Birmingham Corporation Tramways Radial Class

This large fleet of tramcars was built in 1906 and 1907 for the recently electrified Birmingham tram network. These single truck trams were the first to have top covers from new. The trams also used the radial design of truck, from Mountain & Gibson of Bury who undercut the original intended supplier Brush Traction. The tram bodies were built by the United Electric Car Company of Preston. Dick, Kerr electrical equipment was also fitted though some trams later were fitted with General Electric motors.

Information
Number built:	150
Built:	1906-07
Builder:	United Electric Car Company
Motor:	2 DK6A electric motors (550v DC OHLE)
Power:	70 hp (52 kW)

The trams entered service in 1906 and operated from depots in Washwood Heath and on the Coventry and Moseley Roads. The trams had a seating capacity of fifty two, twenty four lower and twenty eight on the upper deck [1]. The trams served into the late 1930s when withdrawals began, though the last was not withdrawn until 1945.

One tram, number 107, has survived. It was withdrawn in 1939 and later used as a summer house. Restoration is ongoing at the Aldridge Transport Museum.

Number 107

[1] P.W. Lawson, Birmingham Corporation Tramway Rolling Stock (Birmingham Transport Historical Group, 1983) p. 30

London Underground 1992 Tube Stock (Central Line)

The 1992 Tube Stock (1992TS) was built for the Central Line in the early 1990s to replace ageing 1962 Tube Stock. As well as units for the Central Line, an order of stock was added for the Waterloo & City Line too, then still British Rail owned, as the Class 482. The 1992TS is based on the three 1986 Prototype Tube Stock trains which ran a series of trials in the late 1980s [1]. The 1992TS were the first production tube stock fitted with solid state traction equipment [2].

91239 departs Shepherd's Bush

Information
Number built:	680 cars (8-car sets)
Built:	1991-94
Builder:	BREL Derby / ABB Derby
Motor:	4 Brush LT130 traction motors per car (630v DC fourth rail)
Power:	1, 984 hp (1, 472 kW)
Formation:	Driving Motor (DM)+Non Driving Motor (NDM)+NDM+NDM+NDM+NDM+NDM+DM

Eighty five eight-car sets were built for the Central Line making up 680 cars in total, 175 being Driving Motors and the rest Non Driving Motors. Some NDMs are also fitted with de-icing equipment. The make-up of an eight-car formation can vary though DMs are always at the outer ends of course. The NDMs lack cabs but do have shunting controls accessible via an external cabinet.

The 1992TS has not been a trouble-free design for London Underground, despite the fact it was based on years of work with the prototype fleet, there were a number of teething problems that delayed and hindered the entry into service. In 2003 a train of 1992TS derailed at Chancery Lane, after a traction motor became detached from one of the bogies following a sheered bolt, injuring 32 passengers [3][4]. The entire fleet was taken out of service (both Central and Waterloo & City fleets) for bolts to be checked and faulty ones replaced. In 2010-11 the bogies were replaced by a new design by Siemens [5]. However, the 1992TS is the worst performing fleet on LU in terms of reliability and availability [6].

The 1992 Tube Stock fleet could be replaced as part of Deep Tube Upgrade in the next decade, at one time the 92TS fleet was planned to replaced by the early 2030s [7] though at the moment there are no firm plans for replacement. To keep the fleet going the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) is being carried out by Bombardier. The upgrade includes replacing the DC traction system with a Mitrac AC system [8], on board computer, communication system and refreshing and updating the interior to make it RVAR compliant.

91267 departs Lancaster Gate

91325 at Ealing Broadway

91013 at Leytonstone

Aboard a DM

Departing Queensway

[1] John Glover, ABC London Underground (Ian Allan, 1997) p. 64
[2] Piers Connor, The London Underground Electric Train (Crowood Press, 2015)  p. 105
[3] "Thirty hurt after Tube crash" BBC News <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2694361.stm>
[4] John Glover, London's Underground 12th Edition (Ian Allan, 2015) p. 76
[5] Connor p. 105
[6] Central Line Heavy Overhaul Programme Lift (TfL Paper) <http://content.tfl.gov.uk/rup-20150212-part-1-item10-central-line-overhaul.pdf>
[7] Kim Rennie, Underground and Overground Trains (Capital Transport, 2017) p. 19
[8] "Bombardier for Central Line retractioning", Modern Railways (October 2017) p. 83

Manx Electric Railway Trams

Work began on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man in 1893 with the first services later that year.  The first trams from that time remain in service and indeed the Manx Electric Railway uses trams exclusively which are well over a hundred years old on it's continuing operation. Some stock was lost in the 1930 Laxey car shed fire and others have been stored though mostly due to the decline in traffic over the years. 

Number 6 part of the first batch seen in 1904 [1], this tram is still in service today

Information for Cars 1-3
Number built:	3
Built:	1893
Builder:	G.F. Milnes & Co.
Motor:	4 SEHC electric motors (550v DC OHLE)
Power:	100 hp (75 kW)

The three original cars were single decker unvestibuled saloons with double trucks. One of these cars was lost in the 1930 fire though the other two remain in service and are the oldest electric trams still in service on their original network in the world. In 1894 ten more trams followed of a similar design though with vestibules. 

A tram in service in 1904 [1]

A tram trailer, some are still in use as well! [1]

[1] "The Manx Electric Railway", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XXIV No. 10 March 05 1904) p. 356

Class 444 Desiro

The Class 444 (along with the very similar Class 450) was ordered for South West Trains to replace slam door stock on long-distance services running on the former Southern Region Western Section [1]. They can mostly be found on London Waterloo to Weymouth and Portsmouth services.

SWR 444 040 heads through Worplesdon

Information
Number built:	225 cars (45 5-car sets)
Built:	2003-04
Builder:	Siemens Transportation
Motor:	1TB2016-0GB02 traction motors (750v DC third rail)
Power:	2, 682 hp (2, 000 kW)
Formation:	Driving Motor Standard Open (DMSO)+Trailer Standard Open (TSO)+TSO+Trailer Standard Buffet (TSRMB)+ Driving Motor Composite Open (DMCO)

The Class 444 differs from the 450 in being a five car set and with a low-density seating arrangement [2] better suited for longer journeys. Like the Class 450, the 444s are equipped with a pantograph well and could be converted in future to 25kV AC overhead line electric collection though there are no plans for any such conversion.


Like most new types the 444s had a few teething problems when entering service but quickly became very reliable units and indeed received the Golden Spanner award for being Britain's most reliable trains in 2010 [3]. They are now operated by SWT's successor South Western Railway.

444 009 at Farncombe

444 005 at Milford

SWT 444 013 at Guildford

SWR 444 004 passes through Farnborough

SWT 444 003 at Clapham Junction

SWR 444 003 at Godalming

[1] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 344
[2] John Balmforth, South West Trains (Ian Allan, 2011) p. 66
[3] Siemens Desiro Class 444 wins award as most reliable train <http://www.transportweekly.com/pages/en/news/articles/78314/>