Rolling Stock
East Coast - InterCity 125 HSTs: Typically 2 first-class, a Restaurant Buffet and 5 standard-class MkIII carriages with a Class 43 power car at each end. These replaced class 55 "Deltics" in 1981. InterCity 225: A Class 91 Electric Locomotive, 9 MkIV coaches and a Driving Van Trailer operating in push-pull mode introduced in 1990. This saw most of the HSTs transferred to Great Western and Cross-Country routes.
West Coast - Euston to Wolverhampton used class 86 electric locomotives hauling MkII coaches and operated at 100 mph. Euston to Glasgow services used class 87 and class 90 locomotives hauling MkIII coaches and operated at 110 mph. Euston to Holyhead services used Class 47 hauled MkII or HSTs. All west coast trains operated in push-pull mode with a Driving Van Trailer at the London end of the train. Before DVTs were introduced larger fleets of classes 81-85 were used to haul the trains conventionally. Class 50s operated north of Preston until electrification was completed in 1977.
Great Western - Intercity 125s from new which replaced class 52s. Services were also operated by MkII carriages hauled by class 47s and 50s. These trains were transferred to Network SouthEast and replaced by class 165 DMUs.
Anglia - Class 86 Electrics hauling MkI and MkII carriages using MkII DBSOs in push-pull mode. Class 47s were used before electrification in 1987. Some routes transferred to Network SouthEast leaving London-Norwich with InterCity.
Cross Country - Intercity 125s but with only one first-class carriage, and standard-class seats in the buffet car replaced the restaurant. Conventionally hauled MkII carriages using Class 47 diesel locomotives. Services operating north of Birmingham on the West Coast main line switched to electric traction using class 86 and class 90 locomotives. DVTs were not used.
Gatwick Express - Originally used dedicated 4-VEP Electric Multiple Units. Class 73 dual-mode locomotives hauling MkII coaches and a modified class 414 driving motor carriage were introduced in 1984 in push-pull mode.
Midland Mainline - Class 45, 46 and 47 locomotives hauling MkI and MkII carriages. HSTs replaced the loco-hauled trains in the 1980s.
Formations of HST and push-pull train sets would always place the driving van at the London end of the train, then two or three 1st-class carriages, restaurant and buffet car, 5 standard-class carriages and the locomotive would always be at the country end of the train. The only exception was the London to Norwich route. As Crown Point depot is to the south of Norwich station the locomotives worked from the London end as this facilitated easier loco changing at Norwich if necessary. Operating trains in push-pull mode eliminated the requirement to attach locos at terminus stations in order to turn the trains around. This also saved maintenance costs and reduced the number of locomotives and carriages needed to operate the services.
Read more about this topic: InterCity (British Rail)
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