Plymouth Corporation Tramways

The Plymouth Corporation Tramway began in 1892 when it took over the 1, 067mm gauge horse-drawn Plymouth Tramways Company. Work began to convert the tramway to electric in 1898 with the first electric trams operating in January 1899. The first electric trams operated by the corporation were six G.F. Milnes trams which had Westinghouse electric equipment and Peckham cantilever trucks. These trams could also haul a trailer car. They remained in service until 1929.

Plymouth Corporation Tram [1]

Information for original cars
Number built:	6
Built:	1898
Builder:	G.F. Milnes
Motor:	2 Westinghouse 46 electric motors (550v DC OHLE)

The fleet continued to grow throughout the subsequent decades, the Plymouth Corporation taking over other networks in the area in 1914. However by the 1930s the tram network was in need of renewal but, as with most tram networks at the time, there was little money or enthusiasm for renewal and replacement of trams with motor buses began. Replacement with buses was put on hold due to the Second World War (trams were powered by home grown coal, buses needed imported oil!) The worn down network was not spared by bomb damage in the war, the final trams operating in September 1945.

Plymouth Corporation Tram (Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons)

[1] "Plymouth Corporation Tramways", Street Railway Journal (September 1899) Vol. XV No. 9, p. 589

GWR AEC Railcar

Several railway companies experimented with petrol and diesel railcars in the early part of the twentieth century, the GWR had a fleet of AEC powered railcars which were arguably the most successful type to be built until the advent of the British Railway DMU in the 1950s. Indeed it can be said that the success of these railcars established the viability of diesel railcar for operation on Britain's railways in the future [1]. The first railcar entered service in 1933 operating between London Paddington and Reading though with just a single engine was considered rather underpowered having a top speed of just 45 mp/h (72 km/h), all subsequent railcars had two engines and subsequently much better performance.

Preserved W4W, a Park Royal example, at NRM York

Information
Number built:	38
Built:	1934-42
Builder:	Park Royal, Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, GWR Swindon
Motor:	1 or 2 AEC 6-cylinder diesel
Power:	121 / 242 hp (90 / 180 kW)

The railcars were built in a number of batches throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. Park Royal built the first four, the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company building the next thirteen. One of these was a dedicated parcels van, later railcars also had buffers and draw gear to haul stock. The rest of the fleet was built at the GWR's own Swindon works in the early 1940s. These differed from the earlier railcars in having an angular boxy exterior [2] as opposed to the Art Deco streamlined look of the earlier railcars (which had earned them the nickname of "Flying Banana"). The last few railcars built had cabs at one end only (gangways at the other) and were used in two-car sets [3].

The railcars remained in service until the 1960s used on Western Region branch lines. Three have been preserved.

Side view of W4W

W31W at London Paddington (KD Collection)

Front view of W4W

[1] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Multiple Units: the First Generation (Ian Allan, 1985) p. 11
[2] Colin J Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 4
[3] Haresnape p. 10

Class 370 APT

The Advanced Passenger Train (APT) project was begun by British Rail in the early 1970s and was supposed to be the future of InterCity travel. Indeed, the High Speed Train which was introduced later in the decade was seen as a bit of a stop-gap! The APT project unfortunately never came to fruition despite over a decade of development and failed to enter service, though the Class 370 electric multiple unit came (fairly) close.

370 003 preserved at Crewe Heritage Centre

Information
Number built:	44 (6 7-car sets - though making 3 trains + 2 spares)
Built:	1977-78
Builder:	BR Derby / ASEA
Engine:	4 ASEA/LJMA 410F traction motors (25kV AC OHLE)
Power:	4, 000 hp (2, 983 kW) (per power car - 2 are used in a train)
Formation:	Driving Trailer Second (DTS)+Trailer Second (TS)+Trailer Unclassified (Restaurant) (TU)+Trailer Buffet Second (TRSB)+Trailer First (TF)+ Trailer Brake First (TBF)+Non-Driving Motor (M)+ [M+TBF+TF+TRSB+TU+TS+DTS]

The Class 370 was built on the experience gained from the gas-turbine powered APT-E in the early 1970s [1]. The Class 370, often referred to as the APT-P, was designed to be able to travel at 125mp/h along the West Coast Main Line, the coaches tilting to allow for the increased speed on legacy tracks. The tilting unfortunately proved the APT's Achilles Heel causing a lot of trouble and technical headaches. The project was finally cancelled in the mid-1985s. It was not a complete waste however as some of the technology developed was later used on the InterCity 225 and also used on the Pendolino sets which now run on the WCML - though these were not built in the UK.

