London Underground C69/C77 Stock

The C69 Stock was built to replace CO/CP Stock on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines [1]. The C69 Stock was a high density design with 4 pairs of double-doors per side to cope with the heavy demand on the Circle Line. The 212 C69 Stock cars operated in six car formations and thirty five such formations were formed (there were a couple of spare cars also built) [2]. 

5606 at Earls Court

Information
Number built:	279 cars (6-car sets)
Built:	1969-71, 1977-78
Builder:	Metro-Cammell
Engine:	4 Brush LT117 traction motors per motor car (630v DC fourth rail)
Formation:	Driving Motor (DM)+Trailer(T)+DM+T+T+DM

In the late 1970s a second batch of sixty seven cars was built to provide eleven more trains for the Edgware Road-Wimbledon branch of the District Line as the C77 Stock (an extra car was built to replace a C69 car destroyed by an IRA bomb). Although there were some technical differences between the C69 and C77s, they could operate together and following refurbishments in the early 1990s there were no longer any visual differences.

The C69 Stock was designed with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) in mind though this was never fitted [3]. They were later converted to One Man Operation (OMO) in the early 1980s and were the first London Underground stock to do so and do away with guards. As built the C Stock had longitudinal and transverse seating, though the later was removed during refurbishment in the early 1990s [4] in common with most other LU stock. Windows were also added to the non-driving ends of cars during refurbishment.

After over forty years service, the C Stock was replaced by S Stock in 2014. Three cars of C77 Stock have survived scrapping including 5721 at the London Transport Museum and the other two are at educational establishments.

C Stock cab

Aboard the preserved C Stock DM

Side view of preserved 5721

Another view of 5721

The rear of 5721 showing the added windows (see text above)

[1] John Glover, London Underground (Ian Allan, 1997) p. 56
[2] John Glover, London Underground Rolling Stock in Colour (Ian Allan, 2009) p. 5
[3] Piers Connor, The London Underground Electric Train (Crowood, 2015) p. 160
[4] John Scott Morgan, London Underground in Colour since 1955 (Ian Allan, 2003) p. 17

Metrolink T-68/T-68A

These trams were the first built for the Manchester Metrolink which began operations in 1992. Twenty six T-68s were built by Ansaldo Breda based on their Firema design. The trams are high-floor (due to Metrolink reusing a number of former heavy rail lines and stations) and articulated. Six more trams were built in 1999 for use on the Eccles Line, these T-68As had a number of differences including AC motors.

1023 preserved at Crewe Heritage Centre

Information
Number built:	32
Built:	1991-92, 1999
Builder:	Ansaldo Breda
Motor:	(T-68) 4 DC motors (T-68A) 4 Three Phase AC motors (750v DC OHLE)
Power:	(T-68) 564 hp (400 kW) (T-68A) 640 hp (480 kW)

The T-68 trams were supplemented on the fast growing Metrolink system by Bombardier M5000 trams from 2009. The M5000s were found to be more reliable and, as they were lighter, reduced track wear and were more efficient. It was decided to replace the T-68s and standardise on the M5000 despite the fleet only recently having received a mid-life refurbishment. The last T-68s were withdrawn in 2014. Two have been preserved.

Cab end of 1023

Articulated section of 1023

Class 87 (BR/GEC Traction 5,000hp AC Electric)

The Class 87 was built for the extension of the electrification of the West Coast Main Line into Scotland and was Britain's first 5, 000hp locomotive [1]. The Class 87 was a development of the then standard AC electric locomotive, the Class 86. It shared the same body shell though had redesigned bogies with Flexicoil suspension to reduce track wear [2] and frame mounted traction motors. The Class 87s were cleared to travel at up to 110 mp/h (177 kp/h).

87 035 in the process of being repainted into Virgin livery

Information
Number built:	36
Built:	1973-75
Builder:	BREL Crewe / GEC Traction
Engine:	4 GEC G412AZ traction motors
Power:	5, 000 hp (3, 728 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Bo-Bo

Thirty five Class 87/0s were built with a 36th locomotive built as the solo Class 87/1, this locomotive tested a thyristor control system. The later Class 90 was a development of the 87 and indeed was at one stage to have been the Class 87/2.

One one is now still in operation on the main line and two have been preserved. Quite a few have been exported to the continent and continue to operate in Bulgaria [3].

Preserved 87 001 in original BR blue at NRM York

Inside the cab

Front view of 87 035

Another view of 87 001

87 035 in BR Intercity livery at Crewe Heritage Centre

[1] Chris Heaps, BR Diary 1968-1977 (Ian Allan, 1988), p. 70
[2] Brian Haresnape, Electric Locomotives (Ian Allan, 1983), p. 69
[3] Colin J. Marsden, Traction Recognition (Ian Allan, 2008), p. 88

Laing, Wharton and Down Electric Industrial Locomotive

This locomotive was built by Laing, Wharton & Down of London (which later became British Thomson-Houston) for light industrial use. The locomotive weighed four tons and could haul up to sixteen tons up an incline. The locomotive followed current tram technology with it's use of a Brill 21E truck and a trolley pole for electric current collection. The locomotive's cab gave good views for the driver with a glass front.

