The British Rail Class 43 (HST) is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train (formerly classes 253 and 254) power cars, built by British Rail Engineering Limited from 1975 to 1982, and in service in the UK since 1976.
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British Rail Class 43 (HST) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Powercar 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange restored to the original Intercity 125 livery in May 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The class is officially the fastest diesel locomotive in the world, with an absolute maximum speed of 148.5 mph (239.0 km/h), and a regular service speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). The record run was led by 43102 (43302) and trailed by 43159.[1][2]
In the early 1970s, the British Railways Board made the decision to replace its main-line express diesel traction. Financial limitations were tight, so mass electrification was not possible. As a result, a new generation of high-speed diesel trains had to be developed.
Experience with the high-speed Class 55 Deltic locomotives had shown that a low axle weight was essential to avoid damage to the track at sustained high speed, and that high-speed engines were the only way to provide a good enough power-to-weight ratio for diesels. To power the HST at up to 125 mph (201 km/h), each power car had a new diesel engine, the 12-cylinder Paxman Valenta, running at 1,500 rpm and developing 2,250 bhp (1,680 kW). The 70-tonne weight of the power car gave it a 17.5-tonne axle loading.
The prototype set was developed at the Railway Technical Centre, Derby, the power cars having been constructed by British Rail Engineering Limited's (BREL) Crewe Works and the British Rail Mark 3 passenger cars by BREL's Derby Litchurch Lane Works. The engine used in the prototype power cars was the Paxman 'Valenta' 12RP200L, which developed 2,250 horsepower (1,680 kW). The electrical equipment was supplied by Brush. The power cars had a main driver's position at one aerodynamically shaped end with the other flat and gangwayed end having only an auxiliary driving position for shunting purposes.
The two prototype power cars emerged from the works in June and August 1972 and were initially numbered 41001 and 41002, but after a short period the entire set, including the passenger coaches, became reclassified as a diesel-electric multiple unit: British Rail Class 252. The power cars were given the coaching stock numbers 43000 and 43001. After proving trials on the Eastern Region the prototype High Speed Diesel Train (HSDT) was transferred to the Western Region, where it was deployed on Paddington Bristol/Weston-super-Mare services.
In May 2011 the National Railway Museum (NRM) announced that the remaining HST prototype power car 41001 would undergo full restoration work.[3] A long-term loan was agreed between the NRM and the 125 Group of volunteers for the locomotive and a Paxman Valenta RP200L engine. The replacement engine (no. S508) was required as the original Valenta engine (no. S183) had been sectioned for display purposes. The S508 engine was lifted into the locomotive at Neville Hill TMD on 29 June 2012.[4] The loan agreement ended in November 2019 and 41001 returned to the NRM.[5]
In order to facilitate a main line move, Class 41 prototype HST power car 41001 was re-registered as a Class 43/9 locomotive, with the number 43000. It is the only locomotive in this sub-class.[6]
The design was successful and led to production orders being placed for similar trains for the Western, Eastern, Scottish and London Midland regions. The production power cars featured a redesigned front end without conventional buffers, although a rigid drawbar can be used to connect an HST to an ordinary locomotive. Following the introduction of production HST sets, the prototype unit was withdrawn, the power cars passing to the Research Division at Derby. Of the ten prototype coaches, two were adapted for use in the Royal Train,[7] five were modified for use with the production HSTs,[8] and three were transferred to Departmental stock.[9]
The 197 power cars produced are numbered 43002-43198. 43001 was applied to the second of the two prototype power cars, while the first of the pair (now preserved at the NRM; formerly operational on the GCR) became 43000, which is unusual because BR TOPS classification numbered its locomotives from 001 upwards (this was because it was not, at the time, classified as a locomotive).
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In 1987, as electrification of the East Coast Main Line was under way, British Rail realised that the new Mark 4 carriages for the Class 89 and Class 91 locomotives were not going to be finished in time for the introduction of electric services on the East Coast Main Line so, in late 1987, a total of eight Eastern Region power cars (Numbers 43013/014/065/067/068/080/084/123) conversions (on 43014/123) were carried out at the Derby Engineering Development Unit, whilst the other six (43013/065/067/068/080/084) were converted by the diesel repair shop at Stratford to have the lower valancing removed and buffers fitted.
