Metro Cammell
Encyclopedia
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
based manufacturer of railway carriages and wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
s, based in Saltley
Saltley
Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is currently part of the Washwood Heath ward, although formerly a feature of the Nechells ward...
and subsequently Washwood Heath
Washwood Heath
Washwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England...
.
It has made trains for railways in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and overseas, including the Mass Transit Railway of Hong Kong
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
, Kowloon-Canton Railway
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...
(now East Rail Line), the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
and locomotives for Malaysia's Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
. Diesel and electric locomotives were manufactured for South African Railways, Nyasaland Railways, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Trans-Zambezi Railway and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; DMUs
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
for Jamaica Railway Corporation; and EMUs for National Railways of Mexico. The vast majority of the current and past London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
rolling stock in mid 20th century was made by the company. It also designed and built the Blue Pullman for British Railways.
History
The company was formed in 1863 as the Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd (successors to Messrs. Joseph Wright and Sons) of London. Joseph Wright built coaches for the London and Southampton Railway in 1837 and the London and Birmingham RailwayLondon and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
in 1838. In 1845 he moved the carriage works from London to Birmingham, where he purchased 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of meadowland in Saltley, adjacent to the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British railway company. From Birmingham it connected at Derby with the North Midland Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
line.
In 1902, they merged with four other carriage and wagon builders to become Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd. By 1926, they had changed their name again to Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company Ltd.
Metropolitan were contracted as a builder of the new tanks for the British Army during the First World War. They built all 400 of the Mark V tank and 700 improved Mark V* tanks. These were the most developed designs to see service in the war.
In 1917, Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company and Vickers Limited
Vickers Limited
Vickers Limited was a famous British engineering conglomerate that merged into Vickers-Armstrongs in 1927.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
took joint control of British Westinghouse
British Westinghouse
British Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company was a subsidiary of the American Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. British Westinghouse would become a subsidiary of Metropolitan-Vickers in 1919; and after Metropolitan Vickers merged with British Thomson-Houston in 1929, it...
. In 1919 Vickers bought out the Metropolitan shares and renamed the company Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
.
In 1929, the railway rolling stock business of Cammell Laird and Company was merged as Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd, the resulting company being part owned by Vickers and the Cammell Laird group.
MCCW also built bus bodies. In 1932, Metro Cammell Weymann
Metro Cammell Weymann
Metro Cammell Weymann was once a major player in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe. It was formed in 1932 by Weymann Motor Bodies Ltd and Metro Cammell's bus bodybuilding division to produce bus bodies....
was formed by the MCCW's bus bodybuilding business and Weymann Motor Bodies.
In the Second World War, Metro built tanks again: including the Valentine tank
Valentine tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in 11 different marks plus various purpose-built variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production...
and Light Tank Mk VIII
Light Tank Mk VIII
The Tank, Light, Mk VIII , also known as the Harry Hopkins, after President Roosevelt's chief diplomatic advisor, was a British light tank produced by Vickers-Armstrong during World War II...
.
Saltley works was closed in 1962 and group administration concentrated at Washwood Heath in 1967.
In May 1989, the railway business was sold to GEC Alsthom (now Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
) Group. The last trains to be built at the Washwood Heath
Washwood Heath
Washwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England...
plant before its closure in 2005 were the Class 390
British Rail Class 390
The Class 390 Pendolino is a type of train used in Great Britain. They are electric multiple units using Fiat's tilting train pendolino technology and built by Alstom. Fifty-three 9-car units were originally built for Virgin Trains from 2001 to 2004 for operation on the West Coast Main Line , with...
"Pendolino" tilting trains for the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
modernisation.
Products
Heavy rail rolling stock
- Southern Railway "Brighton Belle" EMUBritish Rail Class 403The Southern Railway gave the designation 5BEL to the 5-car all-Pullman electric multiple units which worked the prestigious Brighton Belle trains between London Victoria and Brighton. These units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated TOPS Class 403...
- Southern Railway "Crystal Palace" EMUSR Class CPThe Southern Railway gave the designation CP to the fleet of AC electric multiple units used on the former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway lines in the Crystal Palace area.-Construction:...
- Southern Railway "Coulsdon North & Sutton stock" EMUSR Class CWThe Southern Railway gave the designation CW to the fleet of AC electric multiple units used on the lines to Coulsdon and Wallington. They were planned by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway but were delayed by the World War I and the grouping and were introduced by the Southern...
- LNER Tyneside electric units
- LNER Shenfield line electric unitsBritish Rail Class 306The 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 :...
(driving motors and intermediate trailers only) - LNER Glossop line electric unitsBritish Rail Class 506The British Rail Class 506 was a 3 carriage Electric Multiple Unit 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.-Design:...
(driving motors and intermediate trailers only) - The Blue Pullman
- British Rail Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
"Heritage" diesel multiple unit - British Rail Class 151British Rail Class 151The British Rail Class 151 was a prototype class of DMU built by Metro Cammell in the mid-1980s.Only two 3-car units were built and they were introduced into service in the spring and summer of 1985. The vehicles were aluminum bodied and each one was equipped with Cummins NT855 diesel engines with...
diesel multiple unit - British Rail Class 156British Rail Class 156The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
"Super Sprinter" diesel multiple unit - British Rail Class 175British Rail Class 175The Class 175 Coradia is a type of diesel multiple unit passenger train used in the United Kingdom. The fleet of 27 sets were built from 1999 to 2001 by Alstom at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. They are part of the Coradia family of trains along with the Class 180.The entire fleet is owned by the...
"Coradia" diesel multiple unit - British Rail Class 180British Rail Class 180The Class 180 is a type of British diesel multiple unit train built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 for use on then-new express services by First Great Western . They were built at Washwood Heath in Birmingham and are part of the Coradia 1000 family along with the Class 175. FGW stopped using the...
"Coradia" diesel multiple unit - British Rail Class 334British Rail Class 334The British Rail Class 334 is a suburban electric multiple unit built by Alstom in Birmingham. They are part of the Juniper family of trains along with Classes 458 and 460. They were built for SPT/ScotRail outer suburban services in Glasgow, UK. They later became part of First ScotRail/SPT fleet...
"Juniper" electric multiple unit - British Rail Class 373British Rail Class 373The British Rail Class 373 or TGV-TMST train is an electric multiple unit that operates Eurostar's high-speed rail service between Britain, France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel...
"TGV" electric multiple unit - British Rail Class 390British Rail Class 390The Class 390 Pendolino is a type of train used in Great Britain. They are electric multiple units using Fiat's tilting train pendolino technology and built by Alstom. Fifty-three 9-car units were originally built for Virgin Trains from 2001 to 2004 for operation on the West Coast Main Line , with...
"Pendolino" electric multiple unit - British Rail Class 458British Rail Class 458The South West Trains Class 458 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath between 1998 and 2002. These units are part of Alstom's Juniper family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 460.-Description:...
"Juniper" electric multiple unit - British Rail Class 460British Rail Class 460The British Rail Class 460 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458...
"Juniper" electric multiple unit - British Rail Class 465British Rail Class 465The British Rail Class 465 Networker electric multiple units were built by GEC Alsthom and BREL between 1991 and 1993, and by ABB Rail between 1993 and 1994. They were brought into service from 1991 onwards. They are mostly used on suburban routes serving the South East of England, now operated by...
/2 "Networker" electric multiple unit - British Rail Class 466British Rail Class 466The Class 466 750 V DC third rail electric multiple unit is a suburban EMU, which operates with Class 465 EMUs in southeast London and Kent on the Southeastern network...
"Networker" electric multiple unit - British Rail Class 503British Rail Class 503British Rail Class 503 trains were 70 mph electric multiple units. They were introduced in two batches — in 1938 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway with a further batch in 1956 by the then nationalised British Railways...
electric multiple unit - British Rail Mark 4British Rail Mark 4British Rail's fourth design of passenger carriages was designated Mark 4, designed for use in InterCity 225 sets on the newly-electrified East Coast Main Line between London, Leeds, and Edinburgh.-History and construction:...
coaching stock - Arlanda ExpressArlanda ExpressArlanda Express is an airport rail link connecting Stockholm Central Station with Stockholm-Arlanda Airport outside Stockholm, Sweden. Operated by A-Train AB, the trip takes 20 minutes and runs four to six times per hour using seven X3 electric multiple units...
(X3 (train)X3 (train)X3 is an electric multiple unit train used by Arlanda Express on the airport rail link service between Stockholm Central Station and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden. Alstom built seven of these four-car units in Birmingham, which were delivered in 1998 and 1999...
) electric multiple unit
Subways
- London Underground Standard StockLondon Underground Standard StockThe Standard Stock title was applied to a variety of Tube stock built between 1923 and 1934, all of which shared the same basic characteristics, but with some detailed differences. This design is also sometimes referred to as 1923 Tube Stock or Pre 1938 Stock...
(Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly, Northern Lines) - London Underground 1935 StockLondon Underground 1935 StockLondon Underground 1935 Stock was an experimental train design built by Metropolitan Cammell. Twelve two-car units were built....
