British Rail Classes 485 and 486

The British Rail Class 485 (or 4Vec, later 5Vec) and British Rail Class 486 (or 3Tis, later 2Tis) electrical multiple units were originally built for the London Electric Railway from 1923-31 as its 'Standard' tube stock. They were purchased by British Rail in 1967 and transported to the Isle of Wight to work 'mainline' services on the newly electrified Ryde to Shanklin line,[1][6] where they worked for an additional quarter of a century. At the time of their purchase the units had already worked for over 40 years on the London Underground, but their introduction allowed the last steam locomotives on the line to be withdrawn.[6]

British Rail Class 485
British Rail Class 486
485045 at Shanklin.
In service1923 - 1964 on London Underground
1967 - 1992 on Island Line
ManufacturerMetro Cammell, Union Construction Company, Cammell Laird
Family nameTube
SuccessorClass 483
Formation
  • 4 cars per trainset (4-VEC)
  • 3 cars per trainset (3-TIS)
  • DMBSO+TSO+TSO+DMBSO (4-VEC)
  • DMBSO+TSO+DTSO (3-TIS)[1]

  • 5 cars per trainset (5-VEC from 1985)
  • 2 cars per trainset (2-TIS from 1985)
  • DMBSO+TSO+TSO+TSO+DMBSO (5-VEC from 1985)
  • DMBSO+DTSO (2-TIS from 1985)[2]
Diagram
  • EB261 (DMBS, 485, 486)
  • EB262 (DMBS, 485)
  • EE260 (DTS, 485, 486)
  • EH261 (TS, 485, 486)[3]
Capacity
  • 132 seats (4-VEC)
  • 106 seats (3-TIS)
Operator(s)Network SouthEast
Specifications
Maximum speed45 mph (72 km/h)[4]
Weight
  • 94 t (93 long tons; 104 short tons) (4-VEC, set)
  • 65 t (64 long tons; 72 short tons) (3-TIS, set)
  • 32 t (31 long tons; 35 short tons) (MBSO)
  • 19 t (19 long tons; 21 short tons) (TSO)
  • 17 t (17 long tons; 19 short tons) (DTSO)[1][4]
Electric system(s)660 V DC 3rd rail[5]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

History

Six four-car sets and six three-car sets were refurbished by BR's Stewarts Lane depot in 1966-67. The four-car sets were initially classified Class 452 and numbered 041-046, later reclassified Class 485 and numbered 485041-046. Each unit was formed of a driving motor, two intermediate trailers, and a second driving motor. Thus, the formation was DMBSO+TSO+TSO+DMBSO. Some of the intermediate trailers were former driving trailers, with the cabs locked out of use.

The three-car sets were classified Class 451 and numbered 031-036, later reclassified Class 486 and numbered 486031-036. A spare driving motor car was also refurbished, given the unit number 486037. Each of these units were formed of a driving motor, an intermediate trailer, and a driving trailer. Thus, the formation was DMBSO+TSO+DTSO.

When introduced, the units carried all-over BR blue livery. This progressed to standard blue/grey livery in the 1970s, and finally some units received Network SouthEast's blue livery with red and white stripes, following its introduction in 1986.

Electric services on the Isle of Wight commenced on 20 March 1967. In service, the 4Vec units often worked alone, but sometimes in combination with a 3Tis unit, such that a train was formed of seven coaches known as a 7 Vectis.[6] ("Vectis" was the Roman name for the Isle of Wight.[7])

Reformation

In 1985, the Class 485 units were reformed into five 5 car (5Vec) units, and the Class 486 units into two 2 car (2tis) units.[8]

Withdrawal

Due to the proximity to the sea, the units suffered badly from corrosion damage.[9] By the mid-1980s it was clear that they needed to be replaced. The replacements came from the two-car Class 483, which were also rebuilt from former London Underground stock, namely 1938 tube stock.[10] These new units were introduced from 1989. The last 2Tis and 5Vec units were withdrawn from service in 1992.[1]