After being fitted with buffers, these power cars began work as surrogate DVTs to work with the Class 91s and 89. The locomotives, working with conventional Mk3 stock, worked on the line between 1987 and 1991, when the last Class 91 locomotives entered service. As well as buffers being fitted to these powercars, special remote control equipment was also added to the locomotives so they could be controlled by the locomotive at the front. Once these locomotives left DVT duties, the remote equipment was removed.
After privatisation, these power cars joined the Virgin Trains fleet working both Virgin CrossCountry and Virgin Trains West Coast routes, where they displaced loco-hauled stock. All the units were repainted from their original InterCity colours to the Virgin red livery. Later, Virgin Trains withdrew the HSTs when new Class 220 and 221 units were delivered, and nearly all of these power cars went into storage at Long Marston.
After years of storage, several of the powercars were bought by Midland Mainline to be part of Project Rio, special services running from London St Pancras to Manchester while major engineering works were undertaken on the West Coast Main Line. These units were kept in the de-branded Virgin Trains livery throughout their time with Midland Mainline and put back in storage once Project Rio had finished in 2006.
43013 and 43014 joined Network Rail's New Measurement Train in 2003 and have continued to work with this service ever since. Both of these units have now had MTU engines fitted.
43080 was leased to GNER as a one-off powercar, working as a spare unit that could be easily called for if an HST failed. For most of its time with GNER, it was based at Craigentinny yard in Edinburgh and was painted into GNER colours. This locomotive's lease ended in 2006 and it was returned to storage at Long Marston.
In 2007, Grand Central took an interest in the stored power cars and amalgamated them into its fleet of three HST sets. In total, 43065/067/068/080/084/123 were bought by the company and ran high-speed services between Sunderland and London Kings Cross. HSTs 43084 and 43123 were the final operational Paxman Valenta power cars, being re-engined in 2010 with the MTU treatment. While at the works being re-engined, Grand Central added the orange stripe that appears on its Class 180 units, re-painted the front ends (making them look more like the non-buffered HSTs), and re-numbered the power cars into the four-hundreds. These are the current numbers: 43465 (065)/467 (067)/468 (068)/480 (080)/484 (084)/423 (123). They were withdrawn from Grand Central service in 2017 after more Class 180s were acquired.[10]
British Rail experimented with Mirrlees Blackstone MB190 engines in four Western region examples (43167–43170) between 1987 and 1996, but this experiment was unsuccessful and the standard Paxman Valenta engines re-installed.
Paxman began development of the Valenta's successor, the Paxman VP185, in 1987. The suggestion that British Rail participate in a trial of the new VP185 engine in the IC125 was first mooted in January 1991, and a formal agreement for the trial was signed in May 1993.[11]
A qualifying requirement for the trial was that the engine should undergo a British Rail Type Test which was carried out between December 1993 and February 1994.[11] The test involved completion of 3,000 cycles, each of 10 minutes duration, with four minutes at the maximum power of 2,611 kW (3,501 bhp) and six minutes at idle, simulating the typical 'on-off' nature of IC125 duty. The test was much more severe than operational duty, where the train operates at a maximum of 1,678 kW (2,250 bhp). The successful results of the test cleared the way for installation of a VP185 in Power Car 43170 at Plymouth Laira Depot for in-service trials in the summer of 1994. Power car 43170 entered service on 22 September 1994.[11] 43170 was given the nameplate "Edward Paxman".[12]
During the late 1990s twenty-five HST power cars were re-engined with Paxman VP185 engines in order to improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions.
The last VP185 engine to be manufactured at Paxman's Colchester Works was despatched from the factory on 15 September 2003 as part of a programme to convert 14 Midland Mainline power cars to VP185 engines to supplement the four already converted during 1994/95, and this led to 43043/045/048-050/052/055/060/061/072/073/076/082 joining 43047/059/074/075 with this engine type.[13]
Today there are no production power cars fitted with a Paxman Valenta engine, although the 125 Group have reinstalled a Paxman Valenta in the surviving prototype powercar, 41001 (formerly 43000).
In 2007 Brush Traction and Hitachi equipped Paxman Valenta powered 43089 and a semi-permanently coupled Mark 3 coach with a diesel-battery hybrid power system for experimental trials. The power car was named "Hayabusa" (Hayabusa, はやぶさ, Japanese for Peregrine falcon, project name 'V-Train 2').[14][15][16] It returned to normal service with East Midlands Trains.
The HST, having been in operation since the late 1970s, is due for replacement by the Hitachi Super Express. The development cycle for the replacement series is such that the existing fleet may be required to operate through to 2019 or beyond.
