Britain Rail

Class 423

4 Vep: Vestibuled electro-pneumatic

 

To replace the remaining pre-Grouping electric multiple unit designs on all divisions of the Southern Region, following on from the procurement of new main line stock for the South Central / Western Divisions and Kent Coast lines, development of another EMU based on the successful BR Mk 1 coach design began. This would become the final class in a long line of EMUs to be based on the Mk 1 profile and its intended use was for outer suburban and stopping services. With much experience already gained from the building of the contemporary 4 Bigs / Cigs and 4 Beps / Ceps, it was unsurprising that the final product of this development would be almost identical in mechanical constitution to the aforementioned types, the most noticeable differences being the alternate window design and seating arrangements - the latter arranged to be more suitable for suburban work. Like the 4 Cigs, British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) at York Carriage Works was the selected builder, an initial order for twenty four-car units being placed with the contractor. Spare parts leftover from the 4 Big / Cig production line were to be incorporated within the new builds, the customary economical BR practice.

 

By 3rd July 1967, the whole of the Waterloo to Bournemouth route had received third rail, marking the end of steam-hauled services on the route. 4 Rep EMU stock was deployed in the place of main line steam to form Waterloo to Weymouth services, although beyond Bournemouth the unit would be diesel-hauled by a Class 33 converted for push-and-pull operation. The first batch of twenty units of the last Mk 1 EMU carnation - designated the 4 Vep (Vestibuled electro pneumatic braking)  - was deployed concurrent with the aforementioned 4 Rep stock, although its role was that of forming stopping services on the South Western. Subsequent orders were placed for further batches until a total of 194 of the type were on the production line. Delivery of the whole fleet took until 1974, by which time the construction of a new breed of carriage, the BR Mk 2, was well underway. It was considered desirable to build following units to this profile, but in light of the commitment which had already been made with BREL, not to mention financial constraints, remaining batches perpetuation the Mk 1 carriage design. By 1974 all Southern Region divisions - South Western, South Central and South Eastern - had received the type.

 

4 Vep formation:

The MBSO and TSO consisted fully of high-density standard class seating in a 3 + 2 formation: each seating bay was served by an individual door to permit quick and easy embarking / alighting from the train. Both DTCL vehicles were split in half between first class and standard class areas: the inside end of both DTCLs were first class compartment areas, whilst the driving cab-end half consisted of the standard class 3 + 2 seating.

 

Problems with the class occurred at quite an early stage and by the very late 1960s, leaks through the hopper ventilator windows were becoming a serious issue. To remedy the predicament, BR undertook a minor modification in the early 1970s on the whole fleet, by sealing of all windows. This eventually transpired to be little more than the screwing down of the sliding windows and although preventing excesses of water entering the carriages, both draughts and excess noise continued, whilst vehicle ventilation was worsened! However, further unit improvements would occur, albeit twenty years later, when the Network SouthEast Business Sector inaugurated a thorough refurbishment programme on the type in the early 1990s, all units being delivered to Eastleigh. The task involved the replacing of the seldom used luggage cage within the guard's van with an additional standard class seating area of a 3 + 2 arrangement, concurrent with the installation of a public address system in all vehicles. Standard light bulbs were replaced by fluorescent lighting and the remaining guard's area received an attachment for the securing of wheel chairs. Originally, the refurbishment programme was to include the re-glazing of every 4 Vep unit to single-pane saloon windows, but this was latterly cancelled on the grounds of costs.

 

Meanwhile, during the mid-1970s it had become apparent that passenger numbers commuting between Gatwick Airport and London (Victoria) by rail was increasing, therefore a requirement to increase train capacity arose. In response to this, thirteen 4 Vep units were selected in 1978 to form dedicated services between Victoria and Gatwick Airport; these were sent to Selhurst Depot for conversion. Structurally, the units did not change, the internal aspects only being subject to modification. Included within the alterations were the logical removal of seating bays and the insertion of luggage areas, justifying the re-designation of the formations as ''4 Veg'' (Class 427). The twelve production units, numbered 7901 to 7912, were renumbered 7788 to 7799, whilst the prototype unit, No. 7755, remained unchanged. These units performed the Gatwick Express shuttle task until May 1984, when a new breed of stock entered service: a Class 73 converted for push-and-pull operation, with Class 488/2 & 488/3 trailers (BR Mk 2 air-conditioned stock cascaded from the London Midland Region, in fixed formations of two or three carriages), with a Class 489 GLV at the rear (converted from a 2-Hap motor coach). This also marked the transferring of the service from the London & SouthEast sector (formerly Southern Region) to the InterCity business sector. All twelve 4 Veg units were subsequently converted back to 4 Veps. It is worth mentioning that the prototype for the Veg conversion, No. 7755, was converted back to its Vep designation in 1979 and soon afterwards, was fitted experimentally with single-pane saloon windows, along with sister unit No. 7756.

 

June 1987

 

4 Vep No. 3582 was observed approaching Broadstairs on a sunny Summer's day, forming the

10 AM Charing Cross to Ramsgate service with a second member of the class. John Horton

 

19th May 2004

 

No. 3801 on a stopping service to London Victoria, from Faversham

On 19th May 2004 there was the spectacle of a very clean No. 3801 leaving Farningham Road

station with a stopping service to Victoria. These units were useful for their spacious guard's area,

allowing easy carriage of large items such as bikes. David Glasspool

 

30th June 2004

 

No. 3803 awaiting departure to London Bridge, via Redhill

No. 3803 is depicted stabled in platform 1 at Tonbridge on 30th June 2004 with a service for

London Bridge via Redhill. David Glasspool

 

 

Next >>

 

Return to the Kent Rail Homepage or alternatively, check for Updates.

Website & Copyright information - Links - Contact the Webmaster

 

All content is copyright © David Glasspool