… and more Mk 3s leave storage on their final journey
Twenty-four Mk 3s have left Potter Group, Ely, for the last time, with all being taken for disposal.
However, one of the former Great Western Railway High Speed Trains could be reprieved, due to its history as one of the prototype Mk 3 carriages introduced in 1972.
Leaving Ely on May 20 and bound for scrap at Sims Group, Newport Docks, were Trailer Buffet First (TFB) 40207 and Trailer Standards (TS) 42062/067/068, 42221/260.
They were taken to Wales by 20118 and 20132, hired by Rail Operations Group from Harry Needle Railroad Company.
Two days earlier, two rakes of Mk 3s had left Ely for scrap, with one heading to Newport and the other to C F Booth at Rotherham.
First to leave were those for Wales, hauled by the ‘20s’. Taken on their final journey west were Trailer Kitchen Buffet First (TFKB) 40743, Trailer First (TF) 41138, Trailer Standards (TS) 42025/083 and 42556, and Trailer Guards Standard (TGS) 44026.
Those leaving Ely for Rotherham were TF 41004, TS 42049, 42362, 42508 and Trailer Composites
(TC) 46001/011. They were hauled by ROG 47813 Jack Frost.
On May 15, GB Railfreight 66739 had taken TFB 40231, TF 41008/034, 41106, TS 42356, 42552 and TGS 44025 to Eastleigh Works for disposal.
Within that rake, 42356 is set to be retained. It was built as TS 12003 and renumbered 42002 before being converted to TF 41173. It was then rebuilt into its current identity.
This takes the overall number of former HST Mk 3s disposed of to 135 in the past few months, with 123 sent for scrap.