When Crewe Works built them, the InterCity 125 units were considered to be diesel multiple units, and were allocated Classes 253 and 254 for Western and Eastern Region services respectively. The locomotives were introduced in the Midland region later.
Until the HST's introduction, the maximum speed of British trains was limited to 100 mph (160 km/h). The increased speed and rapid acceleration and deceleration of the HST made it ideal for passenger use, and it slashed journey times around the country. The prototype InterCity 125 (power cars 43000 and 43001) set the world record for diesel traction at 143 mph (230 km/h) on 12 June 1973. An HST also holds the world speed record for a diesel train carrying passengers. On 27 September 1985, a special press run for the launch of a new Tees-Tyne Pullman service from Newcastle to London King's Cross, formed of a shortened 2+5 set, briefly touched 144 mph (232 km/h) north of York.
During 1987, eight HST power cars were converted for use as driving van trailers (DVTs) with Class 91 locomotives during trials on the East Coast Main Line. The power cars were fitted with buffers and time-division multiplex equipment that allowed them to directly control a Class 91, and were moved over to the ECML where they were used on workings with Class 89 and then Class 91 locomotives from London to Leeds. After the Mk 4 stock had been delivered, the HST power cars had the TDM equipment removed, and then reverted to their normal duties. The power cars used for this project can be easily identified as they are still fitted with buffers. They were then transferred to Virgin Cross Country, and put in storage when Virgin replaced its HST fleet with Bombardier Voyagers (though Arriva, upon later taking over the franchise, acquired 10 power cars, 4 of which were buffered). Grand Central bought six of these for services from Sunderland to London, the remaining two having been integrated into Network Rail's New Measurement Train.
After the privatisation of British Rail the HST sets continued to be used. 193 of the 197 locomotives built remain in service. The four units that are not in service, 43173, 43011, 43019 and 43140, were written off by fatal rail accidents in 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2020 respectively.
All HSTs operating with Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway were replaced by Class 800/801/802s in 2018/2019. Twenty-seven sets each with four or five carriages moved from Great Western Railway to Abellio ScotRail and be refurbished with controlled emission tanks and plug automatic doors. They will operate on services from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness.[19][20][21][22] The first two were delivered to Craigentinny TMD for crew training in September 2017.[23] The first entered service in October 2018.[24]
Great Western Railway retained 24 powercars to form 11 four-carriage formations known as "Castle Class" sets for use on local services between Cardiff and Penzance.[25]
GB Railfreight have expressed interest in the possibility of converting displaced HST sets for use carrying parcels and other mail.[26]
In 2021, RailAdventure acquired the six 43/4 power cars, plus an additional two for spares, for use on stock movements as part of its entrance into the UK market through the acquisition of Hanson and Hall Rail Services.[27][28] Two were exported to Germany in September 2021.[29]
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Status/Operator | Image | Number | Unit nos. | Notes |
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ScotRail | 54 | 43003, 43012, 43015, 43021, 43026, 43028, 43030-43037, 43124-43139, 43141-43152, 43163, 43164, 43168, 43169, 43175-43177, 43179, 43181-43183, 43185 |
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Colas Rail | 5 | 43251, 43257, 43272, 43274, 43277 | Former East Midlands Railway cars used for test train purposes. | |
CrossCountry | 12[30] | 43207, 43208, 43239, 43285, 43301, 43303-43304, 43321, 43357, 43366, 43378, 43184 (43384) |
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Great Western Railway | 35 | 43004, 43005, 43009, 43010, 43016, 43022, 43027, 43029, 43040-43042, 43088, 43092-43094, 43097, 43098, 43122, 43153-43156, 43158, 43160, 43162, 43170-43172, 43186-43189, 43192, 43194 , 43198 |
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Locomotive Services Limited | 7 | 43046, 43047, 43049, 43055, 43058, 43059, 43083[31] | Former East Midlands Railway power cars. | |
RailAdventure | ![]() |
8 | 43296, 43308, 43423, 43465, 43467-43468, 43480, 43484[32] | 43296 and 43308 used as spares donors. |
Network Rail | 5 | 43013, 43014, 43062, 43290, 43299 |
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Off-lease / Stored | 36 | 43017, 43020, 43023-43025, 43063, 43078, 43086-43087, 43091, 43161, 43165, 43174, 43180, 43190-43191, 43195-43196 | 24 former Great Western Railway power cars stored at Long Marston, Laira and Ely. | |
43206, 43300, 43311, 43312, 43315, 43367 | 6 Class 43/0 former London North Eastern Railway power cars replaced by Class 800/Class 801s in December 2019.
