SR Class 6Pul

Infobox EMU
name = SR Class 6Pul


imagesize = 300px
caption =
background = #012545
Manufacturer = Southern Railway
Formation = power car + 4 trailer cars + power car
Built =
InService = From 1932
Weight =
Capacity =
MaxSpeed =
Brakes = Air
Engine = 8 x 225 hp traction motors
total 1,800 hp (1,343 kW)
Operator = Southern Railway and
British Railways |

The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designations 6Pul, 6Cit and 6Pan to electric multiple units built to work the routes between London and Brighton, West Worthing and Eastbourne. None of these units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated a TOPS class number. The 6Pul units were designated 6Cor until 1935 (the Cor designation was later used for 4Cor units).

Prototype cars 11001-11002

Coach numbers 11001 and 11002 were prototype driving motor brake vehicles for the mainline stock that was being developed for the London to Brighton electrification. The first was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon company and the second by Metropolitan Cammell. Both were introduced in October 1931, and ran with three trailers converted from former London and South Western Railway carriages as unit number 2001.

After trials with this unit had been completed the set was disbanded, and the two prototype driving cars were reformed into 6Cit units 2041 and 2042 respectively. Unit number 2001 was then reused for one of the production 6Pul units.

Construction

The 6Pul (6-car Pullman stock, numbers 2001-2020) and 6Cit (6-car City stock, numbers 2041-2043) units were built in 1932 to provide high quality accommodation on the newly-electrified London to Brighton route. Units of both types each included a Pullman composite kitchen car, which were built by Metropolitan Cammell and numbered 256 to 278 in the Pullman Car Company series.

The 6Cit units differed from the 6Pul units only in that the three trailers other than the Pullman car had all first class accommodation. They were dedicated for use on the London Bridge to Brighton route (as opposed to the London Victoria route on which the 6Pul units were used), and were intended for the trains used by City workers, hence their designation.

The 6Pan (6-car Pantry unis, numbers 2021-2037) units were introduced in 1935, upon the extension of the electrified network to Ore. They were similar to the 6Pul units, except that the Pullman car was replaced by a first class dining car with a pantry. From this time, 12-car trains were often formed from one of each type.

Until the arrival of the 6Pan units, the 6Pul units had been referred to as 6Cor (6-car Corridor stock) and, as explained below, the designation Cor was again used by this stock in later years for various reasons. The numbers of all three types of unit were revised in January 1937 from 20xx to 30xx.

Formations

Initial formations of these units were as follows (coaches were not formed in numerical order):

During 1947 and 1948, the three 6Cit units were converted to standard 6Pul units by reclassifying their three Trailer First vehicles into a Trailer Third (numbered 10113-10115) and two Trailer Composites (11862-11867).

After the 6Pul and 6Pan units were disbanded, many of the carriages continued to run in service together with former 4Res and 4Cor stock. These reformed units were classified either 4Pul, 4Cor, 4Cor(N), 6Cor or 6TC.

6TC

The 6TC unit was formed in 1965 to trial push-pull equipment that would allow a diesel locomotive to be operated remotely from the driving cab in the multiple unit. It was comprised of former 4Cor driving motor cars, which had their motors removed and the end gangways removed, and 6Pan/6Pul trailer cars. At the same time a Class 33 locomotive was modified to work with the unit.

From early 1966, the experimental train was used on the Oxted line, and was later transferred to the Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia service. The trials were successful, and led to the production of the 3TC and 4TC units for working the Bournemouth line with Class 33/1 locomotives. However, the 6TC unit had a short life, and was withdrawn after incurring accident damage.

Withdrawal and further use

After withdrawal from passenger service, the underframes of several Pul and Pan unit carriages were reused by the engineering department as long-welded rail carriers and crane runners.

Former 6Pul Pullman cars 264 "Ruth" and 278 "Bertha" have been preserved, and are now used as ordinary locomotive-hauled Pullman cars. Number 264 is part of the Venice Simplon Orient Express fleet, working charter trains on the main line, while 278 is on the Swanage Railway. Former 6Pul Trailer Composite car, number 11773, was preserved on the Swanage Railway for many years, but fell into bad condition and has now been scrapped.