LNER electric units

In 1937 the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) ordered a fleet of articulated electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger trains for use on the Tyneside Electric lines, which linked the English city of Newcastle upon Tyne with the coast at North Shields and South Shields. The order also included some single-unit motor parcel vans and motor luggage vans.

These replaced older trains that had been introduced by the LNER's constituent company, the North Eastern Railway, in 1904, when it opened Britain's first provincial electric railway.

Overview

There were four classes of "articulated twins" with minor differences between them. As built, some cars had first class accommodation but this was abolished in 1959 and all accommodation became third class (later standard class).

* A twins, motor 3rd + trailer 3rd
* B twins, luggage motor 3rd + trailer 1st
* C twins, motor 3rd + trailer 3rd (non-driving)
* D twins, luggage motor 3rd + trailer 1st (non-driving)

The A and B twins could be used as 2-car sets but the C and D twins (which had no driving cabs in the trailers) would be made up into sets of four, or more, cars.

Numbering

In LNER days the articulated units were numbered sequentially with the motor cars having odd numbers and the trailers having even numbers. BR numbered the motor cars and trailers in separate series.

* Articulated units, LNER 24145-24272
** BR motors, E29101E-E29164E
** BR trailers, E29301E-E29328E and E29229E-E29264E
* Motor luggage vans, LNER 24273-4
** BR E29165E-E29166E
* Motor parcel vans, LNER 2424-5
** BR E29467E-E29468E

pecification

The articulated units were in two-car sets comprising one motor car and one trailer car sharing a common centre bogie. The outer bogie of each motor car carried two electric traction motors. The passenger cars had bucket seats and manually-operated sliding doors. The luggage compartments had double sliding doors. The motor parcel vans, which had four motors, were permitted to haul a tail load of up to 100 tons.

* Builder, Metropolitan-Cammell
* Electrical supply, 600 volt direct current from third rail
* Traction motors, Crompton Parkinson,
** continuous rating, 154 hp, 210 amp
** 1-hour rating, 216 hp, 295 amp
* Total output (continuous),
** articulated sets, 308 hp (2 motors)
** motor luggage vans, 308 hp (2 motors)
** motor parcel vans, 616 hp (4 motors)
* Gear ratio, 71:18
* Brakes, electro-pneumatic
* Sanding, pneumatic

uccessors

In the 1960s changing demographics saw the more lightly used sections of the Tyneside electric network closed and the rest of the system de-electrified. The electric trains were withdrawn and replaced by diesel multiple units.

In the 1980s much of the route served by these trains was re-electrified as the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Preservation

No LNER Tyneside electric units were preserved.

ources

* Hoole, K. "The North Eastern Electrics", Oakwood Press, 1961

External links

* [http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/segpreservationother.html SEG]
* [http://www.emus.co.uk/zone/tyneside/tyneside.htm/ emus.co.uk]
* [http://www.drcm.org.uk/Content/Ken+Hoole+Study+Centre/The+Ken+Hoole+Study+Centre.htm Ken Hoole Study Centre at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum]