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Temporary EMU Formations

photograph by David Smith

Here 4-Tep N°2704 is seen on 6th June 1984 travelling south towards Gatwick Airport.  The 4-Big unit N°7033 is on a Victoria-bound service from Brighton.

Whilst the central section's fleet of 4-Beps was being refurbished the number of catering units was maintained by inserting an un-refurbished Bep buffet car into a refurbished 3-Cep formation.  The buffet car is third from the rear on the above picture level with the cab of the 4-Big unit.  The first 4-Tep was formed August/September 1983 and all were returned to their conventional  4-Cep consist by April 1986.

There are some souls who think Southern EMUs either look or indeed are all the same, but these people could not be more wrong! In addition to there being something of the order of 18 different classes of EMUs currently on former Southern Region rails many classes have sub-classes which exhibit detail differences. Refurbishments, collision repairs and routine maintenance also serve to introduce differences. In fact keeping track of all the variations is a hobby in itself. At times of a class refurbishment and during transitions from an old fleet to new stock temporary formations can be put together to keep sufficient units in service. The two photographs below illustrate two temporary unit formations from the 1980s.

In true Southern tradition construction of the new class 442 (5 Wes) units for Waterloo to Weymouth services utilised non life-expired equipment from older units, in this case the traction motors and control equipment off the 4-Rep units which had been providing the fast services to Bournemouth from 1966. This of course necessitated the withdrawal of 4-Rep units before the new units could be introduced. Throughout this time there were some interesting temporary formations including substitution by a Class 73 EDL for one of a 4-Rep's driving motor saloon seconds. Removal of both of a 4-Rep's DMSOs would have amounted to withdrawal of a catering unit, so temporary 4-Tcb units were formed by replacing the trailer composite corridor car from a 4-TC with a Rep buffet.

Click on the thumbnails for a larger image.
  • 2704
    Clapham Jn
    4-Tep unit N°2704 is seen at Clapham Junctionon 6th June 1984 travelling south towards Gatwick Airport.  The 4-Big unit N°7033 is on a Victoria-bound service from Brighton.
    Photograph by David Smith.
  • 1904
    Bournemouth
    6-Rep 1904 photographed at Bournemouth depot.
    Photograph by Paul Febrache.
  • Ex-cab
    In 1904
    The former driving cab of a Rep car now positioned in the middle of 1904.
    Photograph by Paul Febrache.
  • 1904
    Bournemouth
    6-Rep N°1904 after being stripped down at Bournemouth.
    Photograph by Paul Febrache.

This page was last updated 9 March 2003

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