LNER Tyneside electric units

In 1937 the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) ordered a fleet of articulated electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger trains for use on the Tyneside Electric lines, which linked the English city of Newcastle upon Tyne with the coast at North Shields and South Shields. The order also included some single-unit motor parcel vans and motor luggage vans.

These replaced older trains that had been introduced by the LNER's constituent company, the North Eastern Railway, in 1904, when it opened Britain's first provincial electric railway.

Overview

There were four classes of "articulated twins" with minor differences between them. As built, some cars had first class accommodation but this was abolished in 1959 and all accommodation became third class (later second class).

• A twins, motor 3rd + trailer 3rd
• B twins, luggage motor 3rd + trailer 1st
• C twins, motor 3rd + trailer 3rd (non-driving)
• D twins, luggage motor 3rd + trailer 1st (non-driving)

The A and B twins could be used as 2-car sets but the C and D twins (which had no driving cabs in the trailers) would be made up into sets of four, or more, cars.

Numbering

In LNER days the articulated units were numbered sequentially with the motor cars having odd numbers and the trailers having even numbers. BR numbered the motor cars and trailers in separate series.

• Articulated units, LNER 24145–24272
• BR motors, E29101E–E29164E
• BR trailers, E29301E–E29328E and E29229E–E29264E
• Motor luggage vans,......
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