(Central Line) - London Underground 1938 StockLondon Underground 1938 StockThe 1938 Tube Stock is a London Underground tube stock design. The trains were built by Metro-Cammell and Birmingham RC&W, and were used on the London Underground until 1988. During their long lives they worked on the Bakerloo, Piccadilly, Northern, East London and Central lines...
(Northern, Bakerloo, Piccadilly, East London and Central Lines) - London Underground R49 & R59 StockLondon Underground R StockThe R38, R47, R49, and R59 Stock cars were built for the District Line in 1938, 1949, 1952 and 1959. R Stock cars were driving motors and non-driving motors...
(District Line) - London Underground 1959 StockLondon Underground 1959 StockThe 1959 Tube Stock was a type of London Underground tube train constructed in the late 1950s. They were intended for use on the Piccadilly line, but also saw use on several other tube lines...
(Piccadilly Line, then Bakerloo and Northern Line) - London Underground 1967 StockLondon Underground 1967 StockThe 1967 Stock was a fleet of deep-level tube stock which operated on the Victoria line between 1 September 1968 and 30 June 2011, and was the original rolling stock provided from the line's opening...
(Victoria Line) - London Underground C69 and C77 Stock (Circle, District and Hammersmith and City Lines)
- London Underground 1972 StockLondon Underground 1972 StockThe London Underground 1972 stock is a fleet of trains used on the London Underground. The 1972 Stock was ordered to make up the shortfall in trains on the Northern line's 1959 Tube Stock fleet...
(Bakerloo Line) - London Underground 1973 StockLondon Underground 1973 StockThe 1973 Tube Stock operates on the Piccadilly line of the London Underground and was introduced in 1975 for the opening of the extension to Hatton Cross .-Construction:...
(Piccadilly Line) - London Underground D78 StockLondon Underground D78 StockThe London Underground D Stock is a type of electric multiple unit used on the London Underground District Line . The entire fleet is due to be replaced with S Stock trains in 2015.- History :...
(District Line) - London Underground 1983 StockLondon Underground 1983 StockThe London Underground 1983 Stock was a class of electric multiple unit designed for the Jubilee Line.The 1983 Tube Stock could be considered the last train to be designed by London Underground; it was the last conventional Tube train in the long line of evolving design since the 1938 Tube...
(Jubilee Line) - London Underground 1986 StockLondon Underground 1986 StockThe London Underground 1986 Tube Stock consisted of prototype electric multiple units that led to the development of the 1992 Stock. Two prototypes were built by Metro-Cammell, and the third by BREL ....
(Central Line) - London Underground 1995 StockLondon Underground 1995 StockThe London Underground's 1995 stock is used in daily service on the Northern Line. There are 106 six car trains in operation; they entered service between 12 June 1998 and 10 April 2001....
(Northern Line) - London Underground 1996 StockLondon Underground 1996 StockThe London Underground 1996 Stock is a deep tube train used on the Jubilee Line and one of the newest trains currently running on the network. They were built by Alstom and began service in 1997...
(Jubilee Line) - London Underground battery-electric locomotivesLondon Underground battery-electric locomotivesLondon Underground Battery-electric locomotives, most commonly known as battery locomotives are used for hauling engineers' trains, as they can operate when the electric traction current is switched off...
- Glasgow SubwayGlasgow SubwayThe Glasgow Subway is an underground metro line in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the third-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro. Formerly a cable railway, the Subway was later electrified, but its twin circular lines...
metro trains
Other rapid transit
- Tyne and Wear MetroTyne and Wear MetroThe Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
trains - East Rail Line Metro Cammell EMUEast Rail Line Metro Cammell EMUEast Rail Line Metro Cammell EMU is an electric multiple unit owned by and originally operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation , now operated by MTR after merger of both companies. Rolling stock of this model are currently serving on the East Rail Line in Hong Kong...
(Hong Kong KCRKowloon-Canton RailwayThe Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...
, rent to MTR since KCR merged with MTR) - M-stock metro carsMTR M-Train EMUThe M-Train is the oldest variation of Electric Multiple Unit that operates on the MTR rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. 762 cars were ordered, built by Metro Cammell , and were refurbished starting in 1998 by the Australian company United Goninan.-Features:The M-Train is the one variation...
(Hong Kong MTR)
Bidded for (but lost the contract to another company)
- Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
C151 Stock (lost the contract to Kawasaki Heavy IndustriesKawasaki Heavy Industriesis an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
in 1984) - Docklands Light RailwayDocklands Light RailwayThe Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
P86 stock (lost the contract to Alstom-LHB in 1984)