Class 950 Track Recording Unit

Unlike most of the powered Network Rail fleet the Class 950 did not have an earlier life in revenue earning service. The Class 950 was built for the then-Research Division of British Rail in 1987 using the Sprinter Class 150/0 as a base. Following delivery the Class 950 was fitted out with specialist equipment for its role as a Track Recording Unit [1].

Information
Number built:	2 (1 2-car set)
Built:	1987
Builder:	BREL York
Motor:	Cummins NT855R5 diesel per vehicle
Power:	570 hp (426 kW)

The Class 950 began service in late 1987 and can be used where the track is not suitable or able to support locomotive hauled Network Rail trains.



Originally the unit was classified the Class 180 though was later reclassified 950. It is now in Network Rail service and in NR yellow livery [2]. One of the cars (999 601) looks very similar to a standard Sprinter power car though 999 600 has a very different window and grill arrangement along the side.

950 001 at Derby

999 601

999 600

[1] Colin J. Marsden, 25 Years of Railway Research (OPC, 1989) p. 50
[2] Colin J. Marsden, Rail Guide 2016 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 203

Class 59 (Electro-Motive Diesel 3,300hp Type 5 Diesel-Electric)

In the mid-1980s aggregates company Foster Yeoman was growing frustrated with the low availability of British Rail's diesel locomotives and so made the then bold move of buying their own locomotives to haul their trains. In many ways the resulting Class 59, which utilised standard and proven General Motors equipment in a form of a version of the EMD SD40-2 design for the British loading gauge (with a cab layout based on the Class 58), was a pioneer.

Up until the Class 59 nearly all diesel locomotives and units operated on British metals had been British made but this changed after the Class 59 was introduced. Though the numbers of this locomotive built where in the end pretty small it directly led to the Class 66 (which is very similar externally though different internally) which was built in huge numbers (eventually 455) now handles the majority of freight traffic on the network.

Information
Number built:	15
Built:	1985-95
Builder:	GM-EMD USA (59/0) and GM-DD Canada (59/1 and 59/2)
Engine:	EMD 16-645E3C
Power:	3, 300 hp (2, 460 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Co-Co

Following Foster Yeoman's fleet of 5 (59/0) the type was also ordered by ARC Southern (59/1) who bought 4 and National Power (59/2) who bought 6. There are differences between the 3 sub-classes with the latter 2 sub-classes able to travel at higher speed than the original Foster Yeoman locomotives. The 59/2s also have more advanced slow-speed control for coal merry-go-round trains.

All are now operated by Mendip Rail on behalf of Foster Yeoman and ARC who retain overall ownership, except 59 003 which spent some time in Germany before being bought by GB Railfreight and returned to the UK.

GB Railfreight operated 59 003

59 005 in original Foster Yeoman livery at Bescot open day in 1988, photographer unknown (KD collection)

[1] Colin J. Marsden, Traction Recognition (2nd Edition) (Ian Allan, 2009) p. 61

London Underground A60/A62 Stock

The A60/A62 Stock was built in the early 1960s for the Metropolitan Line to replace a variety of legacy stock and remaining steam hauled trains on the line. The A60 Stock was built to replace T Stock trains on services to Watford and Rickmansworth and finally through to Amersham and Chesham when electrification was completed. The trains were indeed named A Stock after Amersham as they were ordered as part of the electrification extension programme. The second batch, A62 Stock, replaced F and P Stock on the Uxbridge service. Due to the long distances some passengers had to travel on the Metropolitan (Amersham is 43km from central London for example) the A Stock has more attention given to passenger comfort and performance [1].

Information
Number built:	464 (104 4-car sets)
Built:	1960-62
Builder:	Cravens
Engine:	GEC LT114 traction motors (630v DC fourth rail)
Power:	Driving Motor (DM)+Trailer (T)+T+DM[+DM+T+T+DM]

The two batches looked pretty much identical with the biggest difference being the compressor used. They entered service in 1961 and remained in service until September 2012 - finally being replaced by S8 Stock [2], making them one of the longest serving British EMUs with 51 years service and still the longest serving London Underground unit (though the 1972 Tube Stock will probably overtake them). As well as the Metropolitan Line they were also used on the East London Line from the late 1970s onwards.

The A Stock was usually employed in 8 car rakes consisting of 2 4-car sets coupled together. Unlike some types of LU stock the sets had driving cabs at both end so could be used on their own - as indeed they were on the Chesham branch of the Metropolitan [3].

With the Metropolitan having longer distances between stations than on most lines the A Stock could reach up to 70mph making them the fastest fourth rail units in the world! [4] By the 2000s however they had been restricted to 50mph to help nurse them along in their final years. One car has been preserved and a couple more (plus some spares) remain in service as one of LU's Rail Adhesion Trains - though a new RAT made from D78 Stock has been recently built and may replace it.

Preserved 5034 at LT Museum Acton Depot

Aboard 5034, the Metropolitan Line retains transverse seating unlike most tube lines

Overhead view of 5034

Cab view

[1] John Glover, ABC London Underground (Ian Allan, 1997) p. 54
[2] Piers Connor, The London Underground Electric Train (Crowood Press, 2015), p. 167
[3] John Glover, London Underground Rolling Stock in Colour (Ian Allan, 2009) p. 5
[4] Paul Moss, London Underground (Haynes, 2014), p. 112

Deltic (English Electric 3,300hp Diesel-Electric)

Deltic was built by English Electric as a private venture and remained privately owned even though it ran on British Railways metals for 6 years. It was built to prove the Napier Deltic engine for rail use [1]. It was hoped the innovative opposed-piston diesel engine with a much greater power to weight ratio than conventional engines would create a powerful express passenger locomotive that was not as heavy as the likes of contemporary large diesel locomotives. Deltic weighed 106 tons by comparison the Class 44 weighed in at 133tons and had 1,000 less horsepower to play with!

