125 Group

The 125 Group is a volunteer run charity[1] in England dedicated to the preservation of the InterCity 125s and specifically, Class 43 powercars. Its aims are:[2]

• To provide a central correspondence post for news and views concerning the Class 43 power cars, Mark 3 rolling stock, operations, works attention and any other relevant information.
• To provide a magazine to members within the membership fee, in which the gathered news and features will be distributed in a standard format to all members on a regular basis at intervals agreed by the committee, but in any event no less than four occasions per year.
• Ultimately, to raise enough money to purchase some examples of IC 125 rolling stock to enter preservation. Such rolling stock shall include one or more power cars, as near as possible to original operational configuration, but including as a minimum a Paxman Valenta engined power car, Marston cooler group and original shaped front end.

The 125 Group was founded in 1994 at a time when the InterCity 125 remained in daily use and under no threat of withdrawal, in 2006 it purchased 10 Paxman Valenta engines when the majority of the Class 43 powercars were repowered with a view to restoring some to original condition when withdrawn.[3][4]

In 2011, it reached an agreement with the National Railway Museum to become the custodian of Class 41 prototype powercar 41001 and restore it to operational condition at Neville Hill TMD.[5] This work was completed in 2014, with 41001 based at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham).[6] The 125 Group purchased a number of Mark 3 carriages to operate with it.[4][7]

In 2019, the National Railway Museum terminated the lease of 41001.[8][9] Upon withdrawal in early 2020, former East Midlands Railway Class 43 powercars 43048 and 43089 will be donated by Porterbrook to the 125 Group.[10][11]

In order to support its ongoing preservation efforts, an appeal was launched to raise £100,000 for a depot building to be located at its current base of operations, Great Central Railway (Nottingham).[12] As of January 2020, this total stood at over £88,000.[13]