The Southern Region (B R) Class 73 and 74 Locomotives: A Pictorial Overview

British Railways Class 73 was a locomotive designed to work on electrified lines and non-electrified station yards and sidings. It was approved in 1959 and released to traffic in 1962. It was a useful design but was privatised in 1994 and sold out of service. 30 of the 49 fleet still remain active in mainline service.

Format: Hardback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The Southern Region of British Railways had a longstanding aspiration to develop a locomotive capable of operating on electrified lines and non-electrified station yards and sidings. In 1959, British Railways approved a design, subsequently designated Class HA and later British Railways Class 73, which amalgamated the electrical equipment of the latest EMU design with the standard English Electric diesel engine within a single bodyshell. An initial order for six locomotives was placed, but due to the design's utilization of stock components commonly found in the multiple unit fleet, these locomotives were allocated to Eastleigh Carriage and Wagon Works. The locomotives entered service in February 1962 and were stationed at Stewarts Lane Depot, where they were responsible for powering routine freight, parcel, and empty stock services. Furthermore, they played a crucial role in testing the concept of high-speed propulsion for passenger trains before the implementation of this principle for the electrification of the Waterloo – Weymouth line, extending as far as Poole. As part of this scheme, a further order of 43 improved Class 73 locomotives was placed with English Electric. While the locomotives proved to be a valuable design, when British Railways underwent privatization in 1994, the new operator deemed them surplus and sold them out of service. The original six locomotives had already been relocated to Merseyside to work on the local electric network. Initially perceived as unsuitable by the original operator, these locomotives gained widespread acclaim from various companies, leading to their sale to continue operating on the national network. Some of these locomotives were repurposed for specialized purposes, resulting in the formation of sub-classes. As of December 2022, 30 of the 49 fleet in service remain active in mainline service.

Weight: 616g
Dimension: 179 x 254 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399048811