Southern EMU drags
FROM the days of the Southern Railway in the 1920s through its successor British Railways from 1948, the commuter and main line networks south of the Thames have been increasingly dominated by third-rail EMU operation. But the introduction of electro-diesel Class 73s in the early 1960s and diesel Class 33/1 conversions in the mid-1960s, both of which were fitted with Pullman-style rubbing plates to enable close coupling with EMUs and DEMUs for full push-pull operation, meant the use of locomotives for planned and emergency haulage of units became more widespread.
The 1960s in particular saw the introduction of unpowered Trailer Car (TC) sets that were similar in design and operation to the indigenous EMUs, and designed for haulage or propulsion by Class 33s, 73s and a wide range of powered EMUs on the line between Waterloo and Weymouth.
Many readers will be familiar with the 4-TCs, though the trailer sets originally came in a number of versions. The prototype, like the rest of the fleet, was converted from conventional loco-hauled Mk.1 carriages, being outshopped from York Holgate Road as a 6TC set with sets of 3-TC and 4-TC produced after. The 3-TCs were later lengthened to four-cars to give a unified fleet.
Type 3 No. D6580 (later No. 33119) was modified in 1965 for push-pull working in anticipation of the use of the new sub-class on the Waterloo-Bournemouth/Weymouth service following electrification. The loco was trialled in 1965 and 1966 on some Oxted Line services, while some ‘33/1+4-TC’ services also ran through to Swanage.
“The Class 33/1s were nicknamed ‘Bagpipes’ due to all the extra piping”
Between Waterloo and Bournemouth, trains were formed with one or two 4-TC sets propelled by a 4-REP EMU. At Bournemouth, the 4-REP was detached at the rear and a Class ‘33/1’ added to the front of the 4-TC sets to work forwards to
