SR Class 6Pul
Encyclopedia
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. The 6-PUL units were designated 6-COR until 1935 (the COR designation was later used for 4-COR
units).
(BRCW) and the second by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company. Both were introduced in October 1931, and ran with three trailers converted from former London and South Western Railway
carriages as unit number 2001.
After trials with this unit had been completed the set was disbanded, and the two prototype driving cars were reformed into 6-CITY units 2041 and 2042 respectively. Unit number 2001 was then reused for one of the production 6-PUL units.
The 6-CITY units differed from the 6-PUL units only in that the three trailers other than the Pullman car had all first class accommodation. They were dedicated for use on the London Bridge to Brighton route (as opposed to the London Victoria route on which the 6-PUL units were used), and were intended for the trains used by City workers, hence their designation.
The 6-PAN (6-car Pantry unis, numbers 2021–2037) units were introduced in 1935, upon the extension of the electrified network to Ore. They were similar to the 6-PUL units, except that the Pullman car was replaced by a first class dining car with a pantry. From this time, 12-car trains were often formed from a 6-PAN coupled to either a 6-PUL or 6-CITY.
Until the arrival of the 6-PAN units, the 6-PUL units had been referred to as 6-COR (6-car Corridor stock) and, as explained below, the designation COR was again used by this stock in later years for various reasons. The numbers of all three types of unit were revised in January 1937 from 20xx to 30xx.
The Pullman cars used in these sets were numbered and named as follows:
. This was part of the general withdrawal of Pullman and other restaurant and dining cars from railway stock during World War II
. During this period, the 6-PUL and 6-CITY stock were referred to as 5-COR. When the Pullman cars were returned to service, not all were inserted into the same units that they had been in before the war. Those that were reformed were:
During 1947 and 1948, the three 6-CITY units were converted to non-standard 6-PUL units by reclassifying their three Trailer First vehicles into a Trailer Third (numbered 10113–10115) and two Trailer Composites (11862–11867).
After the 6-PUL and 6-PAN units were disbanded, many of the carriages continued to run in service together with former 4-RES and 4-COR
stock. These reformed units were classified either 4-PUL, 4-COR, 4-COR(N), 6-COR or 6-TC.
composed of former 4Cor
driving motor cars, which had their motors removed and the end gangways removed, and 6-PAN/6-PUL trailer cars. At the same time a Class 33
locomotive was modified to work with the unit.
From early 1966, the experimental train was used on the Oxted line, and was later transferred to the Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia service. The trials were successful, and led to the production of the 3-TC and 4-TC
units for working the Bournemouth line with Class 33/1
locomotives. However, the 6-TC unit had a short life, and was withdrawn after incurring accident damage.
Former 6-PUL Pullman cars 264 Ruth and 278 Bertha have been preserved, and are now used as ordinary locomotive-hauled Pullman cars. Number 264 is part of the Venice Simplon Orient Express fleet, working charter trains on the main line, while 278 is on the Swanage Railway
. Former 6-PUL Trailer Composite car, number 11773, was preserved on the Swanage Railway
for many years, but fell into bad condition and has now been scrapped.
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
class number. The 6-PUL units were designated 6-COR until 1935 (the COR designation was later used for 4-COR
British Rail Class 404
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...
units).
Prototype cars 11001–11002
Coach numbers 11001 and 11002 were prototype driving motor brake vehicles for the mainline stock that was being developed for the London to Brighton electrification. The first was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon CompanyBirmingham 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 second by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company. Both were introduced in October 1931, and ran with three trailers converted from former London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
carriages as unit number 2001.
After trials with this unit had been completed the set was disbanded, and the two prototype driving cars were reformed into 6-CITY units 2041 and 2042 respectively. Unit number 2001 was then reused for one of the production 6-PUL units.
Construction
The 6-PUL (6-car Pullman stock, numbers 2001–2020) and 6-CITY (6-car City stock, numbers 2041–2043) units were built in 1932 to provide high quality accommodation on the newly-electrified London to Brighton route. Units of both types each included a Pullman composite kitchen car, which were built by Metropolitan Cammell and numbered 256 to 278 in the Pullman Car Company series.The 6-CITY units differed from the 6-PUL units only in that the three trailers other than the Pullman car had all first class accommodation. They were dedicated for use on the London Bridge to Brighton route (as opposed to the London Victoria route on which the 6-PUL units were used), and were intended for the trains used by City workers, hence their designation.
The 6-PAN (6-car Pantry unis, numbers 2021–2037) units were introduced in 1935, upon the extension of the electrified network to Ore. They were similar to the 6-PUL units, except that the Pullman car was replaced by a first class dining car with a pantry. From this time, 12-car trains were often formed from a 6-PAN coupled to either a 6-PUL or 6-CITY.
Until the arrival of the 6-PAN units, the 6-PUL units had been referred to as 6-COR (6-car Corridor stock) and, as explained below, the designation COR was again used by this stock in later years for various reasons. The numbers of all three types of unit were revised in January 1937 from 20xx to 30xx.
