British Rail Class 210

British Rail Class 210
210001 at Reading in 1982
In service1982–1987
ManufacturerBritish Rail Engineering Limited
Built atDerby Litchurch Lane Works
Family nameBR Second Generation (Mark 3)
Constructed1980
Number built2
Number scrapped2
Formation
  • Unit 210001: 4 cars
    (DMBSO-TSO-TCO-DTSO)
  • Unit 210002: 3 cars
    (DMSO-TSO-DTSO)
Diagram
  • DMSO vehicle: DA201
  • DMBSO vehicle: DB206
  • TSO vehicles: DH205
  • TCO vehicle: DH302
  • DTSO vehicles: DE203
Fleet numbers210001–210002
Capacity
  • Unit 210001: 254 seats
    (22 first-class, 232 standard)
  • Unit 210002: 203 seats
    (all standard-class)
OperatorsBritish Rail
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Train length
  • Unit 210001:
    80.72 m (264 ft 10 in)[1]
  • Unit 210002:
    60.54 m (198 ft 7 in)[1]
Car length
  • DM and DT vehicles:
    19.830 m (65 ft 0.7 in)
  • Intermediate vehicles:
    19.920 m (65 ft 4.3 in)
Width2.816 m (9 ft 2.9 in)
Height3.774 m (12 ft 4.6 in)
Floor height1.144 m (3 ft 9.0 in)
DoorsDouble-leaf pocket sliding, each 1.010 m (3 ft 3.8 in) wide
WheelbaseOver bogie centres:
14.170 m (46 ft 5.9 in)
Maximum speed90 mph (140 km/h)
Weight
  • DMSO & DMBSO vehicles:
    62.0 t (61.0 LT; 68.3 ST)
  • TSO & TCO vehicles:
    26.5 t (26.1 LT; 29.2 ST)
  • DTSO vehicles:
    29.0 t (28.5 LT; 32.0 ST)
Prime mover(s)
Traction motors
Power output746 kW (1,000 hp)
Tractive effort92 kN (21,000 lbf) maximum[4]
Acceleration
  • Unit 210001: 0.55 m/s2 (1.8 ft/s2)
  • Unit 210002: 0.70 m/s2 (2.3 ft/s2)[5]
UIC classification
  • Unit 210001: Bo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′+2′2′
  • Unit 210002: Bo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′
Bogies
  • Powered: BREL BP20
  • Unpowered: BREL BT13
Minimum turning radius70.4 m (231 ft 0 in)
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc)
Safety system(s)AWS
Coupling systemTightlock
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Specifications as at August 1982[6] unless otherwise specified.

The British Rail Class 210 was a type of diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) passenger train designed and constructed by British Rail Engineering Limited's Derby Litchurch Lane Works.

The Class 210 was developed during the early 1980s to be a modern replacement for the ageing 'first generation' DMUs in use on the Southern Region of British Railways, such as the Class 201 and Class 207. It was designed around a particularly ambitious set of requirements defined in a specification produced by British Rail (BR), construction of the first unit commenced during 1982. While several prototypes were built and subject to extensive testing during the 1980s, the process did not result in a production run for the type. It can be considered an alternative to, or spiritual precursor of, the highly successful Sprinter family of DMUs that were produced during the 1980s.

The pair of Class 210s that were built were only operated for a few years before being withdrawn in the 1980s. Carriages from both units were used for the experimental Class 457/Class 316; a majority of the carriages have now been scrapped.

  1. ^ a b Goldfinch 1981, p. 12, Fig. 2.
  2. ^ a b Goldfinch 1981, p. 15, Power Equipment.
  3. ^ Dunn, Pip (21 August 2024). "When Sprinters left the starting blocks". Feature Rolling Stock. Rail Magazine. No. 1016. pp. 46–51.
  4. ^ a b Goldfinch 1981, p. 15, Electrical Equipment.
  5. ^ Goldfinch 1981, p. 11, Business and Operating Requirements.
  6. ^ Vehicle Diagram Book No. 230 for Diesel Electric Multiple Unit Trains (including H.S.T.) (PDF). Derby: Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Department, British Railways Board. August 1982. DA201, DB206, DE203, DH205, DH302 (in work pp. 17–18, 29–30, 37–38, 53–54, 59–60). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2023 – via Barrowmore MRG.