BR Class 442 - 'Wessex Electric'
Discussion
Spottery wibble alert....!!
I just thought the rather abrupt demise of these was worth noting, as to my mind they're an interesting tale both of long-gone BR ingenuity, and the heroic near-survival of something old for a few more years!
(Not my pics)
Class 442:
These curvacious beasties were built in the late 80s, for the long-awaited electrification of the last bit of the Waterloo - Weymouth line, between Weymouth and Bournemouth. A bit special for several reasons; from a technical perspective they used the very same electric motors that had powered the trains that they were replacing, their predocessors actually being withdrawn from service and surrendering their electrical equipment so that it could be fitted to the new 442s on the production line. This wasn't uncommon on the Southern Region, albeit a novel way of saving costs. Their predocessors were 3,200hp monsters, designed to haul up to 8 unpowered carriages as well as their own 4 carriage weight, so the motors were plenty powerful for the new 5 car 442s (in fact each 442 needed only half as much grunt, around 1600hp). Based on the same Mark 3 design of carriage that was used within the 'Intercity 125' and elsewhere, with purpose designed front ends for the driving cabs, they looked the part too. They held, and continue to hold, the world record for the fastest 'third rail' (electrical supply through an extra rail rather than overhead wires) in the world.
Also a bit special was the interior layout, with First Class being provided in traditional corridor compartments in one of the driving (end) cars, a proper buffet in the centre car, and the much-remembered 'snug' area alongside it (again not my pic):
The 'Wessex Electrics' were a massive step forward for the commuters of the south, offering something that resembled a proper InterCity spec train on routes which had for years been treated as essentially a very long outer suburban journey. The extra nicities of the compartments and the 'snug' made them a nice place to be, while the recycled electrical kit showed that the traditional Southern Region thinking outside the box was alive and well.
And then the miserable modern bit. Having been withdrawn from their original routes by South West Trains, followed by a stint on Gatwick Express services (buffet, snug and compartments by now long gone) and then into storage, South Western Railway announced in 2017 that it would be reintroducing 18 of them into service. The units would undergoing internal refurbishment and a repaint, as well as beginning the process of having their ageing electrical equipment replaced with new kit. Cost, many millions. Mid-way through Covid hit, and the need for the trains vanished. The project ground to an abrupt halt, with several of the trains quite literally mid-way through having their brand new motors fitted inside workshops at Wolverton when the job was cancelled. It was immediately announced that the lot would be scrapped. Those units which had already had their new electric kit fitted would be heading back to the same workshops to have it all ripped off again for potential use elsewhere, and the same for the sets which were already there and halfway through. Some never got that far, but all had undergone the internal refurbishment and paintjob. The lot would then make their way, one at a time (with a second unit coupled to assist with braking) to Newport Docks, where they would be battered with bulldozers and JCBs and eventually fed into an industrial shredder. The last of these journeys was completed by the end of July.
The only remaining examples are now languishing at Eastleigh works in a state of decay and are expected to meet their fate there soon; ironically the last ones left are among those rejected as not in good enough condition for the SWR refurbishment project. The very first unit, 442401, has donated one driving car to be saved in preservation, which is good news.
It's been a sad couple of years for ex-BR stuff; HSTs gone, Pacers gone, plenty more stuff gone or going, the '38 Stock on the Isle of Wight too; damn this modernisation malarkey!
I just thought the rather abrupt demise of these was worth noting, as to my mind they're an interesting tale both of long-gone BR ingenuity, and the heroic near-survival of something old for a few more years!
(Not my pics)
Class 442:
These curvacious beasties were built in the late 80s, for the long-awaited electrification of the last bit of the Waterloo - Weymouth line, between Weymouth and Bournemouth. A bit special for several reasons; from a technical perspective they used the very same electric motors that had powered the trains that they were replacing, their predocessors actually being withdrawn from service and surrendering their electrical equipment so that it could be fitted to the new 442s on the production line. This wasn't uncommon on the Southern Region, albeit a novel way of saving costs. Their predocessors were 3,200hp monsters, designed to haul up to 8 unpowered carriages as well as their own 4 carriage weight, so the motors were plenty powerful for the new 5 car 442s (in fact each 442 needed only half as much grunt, around 1600hp). Based on the same Mark 3 design of carriage that was used within the 'Intercity 125' and elsewhere, with purpose designed front ends for the driving cabs, they looked the part too. They held, and continue to hold, the world record for the fastest 'third rail' (electrical supply through an extra rail rather than overhead wires) in the world.
Also a bit special was the interior layout, with First Class being provided in traditional corridor compartments in one of the driving (end) cars, a proper buffet in the centre car, and the much-remembered 'snug' area alongside it (again not my pic):
The 'Wessex Electrics' were a massive step forward for the commuters of the south, offering something that resembled a proper InterCity spec train on routes which had for years been treated as essentially a very long outer suburban journey. The extra nicities of the compartments and the 'snug' made them a nice place to be, while the recycled electrical kit showed that the traditional Southern Region thinking outside the box was alive and well.