43300 damaged after collision in Neville Hill depot in 2019. | |||
43050, 43060 | 2 of the former 3 Colas Rail VP185 engine power cars. | |||
43043, 43052, 43054, 43064, 43066, 43076 | The former 22 East Midlands Railway VP185 engine power cars were replaced by MTU engine power cars from London North Eastern Railway in 2021. | |||
43305-43306, 43309, 43314, 43318, 43319, 43320 | Former East Midlands Railway became off-lease. | |||
Preserved | 13 | 43002, 43018, 43044-43045, 43048, 43056, 43071, 43073, 43081-43082, 43089, 43102 (43302), 43159 |
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Scrapped | 13 | 43011, 43019, 43053,[42] 43061,[43] 43069, 43070,[42] 43075,[43] 43079,[42] 43140, 43173, 43193, 43197, 43313 |
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Key: | In service | Stored | Scrapped | Preserved |
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Original Number | New Number | Name | Operator | Previous Operator | Livery | Status | Notes |
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43002 | – | Sir Kenneth Grange[49] | National Railway Museum | Great Western Railway | InterCity Blue & Grey | Preserved | Preserved at the National Railway Museum. Part of the National Collection. |
43003 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | Formerly Isambard Kingdom Brunel. | |
43004 | Caerphilly Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | ||||
43005 | St. Michael's Mount | ||||||
43006 | 43206 | – | London North Eastern Railway | InterCity Blue & Grey | Stored | Used in LNER HST charity railtour along with 43312. Stored at Ely. | |
43007 | 43207 | CrossCountry | Midland Mainline | CrossCountry | In service | ||
43008 | 43208 | London North Eastern Railway | Formerly Lincolnshire Echo. Nameplate sold in 2020.[50] | ||||
43009 | – | Nunney Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | In service | 43010 formerly named TSW Today, denamed January 1993, about 1 month after TSW lost its region | |
43010 | Lydford Castle | ||||||
43011 | – | – | First Great Western | FGW 'Fag Packet' | Scrapped | Scrapped after the Ladbroke Grove Rail Crash. | |
43012 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43013 | Mark Carne OBE | Network Rail | Virgin CrossCountry | Network Rail Yellow | Used for the New Measurement Train. Buffered. | ||
43014 | Berkeley Castle | ||||||
43015 | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | ||||
43016 | Powderham Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | ||||
43017 | – | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Ely. |
43018 | The Red Cross[49] | Crewe Heritage Centre | Great Western Railway | Intercity Blue and Grey | Preserved | Preserved at Crewe Heritage Centre. | |
43019 | – | – | First Great Western | First Great Western | Scrapped | Scrapped after the Ufton Nervet Rail Crash. | |
43020 | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Ely. | ||
43021 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43022 | Nether Stowey Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | ||||
43023 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | ||
43024 | Stored at Ely. | ||||||
43025 | |||||||
43026 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | Formerly City of Westminster and Michael Eavis. | |||
43027 | – | Acton Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | In service | Formerly Westminster Abbey and Glorious Devon. |
43028 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43029 | – | Caldicot Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | In service | |
43030 | – | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | Stored | Involved in the Stonehaven derailment, parts source at Haymarket TMD.[51] | ||
43031 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43032 | |||||||
43033 | Formerly Driver Brian Cooper. | ||||||
43034 | |||||||
43035 | |||||||
43036 | |||||||
43037 | |||||||
43038 | 43238 | – | East Midlands Railway | LNER all red | Stored | Formerly National Railway Museum 40 Years 1975-2015. Nameplate sold in 2020.[50] | |
43039 | 43239 | CrossCountry | London North Eastern Railway | Crosscountry | In service | ||
43040 | – | Berry Pomeroy Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | Vinyled in a Falklands 40 livery in June 2022.[52] | ||
43041 | St Catherine's Castle | Fitted with metal ‘GWR’ logo as well as numbers being painted on guard’s doors. | |||||
43042 | Tregenna Castle | ||||||
43043 | – | – | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Stored | ||
43044 | – | Edward Paxman[49] | 125 Group | East Midlands Railway | InterCity Executive | Preserved | Purchased by the 125 Group in 2021.[53] Currently stored at the Nottingham Heritage Railway. |