Each of the six Class 370 sets built consisted of seven vehicles, a non-driving motor car and six passenger carrying cars. Two sets made up an in-service rake with the two motor cars being in the centre of the train.

The Class 370 had a number of "interesting" features, notably the train's power cars which had no passenger gangway access meaning that there was no passenger access between the two halves of the train while in motion (and also wasted a lot of platform space). Buffet facilities therefore had to be duplicated. The limitations of the central power cars were well known during testing and the production APT (or "squadron service") version of the train (known as the APT-S) would have had a single power car at one end of the train [2]. In the end this layout is what was used on the Class 91 hauled (and propelled) Intercity 225.

Seven cars have been preserved including a six-car rake at the Crewe Heritage Centre and another Motor car.

Side of the Motor car showing the APT branding

By contrast the other preserved Motor, in undercoat

Interior design in one of the trailers

Cab view

[1] Brian Haresnape, High Speed Trains (Ian Allan, 1983) p. 70
[2] David N Clough, APT: the Untold Story (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 104

Orenstein and Koppel 20777 (RL3)

This locomotive was built by Orenstein & Koppel for the German Navy in 1936, working on a narrow gauge (60cm gauge) railway at Kiel naval base. Post-war it was imported, along with another RL3 (21159/1938), to work at the Norden Clay Works in Dorset.

20777 at the Statfold Barn Railway

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1936
Builder:	Orenstein & Koppel
Motor:	Diesel
Formation:	0-4-0DM

In 1972 the locomotive was preserved (it's class mate was also preserved and later converted into a steam locomotive!) 20777 lived on the Durley Light Railway for a number of years but since 2012 has been at the Statfold Barn Railway.

Leith Corporation Tramways

The Leith Corporation Tramways was a short-lived tramway company in Leith, Scotland. The company took over from the horse-drawn Edinburgh Street Tramways [1] in the Leith corporation district in October 1904. Work on electrification began immediately with electric tram services up and running by August 1905. The company survived until 1920 when it was taken over by Edinburgh Corporation Tramways. The tram routes continued to operate until 1956.

Tram on Newhaven Road [1]

Information
Number built:	36
Built:	1905
Builder:	British Thomson-Houston & Brush Electrical United Electric Car Works of Preston
Motor:	2 GE54 electric motors (500v DC OHLE)

Leith Corporation operated a fleet of thirty-six trams (plus a couple of works cars). All were double decker trams, thirty were open on top and six having a covered top deck. The tram car order was shared equally between British Thomson-Houston and Brush Electrical. The bodies were made by the United Electric Car Works in Preston, all trams used Brill 21E trucks and GE motors.

These trams were inherited by the Edinburgh Corporation and most of the open top deck were modernised with covers. The trams survived until the mid-1930s with the last scrapped in 1936. The company also operated a combined sweeper and sprinkler car.

Car depot [2]

Tram on Craighall Road [2]

[1] "Leith Corporation Tramways", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XXVI No. 24) Dec 9 1905, p. 1014
[2] Ibid. p. 1017

Class 503

The Class 503 was a third rail DC (650v) electric multiple unit used on the Wirral and Mersey lines. The class was built in two batches, the first nineteen 3-car sets built in 1938 for the LMS (known as 1938 Stock) and a near identical second batch of twenty-four sets for British Railways in 1956-7 (1956 Stock) [1]. The Class 503s were advanced for their day with air-operated sliding doors and a high power to weight ratio thanks to the construction methods used which employed light alloys and avoided heavy frames [2].

28690 in LMS livery

Information
Number built:	129 cars (43 3-car sets)
Built:	1938, 1956-7
Builder:	Metro-Cammell / Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company
Engine:	4 BTH traction motors (650v DC third rail)
Power:	540 hp (403 kW)
Formation:	(Original) Driving Motor Brake Standard (DMBS)+Trailer Composite (TC)+Driving Trailer Standard (DTS) (Modified) DMBS+Trailer Standard (TS)+DTS

In the 1970s the stock was modified to have central end doors to comply with Department of Transport regulations for stock which operates in single track tunnels (to allow for the exiting of passengers in an emergency if the side doors cannot be used) [3]. They also had their first class provision removed to become fully standard class.

After a long career the Class 503 was finally withdrawn in 1985 and replaced by Classes 507 and 508. One set was retained and kept for special services until 1988, then it was preserved. The preserved set was from the 1938 Stock batch and is one of only two pre-war EMUs still in existence in close to original condition.

Another view of the preserved unit

[1] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p, 381
[2] R.L. Vickers, EC Electric Trains and Locomotives in the British Isles (David & Charles, 1986) p. 74
[3] Brian Haresnape & Alec Swain, Third Rail DC Electric Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1989) p. 28