Anthony Coulls, Senior Curator of Rail Transport and Technology, takes you on an in-depth tour of our Class 43 High Speed Train power car-more commonly known as the InterCity 125-and tells the story of this impactful locomotive.
Introduced in 1976, the InterCity 125 quickly formed the backbone of Britain's high-speed rail routes and revived interest in rail travel after years in the doldrums.
The loco's popularity was helped by both its eye-catching aerodynamic wedge-shaped design-penned by Sir Kenneth Grange-and its considerable speed advantage over what went before. The 148mph top speed recorded by a Class 43 remains the world's fastest speed achieved by a diesel-powered locomotive.
This particular 125, no. 43002, was both the first InterCity 125 to be produced and the last to operate a passenger service before it was retired in 2019.
To find out more about the National Railway Museum, visit our website: www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/
0:00 Introduction
0:24 History of the InterCity 125
1:25 Sir Kenneth Grange's design
1:57 Where are the buffers?
2:40 Engineering details
3:38 Inside the cab
5:20 Driving controls
7:22 The all-important horn
7:51 The big screen
8:58 Inside the engine room
10:38 A very noisy guards and luggage compartment
11:26 Emergency coupling
11:58 Summing up