And then the miserable modern bit. Having been withdrawn from their original routes by South West Trains, followed by a stint on Gatwick Express services (buffet, snug and compartments by now long gone) and then into storage, South Western Railway announced in 2017 that it would be reintroducing 18 of them into service. The units would undergoing internal refurbishment and a repaint, as well as beginning the process of having their ageing electrical equipment replaced with new kit. Cost, many millions. Mid-way through Covid hit, and the need for the trains vanished. The project ground to an abrupt halt, with several of the trains quite literally mid-way through having their brand new motors fitted inside workshops at Wolverton when the job was cancelled. It was immediately announced that the lot would be scrapped. Those units which had already had their new electric kit fitted would be heading back to the same workshops to have it all ripped off again for potential use elsewhere, and the same for the sets which were already there and halfway through. Some never got that far, but all had undergone the internal refurbishment and paintjob. The lot would then make their way, one at a time (with a second unit coupled to assist with braking) to Newport Docks, where they would be battered with bulldozers and JCBs and eventually fed into an industrial shredder. The last of these journeys was completed by the end of July.
The only remaining examples are now languishing at Eastleigh works in a state of decay and are expected to meet their fate there soon; ironically the last ones left are among those rejected as not in good enough condition for the SWR refurbishment project. The very first unit, 442401, has donated one driving car to be saved in preservation, which is good news.
It's been a sad couple of years for ex-BR stuff; HSTs gone, Pacers gone, plenty more stuff gone or going, the '38 Stock on the Isle of Wight too; damn this modernisation malarkey!
Southerner said:
And then the miserable modern bit. Having been withdrawn from their original routes by South West Trains, followed by a stint on Gatwick Express services (buffet, snug and compartments by now long gone) and then into storage, South Western Railway announced in 2017 that it would be reintroducing 18 of them into service. The units would undergoing internal refurbishment and a repaint, as well as beginning the process of having their ageing electrical equipment replaced with new kit. Cost, many millions. Mid-way through Covid hit, and the need for the trains vanished. The project ground to an abrupt halt, with several of the trains quite literally mid-way through having their brand new motors fitted inside workshops at Wolverton when the job was cancelled. It was immediately announced that the lot would be scrapped. Those units which had already had their new electric kit fitted would be heading back to the same workshops to have it all ripped off again for potential use elsewhere, and the same for the sets which were already there and halfway through. Some never got that far, but all had undergone the internal refurbishment and paintjob. The lot would then make their way, one at a time (with a second unit coupled to assist with braking) to Newport Docks, where they would be battered with bulldozers and JCBs and eventually fed into an industrial shredder. The last of these journeys was completed by the end of July.
The only remaining examples are now languishing at Eastleigh works in a state of decay and are expected to meet their fate there soon; ironically the last ones left are among those rejected as not in good enough condition for the SWR refurbishment project. The very first unit, 442401, has donated one driving car to be saved in preservation, which is good news.
It's been a sad couple of years for ex-BR stuff; HSTs gone, Pacers gone, plenty more stuff gone or going, the '38 Stock on the Isle of Wight too; damn this modernisation malarkey!
I really didn't like these trains when they were re-introduced, my view of them wasn't helped by the very first one I went on suffered a 'door malfunction' and we spent half an hour at the station while they tried to fix the problem before they gave up and took the train out of service.The only remaining examples are now languishing at Eastleigh works in a state of decay and are expected to meet their fate there soon; ironically the last ones left are among those rejected as not in good enough condition for the SWR refurbishment project. The very first unit, 442401, has donated one driving car to be saved in preservation, which is good news.
It's been a sad couple of years for ex-BR stuff; HSTs gone, Pacers gone, plenty more stuff gone or going, the '38 Stock on the Isle of Wight too; damn this modernisation malarkey!
ETA: While we were sitting there they let several trains 'overtake' us without letting us know this salient fact which led to a predictable argument when it came claiming the delay monies
Edited by L_G on Monday 9th August 08:42
Yep, door issues were something they seemed to be afflicted by throughout sadly. Most of the MK3 coaches were built with slam doors, only these and the Irish variants that were built had power doors from new, and by all accounts it wasn't their greatest strength.
In fairness they were showing their age by the time SWR brought them back, not helped by the internal refurb not being particularly thorough!
In fairness they were showing their age by the time SWR brought them back, not helped by the internal refurb not being particularly thorough!
forsure said:
They looked very smart, with all their pipes and cables hidden away behind panels.
That didn't last long though. Wasn't long before those panels were permanently removed.
They did look good but were often regarded as a nuisance by operating staff.That didn't last long though. Wasn't long before those panels were permanently removed.
IIRC removal proper followed someone suffering a fairly serious hand injury on Bournemouth depot when an improperly secured door fell on him while seperating a pair of units.
Bert Cheese said:
forsure said:
They looked very smart, with all their pipes and cables hidden away behind panels.
That didn't last long though. Wasn't long before those panels were permanently removed.
