British Rail Class 489

British Rail Class 489 (GLV)
489107 at Wirksworth Station on 17 April 2003. This unit is one of two preserved on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in Derbyshire.
In service1984-2005[1]
ManufacturerBritish Rail
Order no.30452[2]
Built atAshford/Eastleigh[2]
ReplacedClass 427
Constructed
  • 1959 (original build)
  • 1983-84 (conversion)[2]
Entered service1984[1]
RefurbishedBritish Rail Engineering Limited Eastleigh (conversion)[3]
Number built10
Number preserved4 sets
Number scrapped3 sets.
FormationSingle car (DMLV)[1]
DiagramEX561[4]
Design codeGLV
Fleet numbers
  • (48)9101-(48)9110 (unit)
  • 68500-68509 (car)[1]
CapacityLuggage space only[5]
Operators
DepotsStewarts Lane[2]
Lines servedBrighton Main Line
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel[4]
Car length19.495 m (63 ft 11+12 in) (over body)[4][1]
Width2.826 m (9 ft 3+14 in)[1]
Height3.861 m (12 ft 8 in)[4]
DoorsTwin-leaf slam[5]
Articulated sectionsSingle car
Wheelbase
  • 14.173 m (46 ft 6 in) (bogie centres)
  • 2.667 m (8 ft 9 in) (cab-end bogie)
  • 2.591 m (8 ft 6 in) (trailing bogie)[4]
Maximum speed90 mph (140 km/h)[5]
Weight40.5 t (39.9 long tons; 44.6 short tons)[2]
Traction systemElectric
Traction motors2 × EE507 of 185 kW (248 hp)[2]
Power output370 kW (500 hp)
HVACElectric[4]
Electric system(s)660-750 V DC third rail[1]
Current collector(s)Contact shoe
BogiesSR mk4 powered and unpowered (one of each)[4]
Braking system(s)EP[4]
Coupling systemAutomatic drophead buckeye[4]
Multiple working1951, 1957, 1963 and Gatwick Express stock[5]
Headlight typeOriginally tungsten,[4] later halogen
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Units converted in 1983-84 from Class 414/3 DMBS vehicles, to operate with Class 488.[1][2]
489104 passing through Clapham Junction on 19 July 2003. This unit was used on Gatwick Express services between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport until withdrawal in 2005.
489108 at London Victoria on 18 March 2003. This unit carries the InterCity Gatwick Express livery.
489110 at London Victoria on 18 March 2003. This is one of the final two units in service with Gatwick Express.

The British Rail Class 489 (GLV) is a type of electric multiple unit, specially converted for use on Gatwick Express trains, from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport.

The units were converted from Class 414 driving motors cars, by Eastleigh Works in 1983-84, for use on the new Gatwick Express service. They were used to allow push-pull operations, on the London-end of the rakes of Class 488 stock, with a Class 73 locomotive at the other end and both used for propulsion. The units were used as baggage cars.

Units were given unit numbers in the range 489101-489110, with individual carriages numbered 68500-68509. However, purely for aesthetic purposes, only the last four digits of the set numbers were shown, to fit with the traditional Southern style (maintained until privatisation by British Rail's Southern region) - older (pre-TOPS) units were originally assigned four-digit numbers. The units were originally painted in BR Blue/Grey livery, which was quickly replaced by InterCity livery. The final livery carried by these units is a variation of the InterCity livery, with a claret stripe and Gatwick Express lettering.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Longworth 2015, pp. 87, 149–150
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Fox 1994, p. 77
  3. ^ "GLV (Class 489)". Southern E-Group. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Vehicle Diagram Book No.210 for Electrical Multiple Units (including A.P.T.)" (PDF). Barrowmore MRG. BRB Residuary Ltd. EX561. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d "Class 488, 489". The Railway Centre. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)