British Rail Class 205

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British Rail Class 205 (3H)
BR Class 205, 205029.jpg
205029 in BR green livery at Reading in 1992
In serviceSeptember 1957 –
December 2004
ManufacturerBR Eastleigh
Number built34 trainsets
Formation2/3 cars per trainset
Capacity114 2nd class, 13 1st class [1]
Operators
Specifications
Car length
  • 19.51 m (64 ft 0.1 in)
  • 19.34 m (63 ft 5.4 in)
  • 19.51 m (64 ft 0.1 in)
Width2.8 m (9 ft 2.24 in)
Maximum speed75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight
  • 56 t (55.1 long tons; 61.7 short tons)
  • 30 t (29.5 long tons; 33.1 short tons)
  • 32 t (31.5 long tons; 35.3 short tons)
Prime mover(s) English Electric 4SRKT Mark II (4-cylinder diesel)
Power output600  shp (450  kW) at 850 rpm
Coupling system Drophead buckeye [2]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Class 205, no. 205032 at London Bridge on 15 August 2003, with a service to Uckfield. This unit is now preserved on the Caledonian Railway. 205032 at London Bridge.jpg
Class 205, no. 205032 at London Bridge on 15 August 2003, with a service to Uckfield. This unit is now preserved on the Caledonian Railway.

The British Rail Class 205 (3H) diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957 to 1962, and in service for 47 years from BR Southern Region to Connex South Central and finally to the Southern franchise. They were eventually replaced by Class 171 Turbostar units.

Contents

Description

This class of unit was built in four different batches for use on different lines.

The Southern Region class 201 to 207 DEMUs are nicknamed 'Thumpers' owing to the noise they made while in motion. [3] [4]

The first batch of units, numbered 1101–1118, was built in 1957 as two-car units and classified as 2H. They were built for services in Hampshire on the non-electrified routes between Portsmouth Harbour, Salisbury and Andover and between Alton, Winchester and Southampton Terminus. The first units entered service in September 1957. However, owing to increasing passenger numbers, all eighteen units were strengthened to three cars in 1958 and 1969, with the addition of a centre trailer, and therefore were reclassified as 3H units. Upon the introduction of TOPS they were reclassified as Class 205. Some of these were later converted back to 2 car sets, but they retained their Class 205 designation. [5]

The second batch of 2H units, numbered 1119–1122, was built as 2-car units in 1958. These units were built for services on the Marshlink Line from Hastings to Ashford, and associated branch lines. These units remained as two-car sets until 1979, and were reclassified as Class 204 upon the introduction of TOPS. In May 1979, following the disbandment of the four Class 206 units, they were strengthened to three cars and redesignated as Class 205s. [5]

The third batch of units was built as three-car sets in 1959, and numbered 1123–1126. These units were built to supplement the first batch on services in Hampshire. Collectively, the first and third batches are often called Hampshire sets. The final batch of units, numbered 1127–1133, was built in 1962 as three car sets. These units have some detail differences from the earlier batches, such as a different internal layout, and smaller route indicators (compare the two photos). They were built for services from Reading to Salisbury, and other services in Berkshire. The final batch of units is sometimes referred to as Berkshire sets. [5]

Technical details

Power car (one per set)

Number 1129 was experimentally fitted with a Dorman 12QTCW V-12 diesel engine of 725 shp (541 kW)

Operations

The first examples of the class entered service in September 1957 after a month of testing. They were initially used on services linking Portsmouth and Southampton to Salisbury, as well as those between Southampton and Portsmouth Harbour and from Southampton to Alton/Andover. Journey times were around two-thirds of those required by the steam locomotives which the units replaced. The new services proved so popular that the class was temporarily taken off the route to Alton and Andover to provide extra capacity on the other lines prior to the fitting of a third carriage to the first 18 units. [5]

The delivery of the second batch of four units saw the class introduced to the Marshlink Line between Ashford and Hastings. These units also ran on the Bexhill West Branch Line and the short line to New Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea, and a Sunday-only service on the Fawley Branch Line. All of these routes except for the Marshlink Line had been closed by 1967, by which time the route between Reading and Salisbury was also operated by the class. The units also operated on the Wareham to Swanage route from 1966 until its closure in 1972. Other routes served included the Steyning Line between Brighton and Horsham, which closed in 1967; the Cuckoo Line, which closed in 1968; the Lymington Branch Line, which was served by the units for two months in 1967 prior to its electrification; and some journeys on the Oxted Line, which was also served by the newer Class 207 units. In 1973 some services from Portsmouth to Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare were converted to Class 205 operation. [5]

1126 (205 026) in BR blue at St Denys, 1979 BR class 205 1126.jpg
1126 (205 026) in BR blue at St Denys, 1979

Soon after introduction, an orange "V" shape was painted on the motor-coach in order to provide an early visual indication to station staff that there was no brake van at the other end of the unit. With the introduction of yellow warning panels the orange V was replaced by an inverted black triangle; this being extended at this time to all Southern Region 2 & 3-car multiple units.

The electrification of the line to East Grinstead in 1987 saw the majority of the class withdrawn. Those which survived largely operated on services from Ashford to Hastings and from London to Uckfield. The privatisation of British Rail in 1995/6 saw the surviving Class 205s, most of which now carried Network SouthEast livery, pass to the new Connex South Central franchise. [5]

In 1966, unit number 1102 was used in the film "The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery".

205009 in Connex South Central colours in 2004 at East Croydon prior to preservation. 205009 east croydon station.jpg
205009 in Connex South Central colours in 2004 at East Croydon prior to preservation.

When Govia won the South Central franchise in 2001, a franchise commitment was to replace all Mark 1 rolling stock by 2005, as it did not meet modern health and safety requirements. Southern ordered Turbostar trains of Class 171 and Class 170 (later converted to Class 171) from 2003 onwards to replace the Class 205s. The final units, nos. 205001/009/033 were withdrawn in mid-December 2004.

Accidents and incidents

Fleet details

Key:In serviceWithdrawnPreservedRebuiltReformedDepartmental UseScrapped


Unrefurbished Class 205/0 [8]

Unit No.BatchYear BuiltFinal LiveryDMBSOTSODTCsoLWithdrawnStatus
NewOld
2050011101Batch 11957BR Blue60154-6080012/2004Preserved, at The East Kent Railway
2050021102Batch 11957NSE6015560651608011991Scrapped
-1103Batch 11957Blue/Grey6010260652608021979Converted to Class 204 no. 1403
-1104Batch 11957Blue/Grey6010360653608031979Converted to Class 204 no. 1404
2050051105Batch 11957Blue/Grey60104606546080408/1987Scrapped
2050061106Batch 11957Blue/Grey60105606556080509/1987Scrapped
2050071107Batch 11957Blue/Grey60106606566080609/1987Scrapped
-1108Batch 11957Blue/Grey6010760657608071979Converted to Class 204 no. 1401
2050091109Batch 11957Chocolate & Cream60108606586080812/2004Preserved at the Eden Valley Railway
2050101110Batch 11957Blue/Grey60198606596080909/1987Scrapped
-1111Batch 11957Blue/Grey6011060660608101980Rebuilt to become 205101
2050121112Batch 11957Connex60111606616081102/2004Scrapped 2005
-1113Batch 11957Blue/Grey60112606626081204/1986Scrapped
2050141114Batch 11957Blue/Grey60113606636081310/1989Scrapped
2050151115Batch 11957NSE60114606646081410/1993Scrapped
2050161116Batch 11957NSE60115606656081508/1994Scrapped
2050171117Batch 11957Blue/Grey60116606666081609/1987Scrapped
2050181118Batch 11957BR Blue60117-6082808/2004Preserved at Lavender Line.
205019 1119 Batch 21958Blue/Grey60118606536081808/1987Scrapped
205020 1120 Batch 21958Blue/Grey60119606526081909/1987Scrapped
205008 1121 Batch 21958NSE60120606576082010/1993Preserved at Lavender Line
- 1122 Batch 21958Blue/Grey60121-60821See Class 204 (never officially classified as a 205)
2050231123Batch 31959BR Green60122606696082201/1999Preserved, unit split up. 60822 under restoration. [9]
2050241124Batch 31959NSE60123606686082307/2000Scrapped.
2050251125Batch 31959BR Green60124-6082405/2004Preserved at Mid-Hants Railway.
2050261126Batch 31959Blue/Grey60125606716082511/1990Scrapped
2050271127Batch 41962-60145--08/1994Sandite unit 930301. 60145 at St Leonards.
2050281128Batch 41962Faded Connex60146606736082711/2004Formerly preserved at Dartmoor Railway, sold to the Caledonian Railway in 2021. [10]
2050291129Batch 41962BR Green6014760667608171994Scrapped after Cowden rail crash
2050301130Batch 41962NSE60148606756082911/1992Scrapped
2050311131Batch 41962Blue/Grey60149--07/1993Sandite unit 930301. 60149 at St Leonards.
2050321132Batch 41962BR Green60150606776083110/2004Formerly preserved at Dartmoor Railway, sold to the Caledonian Railway in 2021. [10] Operational
2050331133Batch 41962BR Green60151-6083212/2004Preserved, at The Lavender Line