They did look good but were often regarded as a nuisance by operating staff.That didn't last long though. Wasn't long before those panels were permanently removed.
IIRC removal proper followed someone suffering a fairly serious hand injury on Bournemouth depot when an improperly secured door fell on him while seperating a pair of units.
It always surprised me that they were built with and never lost their curved windscreens, given that several classes of earlier generation EMUs had them in the 60s and ended up having them replaced with flat glass, in at least one case (the Glasgow "Blue Train" Class 303s) due to some scumbag lobbing a brick through one and wiping out the Driver 
I have been on a fair few of these back when I was commuting to London from Parkway everyday and remember the door problem. The hardcore commuters always positioned themselves by the guards door as that was still manual so you could still get off if the doors failed.
Whilst they are probably too old now for service, the 442s were night and day difference compared to the slam door stock that used to run on that line until they were introduced.
Whilst they are probably too old now for service, the 442s were night and day difference compared to the slam door stock that used to run on that line until they were introduced.
I used to commute from London to Waterloo on these and was very fond of them - comfortable seats and the buffet car and snug was always a nice idea.
I then moved and started going from Petersfield instead which meant Class 444s, which were equally lovely, and quieter. The trouble is, by the time I gave up the London commute, they were using Class 450s more and more, presumably to squeeze in more punters. It's all very well but when you're 6'3" and reasonably broad of shoulder, those skinny seats were damn uncomfortable - I had neck problems for months after i stopped commuting.
As an aside, does anyone know they they stopped using the buffets on the 444s? Towards the end of my travels the buffet area was still in place on them but always locked and the trolley was in use instead - predictably getting in the way and unable to move up and down the train when it was crowded! The loss of the dedicated area seemed like a backward step to me.
I then moved and started going from Petersfield instead which meant Class 444s, which were equally lovely, and quieter. The trouble is, by the time I gave up the London commute, they were using Class 450s more and more, presumably to squeeze in more punters. It's all very well but when you're 6'3" and reasonably broad of shoulder, those skinny seats were damn uncomfortable - I had neck problems for months after i stopped commuting.
As an aside, does anyone know they they stopped using the buffets on the 444s? Towards the end of my travels the buffet area was still in place on them but always locked and the trolley was in use instead - predictably getting in the way and unable to move up and down the train when it was crowded! The loss of the dedicated area seemed like a backward step to me.
Deranged Rover said:
I used to commute from London to Waterloo on these and was very fond of them - comfortable seats and the buffet car and snug was always a nice idea.
I then moved and started going from Petersfield instead which meant Class 444s, which were equally lovely, and quieter. The trouble is, by the time I gave up the London commute, they were using Class 450s more and more, presumably to squeeze in more punters. It's all very well but when you're 6'3" and reasonably broad of shoulder, those skinny seats were damn uncomfortable - I had neck problems for months after i stopped commuting.
As an aside, does anyone know they they stopped using the buffets on the 444s? Towards the end of my travels the buffet area was still in place on them but always locked and the trolley was in use instead - predictably getting in the way and unable to move up and down the train when it was crowded! The loss of the dedicated area seemed like a backward step to me.
The little buffet counter went for the same reason as the Guard's office ultimately, to cram more seats in. There might have been an idea that they could sell more by wandering up and down the train as well, but as you say this falls flat on its arse if the train is busy. But, primarily, seats! It's ironic now given that there aren't any passengers left, but any idea of passenger comfort went out of the window after privatisation, when it just became a game to see how many seats they could cram in. If you compare what's accepted as a normal train seat now (even on 'nice' trains like the 444s), and compare it to what they used to be like, the difference is stark. Which is why golden oldies like the 442s are a welcome break!I then moved and started going from Petersfield instead which meant Class 444s, which were equally lovely, and quieter. The trouble is, by the time I gave up the London commute, they were using Class 450s more and more, presumably to squeeze in more punters. It's all very well but when you're 6'3" and reasonably broad of shoulder, those skinny seats were damn uncomfortable - I had neck problems for months after i stopped commuting.
As an aside, does anyone know they they stopped using the buffets on the 444s? Towards the end of my travels the buffet area was still in place on them but always locked and the trolley was in use instead - predictably getting in the way and unable to move up and down the train when it was crowded! The loss of the dedicated area seemed like a backward step to me.
As for the 450s, the Portsmouth line clientelle has long had issues with these, mainly down to the suburban style 3+2 seating, even resulting in a "No 450" official campaign to get rid of them! Part of the reasoning behind reviving the 442s was to provide the line with decent comfortable rolling stock. There's a new plan now; a different fleet, originally planned to be dispensed with, is now due to be refurbished instead to take the place of the 442s; these are Class 458s currently on the Waterloo - Reading service. Currently they're essentially an older 450, but the refurb work should see an internal reconfigure to make them more agreeable for the journey. We'll see how that goes....
Deranged Rover said:
Southerner said:
The little buffet counter went for the same reason as the Guard's office ultimately, to cram more seats in.
Yes, I suppose that's it. Good point on the Guard's office, too - I'd forgotten about that!Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff