British Railway Trains
Class 43 - (Intercity 125 High Speed Train) - (HST)
InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train (HST) fleet, which was built from 1975 to 1982 and was introduced in 1976. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two Class 43 power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages (the number of carriages varies by operator). The train operates at speeds of up to 125 mph (201 km/h) in regular service, and has an absolute maximum speed of 148 mph (238 km/h), making it the fastest diesel-powered train in the world, a record it has held from its introduction to the present day. Initially the sets were classified as Classes 253 and 254. A variant of the power cars operates in Australia as part of the XPT.
After four decades, most of the HST fleet is still in front-line revenue service under privatisation, and while the InterCity 125 brand name is rarely mentioned officially by the private train-operating companies (TOCs), the InterCity 125 still forms the backbone of intercity services on several British main lines. Almost all sets are expected to be replaced by 2018 by the Intercity Express Programme. Under early plans for that programme, some HSTs were due to continue in use on London to Devon/Cornwall services, where there are no plans to electrify the lines. However, in March 2015 it was announced that the remainder of the Great Western fleet would be replaced with bi-mode Intercity Express sets, equipped with the required powerplants and fuel tanks to tackle the distances and inclines of Westcountry services. Quoted from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125 With thanks to Wikipedia |
Class 66
The Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Class 66 (or JT42CWR) are Co-Co diesel locomotives built by EMD for the European heavy freight market. Designed for use in Great Britain as the Class 66, a development of the Class 59, they have been adapted and certified for use in other European countries. Outside Europe, 40 locomotives have been sold to Egyptian Railways for passenger operation.
A number of locomotives built for Euro Cargo Rail in France with roof-mounted air conditioning are classed Class 77. In Germany ECR units operated for DB Schenker were numbered as class 247, re-classified as class 266 by the Eisenbahn-Bundesamt to match other Class 66 locomotives operating in Germany. |
Class 90The British Rail Class 90 electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe in 1987-1990, weighing 84.5 tonnes and with a top speed of 110 mph (180 km/h). They operate from 25 kV AC overhead lines and produce 5,000 bhp (3,700 kW). The class is employed on express passenger and heavy freight trains. Their main passenger roles include the Caledonian Sleeper, the ex-Virgin trains Mark 3 set and the Abellio Greater Anglia services from London to Norwich. Freight operations are with DB Schenker and Freightliner on a mixture of roles mainly on the West Coast and the Great Eastern Main Lines.
Class 90/0 locomotives were built in the late 1980s, numbered 90001-050. They were developed from the Class 87, with many improvements and new features, and were described as Class 87/2 prior to introduction. However, due to many visual and technical differences, they were reclassified. The Class 90s were primarily built to replace the ageing Classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 dating from the early 1960s, which were prone to fire damage. Quoted from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_90 With thanks to Wikipedia |
Class 91The British Rail Class 91 is a class of 225 km/h (140 mph), 4,830 kW (6,480 hp) electric locomotives ordered as a component of the East Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s. The Class 91s were given the auxiliary name of InterCity 225 to indicate their envisaged top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph).
The Class 91s began passenger service on 3 March 1989 when 91001 worked 1P26 17.36 London Kings Cross to Peterborough train. This train was formed of InterCity 125 Mark 3 coaches and a Class 43 power car converted for use as a DVT as the Mark 4 coaches were not yet ready. The Class 91s then began service on King's Cross to Leeds trains on 11 March 1989 when 91008 with a rake of Intercity 125 Mark 3 coaches and power car 43068 worked the 1D32 06:50 Kings Cross to Leeds service. The set then worked 1A12, the 10:00 Leeds to London Kings Cross service. Quoted from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_91# With thanks to Wikipedia |
Class 370 - (Intercity Advance Passenger Train) - (APT)
The Advanced Passenger Train (APT) was an experimental tilting high speed train developed by British Rail during the 1970s and early 1980s, for use on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The WCML contained many curves, and the APT pioneered the concept of active tilting to address these, a feature that has since appeared on designs around the world. The experimental APT-E achieved a new British railway speed record on 10 August 1975 when it hit 152.3 miles per hour (245.1 km/h), only to be bested by the service prototype APT-P at 162.2 miles per hour (261.0 km/h) in December 1979, a record that stood for 23 years.
Development of the service prototypes dragged on, and by the late 1970s the design had been under construction for a decade and the trains were still not ready for service The election of Margaret Thatcher brought matters to a head, when she made it clear she felt anyone working for a nationalized company like BR was second rate, and hinted at funding cuts. Facing the possibility of cancellation, BR management decided to put the prototypes into service, with the first runs along the London-Glasgow route taking place in December 1981. The result was a media circus when every problem large or small received massive press coverage and the entire project derided as a white elephant and a further example of BR's incompetence. The trains were withdrawn from service again by the end of the month, to the great amusement of the press. The problems were eventually solved and the trains quietly reintroduced in 1984. By this time the competing High Speed Train, powered by a conventional diesel engine and lacking the APT's tilt and performance, had gone through development and testing at a rapid rate and was now forming the backbone of BR's passenger service. Quoted from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Passenger_Train# With thanks to Wikipedia |