BRITISH RAIL MARK 3

British Rail's third design of carriage was designated 'Mark 3', and was introduced in 1976 primarily for use on the High Speed Train (HST). The coaches were also intended to be used as conventional loco-hauled stock as part of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) northern electrification scheme in the mid-'70's; these derivative versions being known as "Mark 3A" and "Mark 3B". The final batch was built in 1988, however Mark 3-based multiple units continued to be built until the early 1990s.

Contents

Construction

Usage

Variants

HST vehicles

Hauled stock

Production details

Mark 3

Mark 3a

Mark 3b

Mk3 coaches overseas

The Mark 3 in Ireland

References

See also

External links

Construction

At first glance, the Mark 3 looks similar to the later versions (2D/2E/2F) of the Mark 2 coach, but is in fact a completely different design.
The bodyshell is three metres longer than the Mark 2, of full monocoque construction and has gained a strong reputation within the railway industry for its exceptional strength and crashworthiness.
Another important advance over its predecessor was the adoption of air suspension on the wheel bogies. The bogies, classified BT10, were improved in order to accommodate sustained running at over 110mph, with a 125mph maximum speed - the Mark 2 is nominally limited to 100mph.
Ancillaries such as electrical and air conditioning systems were grouped together in discrete modules housed behind an aerodynamic skirting between the wheel bogies - on the Mark 2 these were randomly mounted above and below the passenger seating area. The lighting and air conditioning fittings were for the first time integrated into the ceiling panels.
Other new features (first seen on the Mark 2F) were the pneumatically operated automatic gangway doors which were triggered by pressure pads under the floor, and a speed operated central door locking system for the manually operated slam-doors.
Differences between the HST-only Mk3 and the hauled Mk3a were minor, the biggest being that the HST vehicles did not have alternators, taking 3-phase power direct from the power cars.

Mark	Built	Features
Mark 3	1972-85	The basic model, for use in High Speed Train sets
Mark 3A	1975-84	The basic model, for use in locomotive-hauled rakes
Mark 3B	1985-88	Improvement of the Mark 3A with new styles of seating and lighting

Usage

The Mark 3 design proved to be highly adaptable for use in BR's multiple unit stock of the 1980s - AC EMU Classes Class 317 - 322, the DC Class 455 and DMU Classes 150 & 156 all use a Mark 3 derived bodyshell.
Since 1977, the Royal Train has used nine specially equipped Mark 3 coaches to transport the British Monarch and other members of the Royal Family. These were rebuilt from the original HST prototype vehicles.
Grand Central, a new open access operator on the ECML, will use HST sets on its newly inaugurated services between London and Sunderland [1]. The Mark 3 coaches to be used are of the loco-hauled type, and so are undergoing modifications to their couplers and electrical systems to make them compatible with Class 43 power cars. They have a limited role on the WCML, with the overnight Caledonian Sleeper services between Scotland and London Euston still using Mark 3 sleeper coaches.
Following the introduction of Virgin Trains' new fleet of Pendolino electric multiple units onto the WCML, a huge surplus of Mark 3 vehicles now exists across the network. Some of the former Virgin coaches have been refurbished and cascaded onto the Great Eastern Main Line, replacing the Mark 2E/2F vehicles which have operated London-Norwich services. They also continue to be used by First Great Western on the Great Western Main Line, and GNER on the East Coast Main Line franchise. Ex-Virgin Mark 3's have also made a brief return to the WCML in the summer of 2006, with a small number of coaches covering peak time Euston - Birmingham New Street services whilst the Pendolinos underwent modifcations.
In January 2007, the first of GNER's refurbished Mark 3 coaches was unveiled - these have been internally refitted to the same standard as its "Mallard" Mark 4 stock with the same styles of seating and lighting. The new Mark 3 Mallard sets have been converted by Wabtec in Doncaster, and will be steadily rolled out over the next two years.
National Express East Coast, the new franchise holder for the East Coast Main Line, plans to introduce new stopping services using formations of Mark 3 coaches pulled by Class 90 locomotives for stopping services to York. Wrexham & Shropshire, a new open access operator, also has plans to use Mark 3 coaches pulled by a Class 67 locomotive for its services between London and Wrexham.

Variants

HST vehicles

The original Mk3 coaches delivered as part of HST sets for Western Region (class 253) contained Trailer First (TF), Trailer Second (TS), and Trailer Buffet Second (TRSB) variants in formation TF-TF-TRSB-TS-TS-TS-TS. Complaints from train guards about engine noise in the guards' compartments (which were located in the HST Power cars) led to an additonal variant, the TGS, which was based on the TS, but with the end vestibule and one seating bay replaced by a guards compartment. This replaced the last TS in all sets from 1980 onwards. Sets delivered for Eastern Region (class 254) contained 8 coaches with an additional Trailer Kitchen Unclassified (TRUK) in the middle of the Trailer Seconds (sets 1-20) or with a Trailer Buffet Unclassified (TRUB) in place of the Trailer Buffet Second, and an additional TS (Sets 21-32).

Hauled stock

Mk3a coaches were deployed on expresses out of Euston and were intended to bring the three main long-distance routes from London up to the same standard. Initial variants were Second Open (TSO) and First Open (FO). Catering and parcels continued to be Mk1 stock until the introduction of Restaurant Buffet (RUB) vehicles in 1979-80.
Scottish Region Push-Pull services were initially made up with 4 SO and 1 FO Mark 3a coaches, along with a Mark 2F DBSO.
This was later changed when the FO was converted to a CO by the declassification of half a coach, and installation of a partition between the two classes. An SO was also removed from the formation.
Loco-hauled MK3 coaches use a single phase electric train heat (ETH) supply instead of the 3-phase used on HST MK3s. This makes the coaches non-interconnectable in service conditions.

