Class 401 2-BIL

The Class 401 2-BIL (2 Bi-Lavatory - signifying the trains were 2 cars with a lavatory in each car) were built by Southern Railway in the mid-1930s as a development of the 4-LAV. The first 10 motor cars built by Metro-Cammell & BRCW with the rest built by Southern Railway itself at its Eastleigh and Lancing Works.

Information
Number built: 304 (152 2-car sets)
Built: 1935-38
Builder: (First batch) Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, Metro-Cammell
(Later batches) SR Eastleigh, Lancing Works
Engine: 2 MV/EE339 traction motors, some later replaced by EE507C (660-750v DC Third Rail)
Power: 550 hp (410 kW) (EE339) / 500hp (279kW) (EE507C)
Formation: Driving Motor Brake Third class Lavatory (DMBTL)+
Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory (DTCL)

The 2-BILs were designed for long-distance semi-fast services on the newly electrified lines to Eastbourne, Portsmouth and Reading [1], later also being used on the Waterloo-Portsmouth route.

They had full-width bodies with a corridor and the aforementioned toilets [2] which were needed in both cars as there were no gangways between them [3]. The earliest were built with Metropolitan-Vickers power equipment with the rest built with English Electric.

The 2-BIL was a successful type and remained in service until 1971 with a number of sets receiving BR Blue livery [4]. A couple were also used as hauled coaching stock in surplus 4-SUB trailers as the 7-TC though it was not a true push-pull set [5]. One 2-BIL set has been preserved by the National Railway Museum.
Preserved 2090 at NRM Shildon

2067 at Farnham (K Davies Collection)

Another view of 2090

2034 in BR Blue, location unknown (K Davies Collection)

Cab side view of 2090


[1] Colin J Marden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 300
[2] David Brown, Southern Electric Vol 2 (Capital Transport, 2010) p. 104
[3] Alan Williams, Southern Electric Album (Ian Allan, 1977) p. 24
[4] Bruce Oliver, British Railway Southern Region Electrics in Colour (Ian Allan, 2008) p. 19
[5] Brown p. 112