HST Returns to Derby - 28th October 2023 (Midland Venturer)

On Saturday, 28th October 2023, a special charter railtour, entitled the "Midland Venturer", called at Derby railway station. The train used was a now-preserved Intercity 125 HST (High Speed Train) comprising Class 43 locomotives 43089 and 43159 (Rio Warrior), with the latter having been refurbished recently into the original second incarnation of the Midland Mainline livery, which the trains carried prior to the franchise changed to the Stagecoach-owned East Midlands Trains company. 43159 also has the accolade of being part (together with 43102) of the train that broke the record for the world's fastest diesel train in 1987, clocking up an almightly 148 mph; a record that remains to this day.
The rest of the train comprised Mk 3 coaches, still in de-branded EMT / East Midlands Railway Intercity livery, and feature the original slam doors. The vehicles are all owned by the preservation 125 Group, with this being the first ever railtour that the company ran. The tour stopped first at Ilkeston, before continuing to Nottingham, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Derby, Leicester, and finishing at London St Pancras. The journey would repeat in reverse later that day, but would call at Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Ilkeston.
Derby is something of the spiritual home for these iconic trains - they were designed here, and the Mk 3 coaching stock was built here, so having a preserved set call here was very fitting.

[@FrontSideBus]

Great to see them still going. :)

[@StreetLightOnline]

Absolutely - arguably the one time that BR "got it right"!