British Rail Class 457
Encyclopedia
Class 316 and Class 457 were TOPS
classifications assigned to a single electric multiple unit
(EMU) at different stages of its use as a prototype
for the Networker
series.
division of British Rail
, which operated the railway network in South East England, started to develop a new standard train, known as the Networker. To test out the technical arrangements for the Networker, a test train was used, converted from former Class 210
carriages, which were the prototype 'Second Generation' Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU), but which never entered fleet service.
direct current
(DC) third rail
system of the Southern Region
, and was numbered 457001. As with all Southern Region electric multiple unit
s only the last four digits of the unit number were actually carried.
The unit formation was:
(AC) overhead wire system used on electrified lines north of the River Thames. The unit was renumbered as a Class 316 unit, number 316999. To enable it to work on the AC electrification, a pantograph trailer from a Class 313
unit 313034 (313134) was inserted into the set, replacing one of the intermediate trailers. This spare vehicle (no. 67400) has since been incorporated into a Class 455/9
DC suburban unit, replacing a damaged Trailer Second Open (TSO) vehicle.
The unit formation was:
Note: The Class 316 designation was also used in 1992 for a three car Class 307
EMU used as a testbed unit for new traction equipment.
, the other is a spare body shell stored for HSBC Rail
while the remaining intermediate trailer has been scrapped.
Vehicle details are shown below:
NOTE: Class 316 was originally reserved in the British Rail Fleet List for an AC EMU for the Piccadilly to Victoria (PICC-VIC) underground line proposed for Manchester in the 1970's. The specifications and some outline design proposals for the new fleet was prepared at BR Derby but never proceeded to tender as the project was axed. }
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
classifications assigned to a single electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU) at different stages of its use as a prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
for the Networker
Networker (train)
The Networker is a family of trains which operate on the UK railway system. They were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s by BREL . The trains were built for the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail...
series.
Project
In the late 1980s, the Network SouthEastNetwork SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
division of British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, which operated the railway network in South East England, started to develop a new standard train, known as the Networker. To test out the technical arrangements for the Networker, a test train was used, converted from former Class 210
British Rail Class 210
The British Rail Class 210 was a type of diesel-electric multiple unit built in the late 1970s. The class was intended to be a modern replacement for the ageing 'first generation' types in use on the Southern Region of British Railways but the prototypes built did not manage to secure production...
carriages, which were the prototype 'Second Generation' Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU), but which never entered fleet service.
Class 457
Initially the test unit was formed for trials on the 750 VVolt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
(DC) 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...
system of 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...
, and was numbered 457001. As with all Southern Region electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s only the last four digits of the unit number were actually carried.
The unit formation was:
| Vehicle Number | Vehicle Type |
|---|---|
| 67300 | DMSO |
| 67400 | TSO |
| 67401 | TSO |
| 67301 | DMSO |
Class 316
Later, the unit was altered to undertake trials on the 25kV alternating currentAlternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
(AC) overhead wire system used on electrified lines north of the River Thames. The unit was renumbered as a Class 316 unit, number 316999. To enable it to work on the AC electrification, a pantograph trailer from a Class 313
British Rail Class 313
British Rail Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works between February 1976 and April 1977 and were the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail...
unit 313034 (313134) was inserted into the set, replacing one of the intermediate trailers. This spare vehicle (no. 67400) has since been incorporated into a Class 455/9
British Rail Class 455
The British Rail Class 455 is a type of electric multiple unit drawing power from a 750 V DC third rail. Built by BREL at York works in the early and mid-1980s, they were initially categorised as Class 510 as the successor to the Class 508...
DC suburban unit, replacing a damaged Trailer Second Open (TSO) vehicle.
The unit formation was:
| Vehicle Number | Vehicle Type |
|---|---|
| 67300 | DMSO |
| 71246 | PTSO |
| 67401 | TSO |
| 67301 | DMSO |
Note: The Class 316 designation was also used in 1992 for a three car Class 307
British Rail Class 307
The British Rail Class 307 electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh Works from 1954-1956. They were initially classified as AM7 before the introduction of TOPS.-Description:...
EMU used as a testbed unit for new traction equipment.
Preservation
After the AC trials were complete, the set was returned to the Southern Region for storage, minus the Class 313 trailer, which returned to its previous formation. One of the two driving cars has now been preserved at the Coventry Railway CentreCoventry Railway Centre
The Electric Railway Museum is located in Warwickshire, south of Coventry city, outside Baginton, and near to Coventry Airport. The heritage railway centre was also known as "The Airfield Line" as the railway was built on the site of a greenfield...
, the other is a spare body shell stored for HSBC Rail
HSBC Rail
Eversholt Rail Group is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom...
while the remaining intermediate trailer has been scrapped.
Vehicle details are shown below:
| Vehicle Number | Vehicle Type | Former Number | Disposal Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 67300 | DMSO | 60300 | Preserved at Electric Railway Museum, Baginton Coventry Railway Centre The Electric Railway Museum is located in Warwickshire, south of Coventry city, outside Baginton, and near to Coventry Airport. The heritage railway centre was also known as "The Airfield Line" as the railway was built on the site of a greenfield... |
| 67400 | TSO | 60400 | Reformed into Class 455/9 British Rail Class 455 The British Rail Class 455 is a type of electric multiple unit drawing power from a 750 V DC third rail. Built by BREL at York works in the early and mid-1980s, they were initially categorised as Class 510 as the successor to the Class 508... unit 5912 |
| 67401 | TSO | 60401 | Scrapped |
| 67301 | DMSO | 60301 | Stored for HSBC Rail HSBC Rail Eversholt Rail Group is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom... |
NOTE: Class 316 was originally reserved in the British Rail Fleet List for an AC EMU for the Piccadilly to Victoria (PICC-VIC) underground line proposed for Manchester in the 1970's. The specifications and some outline design proposals for the new fleet was prepared at BR Derby but never proceeded to tender as the project was axed. }