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1955
Builder:	English Electric
Engine:	2 Napier Deltic D18-25 diesels
Power:	3, 300 hp (2, 460 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Co-Co

Deltic was designed with the export market as well as home in mind and was given a "North American" appearance complete with large headlight and speed whiskers. When it was built Deltic was the most powerful diesel-electric locomotive in the world and it showed its performance on the London Midland and Eastern Regions [2] though had trouble with its loading gauge on parts of the East Coast Main Line. In the end the Deltic was ordered for production for the ECML in the form of the rather more British looking (and slightly slimmer) Class 55.

Deltic itself was preserved, being withdrawn from service in 1961. It was first displayed at London's Science Museum before moving to NRM Shildon in the last few years.

Deltic now resides at NRM Shildon

Deltic remained privately owned and never had a BR running number 

Note the large headlight and US appearance

[1] Brian Haresnape, Early Protoype & Pilot Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 29
[2] John Vaughan, Diesels on the Eastern (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 32

London Underground D78 Stock

The D78 Stock was built in the late 1970s for the District Line of London Underground replacing CO/CP and R Stock some of which had been in service since before the Second World War. The D78 (or just D) Stock bought a number of innovations with a keen eye for interior design to make them more inviting for passengers [1]. They had much improved suspension compared to earlier designs. They also introduced the twist-grip deadman joystick replacing the older style deadman button grip [2] (the deadman is a safety device which stops the train if the driver in incapacitated). One Man Operation began on the trains in 1985.

Information
Number built:	450 (75 6-car sets)
Built:	1978-81
Builder:	Metro-Cammell
Engine:	Brush LT118 traction motors (630v DC third & fourth rail)
Formation:	Driving Motor (DM)+Trailer (T)+ Uncoupling Non-Driving Motor (UNDM)+UNDM+T+DM (Some sets are DM+T+DM)

The D78 Stock cars were the longest on the Underground, which proved to be a problem on the District Line's High Street Kensington - Edgware Road branch as the D78 Stock was too long (C Stock trains were used instead)! [3] Most D78 Stock formations had 2 Driving Motors (DMs) at either end with non-driving motor cars in the middle, though some had DMs in the middle meaning they could be used as 3 car sets. They were used as such for a couple of years on the East London Line in the mid-1980s.

The D78 Stock fleet received a heavy mid-life refurbishment in the 2000s but were replaced as part of London Underground's standardisation for its Surface Stock fleet. The D78 Stock's replacement by S Stock was complete in Spring 2017, a number of years earlier than planned. Some D78 Stock will live on on the National Rail network as Class 230 DMUs (or bi-mode hybrids).

7535 at West Brompton

7094 at Earls Court

7049 at Kew Gardens

Aboard a D Stock train in its latter days

[1] Paul Moss, London Underground 1863 Onwards (Haynes, 2014) p. 132
[2] Piers Connor, The London Underground Electric Train (Crowood, 2015) p. 122
[3] Ben Muldoon, London Underground Rolling Stock Guide (Ian Allan, 2014) p. 26

Class 308 (BR York ER London Suburban Services AM8)

The original batch of 4-car units, originally known as the Southend Augmentation Stock, the AM8 (later Class 308/1) was built for commuter services out of London Liverpool Street to Colchester, Clacton and Walton [1]. Later on they were joined by a second batch (308/2) for boat train services out to Tilbury from London Fenchurch Street. One car was dedicated as a luggage van (though could also stow cycles and other items - it even included a fish stowage area!) [2] Finally a batch of 3-car units (308/2) was built for services from Liverpool Street to Chingford and Enfield Town.

Information
Number built:	177 (45 3 and 4-car sets)
Built:	1959-61
Builder:	BR York
Engine:	4 EE 536A traction motors per set (25kV AC OHLE)
Power:	770 hp (574 kW)
Formation:	308/1 : Battery Driving Trailer Composite Open Lavatory (BDTCOL) +Motor Brake Standard Open (MBSO)+Trailer Standard Open Lavatory (TSOL)+Driving Trailer Standard Open (DTSO) 308/2 : Battery Driving Trailer Standard (BDTS)+Motor Luggage Van (MLV)+Trailer Composite (TC)+Driving Trailer Standard (DTS) 308/3 : BDTS+Motor Brake Standard (MBS)+DTS 308/4 : BDTS+MLV+DTS

Externally the Class 308 looked similar to the likes of the Class 305 and 504 EMUs and had similiar equipment to the Class 302.

In the early 1980s the Tilbury boat trains ceased after Tilbury closed as a cruiser liner terminal. Three Class 308/2s were rebuilt as 308/4 postal trains, the non-motorised trailer being removed to make them 3-car units. Withdrawals of the 308 began in earnest in the late 1980s with the 308/2s and 308/3s being withdrawn. The 308/1s survived into the privatised era however and in their final years spread further afield. They could be found in the West Midlands and North East as a stop-gap stock pending new build EMUs [3]. They were finally withdrawn from service in 2001. One 308/1 DTSO has been preserved at the Electric Railway Museum.

Two views of the preserved 75881

[1] Colin J. Marsden, Motive Power Recognition 2: EMUs (Ian Allan, 1982) p. 28
[2] Alec Swain, Overhead Line Electric Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1990) p. 44
[3] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 225