Aberdour observations, early to mid-September 2026

43014 leads 1Q26 13:45 Edinburgh -Slateford, 8th September.


The train was the same formation as seen at Romsey on 20th August. 43013 Mark Carne CBE on the rear.


An evening session as there were three 70s to see within 20 minutes. 70802 passes with 6B36 19:25 Craiginches - Oxwellmains cement empties, 14th September.

The next working was  1B96 20:05 Aberdeen - Edinburgh, led by 43031.


70815 leading the first formal RHTT working in Scotland in  2026, 3S93 18:30 Carstairs - Alloa, which is a complicated diagram immediately followed by 3S93 05:03 Alloa - Carstairs, about 18 hours in total.

70810 on the rear, surrounded by spray. The next reversal would be at Ladybank.

43152 (set HA11 + 43169) 1A75 07:31 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, 19th September.

43141 (set HA18) 1B68 05:57 Aberdeen - Edinburgh, 19th September.

43037 on the rear of 1B68.

NMT at Romsey, 20th August 2026

A four car NMT configuration on 1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Southampton - Salisbury.

43014, currently nameless, leads into Romsey.


977995, generator coach, converted from catering TRUB 40319 / TRFB 40719 / TRFM 40619 (a modular catering coach for the 'Master Cutler' HST set), built to Lot 30921 in 1978-79.


975814 Conference Coach once prototype HST TF coach 11000, later 41000, built to Lot 30848 in 1972.


977993 is an Overhead Line Equipment Test Coach, originally TGS 44053 built to Lot 30949 at Derby in 1982. It also has a PLPR capability.


975984 Lecture Coach (formerly  Laboratory 15 "Argus" and later "Test Car 4", 10000 & 40000, originally prototype HST catering vehicle)


43013 Mark Carne CBE on the rear.

43013 later led on the return leg.

43014 heading for the horizon; well, Dunbridge, Dean and Salisbury.

NMT at Aberdour, 24th February 2026

43013 (+ 975984 + 977993 + 975814 + 977984) + 43062
1Q26 13:45 Edinburgh - Aberdeen - Markinch (or Thornton) - Perth - Dundee - Perth - Ladybank - Edinburgh - Slateford

43013 Mark Carne CBE (BREL Crewe, May 1976) leading through Aberdour.

A close view of 43013.

43062 John Armitt on the rear.

NMT at Romsey, 5th February 2026

43013 (+ 975984 + 977993 + 975814 + 977984) + 43062
1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Southampton - Salisbury

43013 Mark Carne CBE (BREL Crewe, May 1976) leading into Romsey.

This was the first time in 3 months that the train had run on this line.

A close view of 43013. 

975814 Conference Coach, originally a prototype HST TF coach 11000, later 41000, built to Lot 30848 at Derby in 1972. Converted to Test Car 10 in 1981.

977984 Staff Coach previously HST catering vehicle 40501 (BREL Derby, Lot 30884) as a TRUK once part of 253001 from November 1976.


43062 John Armitt on the rear.

NMT at Romsey, 26th June 2025

43062 (+ 977994 +  975984 + 977993 + 975814 + 977984) + 43013
1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Southampton - Salisbury

Perhaps only another 20 or so of these runs for the NMT, or its alternatives, as the yellow fleet may be replaced after a proposed date of 26th February 2027.
Procurement notice: Rail Infrastructure Monitoring Service Replacement
Network Rail Commits £1.2bn to Modernize Monitoring Fleet
Transforming Railway Infrastructure Monitoring: Network Rail’s Vision for the Future

43062 John Armitt leading from Salisbury. 

A closer view as 43062 (BREL Crewe, September 1977) runs through the station.

977984 Staff Coach (HST catering vehicle 40501, as a TRUK once part of 253001 from November 1976).


43013 Mark Carne CBE (BREL Crewe, May 1976) on the rear of the train.

Power is applied to 43013 on the return to Salisbury.

NMT at Romsey, 1st May 2025

43013 (+ 977994 +  975984 + 977993 + 975814 + 977984) + 43062
1X23 15:28 Salisbury - Southampton - Salisbury

43013 Mark Carne CBE leads in from Dunbridge.


Running through the platform.



975984 Lecture Coach (formerly  Laboratory 15 "Argus" and later "Test Car 4", 10000 & 40000, originally prototype HST catering vehicle).

43062 John Armitt on the rear.

NMT North and South, November 2024

North

A new face on this train is 43303, which likely had not been north of Edinburgh in many years. Here seen approaching Aberdour with 1Q26 13:45 Edinburgh - Slateford, 5th November.


A close image of 43303, which was new as 43103 in October 1978, assigned into ECML set 254024, but when I first noted on 18th August 1979, was working with 43086, both allocated to Heaton.

43251 on the rear.

South

43251 leads into Romsey with  1X23 1528 Salisbury - Southampton -  Salisbury, on 14th November. New in April 1977 as 43051, assigned to set 253025. It migrated to the East coast, and finished passenger usage with LNER.

977993 with PLPR light on the permanent way, just ahead of the rear bogie. Also an Overhead Line Equipment Test Coach, originally TGS 44053 built to Lot 30949 at Derby in 1982.   .

43303 on the rear. This was a more frequent visitor to the South when part of the Virgin XC fleet, but its first time with a test train.

Heading onwards to Redbridge and Southampton.

NMT in Fife, 13th August 2024

43277 (+ 977995 + 975984 + 977993 + 975814 + 977984 ) + 43357 1Q26 13:45 Edinburgh - Slateford Depot

Normal power cards 43013 and 43062 were taken off the workings at the start of August, and were moved to Kidderminster for attention on 7th August, and then to Derby,although planned testing of ETCS on the East Coast Main Line did not take place. Now, November 2024, these power cars are back at the Severn Valley.

43277 leads through Aberdour.

The orange finish appears to be starting to fade in its second year in traffic.

While previously seen on another test train duty,43357 was noted on the NMT for the first time

Test Train at Romsey, 17th October 2024

43251 + 43272 1X23 15:28:Salisbury - Redbridge Southampton - Salisbury
977995 + 975984 + 977993 + 975814 + 977984 (same as in September)

43272 leading into Romsey

43272 was new as 43072 in December 1977.

975984 Lecture Coach (formerly  Laboratory 15 "Argus" and later "Test Car 4", 10000 & 40000, originally prototype HST catering vehicle).


43251, on the rear, was new as 43051 in April 1977.