British Rail Class 506
Encyclopedia
The British Rail Class 506 was a 3 carriage Electric Multiple Unit
(EMU) built for local services between Manchester
, Glossop
and Hadfield
on the Woodhead Line
, which was electrified in 1954 on the 1,500V dc overhead system.
EMUs (prior to their conversion to 25 kV AC operation), and built on the same production lines (making a total of 100 units of basically similar design), they were equipped with air-operated sliding doors.
The eight 3-car sets were formed into 6-car trains at peak hours. The frequency of the Glossop/Hadfield service at peak times was every 30 minutes, and the round trip took nearly 90 minutes, requiring six of the eight units in service each weekday. With one spare unit, and one away for works overhaul at a time, there was no scope to use the units for other tasks.
, mounted over the driver's cab and adjacent guard's compartment at the outer end of the driving motor carriage. This gave a ready identification feature, because (following the withdrawal of the Manchester-Altrincham
units in May 1971), all other overhead-line EMUs operating in the Manchester area had the motor coach (and thus the pantograph) in the middle of the unit.
Unlike class 306, the eight class 506s remained solely equipped for 1,500V DC operation for their entire lives. This made them unable to operate on any lines other than the Woodhead route — although they rarely operated east of Hadfield due to low gearing and the risk of overheating.
Motors
Each power car had four 185 hp GEC traction motor
s giving a total of 740 hp per 3-car set.
Being built against an LNER order, the numbers were in the former LNER series. To distinguish these from other similarly-numbered carriages, BR used letter prefixes and suffixes, but these varied. At the time that they were delivered, the numbers were in fact unique; but from 1959, new Diesel multiple-units were delivered carrying similar numbers, in the BR series. The Manchester-Glossop-Hadfield EMU number prefixes and suffixes may be summarised thus:
The "E" suffix seems to have been dropped a few years prior to the change to "M"; photographs exist from the 1964-1968 period showing unsuffixed numbers, including M59404, M59405 and M59408.
No unit numbers were carried, however the cars were normally formed so that the last two digits corresponded, ie 59401-59501-59601 etc., and the units were known locally as 01, 02, etc. On the few occasions that units were reformed, one car would be renumbered to correspond with the others in its new unit; thus 59406 became 59408 in December 1983 (59506, 59606 and the real 59408 being withdrawn); whilst 59401 (crudely renumbered 59402) was formed with 59502 and 59602 about September 1984 (59501, 59601 and the real 59402 being stored out of service).
There is a suggestion that the motor coaches would originally have been numbered 29401-8, but this may be a typo - the initial digit "2" would imply the North Eastern Area of the former LNER, whilst "5" denotes the Great Central Section.
system, however they never carried 506xxx numbers in service.
The individual coach types were in the Eastern Region carriage diagram book as Dia. 363F (Driving Motor), 366 (Trailer) and 365F (Driving Trailer). Under TOPS, design codes EB2.05.0A, EH2.04.0A and EE2.04.0A respectively were allotted.
transferred from Glasgow
(themselves since withdrawn). The Manchester-Hadfield line is now operated by Class 323
EMUs.
Whilst one complete unit was scheduled for preservation by West Yorkshire Transport Museum - being originally based at Dinting Railway Museum, then moved to the former BR depot at Bradford (Hammerton Street), and finally to Butterley
- it deteriorated severely; two cars, and most of the third, were scrapped in August 1995 by Booth, Rotherham. All that remains is a severed driving end of a motor open brake second, M59404, which is preserved at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse
.
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) built for local services between Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Glossop
Glossop
Glossop is a market town within the Borough of High Peak in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the Glossop Brook, a tributary of the River Etherow, about east of the city of Manchester, west of the city of Sheffield. Glossop is situated near Derbyshire's county borders with Cheshire, Greater...
and Hadfield
Hadfield, Derbyshire
Hadfield is a parish and small residential town in High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It lies very close to the River Etherow which forms the border between Derbyshire and Greater Manchester...
on the Woodhead Line
Woodhead Line
The Woodhead Line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels...
, which was electrified in 1954 on the 1,500V dc overhead system.
Design
There were eight three-car units, ordered in 1938 and built in 1950, but they did not enter service until June 1954. Similar in design to the Class 306British Rail Class 306
The British Rail Class 306 was a type of electric multiple unit introduced in 1949. It consisted of 92 three-car trains which were used on newly electrified suburban lines between and London Liverpool Street.- Overview :...
EMUs (prior to their conversion to 25 kV AC operation), and built on the same production lines (making a total of 100 units of basically similar design), they were equipped with air-operated sliding doors.
Formation
Each unit was formed of a Driving Motor Brake Third (seating 52); a Trailer Composite (seating 24 first class and 38 third class passengers); and a Driving Trailer Third (seating 60). Third class was redesignated Second across the whole of BR on 3 June 1956, whilst the first class seating of these units was declassified to second in early 1960.The eight 3-car sets were formed into 6-car trains at peak hours. The frequency of the Glossop/Hadfield service at peak times was every 30 minutes, and the round trip took nearly 90 minutes, requiring six of the eight units in service each weekday. With one spare unit, and one away for works overhaul at a time, there was no scope to use the units for other tasks.
