Heljan 1208

British Rail Class 120 British Rail Blue & Grey

Contents

Class & Prototype

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The British Rail Class 120 comprised 65 three-car diesel multiple units built at Swindon Works between 1958-1961, pioneering integral body construction that influenced subsequent BR coaching stock design. Powered by twin AEC 150hp engines per power car (later Leyland 680), these distinctive cross-country units served Western, Scottish, and London Midland regions for 31 years on routes from Cardiff-Bristol to Aberdeen-Inverness. The 194 vehicles featured characteristic glass-fibre cab fronts with wrap-around windscreens, buffet facilities in centre trailer cars, and Blue Square coupling code for multiple-working. Final withdrawal occurred October 1989, with tragically only one vehicle (TSLRB 59276) surviving at the Great Central Railway, making the Class 120 exceptionally rare in preservation.

Operator & Livery

British Rail (1965-1997) transformed Britain's railways through revolutionary modernisation, introducing the iconic double arrow logo, Rail Blue livery, and business sectorisation. BR pioneered high-speed rail with the InterCity 125 and Advanced Passenger Train, electrified major routes, and created profitable divisions like InterCity and Network SouthEast. From steam succession through diesel and electric development to privatisation preparation, British Rail's diverse locomotive fleet, multiple livery schemes, and operational scenarios provide unparalleled variety for railway modellers across all scales and periods.