British Rail Class 33 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo

Bo-Bo

A Bo-Bo or Bo′Bo′ is a locomotive with two independent four-wheeled bogies with all axles powered by individual traction motors...

diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region

Southern Region of British Railways

The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...

of British Railways between 1960 and 1962.

A total of 98 Class 33s were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company

Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company

The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was a railway locomotive and carriage builder, founded in Birmingham, England and, for most of its existence, located at nearby Smethwick, with the factory was divided by the boundary between the two places...

(BRCW) and were known as "Cromptons" after the Crompton Parkinson

Crompton Parkinson

Crompton Parkinson was a British electrical manufacturing company formed in 1927 by the merger of Crompton & Co., and F & A. Parkinson Ltd.Crompton & Co. was a lamp manufacturer founded by Colonel Rookes Evelyn Bell Crompton in 1878 and had designed and installed electric lighting installations at...

electrical equipment installed in them.
Like their lower-powered BRCW sisters (BR Classes 26

British Rail Class 26

The British Rail Class 26 diesel locomotives, also known as the BRCW Type 2, were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company at Smethwick in 1958-59. Forty seven examples were built, and the last were withdrawn from service in 1993...

and 27

British Rail Class 27

British Rail's Class 27 comprised 69 diesel locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company during 1961 and 1962. They were a development of the earlier Class 26; both were originally classified as the BRCW Type 2.- Usage :...

), their bodywork and cab ends were of all steel construction.

The original (1957) number sequence was D6500—D6597.

Early years

They began service on the South-Eastern Division of the Southern Region but rapidly spread across the whole Region and many were used much further afield - an example being the weekly Cliffe (Kent) to Uddingston (South Lanarkshire) cement train which was worked as far as York (and occasionally throughout) by a pair of the locomotives.

They were built with the ability to supply only the then new electric

Head end power

Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...

train heating rather than the ubiquitous steam heating which passenger carriages largely used. Early delivery problems and a shortage of steam locomotives resulted in many Class 24 locomotives being borrowed from the Midland Region and pairs, of 33 + 24, became common on Winter passenger services. This resulted in unpopular, complex run-round manoeuvres at termini as Class 24 needed to be coupled inside to provide steam heat. Emergency provisioning of through-piping for steam heat on some examples of class 33 alleviated this somewhat. The Southern Region was unaccustomed to the operational overhead and maintenance associated with the use of class 24 and they rapidly became unpopular. With the advent of modern stock and warmer seasons, they were sent back home with the Midland as pleased to have them back as the Southern was to see them gone.

Class 33s today

Most of these locomotives have now been withdrawn from active duty, though some of preserved members are in railtour

Railtour

A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services...

services with heritage spot hire rail companies West Coast Railway Company

West Coast Railway Company

West Coast Railways, also known as West Coast Railway Company, is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire, on the site of the old Steamtown heritage depot...

, whilst others remain operational on preserved heritage railways.

Class 33/0 - standard locomotives

All 88 of the first delivery were built as standard locomotives. Later with the advent of TOPS

TOPS

Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...

these would become class 33/0 and were numbered in the range 33001-33065. Two locomotives did not survive long enough to receive TOPS numbers:

D6502. In 1964 while on a freight working, it ran through signals
Signal passed at danger
A Signal passed at danger , in British railway terminology, occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. It is a term primarily used within the British Railway Industry, although it can be applied worldwide.-Categories of SPAD:...

at Itchingfield
Itchingfield
Itchingfield is a small village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. It lies on the Barns Green to Broadbridge Heath road southwest of Horsham.The main settlement in the parish is Barns Green.-References:...

near Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...

and rammed a freight train ahead of it - damage was so extensive the locomotive was cut up on site.
D6576. In 1968 it was involved in a collision at Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....

but following recovery to Eastleigh and examination, it was considered uneconomical to repair and was cut up for spares.

Class 33/1 - push-pull fitted locomotives

While third rail

Third rail

A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...

electrification was expanding on the Southern region, it was not then considered to be justified to extend beyond Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...

and so, in 1966, D6580 was fitted with experimental push-pull

Push-pull train

Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...

apparatus, high-level brake pipes and jumper cables

Multiple-unit train control

Multiple-unit train control, sometimes abbreviated to multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a train from a single location, whether it is a Multiple unit comprising a number of self-powered passenger cars or a set of locomotives.A set of...

to make it compatible with Multiple Unit stock. Tests were carried out on the Oxted Line

Oxted Line

The Oxted Line is a railway line in southern England. It was originally operated jointly by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern Railway. It is now part of the Southern franchise....

using a 6-coach rake of unpowered multiple unit coaches (designated TC, the T standing for Trailer). The use of this equipment removed the necessity for the locomotive to run around to the front of its train at each terminus, as it could be controlled from the driving position of a TC unit and hence could propel its train from the rear.