43045 | Colas Rail | East Midlands Trains | Entered preservation at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre.[39] | ||||
43046 | Geoff Drury 1930-1999 Steam Preservation and Computerised Track Recording Pioneer |
Locomotive Services Limited | East Midlands Railway | Blue Pullman | Blue Pullman livery.[54] | ||
43047 | East Midlands Trains | ||||||
43048 | 125 Group | Preserved at 125 Group. Formerly T.C.B. Miller MBE. | |||||
43049 | Neville Hill | Locomotive Services Limited | InterCity Swallow | ||||
43050 | – | – | Colas Rail | East Midlands Trains | Stored | Stored at Long Marston. | |
43051 | 43251 | Colas Rail | East Midlands Railway | LNER | In service | ||
43052 | – | – | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Stored | ||
43053 | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored at Long Marston. Formerly University of Worcester. | ||||
43054 | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | |||||
43055 | – | Locomotive Services Limited | East Midlands Railway | Blue Pullman | Preserved | Blue Pullman livery.[54] | |
43056 | Welsh Railways Trust | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Preserved | Stored at Laira. Donated to the Welsh Railways Trust in 2021 and based at the Gwili Railway.[39][40] Formerly Royal British Legion. | ||
43057 | 43257 | Colas Rail | East Midlands Railway | LNER | In service | Formerly Bounds Green. Nameplate sold in 2020.[50] | |
43058 | – | Locomotive Services Limited[55] | East Midlands Railway | Rail Charter Services Green & Silver | Preserved | Painted green with a silver stripe in 2021.[55] | |
43059 | |||||||
43060 | – | Colas Rail | East Midlands Trains | Stored | Stored at Long Marston. | ||
43061 | – | – | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Scrapped | Scrapped at Sims Metal, Newport October 2021. | |
43062 | - | John Armitt | Network Rail | Virgin CrossCountry | Network Rail Yellow | In service | Used for the New Measurement Train. |
43063 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Laira & Long Marston | |
43064 | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | |||||
43065 | 43465 | RailAdventure | EMR Plain Blue | Buffered. | |||
43066 | – | – | East Midlands Trains | ||||
43067 | 43467 | Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service British Transport Police Nottingham |
RailAdventure | Buffered. One name on each side. Named after the crews responding to the Nottingham station fire on 12 January 2018.[56] | |||
43068 | 43468 | Buffered. | |||||
43069 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Scrapped | Used as a spares donor for Great Western Railway's fleet of ‘Castle’ power cars at Plymouth Laira depot, taken for scrapping at Sims Metal, Newport on 31 May 2022.[46] | |
43070 | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Laira. | ||||
43071 | – | Colne Valley Railway | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Preserved | Preserved by 125 Heritage in November 2021.[41] Formerly 'Forward Birmingham' after the Exmouth based Trent. | |
43072 | 43272 | Colas Rail | East Midlands Railway | LNER | In service | Based at Derby R.T.C. | |
43073 | – | Neville Hill HST Depot 42 Years | Colne Valley Railway | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Preserved | Preserved by 125 Heritage in November 2021.[41] |
43074 | 43274 | Colas Rail | East Midlands Railway | EMR Purple | In service | Formerly Spirit of Sunderland, nameplate sold in 2020.[50] Based at Derby R.T.C. | |
43075 | – | – | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Scrapped | Scrapped at Sims Metal, Newport October 2021. | |
43076 | – | – | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Stored | ||
43077 | 43277 | Colas Rail | LNER | Stored at Derby R.T.C. | |||
43078 | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored at Laira. | |||
43079 | |||||||
43080 | 43480 | West Hampstead PSB | RailAdventure | East Midlands Railway | RailAdventure | Buffered, exported to Germany September 2021.[29] Returned to Eastleigh in 2022. | |
43081 | – | Crewe Heritage Centre | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Preserved | Preserved at Crewe Heritage Centre.[36] | |
43082 | Colne Valley Railway | The Railway Children[49] Preserved by 125 Heritage Ltd in October 2021.[41] | |||||
43083 | Locomotive Services Limited | ||||||
43084 | 43484 | RailAdventure | East Midlands Railway | RailAdventure | In service | Buffered, exported to Germany September 2021.[29] Returned to Eastleigh in 2022. | |
43085 | 43285 | CrossCountry | Midland Mainline | Crosscountry | In service | ||
43086 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored at Laira | ||
43087 | Stored at Laira. | ||||||
43088 | – | Dartmouth Castle | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | In service | |