Upon retirement from Isle of Wight services, no 486 units were saved for preservation. However, several 485 vehicles were sold back to London Underground for eventual restoration as part of an operational 'Standard' stock museum unit.[11] These are listed below:

TypeNo.From setLT no.
DMBSO24850413706
DMBSO74850443209
DTSO274850435279
TSO444850447281
TSO494850447296

Of these five cars, only DTSO 5279 and TSO 7296 have been preserved, all the other cars were scrapped in Acton works in 2013 alongside other old Standard Stock Cars. During November 2011 the two long-stored DM vehicles 2 and 7 were despatched by LU to Eastleigh depot for component recovery and subsequent breaking up: this is believed to have occurred in December 2011 (although this has not been confirmed). Trailers 27 and 49 are incorporated into the LT museum's Standard stock museum train. Trailer 44 was scrapped in August 2012.

Fleet details
Class 486s at Ryde Pier Head.
Class Operator No. Built Year Built Cars per Set Unit nos.
Class 485 Southern Region (Island Line)
Network SouthEast		 6 1923
refurb. 1966		 4, later 5 485041–485046
Class 486 6 3, later 2 486031-486036
Class 485 (pre-1985)
Unit no. Carriage nos.
DMBSO TSO TSO DMBSO
IoW LU IoW LU IoW LU IoW LU
041 20 3308 27[T 1] 5279 41 7286 13 3141
042 22 3010 29[T 1] 5293 42 7280 15[T 2] 3253
043 2 3706 31[T 1] 5283 43 7275 19 3045
044 4 3702 33[T 1] 5291 44 7281 21 3041
045 6 3084 45 7293 48 7298 23 3315
046 8 3074 49 7296 46 7283 25 3313
Class 486 (pre-1985)
Unit no. Carriage nos.
DMBSO TSO DTSO
IoW LU IoW LU IoW LU
031 1 3703 47 7279 26 5294
032 3 3251 92 7285 28 5304
033 5 3185 93 7282 30 5312
034 7 3209 94 7287 32 5290
035 9 3223 95 7292 34 5302
036 11 3705 96 7290 36 5350
Spare 10 3696 – – – –

Notes
  1. TSO vehicles which were originally DTSO with the cab locked out of use.
  2. The original car 15 ex 3253 was scrapped in 1971 and replaced by ex LT 3273, renumbered to 15 II

References
  1. "Class 485, 486 - 4VEC, 3-TIS". The Railway Centre. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Southern E-Group - Class 485 and 486". Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
  3. Vehicle Diagram Book No. 210 for Electric Multiple Units (Including A.P.T.) (PDF). 1981. EB261, EB262, EE260, EH261. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. Fox 1987, p. 92
  5. "Route Specifications 2016 Wessex" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  6. "Welcome to the Southern E-mail Group Web Site". sremg.org.uk. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. "Isle of Wight Nostlgia Site: Island History". Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  8. "Southern E-Group - Class 485 and 486". Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
  9. "Southern Region". disusedrailways.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012.
  10. Hardy, Brian (2003). Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight. Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-276-3.
  11. "CHTL - Preserved Underground Trains". Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2009.

Sources
  • Fox, Peter (1987). Multiple Unit Pocket Book. British Railways Pocket Book No.2 (Summer/Autumn 1987 ed.). Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0906579740. OCLC 613347580.

Bibliography
  • Robert, Greenaway (1983), "Metropolitan and Underground Rolling Stock for the Isle of Wight", Underground, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire: London Underground Railway Society, no. 11, p. 48, ISSN 0306-8609

Further reading
  • Marsden, Colin J. (1982). EMUs. Motive Power Recognition. Vol. 2. Ian Allan. pp. 108–111. ISBN 9780711011656. OCLC 16537600.
  • Maxey, David (April 1984). "Isle of Wight birthday bonus". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 28–31. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
  • Vaughan, John (2–15 November 1989). "Farewell to Classes 485/486". RAIL. No. 108. EMAP National Publications. pp. 40–45. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
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