In 1968, following successful completion of trials, D6580 and eighteen other members of the class entered Eastleigh works to be fitted with a modified version of the push-pull

Push-pull train

apparatus - fully compatible with Class 73

British Rail Class 73

The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...

and Class 74

British Rail Class 74

British Rail Class 74 was an electro-diesel locomotive that operated on the Southern Region of British Railways, rebuilt from redundant Class 71 locomotives in the late 1960s...

Electro-Diesels and indeed any Electro-Pneumatically controlled (EP) Multiple Unit stock. They emerged painted in the new BR corporate blue with full yellow ends.

With the advent of TOPS, Class 34 had been reserved for these modified locomotives but it was not used and they were grouped, instead, into class 33/1 being numbered in the range 33101–33119.

They settled into sterling service, proving themselves highly useful and reliable. The prototype locomotive (D6580 later 33119) was the only member of Class 33 to run in green livery with the Multiple Unit control equipment - not to be confused with preserved members of Class 33/1 that have been repainted into green.

Class 33/2 - narrow-bodied locomotives

The second batch of 12 locomotives was built with narrow bodies to allow them to work specific lines in Kent. The "Hastings

Hastings Line

The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and East Sussex linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and from there into London via Sevenoaks.-Openings:The line was opened by the South Eastern Railway in main three stages: – :...

" profile, required the bodies to be reduced in width by 7 inches (177.8 mm) to avoid clipping tunnel linings on that line, leading to their nickname of 'Slim Jims'.

British Rail used its "muscle" to force the builder to comply with the design change while under contract - effectively costing British Rail nothing but BRCW dearly. The whole body structure had to be re-designed and new construction jigs

Jig (tool)

In metalworking and woodworking, a jig is a type of tool used to control the location and/or motion of another tool. A jig's primary purpose is to provide repeatability, accuracy, and interchangeability in the manufacturing of products. A jig is often confused with a fixture; a fixture holds the...

fabricated. Already in financial trouble, they were never likely to recoup the design costs on such a small production run and it is thought this hastened their demise as a builder of large locomotives in 1964.

Push-pull operations

The mainstay of push-pull operations was the operation over the then un-electrified track from Bournemouth to and the service continued like this across three decades. Weymouth trains started at London Waterloo powered by third-rail

Third rail

electric traction via Winchester and Southampton to Bournemouth. The consist was normally twelve cars made up of a powerful 3200 hp 4 REP

British Rail Class 432

The British Rail 4-REP electric multiple units were built by BR at York Works from 1966-1967 and 1974. The units were built to power the 4-TC trailer units on services on the South Western Main Line. Fifteen four-car units were eventually built. The motor coaches were new build, but the trailers...

electric multiple unit on the rear with two leading units of un-powered 4TC

British Rail Class 438

The British Rail TC multiple units were un-powered fixed formations of 3 or 4 carriages with a driving position at each end of the set, converted by BR at York Works from locomotive-hauled Mark 1 carriages in 1966-1967 and 1974. The units built on experience gained from the prototype 6TC unit...

s. At Bournemouth the train would be divided with the 4REP remaining at the London end of Bournemouth station and the 4TCs hauled onward to Poole and Weymouth by Class 33/1. On the return leg, the locomotive propelled the train back to Bournemouth where it would be attached to a waiting London-bound 4REP and the locomotive detached to await the next Weymouth-bound portion.

The usual configuration was 4TC+4TC+Loco with the locomotive at the country end. Light traffic would result in 4TC+Loco, and in rare operational circumstances 4TC+Loco+4TC was noted. This combination was not preferred, as it led to operational difficulties and inconvenience to waiting passengers who found themselves confronted with the side of the locomotive when their train has drawn to a halt.

The Class 33/1 with one or two 4TC sets (normally with the Class 33/1 at the country end of the train) were also the mainstay of the Waterloo - Salisbury service from their introduction. Platform congestion and the lack of facilities at the very busy Basingstoke station were two of the reasons for class 33/1 operation throughout the route rather than just over the non-electrified section west of Basingstoke..