43089 | – | 125 Group | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Preserved | Previously Hayabusa diesel-battery hybrid testbed.[57] Preserved at 125 Group. | |
43090 | 43290 | Network Rail | East Midlands Railway | LNER | In service | Formerly MTU Fascination of Power, nameplate sold in 2020.[50] | |
43091 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Laira. | |
43092 | – | Cromwell's Castle | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | In service | |
43093 | Berkeley Castle | Formerly Old Oak Common HST Depot 1976-2018 | |||||
43094 | St Mawes Castle | ||||||
43095 | 43295 | – | East Midlands Railway | LNER | Stored | ||
43096 | 43296 | RailAdventure | East Midlands Trains | Stored. To be used as a spares donor. | |||
43097 | – | Castle Drogo | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | In service | Formerly Environment Agency. |
43098 | Walton Castle | ||||||
43099 | 43299 | Network Rail | East Midlands Railway | LNER | |||
43100 | 43300 | – | London North Eastern Railway | LNER | Stored |
Damaged in a collision with 800109 at Neville Hill on 13 November 2019.[58] Formerly named Craigentinny, nameplate sold in 2020.[50] | |
43101 | 43301 | CrossCountry | Virgin CrossCountry | Crosscountry | In service | ||
43102 | 43302 | The Journey Shrinker 148.5 MPH The Worlds Fastest Diesel Train | National Railway Museum | East Midlands Railway | InterCity Swallow | Preserved | Along with 43159, 43102 (43302) holds the world record for the fastest diesel locomotive in the world. Repainted into InterCity Swallow livery in February 2021.[59] Donated to the National Railway Museum after withdrawal from service in May 2021 and currently on display at Shildon.[60][61][34] |
43103 | 43303 | CrossCountry | Virgin CrossCountry | Crosscountry | In service | ||
43104 | 43304 | Midland Mainline | |||||
43105 | 43305 | – | East Midlands Railway | LNER | Stored | ||
43106 | 43306 | ||||||
43107 | 43307 | ||||||
43108 | 43308 | RailAdventure | Stored. To be used as a spares donor. Formerly named BBC Television Railwatch and later named Highland Chieftain, nameplate auctioned in 2020.[50] | ||||
43109 | 43309 | – | |||||
43110 | 43310 | ||||||
43111 | 43311 | London North Eastern Railway | |||||
43112 | 43312 | British Rail Blue & Grey | Used in LNER HST charily railtour along with 43206. Stored at Ely. | ||||
43113 | 43313 | London North Eastern Railway | LNER | Scrapped | Damaged in a collision on 31 October 2019.[62] Was previously stored for use as a source of spare parts for CrossCountry and remains in storage at Laira.[63] Taken for scrapping at Sims Metal, Newport on 23 February 2022.[48] | ||
43114 | 43314 | East Midlands Railway | Stored | ||||
43115 | 43315 | London North Eastern Railway | |||||
43116 | 43316 | East Midlands Railway | |||||
43117 | 43317 | ||||||
43118 | 43318 | Celebrating Forty Years | |||||
43119 | 43319 | ||||||
43120 | 43320 | ||||||
43121 | 43321 | CrossCountry | Virgin CrossCountry | Crosscountry | In service | ||
43122 | – | Dunster Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | |||
43123 | 43423 | Valenta 1972-2010 | RailAdventure | East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Trains | Stored | |
43124 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43125 | |||||||
43126 | |||||||
43127 | |||||||
43128 | |||||||
43129 | |||||||
43130 | |||||||
43131 | |||||||
43132 | |||||||
43133 | |||||||
43134 | Gordon Aikman BEM | Named in June 2021.[64] | |||||
43135 | |||||||
43136 | |||||||
43137 | |||||||
43138 | |||||||
43139 | Formerly Driver Stan Martin. | ||||||
43140 | – | – | ScotRail | Abellio Scotrail | Scrapped | Scrapped after the Stonehaven derailment. | |
43141 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43142 | |||||||
43143 | |||||||
43144 | |||||||
43145 | |||||||
43146 | |||||||
43147 | |||||||
43148 | |||||||
43149 | |||||||
43150 | |||||||
43151 | Formerly known as Blue Peter II.[65] | ||||||
43152 | |||||||
43153 | Chûn Castle | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Great Western Railway | Formerly The English Riviera | ||
43154 | Compton Castle | ||||||
43155 | Rougemont Castle | Formerly The Red Arrows | |||||
43156 | Maen Castle | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | First Great Western | In service | Formerly Dartington International Summer School | |
43157 | 43357 | CrossCountry | Virgin CrossCountry | Crosscountry | In service | ||
43158 | Kingswear Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | ||||
43159 | – | 125 Group | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Preserved | Donated to the 125 Group in 2021,[38] currently stored awaiting restoration at the Nottingham Heritage Railway. Along with 43102 (43302), 43159 holds the world record for the fastest diesel locomotive in the world. | |
