The Southern Railway (SR) 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).

Southern Railway
6 PUL, 6 CITY, and 6 PAN
In service1932–1969
ManufacturerPower cars: Metropolitan Cammell and BRCW
Standard trailer cars: SR Eastleigh Works,
Pullman trailer cars: Metropolitan-Cammell
Number built6 PUL: 20
6 CITY: 3
6 PAN: 17
Number preserved2 Pullman trailer cars
Number scrappedAll except 2 Pullman trailer cars
FormationSee below
Fleet numbers"
OperatorsSouthern Railway,
British Railways
Lines servedLondon to Brighton and Worthing
Specifications
Car body constructionPower cars: All steel,
Trailer cars: Steel panelled wooden body on steel underframe
Traction systemEight 225 hp (168 kW) traction motors
Power output1,800 hp (1,342 kW)
Electric system(s)750 V DC
Current collector(s)Third rail
UIC classificationBo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′+2′2′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′
Braking system(s)Automatic Air
Coupling systemScrew-link
Multiple workingStandard SR system
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)

Prototype cars 11001–11002

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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 Company (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.

Construction

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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 units, 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

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Initial formations of these units were as follows (coaches were not formed in numerical order):

Units Type DMBTO Trailer Trailer Trailer Trailer DMBTO
2001–2020

(later 3001–3020)

6 PUL 11003 to 11045

(odds bar 11015/41)

TTK 10001 to 10020 TCK 11751 to 11789 (odds) TPCK Pullman Car (see below) TCK 11752 to 11790 (evens) 11004 to 11046

(evens bar 11016/42)

2021–2037

(later 3021–3037)

6 PAN 11047 to 11079 (odds) TTK 10021 to 10053 (odds) TFK 12260 to 12276 TFKP 12501 to 12517 TTK 10022 to 10054 (evens) 11048 to 11080 (evens)
2041–2043

(later 3041–3043)

6 CITY 11001, 11002, 11015 TFK 12251, 12254, 12257 TFK 12252, 12255, 12258 TPCK Pullman Car (See below) TFK 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

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Between May 1942 and May 1946, the Pullman cars in these units were withdrawn and stored at the Pullman workshops in Brighton. 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:

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 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

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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 was 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.

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 23 January 1948, a passenger train formed by a 6 PUL and a 6 PAN unit overran signals at London Bridge and collided with an empty stock train formed by two 6 PAN units. Three people were killed and 34 were injured.[1]
  • On 25 August 1958, 6 PUL unit No. 3014 and 6 PAN unit 3032 formed a passenger train that was involved in a head-on collision with a sleeper car train at Eastbourne, East Sussex after the latter overran a signal. Five people were killed and 40 were injured.

Preservation

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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 at Carnforth under private ownership.

The underframes of several PUL and PAN unit carriages were reused by the engineering department as long-welded rail carriers and crane runners.

Unit No. Type Coach Type Number Location Notes Photograph
- 6 PAN Trailer Second Corridor 10027 Chasewater Railway Under frame only,
- 6 PAN Trailer Composite Corridor 12232 Midland Railway Centre Under frame only,
- 6 PAN Trailer First Corridor 12275 Spa Valley Railway Under frame only,
- 6 PAN Trailer First Corridor 12270 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Under frame only,

References

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  1. ^ Moody, G. T. (1979) [1957]. Southern Electric 1909-1979 (Fifth ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. p. 114. ISBN 0-7110-0924-4.

Sources

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  • Marsden, Colin J. (1983). Southern Electric Multiple-Units 1898–1948. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. pp. 28–32, 38–40. ISBN 0-7110-1253-9.
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