In later years Weymouth boat trains, conveying passengers between London and the Channel Islands ferry service out of Weymouth, were handed over to push-pull operation. The section of route from Weymouth to the ship terminal

Weymouth Harbour Tramway

The Weymouth Harbour Tramway is a goods and passenger railway constructed almost entirely on the streets of Weymouth, England...

at the quay is actually tramway, following (and largely in the middle of) the harbour road. The quay spur did not pass through the station proper, but diverged westwards at the throat thus it was not possible for boat train

Boat train

A boat train is a passenger train which connects with a passenger ship, such as a ferry or ocean liner. Through ticketing is normally available. -Notable named boat trains:*The Flèche d'Or Paris Gare du Nord to Calais...

s to call at Weymouth station. Boat trains had been made up of conventional coaching stock and the locomotive would run-round its train on arrival at the sea-terminal. The move to push-pull sets on boat trains removed two headaches for the SR:

The necessity for the run-round at the quay was removed.
The locomotive swap at Bournemouth (for both up and down trains) was eliminated and services were greatly improved with the elimination of the troublesome Class 74
British Rail Class 74
British Rail Class 74 was an electro-diesel locomotive that operated on the Southern Region of British Railways, rebuilt from redundant Class 71 locomotives in the late 1960s...

locomotive from the equation.

Although class 73 & 74 electro-diesel locomotives had push-pull capability, they did not have the endurance for longer runs on diesel power - being barely Type 1 equivalent. The Type 3 power of Class 33/1 with only a 4 or 8 car train was rarely into the recovery margin of a schedule due to load.

Class 33/1 and 4TC combinations were often used to supplement other services and were not just the purview of Bournemouth-Weymouth trains. Services could be rostered for a push-pull set due to stock shortages - the Reading to Basingstoke service (normally a stronghold of DEMU

Demu

Demu may refer to:*Dému, a village in France*Diesel-electric Multiple Unit *DEMU, Diesel and Electric Modellers United, a UK railway modelling group*The alien antagonists of The Demu Trilogy by F.M. Busby...

sets) could be relied upon to produce a push-pull set on Sundays. Often, electric rosters would be substituted by class 33/1 + 4TC if the line was de-energised during engineering work. Indeed, push-pull sets were a possibility over the entire range of Southern Region services including inter-regional trains; they were not in-frequent visitors to Bristol Temple Meads station and have been noted at Cardiff.

Although in private ownership at the time, 33103 and 4TC 417 were spot-hired for use on Barking-Gospel Oak services during a stock shortage in 1999 and worked the service for some weeks without issue.

A further member of the class was used as a dead-load test before the introduction of Eurostar trains running on Southern tracks into Waterloo. Having been fitted with Eurostar bogies (complete with electric 3rd rail collector shoes), it formed part of a test train where its through-wiring for push-pull work was necessary for the completion of tests.

Tramway safety

Trains operating over public thoroughfare tramway without escort are required to be fitted with warning equipment for the general public. Two warning units were built and housed in a cabinet at the track side of the quay spur at the throat of Weymouth yard. This equipment comprised a yellow box which fitted on a lamp bracket on the cab front, and had an amber rotating beacon

Beacon

A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...

and bell which served to warn thoroughfare users. The bell did not ring continuously but could be controlled by the driver. Each member of Class 33/1 and all TC stock had a small socket where the bell/beacon units plugged in to draw power from the train systems. Trains for the quay would halt at the station throat, and the warning equipment was attached and tested by the train guard. In addition, trains on the tramway were "walked" by railway staff with flags, clearing the route of people and badly parked cars all the way between the points at which the tramway reverted to conventional track at the quay station and road crossing into Weymouth yard. On arrival at the quay terminus the guard would move the warning equipment to the other end of the train in readiness for the return journey.

This external link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vssr2Uf1DM shows operational footage from the 1980s. Of note is the bell and beacon and the casual abandon with which road users and train jockey for position. The second external link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6XEVvVRB_4 shows the novel methods used to remove fouling vehicles and the police escort in absence of the bell and beacon on a railtour.

Preservation

24 examples have survived into preservation (all of them in England).

Numbers carried (Current in bold)		Name	Location	Current Status	Livery
D6501	33002	Sea King Sea King Sea-King , refers to a Viking, pirate chieftain of the early Middle Ages.It may also refer to:-Aviation:* SH-3 Sea King, American, naval helicopter* Westland Sea King, British, licensed version of the SH-3...	South Devon Railway South Devon Railway South Devon Railway could mean:* South Devon Railway Company - the company that built the railway from Exeter to Plymouth* South Devon Railway Trust - the heritage railway from Totnes to BuckfastleighOther heritage railways in South Devon include:...	Operational	DCE Grey and Yellow
D6508	33008	Eastleigh Eastleigh Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...	Battlefield Line Railway Battlefield Line Railway The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton , via Market Bosworth, a total of...	Undergoing Restoration	BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels)
D6515	33012	-	Swanage Railway Swanage Railway The Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...