43160 | – | Castle-an-Dinas | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | In service | Formerly Porterbrook and Moir Lockhead. |
43161 | - | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored at Laira | ||
43162 | Caerhays Castle | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | In Service | Formerly 'Storm Force' named after the RNLI club for children. | |
43163 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | Involved in the Southall Rail Crash. | ||
43164 | |||||||
43165 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Ely. | |
43166 | 43366 | HST 40 Celebrating 40 years of High Speed Train services on the CrossCountry Network[66] | CrossCountry | Midland Mainline | Crosscountry | In service | |
43167 | 43367 | – | London North Eastern Railway | LNER | Stored | Formerly Deltic 50 1965-2005. | |
43168 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43169 | |||||||
43170 | Chepstow Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | ||||
43171 | – | Raglan Castle | |||||
43172 | Tiverton Castle | Formerly Harry Patch. | |||||
43173 | – | – | Great Western Trains | Great Western Trains 'Merlin'[67] | Scrapped | Scrapped after the Southall Rail Crash. | |
43174 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Ely. | |
43175 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43176 | |||||||
43177 | |||||||
43178 | 43378 | CrossCountry | Midland Mainline | Crosscountry | |||
43179 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | |||
43180 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored at Laira. | |
43181 | – | ScotRail | Great Western Railway | ScotRail | In service | ||
43182 | |||||||
43183 | |||||||
43184 | 43384 | CrossCountry | Midland Mainline | InterCity Executive | Painted in current livery in 2022.[68] | ||
43185 | – | – | Great Western Railway | InterCity Swallow | Stored | Formerly Great Western. | |
43186 | – | Taunton Castle | Great Western Railway | Great Western Railway | In service | ||
43187 | Cardiff Castle / Y Cymru The Welshman | First two power cars to receive the modern GWR green livery. Originally both carried the same livery, however the dragons on 43188 received yellow leotards after Geraint Thomas won the Tour De France in 2018.
Additionally, the vinyl was appended to include Geraint Thomas below the dragon, in both English and Welsh. Both power cars are fitted with metal ‘GWR’ logos and both have numbers painted on the guard’s doors. | |||||
43188 | Newport Castle / Y Cymru The Welshman / Geraint Thomas | ||||||
43189 | Launceston Castle | ||||||
43190 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | ||
43191 | Stored at Ely. | ||||||
43192 | – | Trematon Castle | Great Western Railway | - | Great Western Railway | In service | |
43193 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Scrapped | Used as a spares donor for Great Western Railway's fleet of ‘Castle’ power cars at Plymouth Laira depot, taken for scrapping at Sims Metal, Newport on 31 May 2022.[46] | |
43194 | – | Okehampton Castle | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | In service | |
43195 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Stored | Stored as a source of spare parts at Plymouth Laira after hitting a tree. | |
43196 | – | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | Stored at Laira | ||
43197 | – | – | Great Western Railway | First Great Western | Scrapped | Used as a spares donor for Great Western Railway's fleet of ‘Castle’ power cars at Plymouth Laira depot, taken for scrapping at Sims Metal, Newport on 31 May 2022.[46] | |
43198 | – | Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947 - 5 October 1999 Driver Stan Martin 25 June 1950 - 6 November 2004. | Great Western Railway | Virgin CrossCountry | Great Western Railway | In service | One name on each side. Formerly Oxfordshire 2007. |
On 2 May 2016 an open day was held at Bristol St Philip's Marsh depot with a line up of Class 43s from each operator (except CrossCountry) to celebrate the HST's fortieth anniversary. Several locomotives and passenger trains also appeared, such as 150 247 and 166 214 both in their new GWR liveries, 158 798 in its Springboard Opportunity Group livery and the prototype Class 41 HST. At the event, powercar 43002 (Numbered 253 001 as a Diesel Multiple Unit) was unveiled in original Intercity 125 livery, and named Sir Kenneth Grange after the Class 43's bodyshell designer.[69] On 2 October 2016, powercar 43185 was unveiled in InterCity Swallow livery.[70] Both were operated by Great Western Railway (First Great Western) and 43002 is now preserved.
