British Rail Class 403

Southern Railway 5-BEL British Rail Class 403
Class 403 unit passing through Purley Oaks in 1964
In service	1932–1972
Manufacturer	Metropolitan Cammell Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company
Constructed	1932
Number built	Three sets (15 cars)
Number preserved	14 cars
Number scrapped	1 car
Formation	5-car set: DMBPT-TPFK-TPFK-TPT-DMBPT
Fleet numbers	Sets: 2051–2053 (later 3051–3053); Cars: 279–293
Capacity	40 First, 132 Third (DMBPT: 48, TPT: 56, TPFK: 20)
Operator(s)	Southern Railway (1933–1941, 1946–1947); British Railways (1948–1972)
Line(s) served	London to Brighton
Specifications
Car body construction	All steel
Maximum speed	75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight	Set: 249 long tons (253 t; 279 short tons)
Traction motors	Eight EE163^[1] traction motors
Power output	8 x 225 hp (168 kW) 1,800 hp (1,342 kW) (total)
Electric system(s)	660–750 V DC third rail
Current collection method	contact shoe
Braking system(s)	Automatic Air
Coupling system	Screw-link
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designation 5-BEL to the five-car all-Pullman electric multiple units which worked the prestigious Brighton Belle trains between London Victoria and Brighton. These units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated TOPS Class 403. Between 1933 and 1935 the units were designated 5-PUL (the 'PUL' code was then used for the 6-PUL units).

Construction

The SR electrified the London Victoria to Brighton line in the early 1930s, and full electric services commenced over the route from 1 January 1933. For the high-profile Southern Belle Pullman train three five-car units, consisting entirely of Pullman cars, were built. All 15 cars were built by Metropolitan Cammell. In June 1934 the Southern Railway renamed the Southern Belle as the Brighton Belle.^[2]

As they were Pullman cars, owned by the independent Pullman Car Company, the individual carriages were numbered in its series, taking numbers 279 to 293, and the first class cars were given women's names while the third (from June 1956, second) class cars carried less-inspiring Car No xx designations, derived from the second and third digits of the Pullman Car Company's number. However, the units together were allocated numbers in the SR series, originally taking 2051-2053, which was revised in January 1937 to 3051-3053.

Formations

Three different car types were built - Driving Motor Brake Parlour Third (DMBPT), Trailer Parlour First with Kitchen (TPFK), and Trailer Parlour Third (TPT). Initial formations of these units were as follows:

Unit Numbers	DMBPT	TPFK	TPFK	TPT	DMBPT
2051 / 3051	288 Car No 88	279 Hazel	282 Doris	286 Car No 86	289 Car No 89
2052 / 3052	290 Car No 90	280 Audrey	284 Vera	287 Car No 87	291 Car No 91
2053 / 3053	292 Car No 92	281 Gwen	283 Mona	285 Car No 85	293 Car No 93

Withdrawal and preservation

The last Brighton Belle train ran on 30 April 1972, and the three 5BEL units were withdrawn. However all 15 cars were sold into private ownership, though no unit was kept together as a single entity. Instead they were split up and each vehicle was initially used as an individual Pullman car, the majority not in railway use. A number have been returned to service on the main line with the Belmond British Pullman (previously the Venice Simplon Orient Express or VSOE), as hauled cars forming part of the British Pullman charter train. A campaign^[3] to return the Brighton Belle to mainline service was launched by the 5BEL Trust in 2008. By 2009, the trust had assembled a four-car set,^[4] having acquired cars from the North Norfolk Railway and VSOE. A fifth car, No.282 'Doris', was acquired from the Bluebell Railway in 2011 and a sixth, No.279 'Hazel' in 2012. After restoration the Brighton Belle is expected to be returned to mainline service in 2016.

The table below sets out the current position:

Key:	Stored	In service	Scrapped	Preserved

Number	Name	Location	Note
279	Hazel	Ramparts, Barrow Hill	5-BEL Trust, under restoration
280	Audrey		VSOE, in service
281	Gwen		VSOE, in service
282	Doris	Bluebell Railway^[5]	5-BEL Trust, to be restored
283	Mona		VSOE, stored
284	Vera		VSOE, in service
285	Car No 85		5BEL Trust, under restoration
286	Car No 86		VSOE, stored
287	Car No 87	Southall	5-BEL Trust, under restoration
288	Car No 88	Ramparts, Barrow Hill	5-BEL Trust, under restoration
289	Car No 89	Little Mill Inn, Rowarth, Derbyshire	Privately owned,
290	Car No 90		Destroyed by fire in 1991
291	Car No 91	Ramparts, Barrow Hill	5-BEL Trust, under restoration
292	Car No 92		VSOE, stored
293	Car No 93	Ramparts, Barrow Hill	VSOE, stored

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 403.

Marsden, Colin J. (1983). Southern Electric Multiple-Units 1898–1948. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. pp. 33–37. ISBN 0-7110-1253-9.

Electric multiple units of Great Britain

AC units (300–399):	300 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 (I) 316 (II) 316 (III) 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 325 331 (I) 331 (II) 332 333 334 341 342 345 350 (I) 350 (II) 357 360 365 370 371 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 385 387 390 395 397

AC units (700–899):	700 707 710 717 800 801 802

AC units (pre-TOPS):	AM1 AM2 AM3 AM4 AM5 AM6 AM7 AM8 AM9 AM10 AM11 LB&SCR CP LB&SCR CW LB&SCR SL MR Lancaster units

DC units (400–599):	401 402 403 404 405 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 427 430 431 432 438 442 444 445 446 447 450 455 456 457 458 460 465 466 471 480 482 (I) 482 (II) 483 485 486 487 488 489 499 (I) 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 510

DC units (Original TOPS):	411 412 413 414 421 422 423 424 431 432 441 442 451 452 453 461 462 491 492

DC units (pre-TOPS):	BEMU LMS electric units LNER Tyneside units LNWR electric units LOR electric units LYR electric units Mersey Railway electric units NER electric units W&CR electric units

Southern Railway designations:	2-BIL 2-EPB 2-HAL 2-HAP 2-NOL 2-PAN 2-PEP 2-SAP 2-SL 2-WIM 3-CEP 3-CIG 3-COP 3-SUB 3-TC 3-TIS 4-BEP 4-BIG 4-BUF 4-CAP 4-CEP 4-CIG 4-COM 4-COR 4-DD 4-DES 4-EPB 4-GRI 4-JOP 4-LAV 4-PEP 4-REP 4-RES 4-SUB 4-TC 4-TEP 4-VEC 4-VEG 4-VEP 4-VIP 4-VOP 5-BEL 5-DES 5-TCB 5-WES 6-CIT 6-PAN 6-PUL 6-REP 8-DIG 8-GAT 8-MIG 8-VAB GLV MLV TLV

Miscellaneous units:	399 499 (II) 994

Families:	1959 design 1972 design Mark 2-derived Mark 3-derived A-Train APT Aventra Civity Desiro Electrostar Juniper Networker TGV Tube¹ Velaro

British electric multiple units List of locomotives List of Diesel multiple units List of Electric multiple units List of Departmental multiple units Rolling stock of Network SouthEast 1: Grouping of different rolling stock types built to loading gauge of London Underground deep tube lines

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