})
|BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels)
|-
| D6530
| 33018
| -
|Midland Railway - Butterley

Midland Railway - Butterley

The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:...

|Undergoing Restoration
|BR Blue
|-
| D6534
| 33019
|Griffon
Griffon
Griffon is a type of dog, a collection of breeds of originally hunting dogs. There are three recognized lines of the griffon type Fédération Cynologique Internationale FCI, the griffon vendéens, the wirehaired pointers, and the smousje...

|Battlefield Line Railway

Battlefield Line Railway

The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton , via Market Bosworth, a total of...

|Operational
|DCE Grey and Yellow
|-
| D6552
| 33034
| -
|Swanage Railway

Swanage Railway

The Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...

|Stored - Spares Donor
|BR Blue
|-
| D6553
| 33035
| -
|Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a long heritage railway in Derbyshire, the headquarters of the railway centre around Wirksworth station and services operate between Wirksworth and Duffield and Wirksworth and Ravenstor...

|Operational
|BR Blue
|-
| D6564
| 33046
|Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...

|Midland Railway - Butterley

Midland Railway - Butterley

The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:...

|Awaiting Restoration
|SWT Blue
|-
| D6566
| 33048
| -
|West Somerset Railway

West Somerset Railway

The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...

|Operational
|BR Green (Yellow Front)
|-
| D6570
| 33052
|Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...

|Kent and East Sussex Railway

Kent and East Sussex Railway

The Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...

|Operational
|BR Green
|-
| D6571
| 33053
| -
|Mid Hants Railway
|Operational
|BR Blue
|-
|D6575
|33057
|Seagull
|West Somerset Railway

West Somerset Railway

|Undergoing Restoration
|N/A
|-
|D6583
|33063
|R.J. Mitchell
|Spa Valley Railway

Spa Valley Railway

The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...

|Operational
|Trainload Construction
|-
|D6585
|33065
|Sealion
|Spa Valley Railway

Spa Valley Railway

|Stored servicable - awaiting overhaul
|BR Blue
|-
| D6513
| 33102
| -
|Churnet Valley Railway

Churnet Valley Railway

The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where...

|Under Repair
|BR Blue
|-
| D6514
| 33103
|Swordfish
Swordfish
Swordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...

|Swanage Railway

Swanage Railway

|Operational
|BR Blue
|-
| D6521
| 33108
| -
|Barrow Hill Engine Shed

Barrow Hill Engine Shed

Barrow Hill Roundhouse & Railway Centre, until 1948 known as Staveley Roundhouse & Train Centre, is a former Midland Railway roundhouse in Barrow Hill, near Staveley and Chesterfield, Derbyshire .-History:...

|Undergoing Repairs
|BR Blue
|-
| D6525
| 33109
|Captain Bill Smith RNR
|East Lancashire Railway

East Lancashire Railway

The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...

|Operational
|BR Blue
|-
| D6527
| 33110
| -
|Bodmin and Wenford Railway

Bodmin and Wenford Railway

The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is a heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has an interchange with the national rail network at Bodmin Parkway railway station, the southern terminus of the line.-History:...

|Operational
|Departmental grey
|-
| D6528
| 33111
|Hot Dog
|Swanage Railway

Swanage Railway

|Operational
|BR Blue
|-
| D6535
| 33116
|Hertfordshire Rail Tours
Hertfordshire Rail Tours
Hertfordshire Rail Tours was a company that ran charter trains for enthusiasts, named as they were originally based in Hertfordshire. Most of its trains started from London Terminals, although most from London King's Cross. A fair proportion of charter trains used the "Pride of the Nation" dining...

|Great Central Railway

Great Central Railway (preserved)

The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway split into two adjacent sections, one in Leicestershire and the other Nottinghamshire.The Leicestershire section is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and...

|Operational
|BR Blue
|-
| D6536
| 33117
| -
|East Lancashire Railway

East Lancashire Railway

|Undergoing Repairs
|BR Blue
|-
|D6586
|33201
| -
|Midland Railway Butterley

Midland Railway Butterley

The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:...

|Operational
|BR Green (Yellow Front)
|-
|D6587
|33202
|The Burma Star
|Mangapps Railway Museum

Mangapps Railway Museum

The Mangapps Railway Museum is a heritage railway located near Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex. The stretch of standard gauge track and museum are owned and operated by the Jolly family assisted by a dedicated staff of volunteers...

|Operational
|BR Blue
|-
| D6593
| 33208
| -
|Battlefield Line Railway

Battlefield Line Railway

The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton , via Market Bosworth, a total of...

|Undergoing Repairs
|BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels)
|}
A list of preserved Class 33 locomotives and their locations is available here -
http://preserved-diesels.co.uk/engines/index_33.htm

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Early years

Class 33s today

Class 33/0 - standard locomotives

Class 33/1 - push-pull fitted locomotives

Class 33/2 - narrow-bodied locomotives

Push-pull operations

Tramway safety

Preservation

External links