View source for British Rail Class 505

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}

{{inline|date=April 2024}}{{onesource|date=April 2024}}{{Infobox EMU
| name = <span style="color:white;">British Rail Class 505</span>
| image = Electric unit at Altrincham.png
| imagesize = 300px
| caption = A Class 505 at Altrincham
| background = #012545
| manufacturer = [[Metro Cammell|Metropolitan Cammell]]
| operator = [[Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway]]<br>[[British Railways]]
| formation = 3-car set or 6-car set or 7-car set
| family =
| numberbuilt = 1931: 22 three-car sets + 2 spare power cars <br />1939: 8 additional trailers
| capacity = As built: First Class, 40 seats and Third Class, 228 seats <br />Later: First Class, 24 seats and Third Class, 252 seats 
| service =  1931-1971
| maxspeed =
| gauge = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}
| electricsystem =  1,500 [[Volt|V]] [[Direct current|DC]] [[Overhead line|overhead]]
| collectionmethod = [[Pantograph (transport)|Pantograph]]
}}

'''British Railways Class 505''' were 1,500 V DC [[electric multiple unit]]s (EMUs) introduced in 1931 by the [[Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway]] (MSJAR).  Although assigned to [[TOPS]] Class 505 by [[British Rail]]ways, these units were withdrawn before the TOPS numbering system came into common use for multiple units, and the Class 505 designation is very rarely used.

Following the [[Railways Act 1921|1923 Grouping]], the MSJAR company was owned jointly by the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway|LMS]] and [[London and North Eastern Railway|LNER]].  It operated a {{convert|13.7|km|mi|frac=4|abbr=in}} route between Manchester London Road (now [[Manchester Piccadilly station|Manchester Piccadilly]]) and [[Altrincham]] in [[Cheshire]]. The MSJAR was electrified in the early 1930s on the  [[Railway electrification in Great Britain#1,500 V DC, overhead (historic)|1,500 V DC overhead]] system.

==Overview==
Twenty-two 3-car EMUs and two spare power cars were built for the new electric service, which started on 11 May 1931. It was common with the earlier generation electric trains for the power cars to require much more engineering workshop time than the trailers, and several systems had additional power cars built. These trains were based at Bowdon depot and ran exclusively between Manchester and Altrincham for forty years. In 1939, eight additional trailers were added, both new build and secondhand conversions, inserted into eight of the 3-car sets, and these allowed 7-car trains to be run on many peak hour services. The Altrincham electrics had substantial power installed and were well able to handle the extra car. As with other Manchester area suburban electric services, demand reduced notably from the 1950s onwards, and the 7-car trains were eliminated.

==Route shortened==
The 1931 service ran from Altrincham, through Manchester Oxford Road, to Manchester London Road (nowadays Manchester Piccadilly).  In 1961 it was decided to extend the 25 kV electrification project from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly through to Oxford Road station, and thus the Altrincham electric trains had to be cut back to that point, where new terminal platforms for them were provided in a rebuilt station. The long term intention was to link the two routes as a through service, but this did not happen for another 10 years.

==Withdrawal and preservation==
In April 1971, all the Class 505 Altrincham Electric units were withdrawn when the line was converted from 1,500 V DC to {{25 kV 50 Hz}}.  Two centre trailer cars, M29666 and M29670 (MSJAR 117 and 121), were purchased by the Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society and moved to the Yorkshire Dales Railway (now [[Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway]]). In 1983, they were moved to the Midland Railway Centre (now [[Midland Railway - Butterley]]) in [[Derbyshire]] where they are undergoing restoration. Here they joined centre trailer coach M29663 (MSJAR 114) which had been bought by Derby City Council. This coach was [[Scrap|broken up]] in 2006. No driving coaches have been preserved.

==Description==
The Altrincham Electrics were built with a wooden frame construction and individual compartments, with no corridors or gangways. They were coupled as 3-car sets and often operated in multiple as 6-car trains at rush hours. The units were built by [[Metro Cammell|Metropolitan Cammell]] to an LMS design and were a much more conservative style of train than the [[British Rail Class 502|Southport]] and [[British Rail Class 503|Wirral]] line EMUs which the LMS introduced just a few years later.

===Formation===
Each three-car Altrincham Electric comprised:-
*A motor coach, with driving cab, guard's compartment, electrical equipment and third class passenger compartments.  This coach was powered by four 328&nbsp;hp. [[General Electric Company plc|GEC]] [[traction motor]]s and also carried the unit's [[Pantograph (rail)|pantograph]].
*A centre trailer coach, with no driving cab. The centre car had a number of first class compartments, in addition to third class accommodation.
*A driving trailer coach, with third class compartments.

The third class compartments were later re-classified as second class by British Railways in 1956.

===Specification===
{| class="wikitable" align=center
|-
!colspan=8| Class 505 Altrincham Electrics
|-
!colspan=8| Electrical system: 1,500 V DC overhead
|-
!rowspan=2| Description !!colspan=3| Carriage numbers !!rowspan=2| Passenger<br/>Seating<br/>Capacity !!rowspan=2| Length !!rowspan=2| Weight !!rowspan=2| Notes
|-
| MSJAR || British Railways || Renumbered
|-
| Driving Motor Brake Third ||align=center| 1–24 ||colspan=2 align=center| M28571M–M28594M ||align=center| 3rd: 72 || rowspan="3" align="center" | {{convert|58|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=4}} ||align=center| {{convert|57|LT|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} || 
|-
| Trailer Composite ||align=center| 101–122<br/>&<br/>151–158 ||align=center| 101–122<br/>&<br/>151–152<br/>154–158 ||align=center| M29650M–M29671M<br/>&<br/>M29390M–M29396M ||align=center| 1st: 40<br/>3rd: 48<br/>modified to<br/>1st: 24<br/>3rd: 72 || align="center" | {{convert|30|LT|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} || 151 & 152 built in 1939; 153–158 to MSJA in 1939: 153 built 1929 ex [[Watford DC Line]], converted to Driving Trailer 74 in 1949; 154–158 built 1926 ex [[Manchester to Southport Line|Southport Line]]
|-
|Driving Trailer Third ||align=center| 51–72 ||align=center| 51–56 58–72<br/>74 ||align=center| {{nowrap|M29231M–M29236M<br/>M29237M<br/>M29239M–M29252M<br/>M29238M}} ||align=center| 3rd: 108 || align="center" | {{convert|31|LT|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} || Number 73 was not used; 57 withdrawn in 1948
|}

==References==
<references/>
* Rowse, Jonathan ''Remembering the Altrincham Electrics'' TRACTION 32–35 May 2006

==External links==
* [http://www.altrinchamelectric.org.uk Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society]

{{British Rail EMU}}

[[Category:British Rail electric multiple units|505]]
[[Category:Train-related introductions in 1931]]
[[Category:1500 V DC multiple units]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Cammell multiple units]]