NSE Livery Class 73 Heavy Thrash! Number 73128 at The Bluebell Railway NSE 40th Anniversary Gala

British Rail Class 73/1 Electro-Diesel No. 73128 (The Kent and East Sussex Railway: 50 Years of Heritage 1974–2024)
Constructed by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire in February 1966 (works number EE/VF 3624/E377, originally entering service as E6035 and renumbered 73128 under TOPS in 1974), 73128 is a 60-year-old Bo-Bo bi-mode electro-diesel locomotive operated by GB Railfreight. Designed to operate across both electrified and non-electrified routes, the 78-tonne machine produces 1,600 hp (1,193 kW) when collecting power via 650/750 V DC third-rail shoe gear, and 600 hp (447 kW) in autonomous diesel mode powered by its onboard English Electric 4SRKT Mk II 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine. Locomotive 73128 is presented in vibrant Network SouthEast (NSE) revised livery, operating at the very front of the formation to lead the gala service.

British Rail Class 73/1 Electro-Diesel No. 73133 (The Bluebell Railway)
Constructed alongside its sister locomotive at the Vulcan Foundry in March 1966 (works number EE/VF 3629/E382, delivered as E6040 and renumbered 73133 under TOPS), 73133 is a 60-year-old Bo-Bo electro-diesel locomotive permanently preserved on the Bluebell Railway. Sharing identical 600 hp diesel and 1,600 hp electric capabilities, the locomotive is finished in authentic 1960s British Rail Rail Blue. It operates at the rear of the train, trailing to provide push-pull capability for the top-and-tail formation.

Preserved 4-Car Southern EMU Formation (S68002 MLV, S65373, S77558 & S68001 MLV)
The train conveys a unique four-car preserved Southern Electric coaching rake top-and-tailed by the Class 73s. Coupled directly behind lead locomotive 73128 is Class 419 Motor Luggage Van (MLV / unit 9002) No. S68002 in striking Network SouthEast livery, originally built at Eastleigh Works in 1959 under Lot 30458. Behind the MLV sits Driving Motor Brake Standard (DMBS) No. S65373, followed by Driving Trailer Standard Open (DTS) No. S77558 (both forming suburban Class 416 2-EPB unit No. 5759, built in 1956). The passenger rake is completed by a second Class 419 MLV, No. S68001 (unit 9001), positioned directly ahead of the trailing Class 73/1 No. 73133. As heritage lines lack third-rail electrification, this four-car formation is hauled unpowered on autonomous diesel traction for the Network SouthEast 40th Anniversary Diesel Gala.

Powering Up to Birch Farm Crossing from Kingscote
Captured in 8K 16:9 widescreen from a stunning scenic vantage point at Birch Farm Crossing on a beautiful summer's morning, lead locomotive 73128 is seen powering fiercely up the gradient away from Kingscote station. Relying entirely on its 600 hp 4-cylinder diesel engine, the English Electric power unit lays down a heavy, thumping exhaust beat. The unique top-and-tail formation thunders past the camera at speed, producing glorious diesel thrash as it climbs through the Sussex countryside on Sunday, 6th of September 2026 at 11:40.

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