British Rail Classes 485 and 486

British Rail Class 485
British Rail Class 486

Class 485 no. 485045 at Shanklin railway station, current terminus of the Island Line.
In service 1923 on London Underground
1967 - 1992 on Island Line
Manufacturer Metro Cammell, Union Construction Company, Cammell Laird
Family name Tube stock
Formation
  • 4 cars per trainset (4-VEC)
  • 3 cars per trainset (3-TIS)
  • MBSO+TSO+DTSO+MBSO (4-VEC)
  • MBSO+TSO+DTSO (3-TIS)[1]
Diagram
  • EB261 (DMBS, 485, 486)
  • EB262 (DMBS, 485)
  • EE260 (DTS, 485, 486)
  • EH261 (TS, 485, 486)[2]
Capacity
  • 132 seats (4-VEC)
  • 106 seats (3-TIS)
Operator(s) Network SouthEast
Specifications
Maximum speed 45 mph (72 km/h)[3]
Weight
  • 94 t (93 long tons; 104 short tons) (4-VEC, set)
  • 65 t (64 long tons; 72 short tons) (3-TIS, set)
  • 32 t (31 long tons; 35 short tons) (MBSO)
  • 19 t (19 long tons; 21 short tons) (TSO)
  • 17 t (17 long tons; 19 short tons) (DTSO)[1][3]
Electric system(s) 630 V DC 3rd rail
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 485 (or 4Vec) and British Rail Class 486 (or 3Tis) electrical multiple units were originally built for the London Electric Railway from 1923-31 as their 'Standard' tube stock. They were purchased by British Rail in 1967 and transported to the Isle of Wight to work 'mainline' services on the newly electrified Ryde to Shanklin line,[1][4] where they worked for an additional quarter century. At the time of their purchase the units had already worked for over forty years on the London Underground, but their introduction allowed the last steam locomotives on the line to be withdrawn.[4]

History

Six four-car sets and six three-car sets were refurbished by BR's Stewarts Lane depot in 1966-67. The four-car sets were initially classified Class 452 and numbered 041-046, later reclassified Class 485 and numbered 485041-046. Each unit was formed of a driving motor, two intermediate trailers, and a second driving motor. Thus, the formation was DMBSO+TSO+TSO+DMBSO. Some of the intermediate trailers were former driving trailers, with the cabs locked out of use.

The three-car sets were classified Class 451 and numbered 031-036, later reclassified Class 486 and numbered 486031-036. A spare driving motor car was also refurbished, given the unit number 486037. Each of these units were formed of a driving motor, an intermediate trailer, and a driving trailer. Thus, the formation was DMBSO+TSO+DTSO.

When introduced, the units carried all-over BR blue livery. This progressed to standard blue/grey livery in the 1970s, and finally some units received Network SouthEast's blue livery with red and white stripes, following its introduction in 1986.

Electric services on the Isle of Wight commenced on 20 March 1967. In service, the 4Vec units often worked alone, but sometimes in combination with a 3Tis unit, such that a train was formed of seven coaches known as a 7 Vectis.[4] ("Vectis" was the Roman name for the Isle of Wight.[5])

Due to the proximity to the sea, the units suffered badly from corrosion damage.[6] By the mid-1980s it was clear that they needed replacing. The replacements came from the 2-car Class 483, which were also rebuilt from former London Underground stock, namely 1938 tube stock.[7] These new units were introduced from 1989. The last 3Tis and 4Vec units were withdrawn from service in 1992.[1]

Upon retirement from Isle of Wight services, no 3Tis units were saved for preservation. However, several 4Vec vehicles were sold back to London Underground for eventual restoration as part of an operational 'Standard' stock museum unit.[8] These are listed below:

Type No. From set LT no.
DMBSO 2 485041 3706
DMBSO 7 485044 3209
DTSO 27 485043 5279
TSO 44 485044 7281
TSO 49 485044 7296

During November 2011 the two long-stored DM vehicles 2 and 7 were despatched by LU to Eastleigh depot for component recovery and subsequent breaking up: this is believed to have occurred in December 2011 (although this has not been confirmed). Trailers 27 and 49 are incorporated into the LT museum's Standard stock museum train. Trailer 44 was scrapped in August 2012.

Fleet details

Class 486s at Ryde Pier Head railway station.
Class Operator No. Built Year Built Cars per Set Unit nos.
Class 485 Southern Region (Island Line)
Network SouthEast		 6 1923
refurb. 1966		 4 485041–485046
Class 486 6 3 486031-486036
Class 485
Unit no. Carriage nos.
DMBSO TSO TSO DMBSO
IoW LU IoW LU IoW LU IoW LU
041 20 3308 27[T 1] 5279 41 7286 13 3141
042 22 3010 29[T 1] 5293 42 7280 15[T 2] 3253
043 2 3706 31[T 1] 5283 43 7275 19 3045
044 4 3702 33[T 1] 5291 44 7281 21 3041
045 6 3084 45 7293 48 7298 23 3315
046 8 3074 49 7296 46 7283 25 3313
Class 486
Unit no. Carriage nos.
DMBSO TSO DTSO
IoW LU IoW LU IoW LU
031 1 3703 47 7279 26 5294
032 3 3251 92 7285 28 5304
033 5 3185 93 7282 30 5312
034 7 3209 94 7287 32 5290
035 9 3223 95 7292 34 5302
036 11 3705 96 7290 36 5350
Spare 10 3696 – – – –
Rail Blue livery on Class 485
Rail Blue livery on Class 485

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 TSO vehicles which were originally DTSO with the cab locked out of use.
  2. ↑ The original car 15 ex 3253 was scrapped in 1971 and replaced by ex LT 3273, renumbered to 15 II

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Class 485, 486 - 4VEC, 3-TIS". The Railway Centre. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  2. ↑ Vehicle Diagram Book No. 210 for Electric Multiple Units (Including A.P.T.) (PDF). Barrowmore MRG (Derby: British Railways Board). 1981. EB261, EB262, EE260, EH261.
  3. 1 2 Fox 1987, p. 92
  4. 1 2 3 Class 485 & 486 semgonline.com
  5. ↑ Isle of Wight Nostlgia Site: Island History
  6. ↑ "Southern Region". disusedrailways.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Hardy, Brian (2003). Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight. Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-276-3.
  8. ↑ CHTL - Preserved Underground Trains

Sources

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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