Photo Class 43151 First Great Western Intercity 125 Train St Austell 2016

First Great Western Train Class 43151 Intercity 125 

Photo: Charles Moorhen

An early evening photo of UK trains First Great Western trains, Class 43151 HST Intercity 125  express passenger train, waiting at St. Austell station, Cornwall, before heading towards Paddington station, London.

In 1988, Class 43151 Intercity 125 carried the name, 'Blue Peter II'.

While on the subject of Class 43 motive power, it is interesting to note that the first-built production High Speed Train power car, 43002 (also numbered 253001) Sir Kenneth Grange, now stands in its new home - the National Railway Museum.

The iconic Victorian lattice-work iron station bridge which had deteriorated over the decades, a small section of which can be seen in top left corner this photo, was removed in February 2019 and re-homed at the Helston Railway, Cornwall. 

The Present and The Past

Express train, Class 43151 Intercity 125, is a far cry from the type of passenger trains once seen on the Great Western Railway back in the days of steam.

Back then it would have been possible to have witnessed a Castle class steam locomotive, such as 4-6-0 Castle class 5010, at St. Austell station, Cornwall.

4-6-0 Castle Class 5010 'Restormal Castle'         Photo: fromoldbooks.org

4-6-0 Castle Class 5010 'Restormal Castle' was built at Swindon Works in July 1927.  It was withdrawn from service in October 1959 and subsequently scrapped.
Incidentally, a sister locomotive of the same class, 5004 'Llanstephan Castle', appeared in the 1949 Ealing Studios film, 'Run For Your Money'.

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Photo Class 43033 Intercity 125 HST First Great Western Train Didcot 2004

 Class 43033 Intercity 125 Train, Didcot Parkway

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

An early evening image of UK Class 43033 Intercity 125 High Speed Train waiting at Didcot station, Oxfordshire, whilst operating an express service from the South West of England to London.

In 2004, Class 43033 carried the name, 'Driver Brian Cooper  15 June 1947 - 5 October 1999', one of the drivers who died in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash on the 5th October 1999.

Although it cannot be seen in this black and white photo, Class 43033 Intercity 125, is in First Great Western blue livery.

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Photo Midland Mainline Trains Class 43082 125 HST Wellingborough 1990s

Midland Mainline Liveried Class 43082 Intercity 125, Wellingborough

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

This photo of UK Intercity 125 Class 43082 high speed train power car, in Midland Mainline livery, was taken as the train from London St. Pancras was standing in Wellingborough station before continuing on northwards.

 

Class 43082  Intercity 125 passenger train, whose depot is Neville Hill T&RSMD (Leeds), was built Crewe Works in 1978.

On the 10/11/1997 the power car was named Derbyshire First,  then in 30/11/2004 it had the name removed until on the 13/9/2009 it was renamed The Voice of Street Children Worldwide.  In the 2019 Platform 5 Pocket Book it is recorded as bearing the name, Railway Children - Fighting for street children.

News Update:
Seeing East Midlands Trains colourful livery of red, white, orange and red flashing along the railway tracks, will soon become a thing of the past.

Abellio will take over the East Midlands Trains franchise on Saturday 18th August 2019. The Class 43 HST Intercity 125 and Class 222 diesel multiple unit will gradually be phased out by brand new Hitachi trains that will be a variant of the bullet-nosed Class 800 bio-mode DMU.

The new trains will have a lavender livery and be branded with 'EMR' on both sides.

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Night Photo Class 43157 Yorkshire Evening Post Intercity 125 Peterborough 1988

Class 43157 Intercity 125, 'Yorkshire Evening Post' Peterborough Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

UK Class 43157 'Yorkshire Evening Post' Intercity 125 High Speed Train is seen in this night photo at Peterborough station in December 1988.

 

According to the NREA 'The Spotter's Companion' for 2004, Intercity 125 43157 had by this time lost its name.

Note the Post Office trolleys on the platform to the right of the picture.  These, and the Post Office workers who made use of them, were once a very common sight on railway stations throughout Britain. 

Now, just a part of railway history.

Diesel power unit Class 43157 has now been re-numbered and is operating as one of the Cross Country Trains fleet as Class 43357.  Its name has been removed.

                                                Class 43357 in Cross Country Livery



The Peterborough train image (top) was the first long exposure night photo of a train that I had ever taken.  I used a Pentax 35mm camera.

Not possessed of a tripod at the time, I had to improvise with a platform trolley, similar to the example to the right of the picture, and balance the camera upon that to get the shot.   




News Update:
Seeing East Midlands Trains colourful livery of red, white, orange and red flashing along the railway tracks, will soon become a thing of the past.

Abellio will take over the East Midlands Trains franchise on Saturday 18th August 2019. The Class 43 HST Intercity 125 and Class 222 diesel multiple unit will gradually be phased out by brand new Hitachi trains that will be a variant of the bullet-nosed Class 800 bio-mode DMU.

The new trains will have a lavender livery and be branded with 'EMR' on both sides.

Don't forget to subscribe to  'Along These Tracks' to get all new posts and updates sent directly to you.

Blog update:

Previous posts are now easier to find.  

All blog posts are now listed alphabetically on the right side of your screen; under the heading, 'Previous Photo Posts'.


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Photo Intercity 125 Class 43057 HST Train in Swallow Livery Wellingborough 1990s

Class 43057 Intercity 125, Wellingborough Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Approaching Wellingborough railway station, UK Intercity 125 High Speed Train Class 43057 in 'Swallow' livery, as it heads for its destination of London St. Pancras.

In 1988 Class 43057 this train was carrying the name, 'Bounds Green'.  

Please note the oil-stained wooden crossing sleepers and lack of end-of-platform safety barriers in this pre-privatisation photo.  

Crossing sleepers such as these were once commonplace across the British Railway network, enabling station staff to move items by hand trolley from one platform to another.  

Although intended for railway station staff only, it was not unusual for passengers to use these crossings rather than walk up the steps of the station footbridge.

The two 'lollipop' lights only a few metres from the front of Class 43057 Intercity 125 carries a sign which reads, 'Caution  Cross Only When Light Showing'.

News Update:

Seeing East Midlands Trains colourful livery of red, white, orange and red flashing along the railway tracks, will soon become a thing of the past.

Abellio will take over the East Midlands Trains franchise on Saturday 18th August 2019. The Class 43 HST Intercity 125 and Class 222 diesel multiple unit will gradually be phased out by brand new Hitachi trains that will be a variant of the bullet-nosed Class 800 bio-mode DMU.

The new trains will have a lavender livery and be branded with 'EMR' on both sides.

Don't forget to subscribe to  'Along These Tracks' to get all new posts and updates sent directly to you.

  Blog update:

Previous posts are now easier to find.  

All blog posts are now listed alphabetically on the right side of your screen; under the heading, 'Previous Photo Posts'.


"I hope this makes your search easier".