British Rail Class 125
The British Rail Class 125 was a design of three car Diesel Multiple Unit built by Derby Works in 1958. They were almost identical in appearance to the Class 116.
| British Rail Class 125 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Class 125 unit leaving Broad Street in April 1969 | |
| In service | 1959–1977 |
| Manufacturer | BR |
| Built at | Derby Works |
| Family name | First generation |
| Replaced | Steam locomotives and carriages |
| Constructed | 1958–1959 |
| Scrapped | 1971 (1), 1976–1988 |
| Number built | 20 three-car sets |
| Number scrapped | All |
| Successor | Class 312 |
| Formation | DMBS-TS-DMS |
| Fleet numbers | 50988 - 51007 (DMS) 51154 - 51173 (DMBS) 59449 - 59468 (DTS) |
| Capacity | 266 second-class, no first |
| Operator(s) | British Railways |
| Depot(s) |
|
| Line(s) served |
|
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel |
| Car length | 64 ft 0 in (19.51 m) over body |
| Width | 9 ft 4 1⁄2 in (2.858 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 9 1⁄2 in (3.899 m) |
| Doors | Slam |
| Maximum speed | 70 mph (113 km/h) |
| Weight |
|
| Prime mover(s) | Two 238-brake-horsepower (177 kW) Rolls-Royce C8NFLH |
| Power output | 952 bhp (710 kW) for 3-car set |
| Transmission | Hydraulic, Twin-disc (Rolls-Royce) torque converter |
| Coupling system | Screw |
| Multiple working | Orange Star |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
History
They were high-density units, externally very similar to the Class 116. They were built specifically for the Lea Valley Line based at Stratford, but were displaced to the ECML suburban lines out of Kings Cross when the Lea Valley Line received 25 kV overhead electrification in May 1969. The class were all withdrawn in 1977 when the ECML suburban lines received 25 kV overhead electrification, and none survive to this day. Like many first-generation DMU classes, they never carried their 125xxx TOPS set numbers.
Departmental use
Two trailers (59458 + 59466) were taken into departmental (non-revenue earning) service in November 1982 and March 1984 as 975993 + 975964. They were used at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby and used as fire test vehicles. They were both withdrawn and scrapped in February 1986 and August 1988.
Numbering
| Lot No. | Type | Diagram | Fleet Number | TOPS Class | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30462 | Driving Motor Second (DMS) | 596 | 50988–51007 | 125/1 | 91 | |
| 30463 | Trailer Second (TS) | 597 | 59449–59468 | 185 | 110 | |
| 30464 | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) | 595 | 51154–51173 | 125/1 | 65 |
Liveries
They were delivered in an unlined medium shade of Brunswick green with white cab roofs and yellow speed whiskers. The whiskers were replaced during the early 1960s by split yellow warning panels, one either side of the central character train describer which remained green.
During the mid 1960s rail blue appeared, and white cab roofs were gradually dispensed with and buffer beams became black. Initially the yellow warning panels were expanded to cover the complete lower front of the driving cabs and later the whole cab fronts became yellow.
References
- History of the Class 125s
- Brian Golding (1995). A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units. Chinnor: Cheona Publications. ISBN 978-1-900298-00-1.
- Brian Morrison (1995). British Rail DMUs & Diesel Railcars: Origins & First Generation Stock. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-2384-0.