British Rail Class 404
Encyclopedia
The Southern Railway gave the designations 4-COR, 4-RES, 4-BUF and 4-GRI
to the different types of electric multiple unit
built to work the route between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour. The 4-COR type units survived long enough in British Rail
ownership to be allocated TOPS
Class 404. The COR designation had previously been used for the 6-PUL units
and was reused by them during World War II
when the Pullman car was stored, but this stock was different from the 4-COR units.
Corridor connections were provided throughout each unit, including between units. This gave them a distinctive front-end appearance as the headcode display was placed on the opposite side of the gangway connection to the driving cab window, leading to their nickname of Nelsons (referring to Lord Nelson's eyepatch, and also to their connection with Portsmouth).
It was intended that, for principal services, 12-car formations would operate with a 4-RES unit (providing the kitchen and dining facilities for the train) sandwiched by two 4-COR units. While all the other carriages for these units were built by the SR at its Eastleigh Works
, the Trailer First carriages (which were laid out as dining cars) were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
(BRCW) and the Trailer Restaurant Kitchen Third carriages by Metropolitan Cammell.
These new units followed the same design as the Phase 1 stock, except that the restaurant and kitchen facilities of the 4-RES units were replaced by the simpler provision of a buffet. All of these units were built by the SR at its Eastleigh works.
The first changes took place during World War II
, following the destruction of 25 carriages during bombing raids. This total included the equivalent of three 4-RES units. A number of units were reformed to re-use the carriages that survived from individual units, and after the war was over new carriages were built to replace those destroyed, taking the numbers of the old ones. In total this involved eleven driving motor cars, seven Trailer Thirds, five Trailer Composites, and one buffet car and dining car apiece. This re-arrangement led to the loss of 4-RES units 3058, 3060 and 3063 and the formation of three new 4-COR units, which took numbers 3156–3158.
In 1955 4-RES unit 3072 was converted to a 4-BUF unit following a fire in the kitchen car, which was rebuilt as a prototype Restaurant Buffet design for British Rail
. In 1961–1962 the kitchen cars in 4-RES units 3056, 3065 and 3068 were converted into Griddle cars. The units involved were given the classification 4-GRI, and in 1964 they were renumbered 3086–3088.
In January 1964 the remaining 4-RES units were disbanded and the carriages reformed with former 6-PUL and 6-PAN
stock. Between then and the final withdrawal of these carriages at the end of the 1960s a variety of different unit formations were created, including further 4-COR units (numbers 3159–3166), 6-COR (3041–3050), 4-PUL (3054–3059), 4-COR(N) (3065–3071) and 6-TC (601). For further details of this complex period of unit reformations, see here.
SR multiple unit numbering and classification
The Southern Railway created classification and numbering systems for its large fleet of electric multiple units that were perpetuated by the Southern Region of British Rail until the early 1980s, when the impact of TOPS was felt...
to the different types of electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
built to work the route between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour. The 4-COR type units survived long enough in British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ownership to be allocated TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
Class 404. The COR designation had previously been used for the 6-PUL units
SR Class 6Pul
The Southern Railway gave the designations 6-PUL, 6-CITY and 6-PAN 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...
and was reused by them during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the Pullman car was stored, but this stock was different from the 4-COR units.
Phase 1 units
The SR electrified the London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via Woking line in the mid-1930s, and full electric services commenced over the route from April 1937. For this service, 29 4-COR units (4-car Corridor units, numbered 3101–3129) and 19 4-RES units (4-car Restaurant units, numbered 3054–3072) were built.Corridor connections were provided throughout each unit, including between units. This gave them a distinctive front-end appearance as the headcode display was placed on the opposite side of the gangway connection to the driving cab window, leading to their nickname of Nelsons (referring to Lord Nelson's eyepatch, and also to their connection with Portsmouth).
It was intended that, for principal services, 12-car formations would operate with a 4-RES unit (providing the kitchen and dining facilities for the train) sandwiched by two 4-COR units. While all the other carriages for these units were built by the SR at its Eastleigh Works
Eastleigh Works
Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England.-History under the LSWR:...
, the Trailer First carriages (which were laid out as dining cars) were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was a railway locomotive and carriage builder, founded in Birmingham, England and, for most of its existence, located at nearby Smethwick, with the factory was divided by the boundary between the two places...
(BRCW) and the Trailer Restaurant Kitchen Third carriages by Metropolitan Cammell.
