British Rail Class 432
British Rail Class 432 (4-REP) | |
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standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 432 (4-REP) electric multiple unit passenger trains were built by BR at York Works from 1966 to 1967 and in 1974. The units were built to power the TC trailer units on services on the South West Main Line. Fifteen four-car units were eventually built. The motor coaches were new build, but the trailers were converted from Mk1 hauled stock. They were initially classified as Class 441 and numbered 3001–3015. This was later changed to Class 430, under which they spent the majority of their working lives. Shortly before withdrawal they were reclassified Class 432 and the units were renumbered as 2001–2015. The fleet had a lifespan of 26 years.
History
With the withdrawal of steam services and the full electrification of the line to
The whole scheme also revealed a need for a small batch of locomotives to maintain connecting services between London (Waterloo) and the unelectrified area of Southampton Docks for the passenger Ocean Liner traffic. This need exceeded the capabilities of the already extant and versatile Class 73 Electro-diesels (1,600 hp (1,200 kW) on electric & 600 hp (450 kW) on diesel) which provided motive power across the region for numerous secondary duties requiring locomotive haulage. To provide for this need, and keep the whole scheme within the limited budget available it was decided that 10 Class 71 2,550 hp (1,900 kW) straight electric locomotives operating on the South Eastern Division of the Region in the Kent area, that had become excess to operating needs be converted to Class 74. The alterations turned these locomotives into another Electro-diesel type with 2,550 hp (1,900 kW) on electric and 650 hp (480 kW) on diesel. As it transpired the locomotives as altered were fairly unreliable, and the Ocean Liner traffic for which they were primarily intended was rapidly vanishing. They were therefore a short lived type that was introduced from late 1967 and withdrawn within 10 years.
The high powered (3,200 hp (2,400 kW)) EMU tractor units were classified 4-REP (Restaurant Electro-Pneumatic brake), the trailer units 3-TC and 4-TC (Trailer Control) and the push-pull equipped diesel locomotives were converted from 19 of the Southern's native BRCW type 3 1,550 hp (1,160 kW) fleet (eventually to become designated class 33/1).
Initially, eleven 4-REP units were built to propel the TC units to Bournemouth and pull them back to Waterloo. The 4-REPs were of the contemporary 1963 BR(S) EMU design and were formed of two driving motor second/standard saloons (DMSO) sandwiching a trailer brake first corridor (TBFK) and a trailer buffet (TRB). The DMSOs were new-builds but otherwise the TBFK was converted from a loco-hauled Mark 1
When first introduced, the REPs appeared in overall rail blue livery with small yellow warning panels and small aluminium BR arrows below their side cab windows. The yellow warning panels were subsequently enlarged to cover the whole cab front. They were repainted during the early 1970s into blue and grey, losing their aluminium arrows in the process, as these had been the cause of damage to carriage washing plants; the 1974 builds emerged in blue and grey livery from new.[1] Surviving REPs saw an application of Network SouthEast flashes from 1986 onwards, while the Class 442 "Wessex Electrics" were being built.
The REPs were good performers in service, their maximum permitted speed of 90 mph (145 km/h) being easily exceeded even with a full load of two additional 4TC trailer sets. They were however classified as locomotives by the operating department so when running by themselves (which was rare, but not unknown, in passenger service) they were limited to 60 mph (97 km/h) like a light locomotive. During the late 1970s, speed tests were carried out between Woking and Basingstoke with a view to upgrading the permitted maximum to 100 mph (161 km/h) but this was never undertaken mainly due to the increased braking performance required. On occasion, 9 trailer cars were hauled, when the General Manager's Saloon DB975025 was added to a 4-REP/8-TC formation.
During 1971 the London-end cabs of units 3001 to 3011 were equipped with an experimental form of cab signalling (SRAWS - Signal Repeating AWS) which was being trialled in the up-direction between Raynes Park and Surbiton as well as in the New Forest area. The cab layout showed the driver the aspect of the next signal and the one that the train had just passed.
The buffet restaurant cars of all REP units carried names, in a very decorative etched-glass panel behind the buffet counter.
Accidents and incidents
- On 12 December 1988, a train comprising 4REP unit 2003 coupled to 4VEP units 3033, 3119 and 3005 at Clapham Junction. The two trains derailed and collided with a third train formed of 4VEP units 3004 and 3425 running in the opposite direction on an adjacent line. Thirty-five people were killed, nearly 500 were injured.[2][3]
Replacement
In the mid 1980s, the decision came to replace the Weymouth line stock – not only because finance had become available to electrify the line between
Further use
2 driving motors have survived from unit no. 2015 as departmental vehicles, albeit heavily modified, in use for ultrasonic testing of then Railtrack.
62483 became 999602 and ran sandwiched between Class 101 DMU vehicles converted to
62482 and 62483 are the last two 4-REP vehicles in existence and are currently in service, based at Derby RTC.[citation needed] The 4REP Appreciation Society was looking at saving the remaining carriages and turning them back to a 4-REP.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Marsden. (1983). p.74
- ISBN 0-10-108202-9.
- ^ McCrickard, John P (6 October 2016). "January 1988 to December 1988". Network South East Railway Society. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "Qxa 999602".
- Marsden, Colin J. (1983). Southern Electric Multiple-Units 1948–1983. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. pp. 73–84. ISBN 0-7110-1314-4.