The locomotive [1]

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1898
Builder:	Laing, Wharton & Down of London
Motor:	2 Wharton No. 3S electric motors (DC OHLE)
Power:	50 hp (37 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	4wWE

The locomotive was tested on a private siding in the North of England where it replaced a team of horses.

[1] "An electric locomotive for small lines", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XIV No. 10 October 1898) p. 686

Class 465 Networker

The Class 465 was built in the early 1990s to replace ageing Mark 1 based EMUs such as the Class 415 on Kent suburban routes [1]. The replacement of this old stock was seen as a priority in the late 1980s by the then-new Network South East sector of British Rail [2]. The new fleet of EMUs thus became known as the Networkers. The introduction of the Class 465, and the 2-car fleet of Class 466s, bought with it driver only operation, more spacious interiors and rapid acceleration compared to the 1950s build EMUs they replaced [3].

465 191 at London Bridge

Information
Number built:	588 (147 4-car sets)
Built:	1991-93
Builder:	ABB/BREL York (465/0 and 465/1) Metro-Cammell (465/2 and 465/9)
Engine:	Hitachi TIM2093A (465/0 and 465/1) Alsthom G352AY (465/2) Alsthom G352BY (465/9) (750v DC third rail)
Power:	3, 004 hp (2, 240 kW)
Power:	(465/0, 465/1 and 465/2) Driving Motor Standard Open (DMSO)+Trailer Standard Open (TSO)+Trailer Standard Open Lavatory (TSOL)+DMSO (465/9) Driving Motor Composite Open (DMCO)+TSO+ TSOL+DMCO

In 2005 thirty four 465/2s were rebuilt for longer routes and had first class seats added to the two driving cars, these became 465/9. The original Brush traction motors on the 465/0 and 465/1 were replaced with Hitachi equipment in 2009 to improve reliability.



All Class 465s were delivered in Network South East livery. Following privatisation they wore Connex South Eastern and latterly Southeastern Trains colours. Currently all are still operated by Southeastern.

465 019 passes New Cross

Aboard a 465

465 006 arrives at London Bridge

465 172 at Lower Sydenham

465 188 at London Victoria

[1] Colin J Marsden (ed.) "The Networker Family", Modern Locomotives Illustrated No. 233 February-March 2017 (Networker, Juniper & Javelin Stock) p. 4
[2] Bruce Oliver, British Railway Southern Region Electrics in Colour (Ian Allan, 2008) p. 13
[3] Colin J Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 361

Matisa Tamper

Tampers pack or "tamp" the ballast underneath tracks to ensure a firmer foundation. This was a manual job requiring large gangs of men for a long time before the arrival of dedicated tamping machines of which this Matisa tamper was the first. British Railways bought a number of these machines in the late 1940s and 1950s. Some remained in use until the 1980s when they were replaced by larger, more advanced machines such as Matisa's own B41UE.

DB74007, once based at Boston, seen at NRM Shildon

Information for UK builds
Builder:	Matisa Equipment of London
Engine:	Leyland diesel
Power:	70 hp (52 kW)

A number had new leases of life on preserved railways performing the same job [1].

[1] Royston Morris, Railway Maintenance Vehicles & Equipment (Amberley, 2017) p. 5

London Underground 1938 Tube Stock

The 1938 Tube Stock was built as part of London Underground's New Works Programme of the late 1930s, they became one of the most successful - if not the most successful - types of British train ever. They served on the underground for fifty years and, in the guise of the Class 483 remained in service on the Isle of Wight until 2020, over 80 years after their first entry in service!

Preserved 4-car set at LTM Depot Acton

Information
Number built:	1, 121 (plus 173 additional builds & conversions)
Built:	1938-47
Builder:	Metro-Cammell / Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company
Engine:	2 General Electric or Crompton Parkinson LT100 traction motors per motor car (630v DC fourth rail)
Formation:	(4+3 7-car formation) Driving Motor (DM)+Trailer (T) +Non-Driving Motor (NDM)+DM(+DM+T+DM)

In the late 1930s London Underground began an expansion programme known as the New Works Programme, new lines required new trains. Even before the huge Standard stock order had been completed London Underground were planning the next generation of tube trains. A number of experimental trains were built known as the 1935 Tube Stock. These were an advance on the Standard stock, advances in technology meaning that the switching equipment could be fitted underneath the body instead of occupying space behind the driving cabs [1]. A number of these trains were streamlined to experiment with high-speed tube trains however the streamlining idea, which was unpopular with the senior management at London Underground (though apparently popular with the public), was later dropped.