Electrical equipment
The EMUs were equipped with a single diamond-shaped pantographPantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
, mounted over the driver's cab and adjacent guard's compartment at the outer end of the driving motor carriage. This gave a ready identification feature, because (following the withdrawal of the Manchester-Altrincham
British Rail Class 505
British Railways Class 505 were 1,500 V DC electric multiple units introduced in 1931 by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway...
units in May 1971), all other overhead-line EMUs operating in the Manchester area had the motor coach (and thus the pantograph) in the middle of the unit.
Unlike class 306, the eight class 506s remained solely equipped for 1,500V DC operation for their entire lives. This made them unable to operate on any lines other than the Woodhead route — although they rarely operated east of Hadfield due to low gearing and the risk of overheating.
Motors
Each power car had four 185 hp GEC traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s giving a total of 740 hp per 3-car set.
Numbering
British Railways numbers were:- Motor Open Brake Second
- M59401-M59408 (8 cars 1954, Met-Cam)
- Trailer Open Second (built as Trailer Composite, declassified early 1960)
- M59501-M59508 (8 cars 1954, Met-Cam)
- Driving Trailer Open Second
- M59601-M59608 (8 cars 1954, BRCW)
Being built against an LNER order, the numbers were in the former LNER series. To distinguish these from other similarly-numbered carriages, BR used letter prefixes and suffixes, but these varied. At the time that they were delivered, the numbers were in fact unique; but from 1959, new Diesel multiple-units were delivered carrying similar numbers, in the BR series. The Manchester-Glossop-Hadfield EMU number prefixes and suffixes may be summarised thus:
- as new — prefix "E" to denote allocation to the Eastern Region, ie E59401 etc.
- by 21 September 1957 — suffix "E" added to denote former LNER number series, ie E59401E etc.
- 1 February 1958 — prefix altered to "M" following transfer of route to London Midland Region, ie M59401E etc.
- circa 1968 — suffix altered to "M" implying transfer to former LMS number series, ie M59401M etc.
The "E" suffix seems to have been dropped a few years prior to the change to "M"; photographs exist from the 1964-1968 period showing unsuffixed numbers, including M59404, M59405 and M59408.
No unit numbers were carried, however the cars were normally formed so that the last two digits corresponded, ie 59401-59501-59601 etc., and the units were known locally as 01, 02, etc. On the few occasions that units were reformed, one car would be renumbered to correspond with the others in its new unit; thus 59406 became 59408 in December 1983 (59506, 59606 and the real 59408 being withdrawn); whilst 59401 (crudely renumbered 59402) was formed with 59502 and 59602 about September 1984 (59501, 59601 and the real 59402 being stored out of service).
There is a suggestion that the motor coaches would originally have been numbered 29401-8, but this may be a typo - the initial digit "2" would imply the North Eastern Area of the former LNER, whilst "5" denotes the Great Central Section.
Classification
Originally, no special class code was allotted, the units being known as "Manchester-Glossop-Hadfield" stock. The class were officially numbered 506 under the TOPSTOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
system, however they never carried 506xxx numbers in service.
The individual coach types were in the Eastern Region carriage diagram book as Dia. 363F (Driving Motor), 366 (Trailer) and 365F (Driving Trailer). Under TOPS, design codes EB2.05.0A, EH2.04.0A and EE2.04.0A respectively were allotted.
Withdrawal
In 1981 the Woodhead line was closed east of Hadfield. In December 1984 the remaining section was converted to the standard 25 kV AC overhead system and the Class 506 EMUs were withdrawn following the last run on 7 December. Following withdrawal, unit 59404-59504-59604 was set aside for preservation, but the rest were all sent to Vic Berry in Leicester for scrap, being cut up in April 1985. They were replaced by Class 303sBritish Rail Class 303
The British Rail Class 303 electric multiple units, also known as "Blue Train" units, were introduced in 1960 for the electrification of the North Clyde and the Cathcart Circle lines in Strathclyde...
transferred from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(themselves since withdrawn). The Manchester-Hadfield line is now operated by Class 323
British Rail Class 323
The British Rail Class 323 electric multiple units were built by Hunslet TPL from 1992-93. Forty-three 3-car units were built for inner-suburban services around Birmingham and Manchester...
EMUs.
Whilst one complete unit was scheduled for preservation by West Yorkshire Transport Museum - being originally based at Dinting Railway Museum, then moved to the former BR depot at Bradford (Hammerton Street), and finally to 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:...
- it deteriorated severely; two cars, and most of the third, were scrapped in August 1995 by Booth, Rotherham. All that remains is a severed driving end of a motor open brake second, M59404, which is preserved at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse
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:...
.