British Rail Class 203
| British Rail Class 203 | |
|---|---|
| In service | 1958–1990 |
| Number built | 7 units |
| Operator(s) | Southern Region of British Railways |
| Line(s) served | Hastings Line |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Weight | 55 long tons (56 t; 62 short tons) |
| Prime mover(s) | English Electric 4SRKT Mark II |
| Power output | 500 bhp (370 kW) at 850 rpm |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The British Rail Class 203, initially classified 6B, was a type of diesel-electric train. Seven units, numbered 1031-1037, were constructed in 1958 for use on the Southern Region. They were similar to the earlier Class 202 units, differing only in the substitution of a trailer buffet car for one of the three trailer second opens.
The units were delivered in 1958 in then-standard British Railways green livery. They worked initially on the Hastings–Tonbridge–London Charing Cross/Cannon Street line.
In 1963, the number of buffet cars was reduced to five to reflect falling demand, with units 1031 and 1032 losing the carriages; 1031 was converted to standard 6L (202) formation while 1032 lost another car to replace a damaged car in another unit and ran with two TFKs, downgraded to TSK, from Class 201; the rest of these units were used in the formation of 3R(206) "Tadpole" units 1201-1206. The TSKs were later transferred to a 6S(201) unit and replaced with two standard 6L(202) TSOs and 1032 became another standard Class 202 unit. The two buffet cars removed from the units were stored and later converted for departmental use.
Between 1972 and 1977 two units worked a Brighton–Southampton–Salisbury–Exeter St Davids service and return on Saturdays only. Class 203s were also used occasionally in place of Class 205 or Class 207 units on the Oxted Line and Class 206 units between Reading and Tonbridge.
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