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CLASS 73 ELECTRO DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES
Indeed, Class 73 on 12" to the foot has arguably been thus far under-represented on Gloucestershire Transport History now that the boxy electro diesels have found homes on the Dean Forest and Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railways.
The majority of the Southern suburban network had been electrified but several sidings and yards remained untreated and such an electro-diesel would be able to haul both freight and passenger trains over the third rail and then, unlike EMUs, could continue over non-electrified stretches of line by switching its power source from four pick-up shoes to an onboard, but much less powerful, diesel engine.
By 1959 the design prepared by Southern Region's Civil Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (CM&EE) division was ready and the Southern Region put in an order for six of the experimental electro-diesel locomotives to be constructed, the assembly work being split between Ashford and Eastleigh, whilst English Electric were awarded the contract to manufacture the diesel engine and traction motors.
The new locomotives used many standard EMU components, were dual air and vacuum braked and would be MU compatible with Southern Region EMUs built between 1951 and 1972. In addition they could work in multiple with other electro-diesels and diesel electrics with Blue Star apparatus and be controlled from a remote cab in either dc electric or diesel mode. Starting the diesel engine and changing from diesel to electric power - and vice versa - from a remote cab and on the move was also possible.
Throughout 1960 and 1961, Ashford constructed the under-frames for all six locomotives, whilst Eastleigh was responsible for the manufacture of the body shell and the fitting of diesel and electric equipment once the under-frames had been delivered from Kent. The design had a 600 HP English Electric 4SRKT diesel engine (already being used in the Hampshire / Berkshire DMUs at the time) specifically placed at one end of the frames, allowing the remaining space to accommodate the electrical equipment, an arrangement which would reduce stresses on the frames.
The underframes were fabricated with channel section solebars, rolled steel joists, plates and cross members. The body sides were fabricated in the form of Warren girders and covered on the outside with sheet steel and with sheet aluminium on the inside. The buffer beam was also thicker at the number 2 end than the number 1 end to balance the weight of the 4SRKT prime mover. Both cabs were also built with a double skin and were fully insulated.
The first example - E6001 - entered service on 1 February 1962 and the remaining five machines left Eastleigh by the end of the year. The Southern Region's CM&EE applied a unique set of design codes to all diesel and electric locomotives native to the Southern Region, the electro-diesels being classified as ''JA''.
The second, larger batch - with only slight changes in traction motor specification - was entirely constructed at the Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows by English Electric over a two year period, the first example entering service on 13 October 1965.
The change in traction motors gave the English Electric-constructed locomotives - known on the Southern Region as JBs - a top speeds of 90 mph compared to 80 mph for the Eastleigh built machines.
The Gatwick Express service from London Victoria became part of Intercity rather than Network South East and Business Sector's operations and the existing 4-VEG units (specially converted 4-VEPs) were replaced with more comfortable rolling stock.
Air-conditioned BR Mk 2 carriages displaced from London Midland Region by HSTs were sent to Derby for conversion to push-and-pull service while nine motor coaches from 2-HAP suburban EMUs were converted into driving Guard Luggage Vans. The motive power for the new Gatwick Express was to come from a dedicated pool of twelve Class 73/1 locomotives - suitably modified to work with the air conditioned Mark 2s and GLVs - re-designated Class 73/2 but still allocated to Stewarts Lane Depot - 73A before reclassification as SL - which had been the home to all Class 73s since 1962.
These locomotives - including 73 142 "Broadlands" ( later 73 201 ) seen below propelling past Coulsdon North on 25 June 1984 - were later painted in InterCity Executive livery to match the Mark II carriages.
However, in 1992 they were transferred to Britain's only other third rail dc network on Merseyside to undertake sandite and de-icing duties while still being administered by Network SouthEast's office in Croydon! After privatisation in 1994, four were purchased outright by Mersey Rail and remained in service until 2002 by which time two examples had been painted in the Liverpudlian firm's all-over yellow livery and reclassified as Class 73/9.
Looking back at some old copies of Rail Express magazine, I see that in June 1997 TDT Langdale Collectables were selling a limited edition of 500 models of 73 901 for £ 40.99 apiece. The advertisment continued “ 73901 is the Oldest Working Main Line Electric Locomotive in the UK. Based at Birkenhead North, it presently sports a unique yellow & grey livery."
After the September 2000 meanwhile the introduction of Class 460 EMUs to work the Gatwick Express service marked a steady decline of Class 73/2 on the former Southern Region network, a total of three out of the original twelve remaining in the dedicated Gatwick Express pool as of October 2004. Although all the Class 460 EMUs were in service by this time, at least one formation of the old Gatwick Express stock was in use every day, whether there was 100 % availability of the new units or not. Apparently, the set was always running whilst modifications and various exams were undertaken, in addition to covering for failed units. Official cessation of using the ''old stock'' came on 28 July 2005, but despite this, one set was reported still running in November of the same year.
Meanwhile, The Railway Magazine of October 2003 reported that 73 005 and 73 906 visited Southampton by road during the summer months as a back up to South West Train’s 73 019 in the case of the latter not being available for interference testing on the new Northam Depot. Northam will be home to SWT’s new Siemens built Class 450 EMUs – dc cousins of the Class 360 “Desiro” units then to be introduced on the ac electrified Great Eastern line.
