BRITISH RAIL CLASS 405

The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designation 'Sub' to the wide variety of electric multiple units that were used on inner-suburban workings in the South London area. Originally these units were formed as three-car units, but in the 1940s, all surviving units were increased to four cars by the addition of an 'Augmentation' trailer. New four-car units were also built at this time, and these survived in passenger use until late 1983, by which time British Rail had allocated to them TOPS 'Class 405'.

Contents

Formations

Preservation

Formations

The history of these units is very complex. Many of the 3Sub units were rebuilt from former locomotive-hauled stock or the AC electric units built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. They were then further converted to 4Sub units during the 1940s (the last 3Sub formation ran in 1949) by the addition of a new 'Augmentation' trailer car and renumbered. The table below illustrates the basic details of units within the broad number ranges used:

Unit Numbers	Type	Introduced	Formation	Notes
989-1200	-	1920-1937	Various	Two-car Sub Trailer sets. Converted from LSWR, SECR and LBSCR steam stock and LBSCR AC electric stock. Disbanded between 1941-1948, some cars used to augment 3Sub to 4Sub.
1201-1284	3Sub	1914-1917	DMBT+TC+DMBC	Built by London and South Western Railway, their numbers E1-E84, ex-steam stock. Most augmented to 4131-4171 and 4195-4234 series in 1942-1948.
1285-1310	3Sub	1925	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Western Section (London to Guildford & Dorking) units, new-build, short frames. Augmented to 4300-4325 series in 1945-1946.
1401-1495	3Sub	1925-1926	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Eastern Section units, ex-SECR steam stock. Most augmented to 4431-4594 series in 1946-1949.
1496-1524	3Sub	1925	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Eastern Section units, new-build, standard frames. Augmented to 4326-4354 series in 1945-1946.
1525-1534	3Sub	1926	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Eastern Section units, ex-SECR steam stock. Most augmented to 4431-4594 series in 1946-1949.
1579-1599	3Sub	1932-1937	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Ex-LSWR steam stock. Most augmented to 4401-4594 series.
1601-1630	3Sub	1927-1928	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Central Section units, ex-SECR steam stock. Most augmented to 4431-4516 series.
1631-1657	3Sub	1928-1929	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Central Section units, ex-LBSCR steam stock. Most augmented to 4517-4614 series.
1658-1701	3Sub	1927-1928	DMBT+TC+DMBC	Central Section units, ex-LSWR steam stock. Most augmented to 4172-4194 and 4235-4250 series.
1702-1716	3Sub	1928	DMBT+TC+DMBC	Central Section units, ex-LBSCR steam stock. Most augmented to 4517-4614 series.
1717-1772	3Sub	1929-1930	DMBT+TC+DMBC	Central Section units, ex-LBSCR AC electric stock. Most augmented to 4517-4579 series.
1773-1785	3Sub	1930-1931	DMBT+TC+DMBC	Ex-LSWR steam stock. Most augmented to 4517-4614 series.
1786-1796	3Sub	1931-1932	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Ex-LSWR steam stock. Most augmented to 4517-4614 series.
1797-1801	3Sub	1932	DMBT+TC+DMBT	Ex-LBSCR steam stock. 1801 later renumbered 1600. Some augmented to 4580-4614 series.
4101	4Sub	1941	DMBT+TT+TC+DMBT	Prototype new-build, steel bodied 4Sub unit with domed cab roof.
4102-4110	4Sub	1944-1945	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	New-build, steel bodied 4Sub units with domed cab roof.
4111-4120	4Sub	1946	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	New-build, steel bodied 4Sub units with vertical cab roof.
4121-4130	4Sub	1946	DMBTo+TTo+TT+DMBTo	New-build, steel bodied 4Sub units with vertical cab roof.
4131-4171	4Sub	1942-1948	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Ex-3Sub units, with additional ex-3Sub trailer car.
4131-4132	4Sub	1969	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Second use of unit numbers. Formed from spare steel-bodied Sub cars, including those used in the '7TC' unit.
4172-4194	4Sub	1947-1948	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Ex-3Sub units, with steel-bodied ''Augmentation'' trailer.
4195-4234	4Sub	1942-1948	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Ex-3Sub units, with additional ex-3Sub trailer car.
4235-4249	4Sub	1947-1949	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Ex-3Sub units, with steel-bodied ''Augmentation'' trailer.
4250-4257	4Sub	1942-1948	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Formed from a variety of spare Sub cars.
4277-4299	4Sub	1948-1949	DMBTO+TTO+TT+DMBTO	New build, steel-bodied 4Sub units.
4300-4354	4Sub	1945-1946	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Ex-3Sub units, with steel-bodied ''Augementation'' trailer.
4355-4376	4Sub	1947-1948	DMBT-TT-TT-DMBT	New build, steel-bodied 4Sub units.
4377	4Sub	1947	DMBT-TTO-TT-DMBT	New build, steel-bodied 4Sub unit, including prototype full saloon trailer car.
4378-4387	4Sub	1948	DMBTO+TTO+TT+DMBTO	New build, steel-bodied 4Sub units.
4401-4594	4Sub	1946-1947	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	Ex-3Sub units, with steel-bodied ''Augmentation'' trailer.
4601-4608, 4610/13/14	4Sub	1947	DMBT+TT+TT+DMBT	First use of unit numbers. Ex-3Sub units, with steel-bodied ''Augmentation'' trailer.
4601-4607	4Sub	1950	DMBTO+TT+TT+DMBTO	Second use of unit numbers. New Driving Motor cars formed with trailers built between 1946-48.
4617-4620	4Sub	1972-1976		Formed from spare Sub cars built between 1946-1950.
4621-4754	4Sub	1949-1951	DMBTO+TT+TT+DMBTO	Most cars had new bodies on old frames, though some were entirely new build. 4667-4754 included an ''Augmentation'' trailer from withdrawn units.

Preservation

A handful of Sub stock carriages have survived in preservation, thus:

★ Driving Motor car number 8143 (formerly of Sub unit 1293, later 4Sub 4308) is in the care of the National Railway Museum, York.

★ 4Sub unit number 4732, formed of DMBTO 12795, TT 10239, TTO 12354 and DMBTO 12796, was retained by British Rail after withdrawal from normal passenger service for use on special occasions. It is currently undergoing restoration at the Coventry Railway Centre, after spending many years stored in the open at various locations.