Playing with trains

Following on from my earlier post, on Saturday 15th November I was fortunate enough to be invited along to "The Screaming Valenta" special, to mark the return to service of the original HST prototype power car, 41001.

The highlights of the day were, in no particular order:

• Meeting Sir Kenneth Grange, the man who designed the HST
• Hearing a Valenta engine scream again for the first time in several years
• Actually touching 41001 (kinda like the scene in Star Trek First Contact)
• Enjoying a quiet pint at The Gricer's Arms (no, it's not really called that!) with the people who restored it

The day started early. I decided that as I was going to Derby station that it made more sense to travel up by train. If I booked in advance it was cheaper than the cost of petrol to drive up and back.  Unfortunately I missed the train that I was originally booked on (it left 2 minutes early), but CrossCountry were as good as gold and had no problem with me catching the next train. I missed the seat reservation, but at 7am on a Saturday this didn't really matter!

I got to Derby with just over an hour until departure, so I had a bit of a wander. On returning to the station, a group of likely looking people were standing around near the ticket barrier. I could overhear a few snatches of conversation which sounded promising, so I walked up to the nearest chap and asked "Project Miller?" Yes, it was indeed.

Unfortunately 41001 isn't cleared to run on the main line under its own power, so a special short-formed HST set picked us all up at Derby. The set reversed at Loughborough Junction (right by the Brush Traction works) and crossed onto the northern part of the Great Central Railway, a private heritage line. In another first, this was the first time an HST set had been on the GCR.

The train then travelled down the GCR to 50 Steps before reversing and travelling up the spur to Ruddington Fields. At Ruddington, the leading production power car 43045 was detached, and 41001 attached to what was at that point the rear of the train. We then travelled back to 50 Steps. A reversal was performed, and 41001 took power - hauling its first passenger train for 38 years.

Further up the line, the train stopped for a brief photo opportunity. Sir Kenneth Grange, who designed the exterior of the power car, took the opportunity to say a few words.  The train then repeated the whole journey in reverse, arriving back at Ruddington Fields with 41001 leading after a further reversal at 50 Steps, whereupon 43045 was re-attached and the HST set returned to the main line at Loughborough.

All in all, a historic day, and having arrived back at Derby a bunch of us located the nearest pub and settled in for an hour.

So thanks to all the guys at the 125 Group (of which I'm now a member) and Project Miller, and to everyone else that helped, in particular East Midlands Trains, who loaned a HST set to Project Miller for the day out of sheer goodwill.

Thanks also to Network Rail, who donated the track access charge for the main line section of the trip to Children In Need.

I can't wait for the next one!