Automotrices électriques (EMU) - Grande-Bretagne : livres (4/4)

British Railways Electric Multiple Units to 1975

This comprehensive numbers book shows data on all the main line EMUs built up to 1975, including all the units that were built earlier by the individual companies before nationalisation as well as under BR.
The book covers all units that have finished their service life and concludes with the Class 312 units, older units and coaches rebuilt (including all the Gatwick Express units) and the PEP prototype sets.

The book gives the same data on each class, covering performance, dimensions, capacity, number series etc. Each type is covered in detail with information about construction, technical specifications, entry into service, withdrawal and final fate.
Additional sections describe unit formations together with individual histories of each vehicle including an indication of depot allocation during service. All the information included is accompanied by a line drawing of each class and there is an interesting selection of accompanying photographs showing the great variety of EMUs constructed from the end of the 19th century to 1975.

EMUs - A History

From nationalisation in 1948, British Railways built huge numbers of EMUs for suburban and short/medium-distance main line express duties, initially of pre-nationalisation design. In 1954 the Standard Mark 1 type was introduced, but was obsolete by the late 1960s.
More EMUs were needed to replace life-expired pre-nationalisation sets still working as well as to provide for new electrification services that were planned. The result was a complete fresh start in design terms with Southern Regions' 4-PEP design of 1971, from which several very successful classes were derived - the second generation. Second-generation EMUs cover a huge number of current services today.

As the 1990s dawned, change was in the air. The former British Railways workshops, already under the aegis of British Rail Engineering Limited, were to be sold and the privatisation of the entire BR network was looming. Before BREL was bought by ABB, they produced the first of the Networker design in 1991 - effectively the first of the third generation of EMUs.
From then on, not only was the Networker produced in large numbers, but many other private concerns produced a variety of their own standard designs such as the Electrostar, Juniper or Desiro, and some that did not spawn any derivatives, such as Hunslet's Class 323.

Electrostar EMUs

The Electrostar is a collective name given to the hugely successful class of EMUs produced by Bombardier at its Derby factory. There have been seven different classes that come under the Electrostar umbrella, all working mainly in the south-east of the country.
The first unit was delivered in 1999 to replace the Class 302 units on the London, Tilbury & Southend route. Over the following eighteen years, a total of 480 sets were produced for a variety of operators.

The different classes are all configured to their specific routes, with most making up a standard four-car train, although some of the later Class 377 units were delivered as five-car train.
The Class 376 units are high-density units, and were the only members of the Electrostar family delivered without gangway doors on the front.

The fleets were introduced to eradicate the earlier slam-door stock that was in use widely in the south-east at the time. Some classes are also fitted out for AC operation, and can be seen working as far north as Peterborough on the East Coast Main Line, and also Milton Keynes on the West Coast Main Line.
The design was also used on an export order, with twenty-four sets being used by Gautrain in South Africa.

Today the whole fleet is still in use, and this book aims to show the different classes in their everyday use.

Second Generation EMUs

For four decades, the term 'Second Generation EMU' has resonated within the rail industry. The inception occurred with the introduction of the British Rail (BR) Class 313 in 1976/77, marking a transformative era.
Equipped with both pantograph (25Kv AC) and shoegear (750V DC 'third rail'), these units continue to service the north of London commuter routes and Sussex's Coastway services.
As more regions benefit from electrification, operators increasingly favor EMUs, reflecting a pivotal shift in passenger train technology.

The evolution of electrification in the now privatized railway has witnessed over forty EMU classes in operation, gradually supplanting DMUs. This comprehensive book meticulously explores all EMU classes in the UK, offering insights into the nation's electrified railway network.

Class 442s: The Wessex Electrics

First introduced in the late 1980s, the Class 442s were like nothing that had been seen before in terms of Southern Region electric multiple units. These stylish and sleek trains were the first electric multiple units capable of reaching 100mph, and after many years travelling on the old Southern slam-door stock, mostly in vehicles that dated back to the steam era, the public's experience of riding in one of the 442s must have been incredible.

The class served with several operators, including South West Trains, Southern and South Western Railway. With the advent of COVID-19 and the cutbacks to rail services across the country, after 35 years of service, the Class 442s found themselves on the chopping block.
This book is a pictorial tribute of more than 200 images to what was, by far and away, the best electric unit ever to have worked on the Southern Region electrified lines.