British Rail Class 504

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British Rail Class 504
A Class 504 in Bury in blue and grey livery in 1982.
In service	1959–1991
Manufacturer	British Railways
Order no.	30477 (DMBS) 30478 (DTC, as built)[1]
Built at	Wolverton Works
Family name	1959 EMU
Replaced	LYR electric units
Entered service	1959[2]
Number built	26 sets
Number preserved	1 set
Number scrapped	25 sets
Formation	2 cars per trainset DMBS+DTS
Diagram	EB204 or BR407 (DMBS) EE215 or BR443 (DTS)[3]
Fleet numbers	M65436-M65461 (DMBS) M77157-M77182 (DTS)[4][5]
Capacity	84S (DMBS) 94S (DTS)[1]
Operators	British Rail
Depots	Bury[6]
Lines served	Bury Line
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel[3]
Train length	133 ft 3+1⁄2 in (40.627 m)[4]
Car length	64 ft 0+5⁄8 in (19.523 m) (over body)[3]
Width	9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) (over body)[3]
Height	12 ft 7 in (3.84 m) (over vents)[3]
Entry	3 ft 9 in (1.14 m)[3]
Doors	Slam[4]
Articulated sections	2
Wheelbase	46 ft 6 in (14.17 m) (bogie centres) 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) (bogies)[3]
Maximum speed	65 mph (105 km/h)[3]
Weight	82 long tons (83 t; 92 short tons) (total)[4] 49 long tons 8 cwt (50.2 t; 55.3 short tons) (DMBS) 32 long tons 9 cwt (33.0 t; 36.3 short tons) (DTS)[1]
Traction motors	Four English Electric[1]
Power output	4 × 141 hp (105 kW)[1] Total: 564 hp (421 kW)[4]
HVAC	Electric[3]
Electric system(s)	1,200 V DC side contact third rail[4]
Current collector(s)	Contact shoe
Bogies	Gresley[4]
Braking system(s)	Air (EP/Auto)[4]
Coupling system	Buckeye (outer) Solid shank (inner)[3]
Multiple working	Within class only[4]
Headlight type	Tungsten[3]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1,200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other mainline UK third rails have the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only on the Bury Line between Manchester and Bury. They were built in 1959 at Wolverton Works, and the body was a standard type used for several electrification schemes of the time, but the high DC voltage through a side-contact third rail was unique in Britain.^[7] The trains replaced the previous five-car units built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) for the route, which had inaugurated this electrification scheme in 1916.

All were withdrawn in 1991 when the line was closed for conversion to form part of the Manchester Metrolink light rail system. One unit, No. 65451+77172, is preserved at the East Lancashire Railway.^[8]