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Hornby R30463TXS

Virgin - Class 43 HST - Lady in Red - Train Pack (DCC Sound Fitted)

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation

Manufacturer description

This Virgin Class 43 HST "Lady in Red' Train Pack brings the bold red branding of Virgin to your model railway layout, ensuring an eye-catching visual as it charges round the track. This OO model locomotive pack features NEM tension lock couplings and is ready-fited with HM7000 sound control, giving you a digital model railway experience. 

Virgin Trains won both the InterCity West Coast and InterCity CrossCountry franchises following privatisation of BR, commencing services under its Virgin branding in 1997. It inherited a variety of locomotives and rolling stock from BR, including InterCity 125 HST sets. 

Class 43 power car 43093 had been named ‘York Festival 88’ under BR, but was renamed ‘Lady in Red’ in 1997, which it carried until 2003, while 43097 had been called ‘The Light Infantry’ until 1990, but entered service with Virgin CrossCountry without a name. Painted in the company’s red and black livery, with white markings, both later became part of First Great Western’s HST fleet.

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Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Hornby Virgin Class 43 HST – Lady in Red – Train Pack (DCC Sound Fitted) is an OO‑scale model locomotive pack produced under Hornby’s Virgin range. The product carries the manufacturer part number R30463TXS and represents the initial privatisation period of British rail, when Virgin Trains took over the InterCity West Coast and InterCity CrossCountry franchises from British Rail in 1997.

The pack includes a Class 43 power car in the Virgin red and black livery with white markings. It is supplied with NEM tension‑lock couplings and is fitted with the HM7000 sound control unit, allowing digital command control (DCC) operation with realistic sound effects. The model is ready for immediate use on a DCC‑equipped layout.

Historically, the real‑life power car 43093 was named “York Festival 88” under British Rail and was renamed “Lady in Red” by Virgin in 1997, a name it retained until 2003. The companion power car 43097, formerly “The Light Infantry”, entered Virgin CrossCountry service without a name. Both locomotives later passed to First Great Western’s HST fleet.