Formations
Initial formations of these units were as follows (coaches were not formed in numerical order):| Units | Type | Trailer | Trailer | Trailer | Trailer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2020 (later 3001–3020) |
6-PUL | 11003 to 11045 (odds bar 11015/41) |
10001 to 10020 | 11751 to 11789 (odds) | Pullman Car (see below) | 11752 to 11790 (evens) | 11004 to 11046 (evens bar 11016/42) |
| 2021–2037 (later 3021–3037) |
6-PAN | 11047 to 11079 (odds) | 10021 to 10053 (odds) | 12260 to 12276 | 12501 to 12517 | 10022 to 10054 (evens) | 11048 to 11080 (evens) |
| 2041–2043 (later 3041–3043) |
6-CITY | 11001, 11002, 11015 | 12251, 12254, 12257 | 12252, 12255, 12258 | Pullman Car (See below) | 12253, 12256, 12259 | 11041, 11042, 11016 |
The Pullman cars used in these sets were numbered and named as follows:
| Number | Name | Unit | Number | Name | Unit | Number | Name | Unit | Number | Name | Unit | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 | Anne | 3001 | 256 | Rita | 3002 | 257 | Grace | 3003 | 260 | Elinor | 3004 | |||
| 263 | Ida | 3005 | 265 | Rose | 3006 | 266 | Violet | 3007 | 277 | Lorna | 3008 | |||
| 271 | Alice | 3009 | 274 | Daisy | 3010 | 276 | Naomi | 3011 | 278 | Bertha | 3012 | |||
| 258 | Brenda | 3013 | 259 | Enid | 3014 | 261 | Joyce | 3015 | 262 | Iris | 3016 | |||
| 264 | Ruth | 3017 | 267 | May | 3018 | 268 | Peggy | 3019 | 269 | Clara | 3020 | |||
| 272 | Gwladys | 3041 | 273 | Olive | 3042 | 270 | Ethel | 3043 |
Reformations and conversions
Between May 1942 and May 1946, the Pullman cars in these units were withdrawn and stored at the Pullman workshops in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. This was part of the general withdrawal of Pullman and other restaurant and dining cars from railway stock 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...
. During this period, the 6-PUL and 6-CITY stock were referred to as 5-COR. When the Pullman cars were returned to service, not all were inserted into the same units that they had been in before the war. Those that were reformed were:
| Number | Name | Unit | Number | Name | Unit | Number | Name | Unit | Number | Name | Unit | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 | Anne | 3012 | 256 | Rita | 3043 | 278 | Bertha | 3001 | 264 | Ruth | 3042 | |||
| 267 | May | 3041 | 272 | Gwladys | 3017 | 273 | Olive | 3002 | 270 | Ethel | 3018 |
During 1947 and 1948, the three 6-CITY units were converted to non-standard 6-PUL units by reclassifying their three Trailer First vehicles into a Trailer Third (numbered 10113–10115) and two Trailer Composites (11862–11867).
After the 6-PUL and 6-PAN units were disbanded, many of the carriages continued to run in service together with former 4-RES and 4-COR
British Rail Class 404
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...
stock. These reformed units were classified either 4-PUL, 4-COR, 4-COR(N), 6-COR or 6-TC.
| Units | Type | Period used | Formed from | Trailers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 601 | 6-TC | 1965–1967 | COR/PAN/PUL cars | TTK/TCK/TTK/TTK |
| 3041–3050 | 6-COR | 1965–1966 | PAN/PUL cars | TTK/TTK/TFK/TTK |
| 3054–3059 | 4-PUL | 1964–1968 | 6-PUL Pullman kitchen in RES unit | TFK/TPCK |
| 3065–3071 | 4-COR(N) | 1964–1969 | 6-PUL Trailer Third in RES unit | TFK/TTK |
| 3159–3168 | 4-COR | 1965–1969 | PAN/PUL/RES cars | TFK/TTK |
6-TC
The 6-TC unit was formed in 1965 to trial push-pull equipment that would allow a diesel locomotive to be operated remotely from the driving cab in the multiple unit. It wascomposed of former 4Cor
British Rail Class 404
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...
driving motor cars, which had their motors removed and the end gangways removed, and 6-PAN/6-PUL trailer cars. At the same time a Class 33
British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
locomotive was modified to work with the unit.
From early 1966, the experimental train was used on the Oxted line, and was later transferred to the Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia service. The trials were successful, and led to the production of the 3-TC and 4-TC
British Rail Class 438
The British Rail TC multiple units were un-powered fixed formations of 3 or 4 carriages with a driving position at each end of the set, converted by BR at York Works from locomotive-hauled Mark 1 carriages in 1966-1967 and 1974. The units built on experience gained from the prototype 6TC unit...
units for working the Bournemouth line with Class 33/1
British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
locomotives. However, the 6-TC unit had a short life, and was withdrawn after incurring accident damage.
Withdrawal and further use
After withdrawal from passenger service, the underframes of several PUL and PAN unit carriages were reused by the engineering department as long-welded rail carriers and crane runners.Former 6-PUL Pullman cars 264 Ruth and 278 Bertha have been preserved, and are now used as ordinary locomotive-hauled Pullman cars. Number 264 is part of the Venice Simplon Orient Express fleet, working charter trains on the main line, while 278 is on the Swanage Railway
Swanage Railway
The Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...
. Former 6-PUL Trailer Composite car, number 11773, was preserved on the Swanage Railway
Swanage Railway
The Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...
for many years, but fell into bad condition and has now been scrapped.