There have also been four serious incidents involving Class 43s; these accidents resulted in four power cars being written off.
There have been minor incidents involving Class 43s, among which have been:
Powercar 43160 had two minor incidents, which happened at the South West England region.
The HST fleet is now in its fifth decade, and replacements for it are currently being introduced. This project, the Intercity Express Programme, is being spearheaded by the Department for Transport. A consortium headed by Hitachi has designed and built the new units, initially named "Super Express Train". Various formations are being built; both electric and bi-mode (electro-diesel) versions in 5-or 9-coach lengths. The first batches have replaced HSTs on the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line.
On the Greater Western franchise, the last of the full-length HSTs was withdrawn in June 2019. Between twelve and twenty HST sets were originally to be retained and refurbished to carry on providing services between London, Devon and Cornwall, where no electrification was planned, and where the Class 800's diesel engines would not be capable of negotiating the steep gradients along the South Devon Banks, through to the mid-2020s.[90] A report published in 2011 concluded that the Mark 3 coaches could remain in service as late as 2035, subject to some minor rewiring and enhancements required under disability legislation.[91] However, it was announced in March 2015 that the HSTs would instead be replaced with the Class 802s, a more powerful derivative of the bi-mode Class 800s.[92]
Initially, high-speed Bombardier Voyager and Alstom Class 180 (Adelante) replaced numerous HSTs, but all locomotives and sets were brought back into service as a result of increasing demand. Some Great Western sets were cascaded to Abellio ScotRail to replace the Class 170 units, while others were retained by GWR to operate local services.[93]
Grand Central Railway leased five more Class 180 units cascaded from GWR to replace its HST trains and increase its overall fleet size.[94] This in turn allowed the HSTs to be cascaded to East Midlands Trains.[95] The East Midlands Trains sets were passed to the new East Midlands Railway franchise, which announced it would replace them with a combination of Class 180 and Class 222 units, enabled owing to the electrification of the MML as far north as Corby, to be replaced ultimately by Class 810 bi-mode units.[96]
Upon being retired, 43002 was preserved by the National Railway Museum in York.[97] It was joined by 43102 (43302)[60]
Thirteen Class 43 power cars have currently been saved for preservation.
The National Railway Museum in York has preserved 43002, the first production power car.[98] The Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board nominated 43102 (43302) for preservation as holder of the record for being the fastest diesel locomotive on the planet[99] The power car was donated to the NRM upon its withdrawal from service in May 2021,[34] and it is currently located at the NRM's museum at Shildon.
Angel Trains donated 43018 to Crewe Heritage Centre following its use as a spares donor for Abellio ScotRail.[35] Porterbrook also donated 43081, the 8000th locomotive built at Crewe, to the museum in 2021. Porterbrook donated 43048 and 43089 to the 125 Group. Both moved to the group when their lease ended with East Midlands Railway.[100] The group later purchased 43044 from Porterbrook in 2021,[53] with 43159 being donated in June that year.[38]
43045 has been preserved at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre following its period in service with Colas Rail and its time in storage.[39]
The University of Birmingham used 43056 for use as a research & development vehicle.[101] In November 2021, the power car was donated to the Welsh Railways Trust based at the Gwili Railway.[40] 125 Heritage Ltd, based at the Colne Valley Railway, has saved three powercars, 43071, 43073 and 43082.[41]
In addition to these twelve, Locomotive Services Limited have saved seven powercars, 43046, 43047, 43049, 43055, 43058, 43059 and 43083 along with three sets of Mark 3 coaches for use on excursion trains. 43046 and 43055 have been refurbished as a recreation of the Midland Pullman train.
In 1977 Hornby Railways launched its first version of the BR Class 43 (HST) in OO gauge.[102][103]
Lima have released an HST model in OO gauge.[104]
Dapol have released an HST model in N gauge.[105]
British railway locomotives and miscellany, 1948 to present | |
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Diesel shunters | |
Diesel shunters (pre-TOPS) | |
Main-line diesels: | |
Main-line diesels (pre-TOPS) | |
Electrics | |
Electrics (pre-TOPS) | |
Multi-Modes | |
Departmental |
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Prototypes | |
Getlink locomotives | |
Steam locomotives | |
Ships |
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