Production details

Mark 3

★ TRSB. Trailer Buffet Second with kitchen. Weight 36 Tons. 35 Second class seats.

★
★ Nos 40001 - 40003: Lot 30883 to diagram GK202.0A built Derby works 1975-77.

★
★ Nos 40004 - 40027: Lot 30883 to diagram GK202.0B built Derby works 1975-77.

★
★ Nos 40028 - 40037: Lot 30899 to diagram GK202.0B built Derby works 1977.

★ TRUB. Trailer Buffet Unclassified with kitchen. Weight 38 Tons. 17 Unclassified seats.

★
★ Nos 40300 - 40321: Lot 30921 to diagram GK401.0A built Derby works 1978-79.

★
★ Nos 40322 - 40335: Lot 30940 to diagram GK401.0B built Derby works 1979-80.

★
★ Nos 40336 - 40353: Lot 30984 to diagram GK401.0A built Derby works 1980-81.

★ TRUK. Trailer Restaurant Unclassified with kitchen. Weight 37 Tons. 24 Unclassified seats.

★
★ Nos 40501 - 40520: Lot 30884 to diagram GL402.0A built Derby works 1976-77.

★ TF. Trailer First. Weight 33 Tons. 48 First class seats.

★
★ Nos 41003 - 41056: Lot 30881 to diagram GH102.0A built Derby works 1975-77.

★
★ Nos 41057 - 41120: Lot 30896 to diagram GH102.0A built Derby works 1977-78.

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★ Nos 41121 - 41127: Lot 30938 to diagram GH102.0A built Derby works 1979-80.

★
★ Nos 41128 - 41148: Lot 30938 to diagram GH102.0B built Derby works 1979-80.

★
★ Nos 41149 - 41166: Lot 30947 to diagram GH102.0A built Derby works 1980-81.

★ TS. Trailer Second. Weight 33 Tons. 72 Second class seats.

★
★ Nos 42003 - 42022: Lot 30882 to diagram GH202.0A built Derby works 1975-77.

★
★ Nos 42023 - 42090: Lot 30882 to diagram GH202.0B built Derby works 1975-77.

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★ Nos 42091 - 42250: Lot 30897 to diagram GH202.0B built Derby works 1977-79.

★
★ Nos 42251 - 42305: Lot 30939 to diagram GH202.0C built Derby works 1979-80.

★ TGS. Trailer Second with Guards compartment. Weight 33 Tons. 63 Second class seats.

★
★ No 44000: Lot 30953 built Derby works 1980.

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★ Nos 44001-44090: Lot 30949 built Derby works 1980-81

Mark 3a

★ RBK. Unclassified Restaurant Buffet with kitchen. Weight 40 Tons. 17 unclassified seats.

★
★ Nos 10001 - 10028: Lot 30890 to diagram AJ412.0A built Derby works 1979-80.

★ SLEP. Sleeper Either class with Pantry. Weight 38 Tons. 12 sleeping berths with fixed lower bunk and hinged upper bunk.

★
★ Nos 10500 - 10645: Lot 30960 to diagram AS402.0A built Derby works 1981-83.

★ SLE. Sleeper Either class. Weight 37 Tons. 12 sleeping berths with fixed lower bunk and hinged upper bunk.

★
★ Nos 10646 - 10735: Lot 30961 to diagram AS403.0A built Derby works 1980-84.

★ FO. Open First. Weight 33 Tons. 48 First class seats.

★
★ Nos 11004 - 11063: Lot 30878 to diagram AD108.0A built Derby works 1975-76.

★ TSO. Open Second. Weight 34 Tons. 72 Second class seats.

★
★ Nos 12004 - 12168: Lot 30877 to diagram AC212.0A Built Derby works 1975-77.

Mark 3b

★ FO. First Open. Weight 33 Tons. 48 First class seats.

★
★ Nos 11064 - 11101: Lot 30982 to diagram AD109.0A Built Derby works 1984-85.

★ BFO. Brake First Open.

★
★ Nos 17173 - 17175:

Mk3 coaches overseas

The Mark 3 in Ireland

Republic of Ireland's national rail operator, Iarnród Éireann, operates a fleet of Mark 3 carriages built between 1984 and 1989 with bogies to suit the Irish gauge of 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in). The fleet is 124 Mark 3s and 9 Mark 3 international. As of 2007 they continue form a large part of the intercity rolling stock on the Irish railway network. All the Irish coaches were built with automatic plug doors - the doors caused some concern at the time as additional time and resources were required to perfect them. Most of the fleet is air-conditioned except for a small number of coaches built originally as outer suburban stock which run in push-pull configuration. A number of coaches are first class, and there are several dining carriages and some driving van trailers (DVTs include passenger seating). An accompanying generator van supplies power.
In 2006/7, new carriages built by CAF of Spain (widely referred to as "Mark 4s"), were introduced on the important Dublin-Cork route. The displaced Mark 3s have been cascaded to other Inter City routes.
Iarnród Éireann plans to replace most of the Mark 3s within the next few years with
"regional railcars" (DMUs).

References

★ British Rail Handbook, , B K, Cooper, Ian Allan, ,

★ Coaching Stock Pocket Book sixth edition, , Peter, Fox, Platform 5, ,

★ British Rail 1948-78: A Journey Through Design, , Brian, Haresnape, , ,

★ The Coaching Stock of British Railways 1976, , P, Mallaband, RCTS, ,

★ British Rail Coaching Stock 1980, , P, Mallaband, RCTS, ,

See also

★ InterCity 125

★ Class 43 power cars

★ High speed trains in the United Kingdom

External links