4TC (Class 438)
Such was the versatility of the TC units that they were not only used on the Weymouth line, and they were also associated with Waterloo-Salisbury, Clapham Junction-Kensington Olympia and Reading-Portsmouth services. When first introduced the TCs appeared in overall rail blue livery with small yellow warning panels and small aluminium BR arrows affixed below their side cab windows. The yellow warning panels were subsequently enlarged to cover the whole cab front. They were repainted during the early 1970s into Blue and Grey, losing their aluminium arrows in the process, the 1974 conversions emerging in blue and grey livery from new. The TCs survived in service long enough to receive Network SouthEast livery. |
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4TC unit number 409 at Clapham Junction on 15 November 1966. The light
engine alongside is standard 4MT Nº 80140.
photograph by Ray Soper. |
| 415 at Clapham Junction. Note on both of these photos that
the buffers are extended and the buck-eye
is in the dropped position, ready for coupling to a BRCW type 3.
photograph by Ray Soper. |
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The first passenger entrance door behind the driving cab of a TC (as with a
Rep) is into a seating bay as on a suburban unit but other doors led onto
vestibules.
photograph by Colin Duff. |
| TC units often ran in pairs with a Rep making up a 12 car
train between London and Bournemouth. Only one TC went on to Weymouth in
the winter but in the busy summer months the pair would make the round trip to
the end of the line. The filler cap under the cab window is for the windscreen
washer fluid - it looks as if it had come off a contemporary Austin Mini car!
photograph by Colin Duff |
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During the final days of Rep/TC service on the Weymouth line temporary formations such as 5 TCB (4 TC + Rep restaurant car) and 4 TCT (buffet compartment in middle of TFK) were put together to keep the service running during the withdrawal of Reps and until the introduction of sufficient class 442 units. The versatility of TCs ensured their survival longer than their sister Rep units. Two units were "restored" to overall rail blue, albeit a glossy version compared to the original semi-matt, as units 410 and 417 for NSE premier charter services. Eight vehicles culled from six sets to make up two complete units were sold to London Underground Limited early in 1992. These were fitted with bars over their drop-lights and repainted into Metropolitan line red/brown livery with blue/mauve/blue lining and gold numbering and were used for surface line excursions. Today one 4 TC unit, 417, in overall rail blue livery survives and is owned by Rolltrack Ltd (along with their Crompton 33103) for spot hire. During August 1999 this combination (running without its TFK) was used briefly on Silverlink's Barking to Gospel Oak services until the arrival of lesser class 150 units. |
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A detail shot for modellers. The jumper cables between cars on the TC units
were connected between small equipment cabinets on the cars' lower
ends. Notice how the brake dust accumulates on surfaces - particularly
those not reached by the carriage washing machines.
photograph by Colin Duff |
All photographs are copyright
This page was last updated 18 December 2002
