Class 71 pantograph - Which type fitted?

The image I saw on google looked like the cross arm jobby.

Well one of my reference books has a photo of E5003 in '71 with it's pantograph raised [1], showing a 'double-diamond' type in '71, so I would say that that would have been what they were fitted with from new.

[1] a rare sight indeed!

Class 71s had a very basic diamond style pantograph, these were only used in yards at low speed. I don't think they were changed although may well have been removed in later years when the yard overhead went out of use. I think the 10 converted to class 74 lost the pantographs on conversion. Keith

Thanks very much gentlemen - I had googled for every variant I could think of and didn't find any with a raised pantograph, as Jerry says 'rare'

Thanks again

Mike

The 71s had always had a diamond type of pantograph that was closely related to a tramway type. Pantographs were only ever used in yards under tramway type catenery as use of conductor rails were too dangerous to staff. Steve

If you look at 'Southern EMUs in Colour' by John Morgan (Ian Allan) there is a nice pic of E5001 with pantograph up at the NRM.

To the best of my knowledge the most common area to see the Class 71's with their pantographs in operation on the Southern Region was Hither Green Yard. There may have been other locations, but can't recall any off hand. Hope this helps, David Costigan

There was also trolley-wire type overhead at Faversham, at the exchange sidings for Tilmanstone colliery and several other locations. Brian

In message , BH Williams writes

And Hoo Junction - there's even a photo somewhere (poor quality) of one in use there.

The photo of a class 71 (actually it was E5003 at the time) at Hoo Junction is in Southern Electrics published by Bradford Barton. Copies come up reasonably frequently on eBay.

Russ Wykes Huddersfield

Further to my entry of yesterday, I managed to have a lok at "A Railway Modeller's Picture Library" today. The upper phorograph on Page 20 shows a Class 71 in Hither Green Yard, with a diamond shaped pantograph raised and in use. The caption explains that the class was introduced as part of the Kent Coast electrification, and a number of goods yard were fitted with

750DC overhead catenary. The photograph is undated, but thanks to those who have replied with the other Southern region yards fitted with overhead line equipment. Incidentally, the 1964 edition of "The Observers Book of Railway Locomotives of Great Britain states that they were all built at Doncaster (circa 1957/1958) and in 1964 were all allocated to Stewarts Lane. Hope this helps, David Costigan

Was the Angerstien Wharf branch overhead equipped or only part of it? That could give a prototype example for a short line away from a Yard environment. G.Harman

Or . . . Class 419 (MLV) An unusual vehicle, first introduced in the 1950s and based on a BR Mk

1 full brake van fitted with a driving cab at each end behind one of which was a battery compartment allowing use on non electrified lines. They were introduced for use on boat trains as existing stock lacked the needed luggage space and the battery power allowed them to operate onto the dockside towing loaded parcels vans. As they fell from use in the 1990s (after the Channel Tunnel opened and ferry services were reduced) they found further employment as 'shunters' in depots.

Full details can be found on

Distinctly different and does not require the construction of overhead supplies

Mike

Yes it was, it could be seen from the then-new A102M south of Blackwall Tunnel.

The "73" pantograph was indeed a simple diamond, quite large, (to reach yard o/hd & fold down within the restricted Southern loading gauge), with twin contact strips. None of the commercially available (HO european) pans would be large enough, I'd be tempted to ask Bachmann for a spare pan from their US E33 loco.

David C.

Just come across this photo of the (preserved) Class 71, showing a side elevation of the loco and a lowered pantograph;

Please also see