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#4114· Class 41 (HST)

British Rail Class 41 (HST)

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Crewe Works· from 1972· Prototype High Speed, Type 4 Diesel Electric Locomotive/Powercar

🚄 high-speed train diesel preserved
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. 41001 in loop 1972: Dave coxon at English Wikipedia· Public domain
  2. 2. 19.06.82 Derby Locomotive Works ADB 975812 & ADB975813 (6158943719): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  3. 3. 252001 - reading - 1975: Max Batten· CC BY-SA 3.0
  4. 4. 252001 - weston s mare - 1975: Max Batten· CC BY-SA 2.5
  5. 5. Prototype HST power cars Derby 1982: Steve Knight· CC BY 2.0
  6. 6. Prototype HST Powercar (28156408700): Charlie Jackson· CC BY 2.0
  7. 7. 252001 at NRM York - DSC07812: Rept0n1x· CC BY-SA 3.0
  8. 8. 41 001 at Derby (Etches Park) EMT Depot Open Day: hugh llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
  9. 9. 41001 at Derby Etches Park open day (1): Harry Mitchell· CC BY 4.0
  10. 10. 41001 at Derby Etches Park open day (2): Harry Mitchell· CC BY 4.0
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
British Rail Class 41 (HST), photo 1 of 10
1/10 Dave coxon at English Wikipedia· Public domain

what is it?

The British Rail Class 41 were two power cars built in 1972 by British Rail Engineering Limited's Crewe Works to operate with the prototype High Speed Train (HST) with Mark 3 carriages.

who runs it

British Rail

base stats

  • speed 201 km/htop speed
  • power 1.7 MWpower output
  • weight 68.5 tin working order
  • built 2made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

  • First built 54 years ago, in 1972.
  • Top speed is 1.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 12 minutes.
  • 1.7 MW is about 20 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
  • Weighs about as much as 11 African elephants (~6 t each).
  • 17.1 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.

high-speed train: Built for 200–350 km/h on dedicated lines, like the TGV, ICE or Shinkansen.

spec sheet

built
1972
retired
1982
status
preserved
number built
2
kind
Diesel-electric
traction
diesel
origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders
Crewe Works
operators
British Rail
top speed
201 km/h
power
1.7 MW
gauge
1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement
Bo′Bo′
length
17.1 m
weight
68.5 t
Dutch name
Class 41 (HST)

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q4970802, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 41 (HST) (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

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