| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 171 (57 3-car sets) |
| Built: | 1957-58 |
| Builder: | BR Eastleigh |
| Engine: | 4 GEC traction motors (660v DC third rail) |
| Power: | 740 hp (550 kW) |
| Formation: | Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS)+Trailer Second (TS)+ Driving Trailer Brake Second (DTBS) |
The Class 501 was built at BR Eastleigh to a fairly standard (of the time) EMU design based on the shorter Mark 1 coach underframe. They were built with a LMR specified front end including a headcode panel and a destination blind [1]. The units were built without gangway connections and with some seating in compartments though this was later removed because of vanadalism and concerns for passenger safety [2].
Although not the best riding units ever built they soldered on until the mid-1980s. Some passed through into departmental use serving as battery locomotives and sandite trains. Two cars also served with the MOD. A DMBS and a DTBS have been preserved and are now at the Electric Railway Museum.
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| Preserved cars at the Electric Railway Museum |
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| This car carried the departmental TOPS number 977 349 when serving as a battery locomotive |
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| Both cars are undergoing restoration |
[2] Colin J Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 376