455 840 Selhurst 17.3.22
The Class 455 was originally to be classified as the Class 510, at which point they were planned as a 750 V DC version of the Class 317. However, as the chopper control system at the time was not considered robust enough for the electrically rougher third rail Southern Region, they were fitted with second-hand camshaft control systems instead. The Class 510 designation was also discarded in favour of Class 455. A total of 505 carriages were built by British Rail Engineering Limited's Holgate Road carriage works and together with 43 existing trailers from Class 508s, formed 137 four-car sets. The 455s allowed the Class 405 and Class 415 to be withdrawn, as well as allowing the Class 508s to be transferred to the Merseyside network for which they were originally intended. They also allowed other stock to be cascaded to the North London and Oxted lines.
There were three batches of Class 455s, all consisting of four cars: driving trailer vehicles at each end, an intermediate trailer vehicle and an intermediate motorised vehicle (powered by four EE507-20J of 185 kW carried on the bogies of the MSO vehicle, some recovered from Class 405s), all originally built to the standard class 3+2 seating arrangement with 316 seats. Technically, they are formed DTSO+MSO+TSO+DTSO. They have the same bodyshell as the Class 317 and Class 318, but as they were designed for inner suburban services they do not feature first class seating, air conditioning or toilet facilities and are restricted to 75mph (121 km/h). Like the Class 317/318, as well as the diesel Class 150, they are based on the British Rail Mark 3, with a steel construction, unlike the earlier PEP based Class 313, Class 314, Class 315, Class 507 and Class 508, which had an aluminium alloy body.
The Class 455/8s were built between 1982 and 1984. These include all 46 Southern units (allocated to Stewarts Lane depot) and 28 allocated to South Western Railway (at Wimbledon depot). The Class 455/7s were built in 1984–1985. There were 43 four-car units, all allocated to South Western Railway at Wimbledon depot. They differed from the 455/8s in having a revised front end (air horns relocated next to the coupler and revised headlamp clusters) that was later used on Class 317/2 and Class 318 units. No new intermediate trailer (TSO) vehicles were produced for this subclass; instead, they used redundant TSO vehicles that had been removed from Class 508 units prior to those units being transferred to Merseyrail in Liverpool. The reused vehicles can be recognised by their shorter and wider profile compared to 'normal' Class 455 vehicles.
The Class 455/9s were built in 1985, and all 20 units are allocated to South Western Railway at Wimbledon depot. These are similar to the 455/7s, except that they had new-build TSOs, except for 455912, which has a TSO formerly part of one of the prototype Class 210 DEMUs (which also had the same bodyshell). 455913's MSO 67301 was formerly a Class 210 driving vehicle, with the one good end of vehicle 62838 (which was damaged after being crushed by a falling cement mixer lorry) mated with the former cab end. The rest of 62838 was scrapped.
455 840 Selhurst 17.3.22
The Class 455 was originally to be classified as the Class 510, at which point they were planned as a 750 V DC version of the Class 317. However, as the chopper control system at the time was not considered robust enough for the electrically rougher third rail Southern Region, they were fitted with second-hand camshaft control systems instead. The Class 510 designation was also discarded in favour of Class 455. A total of 505 carriages were built by British Rail Engineering Limited's Holgate Road carriage works and together with 43 existing trailers from Class 508s, formed 137 four-car sets. The 455s allowed the Class 405 and Class 415 to be withdrawn, as well as allowing the Class 508s to be transferred to the Merseyside network for which they were originally intended. They also allowed other stock to be cascaded to the North London and Oxted lines.
There were three batches of Class 455s, all consisting of four cars: driving trailer vehicles at each end, an intermediate trailer vehicle and an intermediate motorised vehicle (powered by four EE507-20J of 185 kW carried on the bogies of the MSO vehicle, some recovered from Class 405s), all originally built to the standard class 3+2 seating arrangement with 316 seats. Technically, they are formed DTSO+MSO+TSO+DTSO. They have the same bodyshell as the Class 317 and Class 318, but as they were designed for inner suburban services they do not feature first class seating, air conditioning or toilet facilities and are restricted to 75mph (121 km/h). Like the Class 317/318, as well as the diesel Class 150, they are based on the British Rail Mark 3, with a steel construction, unlike the earlier PEP based Class 313, Class 314, Class 315, Class 507 and Class 508, which had an aluminium alloy body.
The Class 455/8s were built between 1982 and 1984. These include all 46 Southern units (allocated to Stewarts Lane depot) and 28 allocated to South Western Railway (at Wimbledon depot). The Class 455/7s were built in 1984–1985. There were 43 four-car units, all allocated to South Western Railway at Wimbledon depot. They differed from the 455/8s in having a revised front end (air horns relocated next to the coupler and revised headlamp clusters) that was later used on Class 317/2 and Class 318 units. No new intermediate trailer (TSO) vehicles were produced for this subclass; instead, they used redundant TSO vehicles that had been removed from Class 508 units prior to those units being transferred to Merseyrail in Liverpool. The reused vehicles can be recognised by their shorter and wider profile compared to 'normal' Class 455 vehicles.
The Class 455/9s were built in 1985, and all 20 units are allocated to South Western Railway at Wimbledon depot. These are similar to the 455/7s, except that they had new-build TSOs, except for 455912, which has a TSO formerly part of one of the prototype Class 210 DEMUs (which also had the same bodyshell). 455913's MSO 67301 was formerly a Class 210 driving vehicle, with the one good end of vehicle 62838 (which was damaged after being crushed by a falling cement mixer lorry) mated with the former cab end. The rest of 62838 was scrapped.