British Rail Class 487

British Rail Class 487
No. 61 at the LT Museum Depot
The interior of a Class 487 DMBSO, looking towards the driving cab at the Bank end, with the 'hump' over the powered bogie.
In service	1940-1993
Manufacturer	English Electric
Built at	Dick, Kerr works, Preston
Family name	Tube stock
Number built	28 vehicles (12 DMBSO, 16 TSO)
Formation	One DMBSO, or two DMBSO flanking up to 3 TSO
Fleet numbers	DMBSO: 51–62 TSO: 71–86
Capacity	DMBSO: 40 seats, 40 standing TSO: 52 seats, 52 standing
Operators	Southern Railway British Rail Southern Region Network SouthEast
Depots	Waterloo (Waterloo & City line)
Lines served	Waterloo & City line
Specifications
Car length	47 ft 0 in (14.33 m) 49 ft 1+3⁄4 in (14.98 m)
Width	8 ft 7+3⁄4 in (2.64 m)
Height	9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
Maximum speed	35 mph (56 km/h)
Traction system	Two EE 190 hp (140 kW) traction motors per DMBSO
Power output	DMBSO: 380 hp (283 kW)
Electric system(s)	750 V DC
Current collector(s)	Third rail
UIC classification	DMBSO: Bo′2′ TSO:2′2′
Track gauge	Standard

The British Rail Class 487 electric multiple units were built by English Electric in 1940, for use on the Waterloo & City line.

Twelve motor carriages (DMBSO), numbered 51–62, and sixteen trailers (TSO), numbered 71–86, were built. Trains were formed of various formations, from a single motor carriage, to pairs of motor cars with up to three intermediate trailers.

They were originally classified Class 453 under TOPS but were later reclassified Class 487.

The Waterloo & City line was operated as part of the BR Southern Region. Stock was painted in British Railways green livery, which was replaced by BR Blue in the 1970s. In 1986, the line came under the ownership of Network SouthEast, and their blue, red and white livery was applied.

By the 1990s the units were urgently in need of replacing. This came in the form of new Class 482 two-car units, which were delivered to traffic in 1992/93. The final Class 487 vehicles were taken by road to Glasgow for scrap, which was their single longest journey above ground.

The Class 487 units were unique on the British Rail network in not requiring yellow ends because the route they operated was entirely in tunnel where the darkness would render yellow ends pointless. Further the line did not integrate at all with the rest of the network. Additionally, the units were only fitted with red lights at the ends, thus the front of the train displayed two red lights instead of the more usual white.

One vehicle, DMBSO no. 61, was initially stored at the National Railway Museum in York, before being subsequently transferred to the London Transport Museum's Acton Depot.

Gallery

• 
  Class 487 vehicle alongside a 1967 Stock unit at the London Transport Museum depot in Acton
• 
  A Class 487 Waterloo & City line driving motor carriage in Network SouthEast livery being stored near to the National Railway Museum in York. These featured just three passenger doors per side - arranged as a pair and a single.
• 
  The internal air vents at the carriage ends on the Class 487 Waterloo & City line driving motor carriages featured a 'Southern Railway' logo, whilst on the trailers the logo was 'Southern Region'.
• 
  Inside a Class 487 Waterloo & City line driving motor carriage
• 
  Class 487 Waterloo & City line trailer second open carriage in BR Blue. Unlike the driving motors these featured two sets of twin sliding passenger doors.
• 
  Inside a Class 487 Waterloo & City line trailer second open carriage
• 
  Interior of a Class 487 train
• 2 of 3 liveries of the DMBS vehicle of the unit.
  2 of 3 liveries of the DMBS vehicle of the unit.

Fleet Details

Class	Operator	No. Built	Year Built	Cars per Set	Unit nos.	BR Design Code	Notes
Class 487	Southern Railway Southern Region Network SouthEast	12	1940	1	51-62	EB260 / SR842	DMBSO - could operate independently
		16			71-86	EH260 / SR846	TSO - could only operate with DMBSO

External links

• History of the 1938 Waterloo & City line Stock on BloodandCustard
• A YouTube video of these trains, made by citytransportinfo.

References

• Marsden, Colin J. (1983). Southern Electric Multiple-Units 1898–1948. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. pp. 65–70. ISBN 0-7110-1253-9.