British Rail Class 43 (HST)

For the earlier railway locomotives called Class 43, see British Rail Class 43 (Warship Class).

British Rail Class 43
An East Midlands Trains Class 43 at Nottingham
Power type	Diesel-electric
Builder	BREL Crewe Works
Build date	1975–1982
Total produced	197
Configuration	Bo-Bo
UIC classification	Bo'Bo'
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge
Bogies	BP10
Wheel diameter	3 ft 4 in (1.016 m)
Length	17.79 metres (58.4 ft)
Width	2.74 metres (9.0 ft)
Locomotive weight	70.25 tonnes (69.14 long tons; 77.44 short tons)
Fuel capacity	990 imp gal (4,500 l; 1,190 US gal)
Prime mover	Paxman Valenta 12RP200L/12RL 200L Paxman 12VP185 or MTU 16V4000 R41R
Alternator	Brush Traction BA1001B
Traction motors	GEC G417AZ or Brush Traction TMH68-46, frame mounted, four off
Transmission	Engine driven alternator and rectifier supplying DC to traction motors
Multiple working	Within class only
Top speed	148 mph (238 km/h)
Power output	Engine: 2,250 hp (1,678 kW) At rail: 1,320 kW (1,770 bhp)
Tractive effort	Maximum: 17,980 lbf (80.0 kN) Continuous: 10,340 lbf (46.0 kN) @64.5 mph (104 km/h) [1]
Train heating	Electric Train Heat
Locomotive brakeforce	35 long tons-force (349 kN)
Train brakes	Air
Career	Current First Great Western East Coast East Midlands Trains Grand Central CrossCountry Network Rail Previous British Rail Great Western Trains GNER Midland Mainline National Express East Coast Virgin Trains Cotswold Rail
Number	43002–43198
Axle load class	Route availability 5

The British Rail Class 43 (HST) is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1975 to 1982.

The class is the fastest diesel unit in the world, with an absolute maximum speed of 148 mph (238 km/h), and a regular service speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). There are claims that this diesel rail speed record has been broken twice unofficially: by the TEP80 Russian train in 1993 achieving 271 km/h (168 mph),^{[citation needed]} and the Talgo XXI Spanish train reporting 158 mph (254 km/h) in 2002.

History and background

In early British Rail InterCity livery, Class 43 No.43079 (254012) leaves York railway station.

Locomotive information panel carried on the inner end

In the early 1970s the British Railways Board (BRB) decided to replace their 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/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.

Development and design

The prototype set was developed at the Railway Technical Centre, Derby, the power cars having been constructed by BREL Crewe Works and the British Rail Mark 3 passenger cars by BREL at 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.

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 feature 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, five were modified for use with the production HSTs, and three were transferred to Departmental stock.

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 York) 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).

Buffered units

A British Rail Class 43 in Grand Central livery with a rake of British Rail Mark 3 carriages at London King's Cross

In 1987, as electrification of the East Coast Mainline was underway, British Rail management realised that the new Mk4 carriages for the Class 89 and 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 powercars (Numbers 43013/014/065/067/068/080/084/123) were sent to the Brush works in Loughborough 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. Other than 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 Cross-Country and Virgin West Coast routes, where they displaced loco-hauled stock. All of the units were repainted from their original Intercity colours to the Virgin Red livery. Later, Virgin Trains gave up the HSTs when new Virgin Voyager units were delivered and nearly all of these powercars went into storage at Long Marston yard.

After years of storage, several of the powercars were bought by Midland Mainline to be part of 'Project Rio', special services running from St Pancras Station 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 a 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, the Train Operating Company Grand Central Trains took an interest in the stored powercars and amalgamated them into their fleet of three HST sets. In total, 43065/067/068/080/084/123 were bought by the company and now run 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 their Class 180 units, re-painted the front ends (this 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). The re-numbering of 43123 was confusing to some enthusiasts, as they sometimes believed it was originally 43023 because 400 was added to the numbers of the other power cars, yet only 300 to this particular power car.^{[citation needed]}

Engines

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. These four locomotives have since all been re-engined with the MTU 16V4000 engine. 43167 is now 43367 and operates with East Coast trains, whilst 43168-43170 are still in service, in the former Western region area under First Great Western.

Paxman commenced development of the Valenta's successor, the 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.

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. The test involved completion of 3,000 cycles, each of 10 minutes duration, with four minutes at the maximum power of 2611 kWb (3,500 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 1678 kWb (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.

During the late 1990s twenty-five HST power cars were re-engined with Paxman 12VP185L engines in order to improve fuel consumption and to reduce emissions, but these engine have proved less reliable in service than had been hoped. However the 12VP185L was introduced fleet-wide within the Australian XPT series.

Hybrid trial

In 2007 Brush Traction and Hitachi, Ltd equipped Paxman Valenta powered 43089 and a semi-permanently coupled Mark 3 coach with a diesel-battery hybrid power system for trials to be undertaken with the power car running in Network Rail's New Measurement Train. The power car was named "Hayabusa" (Japanese for falcon). A technical presentation can be seen here.

