedingham on May 2, followed by 43165 two days later. While 43165 has been bought by 125 Heritage founders Neil Bunt and Martin Smith, 43023 has been privately purchased by HST enthusiast and 125 Heritage volunteer Matt Golding. Mr Golding already owns former East Midlands Railway Mk.3 HST Trailer First coach 41209, which is located on private land at Pymoor, near Ely, along with 41206, which belongs to fellow HST enthusiast Dave Gilbert (Railways Illustrated issue 231).
He has long held an ambition of owning a HST power car and has been a regular volunteer with 125 Heritage since the preservationists first purchased three power cars and a trio of HST trailer coaches for preservation on the CVR towards the end of 2021.
Mr Golding told Railways Illustrated that his newly acquired power car is complete and appears to be in reasonable condition, although it will require some bodywork attention to deal with areas of corrosion. It was given a clean following its delivery to the CVR to make it more presentable and the FGW dark blue paintwork will be tidied up, but he hopes that 43023 can be repainted over the coming months, although the new owner is currently undecided on which livery it is likely to carry.
Initial work on both vehicles will focus on carrying out checks on the MTU4000 engines and ensuring that they are mechanically