Phase 2 units
The SR then electrified the line from Three Bridges to Portsmouth via Horsham and the coastal route from West Worthing to Havant, with services over this route commencing in July 1938. For services from London Victoria to Portsmouth over these lines, another 26 4-COR units (numbered 3130–3155) were built, together with 13 4-BUF units (4-car Buffet units, numbered 3073–3085).These new units followed the same design as the Phase 1 stock, except that the restaurant and kitchen facilities of the 4-RES units were replaced by the simpler provision of a buffet. All of these units were built by the SR at its Eastleigh works.
Formations
Initial formations of these units were as follows:| Units | Type | Trailer | Trailer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3054-3072 | 4-RES | 11139–11175 (odds) | 12232–12250 (not in order) | 12601–12619 (not in order) | 11140–11176 (evens) |
| 3073–3085 | 4-BUF | 11229–11253 (odds) | TCK 11846–11858 | TRBT 12518–12530 | 11230–11254 (evens) |
| 3101–3129 | 4-COR | 11081–11137 (odds) | 10055–10083 | 11791–11819 | 11082–11138 (evens) |
| 3130–3155 | 4-COR | 11177–11227 (odds) | 10084–10109 | 11820–11845 | 11178–11228 (evens) |
Reformations and conversions
Due to the late delivery of the kitchen and dining carriages for the 4-RES units, these cars were not formed in the sets in numerical order, and some of the driving motor cars initially ran with other trailer cars as 4-COR formations.The first changes took place during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, following the destruction of 25 carriages during bombing raids. This total included the equivalent of three 4-RES units. A number of units were reformed to re-use the carriages that survived from individual units, and after the war was over new carriages were built to replace those destroyed, taking the numbers of the old ones. In total this involved eleven driving motor cars, seven Trailer Thirds, five Trailer Composites, and one buffet car and dining car apiece. This re-arrangement led to the loss of 4-RES units 3058, 3060 and 3063 and the formation of three new 4-COR units, which took numbers 3156–3158.
In 1955 4-RES unit 3072 was converted to a 4-BUF unit following a fire in the kitchen car, which was rebuilt as a prototype Restaurant Buffet design for British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
. In 1961–1962 the kitchen cars in 4-RES units 3056, 3065 and 3068 were converted into Griddle cars. The units involved were given the classification 4-GRI, and in 1964 they were renumbered 3086–3088.
In January 1964 the remaining 4-RES units were disbanded and the carriages reformed with former 6-PUL and 6-PAN
SR Class 6Pul
The Southern Railway gave the designations 6-PUL, 6-CITY and 6-PAN 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...
stock. Between then and the final withdrawal of these carriages at the end of the 1960s a variety of different unit formations were created, including further 4-COR units (numbers 3159–3166), 6-COR (3041–3050), 4-PUL (3054–3059), 4-COR(N) (3065–3071) and 6-TC (601). For further details of this complex period of unit reformations, see here.
Withdrawal and further use
Apart from the 4-RES units, which were disbanded in 1964, the 4-COR, 4-BUF and 4-GRI types continued in existence through to the withdrawal of this stock from passenger service in 1972. Thereafter the underframes of a number of carriages were reused by the engineering department as long welded rail carriers and crane runners. A full list of vehicles affected is below:| Old Number | New Number | Old Number | New Number | Old Number | New Number | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10081 | 975519 | 11847 | 975520 | 11846 | 975521 | ||
| 11849 | 975522 | 11856 | 975523 | 11817 | 975524 | ||
| 11854 | 975525 | 10064 | 975526 | 11800 | 975527 | ||
| 12245 | 975528 | 10079 | 975529 | 11815 | 975530 | ||
| 11802 | 975531 | 10103 | 975532 | 12235 | DS70281 | ||
Preservation
One complete unit was saved for preservation, as were a number of individual vehicles. Details are set out below:| Unit No. | Type | DMBTO | TTK | Trailer | DMBTO | Livery | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3072 | 4-BUF | - | - | TRBT 12613 | - | Unknown | Privately owned, Shepherds Bush | Originally a 4-RES TRKT. |
| 3084 | 4-BUF | - | - | TRBT 12529 | - | BR Green | Nene Valley Railway Nene Valley Railway The Nene Valley Railway is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is currently seven and a half miles in length... |
Badly damaged by fire. |
| 3131 | 4-COR | 11179 | - | - | - | BR Green | National Railway Museum National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001... |
- |
| 3135 | 4-COR | 11187 | - | - | - | SR Green | Southern Electric Group | - |
| 3142 | 4-COR | 11161 | 10096 | TCK 11825 | 11201 | SR Green | Southern Electric Group | 11161 ex-4Res unit 3065. |