Refurbished Class 205/1

Unit No.BatchYear
Converted
Final LiveryDMBSOTSODTSOLWithdrawnStatus
2051011111Batch 11980NSE6011060660608101995Converted to 205205


Refurbished Class 205/2

Unit No.BatchYear
Converted
Final LiveryDMBSOTSOLDTSOLWithdrawnStatus
205205205101Batch 11995NSE

(Connex before preservation)

60110-6081007/2004Preserved at Epping Ongar Railway


Departmental Units

Unit No.BatchYear
Converted
Final LiveryDMBTDMBWithdrawnStatus
930301 951069 Batch 4
(*Batch 1)
1993Railtrack Brown977939
(60145)
977870
(60660*)
977940
(60149)
-Withdrawn from St Leonards TMD

Preservation

Due to a generous disposal policy by Porterbrook Leasing, nearly all of the final units in service were preserved. The only unit not preserved was no. 205012, which had poor bodywork and donated its engine to the only surviving unrefurbished Class 207 unit.

Models

An OO gauge kit is available from DC Kits. Dapol announced (May 2008) that a limited edition OO RTR model (to be followed by an N gauge version) of the Class 205 would be produced in collaboration with Kernow Model Rail Centre. [17] Manufacture was switched to Bachmann in March 2010 [18] and the model was released in February 2013. [19]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. Railway Magazine December 1957 p. 878
  2. System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles in support of GM/RT2190 (PDF). London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. 22 June 2011. p. 4. SD001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  3. "Preserved Thumpers". Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  4. "Epping Ongar Railway - Rolling Stock Department - Diesel-Electric Multiple Units". Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Welch, Michael (2004). Southern DEMUs. Capital Transport. pp. 12–19. ISBN   1-85414-287-9.
  6. McCrickard, John P (6 October 2016). "January 1989 to December 1989". Network South East Railway Society. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  7. "The Cowden Collision". Preserved Thumpers. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  8. Withdrawal dates from H. Longworth, British Railways First Generation DMUs, 2011 Oxford Publishing Company ISBN   978-0-86093-612-1
  9. "BR 60822 Class 205 DEMU: Driving Trailer Composite built 1959".
  10. 1 2 3 4 White, Cameron (22 June 2021). "Caledonian Railway welcome Thumpers 1132 and 1128 from the Dartmoor Railway". RailAdvent. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  11. "Pres 1121".
  12. "Replacement carriage arrives at Swindon and Cricklade Railway as arson investigation continues".
  13. "Pres 1123".
  14. "BR 60669 Class 205 DEMU: Trailer Standard built 1959".
  15. "Pres 1127".
  16. "Pres 1131".
  17. "Dapol".
  18. "Bachmann Europe Press Releases - BACHMANN TO PRODUCE OO SCALE CLASS 205 FOR KERNOW MODEL RAIL CENTRE". Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  19. "Class 205 Thumper : Welcome to Kernow Model Rail Centre". Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 2013-02-18.

Further reading