British Diesels and Electrics

Blackpool Transport Jubilee Car

The two Jubilee cars were rebuilds of Blackpool Transport's Balloon cars and were the ultimate development of the British double decker tram. The two trams were experimental, with a body very much like a contemporary double decker bus. The first rebuild was completed in 1979 and was named the Jubilee car as it was introduced not long after the HM Queen's Silver Jubilee.

762 preserved at Crich

Information
Number built:	2
Built:	1979, 1982 (Conversion) 1934-35 (Original build)
Builder:	Blackpool Transport & English Electric
Motor:	2 EE305 electric motors (600v DC OHLE)
Power:	104 hp (86 kW)

The second conversion took place in 1982, unlike the first tram, this one retained it's central doors. Compared to their original bodies, the trams were lengthened. The first conversion had ninety-six seats, the second had ninety. They also had new suspension and were fitted for one man operation. They continued to serve with Blackpool Transport until 2012, both have now been preserved. They were the last double decker trams to be built in Britain.

Aboard 672, just like a 1980s motor bus!

The end of 762

Class 142 (British Leyland / BREL Derby Local & Secondary Services 2-car)

The Class 142 Pacer was the most controversial train in Britain, a cheaply made diesel multiple unit from the 1980s still serving in 2020. Questions were asked repeatedly, from parliament downwards [1], about when it would finally be replaced. The controversy however, is somewhat unfair as when built the Class 142 was a way to provide cheap rolling stock for branch lines and services that may have otherwise been closed or had services withdrawn. The Class 142 has also served quite bit longer than was originally intended. The end finally came in December 2020.

Northern 142 005 at Wigan North Western

The Class 142 resembles a bus on rails [2], because in some ways that is what it is! The body is based on that of the Leyland National, a very common bus that could regularly been seen on Britain's roads from the 1970s until recently. The body is wider than earlier bus-based DMUs like the Class 141 [3]. The chassis is a development of a high speed freight vehicle designed in the late 60s and each carriage only has four wheels. The Class 142 provided a rather poor ride for passengers and excessive wheel squeal and flange wear on sharp curves.

There were 2 sub-classes, the 142/0 and 142/1, the distinction is mostly due to when they were built in two production series. One difference between the sub-classes is that the 142/1 has a simpler roof structure. The Class 142s were originally fitted with Leyland TL11 engines but were re-engined with Cummins diesels, they also originally had mechanical gearboxes but were later fitted with Voith hydraulic transmission.

Information
Number built:	192 (96 2-car sets)
Built:	1985-87
Builder:	BREL Derby / Leyland
Engine:	Cummins LTA-10R diesel per car
Power:	450 hp (330 kW)
Formation:	DMS (Driving Motor Standard)+DMSL (Driving Motor Standard Lavatory)

The Class 142 has served with British Rail and a number of post-privatisation operators and in it's final years with Northern and Transport for Wales [4]. The Class 142 fell short of accessibility requirements for passenger trains being bought in in 2020. Withdrawals began in the late 2010s with the final examples being withdrawn at the end of 2020 (several months later than expected). Sixteen sets have entered preservation with some other cars having been converted into non-rail uses including a library!

Northern 142 022 at Meadowhall Interchange

Transport for Wales 142 072 at Cardiff Central

Aboard Northern 142 015

Northern 142 023 at York

Northern 142 041 at Liverpool Lime Street

[1] "Nick Clegg demands replacement of outdated "Pacer" trains", The Chronicle <http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/nick-clegg-demands-replacement-outdated-8055969>
[2] Colin J. Marsden, Traction Recognition (2nd Edition) (Ian Allan, 2011), p. 102
[3] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Multiple Units: The Second Generation and DEMUs (Ian Allan, 1986), p. 64
[4] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013), p. 122

Class D3/12 (SR/English Electric 350hp Diesel-Electric)

In the latter years of the 1930s the Southern Railway, as with the other railway companies, began to experiment with diesel traction for shunting. These three locomotives were very similar to locomotives built a couple of years earlier by English Electric and Hawthorn Leslie for the LMSR. One key difference being larger diameter wheels to allow safe operation on lines with raised third conductor rails [1].

Information
Number built:	3
Built:	1937
Builder:	Southern Railway Ashford Works / English Electric
Motor:	English Electric 6K diesel
Power:	350 hp (260 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	0-6-0

The shunters had a top speed of forty-eight km/h to allow for trip working as well as yard shunting. The shunters quickly proved their worth over steam shunters, although they were more expensive to build the running costs over a steam locomotive were much lower [3]. The three shunters were used by the War Department during the Second World War but were returned to the Southern Railway and then British Railways after the end of the conflict. They were withdrawn from service in the mid-1960s though one survived in departmental use until 1970.

Following the war, twenty-six similar locomotives were built which became the Class 12.

Number 2 in Southern colours [2]

[1] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Shunters (Ian Allan, 1984) p. 25

[2] "Driving a diesel-electric locomotive", Meccano Magazine (April 1945) p. 112

[3] Colin J Marsden, Diesel & Electric Locomotive Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2011) p. 4

Class 67

The Class 67 is a mixed traffic locomotive able to reach 125mp/h and intended to haul postal trains and other special services like the Royal Train [1]. By the time the locomotives had arrived from Spain the intended post services had left the railway so they have been mostly involved on charter, passenger and other general duties instead. When they arrived they were restricted to 110 mp/h because of the high axle load but bogie modifications have restored their design speed. Problems with exceeding the loading gauge also delayed their introduction into service.

67 010 at Kidderminster Town

Information
Number built:	30
Built:	1999-2000
Builder:	Alstom Meinfesta / General Motors
Engine:	GM 12N-710G3B-EC diesel
Power:	3, 200 hp (2, 386 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	Bo-Bo

A major duty for the Class 67 was on Chiltern Railway's expresses from London Marylebone to the Midlands though they were replaced by newer Class 68s after a few years. Twenty eight are operated by DB Cargo and the other two Colas Rail.

67 008 at Birmingham Moor Street

67 018 at Birmingham Snow Hill

67 010 brings a charter into Bridgnorth

A Class 67 with a charter heads through East Midlands Parkway

67 012 and friend at London Marylebone

[1] Colin J Marsden, Traction Recognition (Ian Allan, 2011) p. 76

Class 405 4-SUB

The 4-SUB was a long-lived and large class of electric multiple unit (EMU) introduced in the latter days of the Southern Railway and surviving in British Rail service into the early 1980s, where it became known as the Class 405. The new build was augmented by rebuilt 3-SUB EMUs, some of which dated back to the mid-1920s! They were used on suburban services out of London (hence the Alpha code).

Preserved 4732 in latter day BR blue livery

Information
Number built:	740 (185 4-car sets) plus rebuilds
Built:	1940-51
Builder:	SR (later BR) Eastleigh Works
Motor:	4 EE507C electric motors per power car (660-750v DC third rail)
Power:	1, 000 hp (746 kW)
Formation:	DMBS (Driving Motor Second)+TS (Trailer Second)+ TSO (Trailer Second Open)+DMBS

Construction began at Eastleigh in 1940 [1], though the first was not completed until 1941 [2] due to wartime delays. Construction of the 4-SUBs continued until 1951 though full scale production did not begin until the end of the Second World War [3]. Many 3-SUBs were rebuilt in the 1940s, some having earlier "torpedo" style fronts (see 8143) below and others the flat fronts of the 4-SUBs. Early on 4-SUBs had a mixture of first and third class accommodation though first class was removed from suburban services in the 1940s. In British Railways days they were listed as having second class throughout, though this was just what third class was renamed! The 4-SUBs had a mixture of open and compartment seating [4].

Rebuilt units were withdrawn from the 1950s and all were gone by the end of the 1960s. Withdrawals of the new built units began in the early 1970s and was completed in 1983. A complete four car set has been preserved plus a rebuilt DMBS and a new build trailer.

Preserved 8143, a rebuilt car, at NRM York

Front on view of 4732

[1] Colin J Marsden, Diesel & Electric Multiple Units Recognition (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 308

[2] David Brown, Southern Electric Vol. 1 (Capital Transport, 2010) p. 158

[3] Brian Haresnape & Alec Swain, Third Rail DC Electric Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1989) p. 21

[4] Colin J Marsden, Electric Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1982) p. 61

Derby Lightweight Railcar / "Iris"

In the early 1950s British Railways built a number of prototype Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) which became known as "Lightweights" due to the method of construction using light alloy sheets. The first batch used Leyland engines and torque converter transmission but these were soon joined by a second batch which used BUT (AEC) engines and a pre-selector gearbox. This later batch proved to be much more what BR wanted and they set the standard for the production DMUs [1] for the next 40 years and beyond.

Iris at Duffield

Information
Number built:	2
Built:	1956
Builder:	British Railways Derby Works
Motor:	2 BUT (AEC) horizontal 6-cylinder diesels
Power:	300 hp (224 kW)
Formation:	Driving Motor Brake Standard (DMBS)

As well as a number of 2- and 4-car sets a couple of single railcars were also built for the Banbury (Merton Street) to Buckingham/Bletchley route. However, being non-standard they were withdrawn (like the other Lightweights) after just a few years in service [2] by the end of the 1960s.

Some of the Lightweight DMUs avoided scrapping and went into departmental service, one of the single cars became QXV RDB975010 Iris when it was transferred in 1967 to British Rail Research [3]. Following rebuilding it was used for radio control and survey research at Derby [4] later it was used for radio propagation, noise measurement and data transmission tests [5]. It has now been preserved at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and has been restored to it's original condition.

Iris at Wirksworth

Comparison of Iris to a Class 122 railcar (left)

Side of Iris