British Rail Class 506
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| British Rail Class 506 | |
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| In service | 1954-1984 |
| Manufacturer | LMS Derby |
| Formation | 3 car per trainset |
| Operator | British Rail |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 177ft 10in |
| Width | 9ft 3in |
| Height | 12ft 8 1/4in |
| Maximum speed | 75mph 121km/k |
| Weight | Total - 104 tons 9cwt |
| Voltage | 1,500V dc overhead |
The British Rail Class 506 was a 3 carriage Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) built for local services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield on the Woodhead Line. They were introduced in 1954 and equipped with air-operated sliding doors. The EMUs were equipped with a single diamond-shaped pantograph, mounted over the driver's cab and adjacent guard's compartment at the outer end of one of the driving carriages (unlike other British EMUs, where the pantograph is mounted over one of the middle carriages).
Similar to the Class 306 EMUs (prior to their conversion to 25 kV AC operation), the eight class 506s remained solely equipped for 1500V DC operation for their entire lives. This made them unable to operate on any lines other than the Woodhead route - although they rarely operated east of Hadfield due to low gearing and the risk of overheating.
In 1981 the Woodhead line was closed east of Hadfield. In December 1984 the remaining section was converted to the standard 25 kV AC overhead system and the Class 506 EMUs were replaced by Class 303s transferred from Glasgow (themselves since withdrawn). The Manchester-Hadfield line is now operated by Class 323 EMUs.
The class were officially numbered 506 under the TOPS system, however they never carried 506xxx numbers in service. One severed cab of the class is preserved at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse.
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