The remaining capital stock 73/1s were variously owned by EWS, Eurostar ( fitted with Scharfenburg couplers to haul Eurostar trains ) , South West Trains or Network Rail by 2003 although in 2005 operators also included Fragonset and GB Railfreight. In 2010 those Class 73s remaining cleared for Network Rail use were as follows, only the first three retaining vacuum brakes the rest being air and electro-pneumatic only:
| NUMBER | LIVERY | OWNER | DEPOT | NAME |
| 73 107 | Two tone grey | 20 189 | St Leonards | SPITFIRE |
| 73 109 | South West Trains | - | Stewarts Lane | Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary |
| 73 141 | First Group | First GBRf | St Leonards | Charlotte |
| 73 201 | BR Blue | Porterbrook | St Leonards | Broadlands |
| 73 202 | Gatwick Exp EMU | Porterbrook | Stewarts Lane | Dave Berry |
| 73 203 | Gatwick Exp IC | First GBRf | St Leonards | |
| 73 204 | GB Railfreight | First GBRf | St Leonards | Janice |
| 73 205 | GB Railfreight | First GBRf | St Leonards | Jeanette |
| 73 206 | GB Railfreight | First GBRf | St Leonards | Lisa |
| 73 207 | Large no. Blue | First GBRf | St Leonards | |
| 73 208 | BR Blue | First GBRf | St Leonards | Kirsten |
| 73 209 | GB Railfreight | First GBRf | St Leonards | Alison |
| 73 212 | Network Rail yellow | First GBRf | St Leonards | |
| 73 213 | First Group | First GBRf | St Leonards | |
| 73 235 | South West Trains | Porterbrook | Wimbledon |
It had been known that E6001 was repaired after collision damage sustained around 1975 when it was squashed between a multiple unit train and a load of coal that it was hauling. Cab 2’s shell was replaced by a slightly different English Electric second-series cab and as a result many of the internal panels no longer fit properly. Cab 1 meanwhile is original and was patched up after the accident.
E6001 eventually working its first revenue earning train on the Dean Forest Railway on 6 June 2007.
73 005 and 73 906 ( or E6005 and E6006 as they were originally known ) were seconded to the Severn Valley Railway during the summer of 2005 as “Thunderbird” locomotives at each end of the line in case of other motive power failures. On 18/19 June 2005 however they ventured even further north – by rail again - to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for their diesel gala. Although being towed by another locomotive over Network Rail metals, ultrasound axle tests and air tank tests had to be undertaken and the “juice shoes” strapped up for the journey.
Unfortunately 73 005 became unserviceable in October 2006 with axle bearing and seized turbocharger issues although April 2010 saw it moved by road to Eastleigh for bogie lifting to gain access to the traction motor and bearings.
73 005 was named Mid Hants/ Watercress Line in September 1988.
However, it still required minor repairs to become operational. Following remedial work on a fuel tank leak, 73 906 was also discovered to have had a semi-blocked catalytic converter on the exhaust system, fitted originally due to its role on operations on the Liverpool Metro. The designer of the “cat” was contacted to discuss the best way to deal with it. As a result the offending item was cleaned and refitted. An air lock on the fuel system was also purged.
After much electrical and mechanical attention, a full and thorough bodywork restoration was completed by the end of end June 2004 to electric blue with a grey solebar stripe. Having joined E6005 on-loan at the Severn Valley Railway in August 2004, it received a full repaint into BR blue at Bewdley during January and February 2009 and was also subject to minor repairs and the exchange of cab seats with the sidelined 73 005.
As the last locomotive to be completed at Eastleigh carriage works, E6006 attended the Eastleigh 100 celebrations in May 2009, being towed to Hampshire behind D1015 "Western Champion" and displayed next to South West Trains liveried 73 109.
E6006 was also present for the open days at Long Marson in June 2009 and has since returned to the Severn Valley Railway where it remains operational.
Outshopped from Newton-Le-Willows as English Electric / Vulcan Works number E3569/ E339 in October 1965 and allocated to 75D Horsham depot, E6007 became 73 101 in January 1974 and was named "Brighton Evening Argus" in December 1980. For a month afterward it carried the number 73 100 and was renumbered 73 801 in July 1989.
During 1991, it was agreed to repaint No. 73101 in full 'Pullman' colours. This was carried out by Selhurst Level 5 depot, and the electro diesel was used to power the Venice Simplon Orient Express on a special London-Brighton run. It was the intention to repaint it back into conventional livery, but agreement was then reached to retain this distinctive livery.
The name "The Royal Alex" was applied to 73 101 on 2 May 1992 and the electro diesel is pictured above at the Crewe Electric Depot Open Day on 3 May 1997.
73 101 arrived at Lydney on the Dean Forest Railway in May 2004 and was moved to the Avon Valley Railway at Bitton on 29 October 2006 for an extended period until July 2007 during which it received gradual bodywork repairs. It was then despatched to the Severn Valley Railway to assist in flood damge repair work and was repainted in Pullman livery at Kidderminster in January 2008, returning to the Avon Valley Railway via the April 2008 Llangollen Railway diesel gala.
Since Spring 2009 however 73 101 has been out of service awaiting replacement batteries so that the engine can be started and shut down on demand and a governor fault investigated. However, on 31 July 2009 the electro diesel was used to film an episode of BBC TV's "Casualty" programme
73 128 began life as English Electric / Vulcan Foundry works E3597 / E367 outshopped from Newton-Le-Willows in June 1966 as BR E6035 and was first allocated to Horsham depot before TOPS renumbering in February 1974.
