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Hornby R40552

RailRoad: GWR - Mk3 - TFO - 41157

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

Prototype Era
Era 11 (2016 to 2026) The Last Days of Privatisation

Manufacturer description

This stylish, durable RailRoad model coach represents a First Class Open coach in GWR livery.

British Rail introduced the production version of the Mk3 coach in 1975 with improved standards of comfort in response to competition from airlines and increased use of private motor cars.

Designed and built by BREL, initially they were intended as locomotive-hauled stock, but with the development of the High Speed Train (HST) were soon adapted for use at speeds of up to 125mph (220km/h). The first version of the Mk3 coach had actually been built in 1972, with ten coaches produced for the prototype HST.

Mk3 coaches continued to be built until 1988, but multiple units based on the Mk3 body shell were built until the early 1990s. The standard length of a Mk3 coach is 75ft (23m), which is ten feet longer than its predecessor, the Mk2, and is of monocoque construction with an all-welded mild steel stressed skin.

GWR-liveried Mk3 coaches were formed into full-length HST sets and, from 2019, in sets of four, to operate as GWR ‘Castle’ sets, which ran as such until May 2024.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Hornby RailRoad GWR Mk3 First Class Open coach – model number 41157. The kit bears the Hornby part number R40552 and depicts a contemporary British Rail Mk3 coach in Great Western Railway livery.

The real Mk3 coach entered service in 1975, built by BREL to replace the Mk2. It is a 75‑ft (23 m) monocoque carriage of all‑welded mild‑steel stressed skin, originally designed for locomotive haulage but later adapted for high‑speed operation at up to 125 mph (220 km/h). Production of the Mk3 ran from 1972 (prototype HST units) to 1988, with derivative multiple units built into the early 1990s.

GWR‑liveried Mk3 coaches were used in full‑length High Speed Train sets and, from 2019, in four‑car “Castle” sets until May 2024. This model represents a First Class Open (TFO) carriage in that GWR livery.