British Rail Class 487
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 487 electric multiple unit
s were built by English Electric
in 1940, for use on the Waterloo & City Line
.
Twelve motor carriages (DMBSO
), numbered 51–62, and sixteen trailers (TSO), numbered 71–86, were built. Trains were formed of various formations, from a single motor carriage, to pairs of motor cars with up to three intermediate trailers.
They were originally classified Class 453 under TOPS
but were later reclassified Class 487.
The Waterloo & City Line was operated as part of the BR Southern Region
. Stock was painted in British Railways green livery, which was replaced by BR Blue in the 1970s. In 1986, the line came under the ownership of Network SouthEast
, and their blue, red and white livery was applied.
By the 1990s the units were urgently in need of replacing. This came in the form of new Class 482
two-car units, which were delivered to traffic in 1992/93. The final Class 487 vehicles were taken by road to Glasgow
for scrap, which was their single longest journey above ground.
The Class 487 units were unique on the British Rail
network in not requiring yellow ends because the route they operated did not integrate at all with the rest of the network. Further, the units could only ever display red lights at the ends, thus the front of the train displayed two red lights instead of the more usual white.
One vehicle, DMBSO no. 61, was initially stored at the National Railway Museum
in York
, before being subsequently transferred to the London Transport Museum's Acton Depot.
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...
Class 487 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...
s were built by English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
in 1940, for use on the Waterloo & City Line
Waterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
.
Twelve motor carriages (DMBSO
British Rail coach designations
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the London and North Eastern Railway both developed a system of identifying railway carriages by means of alphabetic codes...
), numbered 51–62, and sixteen trailers (TSO), numbered 71–86, were built. Trains were formed of various formations, from a single motor carriage, to pairs of motor cars with up to three intermediate trailers.
They were originally classified Class 453 under TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
but were later reclassified Class 487.
The Waterloo & City Line was operated as part of the BR Southern Region
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
. Stock was painted in British Railways green livery, which was replaced by BR Blue in the 1970s. In 1986, the line came under the ownership of Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
, and their blue, red and white livery was applied.
By the 1990s the units were urgently in need of replacing. This came in the form of new Class 482
British Rail Class 482
This article concerns the trains used on the Waterloo & City Line immediately prior to its takeover by London Underground in 1994. For their service after 1994, see London Underground 1992 Stock...
two-car units, which were delivered to traffic in 1992/93. The final Class 487 vehicles were taken by road to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
for scrap, which was their single longest journey above ground.
The Class 487 units were unique on the 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...
network in not requiring yellow ends because the route they operated did not integrate at all with the rest of the network. Further, the units could only ever display red lights at the ends, thus the front of the train displayed two red lights instead of the more usual white.
One vehicle, DMBSO no. 61, was initially stored at the 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...
in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, before being subsequently transferred to the London Transport Museum's Acton Depot.
Fleet Details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 487 | Southern Region | 12 | 1940 | 1 | 51-62 | DMBSO - could operate independently |
| 16 | 71-86 | TSO - could only operate with DMBSO |