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Long before the Euston and Manchester Electrification Project brought 25 kV a.c. traction to the Manchester, the city was host to electrified railways introduced by the innovative Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which I hope to ruminate on in the future. Electrification was next introduced on the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway. Manchester London road station (now renamed Manchester Piccadilly) was opened as a terminus in 1842 to serve two main line railways: the Manchester and Birmingham (from the south) and the Sheffield, Ashton-under Lyne and Manchester Railway (from the east, then opened as far as Godley). The need to link-up with other railways around Manchester, particularly the Liverpool and Manchester was recognised and the two companies promoted a line to the west of Manchester London Road on a brick viaduct linking up with the Liverpool and Manchester (known as the South Junction Line), together with a branch to Altrincham. The Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJ&A) originally opened in 1849 using steam traction, extending from new through platforms adjacent to Manchester London Road station, Oxford Road station and Knott Mill and Deansgate station, the line then splitting to serve Altrincham or join the Liverpool and Manchester Railway at Ordsall Lane.
Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Electrification
Following the 1923 Grouping, ownership and operation passed to the MSJ&A Railway Committee representing the L.M.S and L.N.E.R. The L.N.E,R. were keen on electrification; the L.M.S. perhaps less so. After a difficult period, an electric service using 1500 volts d.c. finally started operation in 1931, using standard 3-car electric trains of a design already in use on the L.M.S.
MSJ&A overhead electric unit at Altrincham circa 1930 (Public Domain)
In 1971, following conversion of the line to the British Rail standard of overhead 25 kV a.c. electrification, a modernised service was introduced on the line using Class 304 Electric Multiple Units. This class, introduced in 1960, was built in three batches as 4-car sets and were widely used. Maximum speed was 75 m.p.h. and I enjoyed some spirited runs travelling on this class, particularly after 1984 when refurbishment of the class reduced them to 3-car sets.
3-car Class 304 near Sale (Photo: Wikimedia Creative Commons)
This electric service continued until the end of 1991 when the line was closed to allow Manchester Metrolink to take over much of the line. Many of the existing overhead supports were retained as part of a new 750 volts d.c. scheme using modern trams. Towards Manchester, significant re-routing was made and the Metrolink trams now use part of the abandoned C.L.C. route, including the listed 'Birdcage' viaduct as far as the site of Manchester Central (whose arched train shed remains, converted into the G-MEX exhibition centre, forming part of the Manchester Central Convention Complex) before descending to street level through the centre of the city then passing through the Undercroft of Piccadilly Station. Piccadilly was the original terminus of Metrolink but the success of the project has led to a number of new extensions.
Manchester Metrolink: Deansgate-Castlefield with a 'double' unit arriving from St. Peter's Square direction.
Related posts on other websites
Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (Wikipedia).
British Rail Class 505 (Wikipedia).
British Rail Class 304 (Wikipedia).
The Manchester South Junction & Altrincham (BR Class 505) Stock (LNER Encyclopedia).
Metrolink Altrincham Line (Wikipedia).
Usual disclaimer: the above links worked when this post was published but may cease to work in the future if the site owner makes changes.
Related posts on this website
To Altrincham via the former C.L.C.
Manchester by Rail
The Cheshire Lines Committee Routes Today
Book References
[1] ‘British Electric Trains’ by H. W. A. Linecar (Ian Allan) 2nd edition 1949.
[2] ‘DC Electric Trains and Locomotives in the British Isles’ by R. L. Vickers (David & Charles) ISBN 0-7153-8674-3.
My Pictures
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Manchester Metrolink.
Manchester Area Rail.
Altrincham Station
An undetected text error resulted in this post claiming to describe the 'EM1' class for some months. I'm sorry.
The success of the 1931 project to electrify the Manchester South Junction & Altrincham railway (briefly described here) encouraged the L.N.E.R. to proceed with their plans for electrification of the main line between Manchester and Sheffied but World War II delayed completion of this project. After World War II, the long-planned scheme introduced main line overhead electrification at 1500 volts d.c. The majority of the electrified line was opened by 1954. Freight trains were single-headed or double-headed by one or two of the original class 'EM1' Bo-Bo locomotives (later TOPS classification was Class 76). Passenger trains were hauled by class 'EM2' Co-Co locomotives (later TOPS classification was Class 77).
A complete 'EM2' named 'Ariadne' is preserved at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester (in addition to one at Midland Railway Centre and one at Utrecht Railway Museum). The Manchester locomotive is 27001 (later E27001) built at Gorton in 1953 which when withdrawn was sold to the Dutch railways, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) in 1969 for further service in Holland. On withdrawal by NS, the locomotive returned to Manchester where it is displayed with its NS running number (1505) and in NS livery. However, on my last visit to the museum in 2022 (described here), many exhibits, including 'Ariadne' were not viewable because of a 'multi-million-pound restoration programme' in progress.
Ex-Manchester, Sheffield, Wath type 'EM2' electric locomotive 'Ariadne' in its NS (Dutch Railways) livery.
I was a volunteer at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester for many years (you can find all my posts about the Museum here). On rare occasions, it was necessary to shunt 'Ariadne' from its normal location in the Power Hall for one reason or another by coupling the electric to another locomotive, either the battery electric shunter or a steam locomotive. I was involved a few times as Shunter or Driver. I never saw 'Ariadne' move under her own power.
Preserved Battery Electric locomotive: General view in Central Electricity Generating Board livery.
A few of the volunteers had made sure that all the auxiliaries, switchgear and the pantograph (the locomotive was parked under a short section of 'dead' overhead contact wire) were kept in working order so that everything could be exercised and 'driving' practised, without actually moving the locomotive. I was told that, before I became a member, an enterprising volunteer had rigged cables from the batteries in the site's battery electric shunter to 'Ariadne', coupled the two together and had driven the combination from Ariadne's cab up and down the site, to the consternation of The Powers That Be, who quickly put a stop to that sort of adventure. I can testify that in the 1990s the locomotive was complete and maintained by volunteers. One of my friends would periodically check the general functioning of the controls by exercising everything except actual motion, going through the start-up routine, accompanied by all sorts of mysterious sounds from the equipment room, the pantograph could be raised and the motor contactors energised. The sequence of 'notching-up' the motors could be carried out, followed by coasting, braking, shutting down and lowering the pantagaph, all without moving.
Just once, my friend let me "drive", without moving. I found it an eerie experience and the 'notching-up' so different from a steam locomotive. The locomotive had four 467 horse power Metropolitan Vickers d.c. motors. Pairs of motors on each bogie were permanently in series. For starting, all four motors were in series with 15 starting resistors in series. 'Notching-up' progressively removed these resistors. The two pairs of motors were then placed in parallel with the starting resistors re-instated. Further 'notching-up' progressively removed the resistors. Final acceleration was achieved by weakening motor fields by switching-in a resistor.
Related posts on other websites
British Rail Class 77 (Wikipedia).
The Electric Co-Co Class EM2 (BR Class 77) Locomotives (LNER Encyclopedia).
Related posts on this website
Class 'EM1' D.C. Electric
My photograph album
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums listed:-
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester.
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[Class number corrected, EM1 data moved to separate post: 28-May-2023]
