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Hornby R40553

RailRoad: GWR - Mk3 - Buffet Car - 40734

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

Add this RailRoad Mk3 coach model to your rake, perfectly replicating a Buffet Car 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 model GWR – Mk3 – Buffet Car – 40734 is a die‑cast replica of a British Rail Mk3 buffet carriage in Great Western Railway livery. It is supplied with the manufacturer part number R40553 and represents the coach in its current‑era condition.

The real Mk3 coaches were introduced by British Rail in 1975, built by BREL and originally intended for locomotive‑hauled services before being adapted for the High Speed Train, capable of 125 mph (220 km/h). Production continued until 1988, with the Mk3 body later used for multiple units into the early 1990s. Standard Mk3 coaches are 75 ft (23 m) long, ten feet longer than the Mk2, and feature monocoque construction with an all‑welded mild‑steel stressed skin. GWR‑liveried Mk3s operated in full‑length HST sets and, from 2019, in four‑car “Castle” sets until May 2024. This model depicts the buffet variant of that fleet.