skip to content
stan runge

#3343

British Rail Class 205

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Eastleigh Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works· from 1957· class of three-car diesel-electric multiple units

🚆 multiple unit diesel retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Hampshire Unit DEMU No 205025 (1125) (7248942966): Peter Broster· CC BY 2.0
  2. 2. BR Class 205, 205029: Murgatroyd49· CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. 3. BR class 205 1126: Murgatroyd49· CC BY-SA 4.0
  4. 4. Class 205 1101 passing Micheldever on 31 Aug 1982: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
  5. 5. Class 205 Unit 1126 taken during the SH Homes Chichester to Midhurst Centenary Celebrations 1881-1981 at Brandy Hole Lane, Lavant on 11 July 1981 (1): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
  6. 6. Class 205 Unit 1126 taken during the SH Homes Chichester to Midhurst Centenary Celebrations 1881-1981 at Brandy Hole Lane, Lavant on 11 July 1981 (2): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
  7. 7. Class 205 Unit 1126 taken during the SH Homes Chichester to Midhurst Centenary Celebrations 1881-1981 at Brandy Hole Lane, Lavant on 11 July 1981 (3): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
  8. 8. Class 205 Unit 1126 taken during the SH Homes Chichester to Midhurst Centenary Celebrations 1881-1981 at Chichester Station on 11 July 1981 (1): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
  9. 9. Class 205 Unit 1126 taken during the SH Homes Chichester to Midhurst Centenary Celebrations 1881-1981 at Fishbourne on 11 July 1981 (1): The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
  10. 10. B.R.(S.R.) Class "205" (Class "3H") "Hampshire" 3-car: Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
British Rail Class 205, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Peter Broster· CC BY 2.0

what is it?

The British Rail Class 205 (3H) diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957 to 1962, and in service for 47 years from BR Southern Region to Connex South Central and finally to the Southern franchise. They were eventually replaced by Class 171 Turbostar units.

who runs it

Southern Region of British RailwaysNetwork SouthEastConnex South CentralSouthern

base stats

  • weight 56 tin working order
  • built 29made 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 69 years ago, in 1957.
  • Weighs about as much as 9 African elephants (~6 t each).
  • Served for 47 years (1957–2004).

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built
1957
in service from
1957
retired
2004
status
retired
number built
29
kind
multiple unit
traction
diesel
origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders
Eastleigh Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works, Ashford Works
operators
Southern Region of British Railways, Network SouthEast, Connex South Central, Southern
top speed
—
power
—
formation
2/3 cars per trainset
weight
56 t

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

Sources: Wikidata Q4970750, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 205 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

stan runge 7f71e88 source