Having evaluated a number of types of equipment on the 1935 protoypes London Underground decided on a final specification and placed huge orders for new stock to be known as 1938 Tube Stock. Most stock was delivered before the Second World War called a halt to development with the final twenty-seven outstanding cars built in 1946-47. The fleet was later augmented by 173 cars - a mixture of conversion of Standard and 1935 Tube Stock cars and ninety one new builds known as the 1948 Tube Stock (though identical to the 1938s).

Initially the stock operated in 7-car formation, comprising a four and three car set semi-permanently coupled [2]. Later on 9-car formations were used on the Northern Line [3]. During their long lives the 1938 Tube Stock worked on the Bakerloo, Central, East London, Northern and Piccadilly Lines. Withdrawals began in the early 1970s [4] though the 1938 Tube Stock remained in service on the Underground until 1988 when the final five trains (which had been refurbished to augment newer trains) were withdrawn by the Northern Line. These trains however were then sold to British Rail for a new life on the Isle of Wight as the Class 483 [5].

A working 4-car set of 1938 Tube Stock has been preserved [6] as well as another Driving Motor (and a couple of cabs) in museums. A number of Class 483s have also been preserved.

Another view of the preserved 38ts alongside a preserved car of its predecessor

Preserved DM at Covent Garden

Front end destination display

The other end of the preserved set

[1] Paul Moss, London Underground (Haynes, 2014) p. 95
[2] J. Graeme Bruce, The London Underground Tube Stock (Ian Allan, 1988) p. 77
[3] Brian Hardy, Underground Train File: Tube Stock 1933-1959 (Capital Transport, 2001) p. 66
[4] Bruce p. 81
[5] Brian Hardy, Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight (Capital Transport, 2003) p. 60
[6] Kim Rennie, Underground and Overground Trains (Capital Transport, 2017) p. 36

Manchester Corporation Tramways 437-486

This was a batch of double decker trams with double bogies, completing the original fleet of Manchester Corporation Tramways. The trams had Brill 22E bogie trucks. The trams were originally open topped though many received top covers in the 1920s.

Tram in Manchester Corporation Tramways service [1]

Information
Number built:	50
Built:	1901
Builder:	Brush

Some of the trams received different trucks such as the Peckham P14D5 or Brush B. The trams were all withdrawn by 1948.

[1] "New power station and electric car house as Manchester, England", Street Railway Journal (September 6 1902) Vol. XX No. 10 p. 300

Class 52 (BR Swindon/Crewe 2,700hp Type 4 Diesel-Hydraulic)

In the 1960s the Western Region of British Rail was allowed to experiment with diesel hydraulic transmission as opposed to the rest of BR which used diesel electric transmission for mainline locomotives. The experiment was ultimately a failure with the non-standard diesel hydraulic locomotives being withdrawn from the late 1960s onwards after (in some cases very) short working lives. The Type 4 Class 52 "Western" was the flagship of the Western Region diesel hydraulic fleet and suitably was the last diesel hydraulic locomotive class to survive, it managed to hang on in BR service into early 1977 [1].

D1062 at Kidderminster Town

Information
Number built:	74
Built:	1961-64
Builder:	BR Swindon and Crewe
Engine:	2 Maybach MD655 diesels
Power:	2, 700 hp (2, 014 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	C-C

The Westerns along with some of the other diesel hydraulic classes were heavily influenced by German diesel locomotives and indeed had a pair of German made engines, though these proved expensive to maintain and class availability was poor for some time until modifications could be made to improve reliability. A great deal of care was made to the external appearance of the Westerns [2] which included a curved body profile to match those of the Mark 1 coaches it would typically pull. A number of liveries were also proposed and experimented with on the locos including desert sand, maroon and BR locomotive green [3]. Though the class was all in standard BR blue and yellow by the late 1960s in any case.



The Westerns were built to replace the GWR Kings on Western expresses though later were displaced to secondary services and freights as diesel electric locomotives like the Class 50 were transferred to Western Region. The Westerns managed to survive until early 1977 [4], their passing saw the greatest outpouring of enthusiast interest since the demise of steam and indeed they remain one of the more popular diesel locomotive classes to this day, a lot of this popularity probably due to their stylish and distinctive looks. Seven have been preserved and most of these continue to run on preserved lines (and the occasional main line foray) to this day.

Maroon D1062 at Hampton Loade

D1062 again, now in BR blue & yellow

D1010 at Kidderminster Town

D1023 at the National Railway Museum

D1015 at Kidderminster Town in early BR blue livery

[1] Brian Haresnape, Western Region Diesel Hydraulics (Ian Allan, 1982) p. 61
[2] David Lawrence, British Rail Designed 1948-97 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 154
[3] John Jennison & Tony Sheffield, Diesel Hydraulics in the 1960s and 1970s (Ian Allan, 2014) p. 19
[4] A. Wyn Hobson, The Last Years of the Westerns (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 70