Life extension

HST with MTU engines

The Class 43, 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 2015 or beyond.

• During 2005, two Class 43 power cars (43004 and 43009) operated by First Great Western were fitted with new MTU V16 4000 engines before being tested in passenger operation on the Great Western Line. In December 2005, First announced that all of its power cars will receive the MTU engine. The MTU engine offers improvements over the existing Paxman 12RP200 'Valenta' engines, with reduced noise, smoke and exhaust emissions, improved reliability and fuel efficiency.

• East Coast has also re-engined its fleet with MTU engines, a process begun under its predecessor GNER. East Coast's fleet of re-engined power cars have been renumbered into the 432xx and 433xx series by adding 200 to the existing power car number.

• East Midlands Trains have stated that they will install Paxman VP185 engines into all their powercars before the end of its franchise. They have completed their ambition since, though the re-engined power cars retained their original numbers.^{[citation needed]}

• Grand Central has 43468 (formerly 43068) and 43480 (formerly 43080) now with MTU engines fitted, entering service on 21 September 2010; they have also been repainted with an orange stripe to match Grand Central's Class 180s. 43465 (formerly 43065) and 43467 (formerly 43067) have now been re-engined by Brush Traction in Loughborough and are now operational. 43084 has suffered major power unit failure and is being re-engined by Brush, leaving 43123 as the final Valenta powercar; it now carries a plaque reading "1972-2010 Valenta." The final passenger service of a Valenta engine was on 19 December 2010 (the 09:07 departure from London Kings Cross to Sunderland). On 22 December 2010 the Valenta was used in four farewell tours between York and Sunderland using 43123. 43084 and 43123 have now been re-engined by Brush Traction in Loughborough and are currently receiving the orange stripe and logos at Kilmarnock in Scotland and have been renumbered 43484 and 43423.

• CrossCountry's first CrossCountry-liveried HST powercar, 43301 (formerly 43101) was released from its overhaul at Brush Traction, Loughborough on 16 July 2008. To identify its fleet, CrossCountry is renumbering all of its HST units by adding an extra 200 to the old number.

• Network Rail New Measurement Train

Operations

Main article: InterCity 125

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 onto 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, rapid acceleration and deceleration of the HST made it ideal for passenger use, and after deployment 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 Vehicles 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 Cross Country services, and put in storage when Virgin replaced their HST fleet with Bombardier' s Voyager. Grand Central purchased six of these to operate services from Sunderland to London.

After the privatisation of British Rail the locomotives continued to be used, and as of 1st Jan 2009 194 of the 197 units built are still in service.

Damaged, destroyed and preserved units

On what would have been his 55th birthday, First Great Western named a power car after driver Stanley Martin, driver of the ill-fated Class 43 in the Ufton Nervet rail crash

Of the total of 197 production power cars three have been scrapped:

• 43173 - written off in the Southall crash of 19 September 1997, being disposed of after completion of the inquiry into the accident. Cut up by Serco at MOD Shoeburyness.
• 43011 - written off in the Ladbroke Grove crash of 5 October 1999, being disposed of after completion of the inquiry into the accident. Cut up by Sims Metals at Crewe Works in June 2002.
• 43019 - written off in the Ufton Nervet level crossing collision of 6 November 2004. Cut up by Sims Metals of Beeston in July 2005. (Power car 43139 is dedicated to the driver, Stanley Martin, 54, of Torquay, Devon who perished in the incident.)

Additionally, one of the two prototype power cars, 43000 is now preserved at the National Railway Museum in York, while 43001 was cut up by Booth Roe at Rotherham in December 1990.

Replacements

As of 2010, the youngest of the power cars is now 27 years old and a replacement for the High Speed Train is being sought. The project, known as the Intercity Express Programme (originally known as the HST2 Project), is being spearheaded by the Department for Transport. In March 2009 it was announced that a consortium headed by Hitachi would design and build the replacement trains, now known as Super Express Train, or SET. Three models are proposed: an all-electric version, to replace the Intercity 225 fleet currently employed on the East Coast Main Line, an all-diesel version similar to the HST, and a bi-mode version with a diesel power car at one end and an electric locomotive at the other.

To a lesser extent the HST fleet has been replaced by high speed DMUs such as the Voyagers and the UK express version of Alstom's Coradia. Increasing electrification has also displaced HSTs from some routes.

See also

• InterCity 125 - Two Class 43 power cars sandwiching a rake of Mark 3 coaching stock.
• Mark 3 coaching stock - Sandwiched between two Class 43 power cars to form an InterCity 125 set.
• High-speed rail in the United Kingdom - History of High Speed rail transport in the UK in general.
• InterCity (British Rail) - General InterCity brand before privatisation of British Rail.
• XPT - Australian high speed train whose design was derived from the Class 43

External links

• The 125 Group
• Testing the prototype HST
• The Railway Centre