norbitonflyer
Established Member
If everything that's supposed to actually comes to pass (including all those that should have, but did not, come into service by now), we can expect eight new TOPs classes to enter service in 2024 - Classes 93, 398, 555, 701, 756, 805, 807 and 810. This is more than in the last three years combined (196, 197,231, 484, 730, 777, 803) and the most in a single year since 1961 (classes 25, 27, 35, 46, 52, 55, 85, 110 and D2/12 (D2510 class, which were all withdrawn before TOPS classes wsere allocated)
The all-time record (at least since nationalisation), appears to have been 1958, at the height of the modernisation scheme, when more than half the pilot sceheme designs (classes 16,21,24,26,28,40,41 (Warship), and 42) along with classes 06, 71, 108, 119, 120, 125, 129, 203, 302, D2/11 (D2999), B3/1 (D2900), and all five railbus classes were introduced, along with the rebuilding of gas turbine locomotive 18100 to electric, in which form it would be allocated TOPS class 80.
The peak year for new MU classes was 1959, with classes 112,113,117,122,127,128,250,251,303,305,306,307, 308,419 and 504. Note that this includes two rebuilt classes (306 and 307, formerly DC units), but does not include class 126 as the second batch introduced that year were essentially identical to the earlier 1956 batch, which did not survive long enough to be given a TOPS class.
Years completely barren of new classes coming into service
1970 (although that was the year the Falcon was taken into BR capital stock as the sole member of class 53)
1974
1981 (the first 317s were built that year but because of industrial relations issues they didn't enter service until 1983 - plus ca change!). However, I don't know when the HST power cars were officially reclassified as locomotives.
1996
2006.
2011 (unless you count class 374, which are limited to HS1)
2012
If you exclude rebuilds and re-formations of units, other clean sheets are
1968 (class 499 or TLVs, converted from hauled stock to augment the 419s), and
1978 (4VEG, class 427, converted from VEPs)
Incidentally, the oldest class to acquire a TOPS classification were the 1931-vintage Altrincham line units, which were Class 505. Six ex-Southern and three ex-LMS classes also lasted long enough, o (classes 11, 70, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 502, 503)
Data from Wikipedia, augmented by other sources where available. Build dates used up to about 2000, in-service dates from then on (they rarely differed by more than a few weeks in BR days anyway) I have taken rebuilds/ re-formations to be new classes if a new TOPS class is allocated, or would have been. One-off prototypes, many of which remained the property of their builders (e.g Deltic, GT3, Lion, DP2, Kestrel, LEV1) not generally included, although several acquired TOPS classification (53, 80, 140, 252, 424). 1972 sneaks under the radar as the class 252 prototype unit was originally classified as hauled stock, and was therefore not a one-off as it had two class 41 locomotives.
Happy to be advised of amendments. I can post the full list if people are interested.
The all-time record (at least since nationalisation), appears to have been 1958, at the height of the modernisation scheme, when more than half the pilot sceheme designs (classes 16,21,24,26,28,40,41 (Warship), and 42) along with classes 06, 71, 108, 119, 120, 125, 129, 203, 302, D2/11 (D2999), B3/1 (D2900), and all five railbus classes were introduced, along with the rebuilding of gas turbine locomotive 18100 to electric, in which form it would be allocated TOPS class 80.
The peak year for new MU classes was 1959, with classes 112,113,117,122,127,128,250,251,303,305,306,307, 308,419 and 504. Note that this includes two rebuilt classes (306 and 307, formerly DC units), but does not include class 126 as the second batch introduced that year were essentially identical to the earlier 1956 batch, which did not survive long enough to be given a TOPS class.
Years completely barren of new classes coming into service
1970 (although that was the year the Falcon was taken into BR capital stock as the sole member of class 53)
1974
1981 (the first 317s were built that year but because of industrial relations issues they didn't enter service until 1983 - plus ca change!). However, I don't know when the HST power cars were officially reclassified as locomotives.
1996
2006.
2011 (unless you count class 374, which are limited to HS1)
2012
If you exclude rebuilds and re-formations of units, other clean sheets are
1968 (class 499 or TLVs, converted from hauled stock to augment the 419s), and
1978 (4VEG, class 427, converted from VEPs)
Incidentally, the oldest class to acquire a TOPS classification were the 1931-vintage Altrincham line units, which were Class 505. Six ex-Southern and three ex-LMS classes also lasted long enough, o (classes 11, 70, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 502, 503)
Data from Wikipedia, augmented by other sources where available. Build dates used up to about 2000, in-service dates from then on (they rarely differed by more than a few weeks in BR days anyway) I have taken rebuilds/ re-formations to be new classes if a new TOPS class is allocated, or would have been. One-off prototypes, many of which remained the property of their builders (e.g Deltic, GT3, Lion, DP2, Kestrel, LEV1) not generally included, although several acquired TOPS classification (53, 80, 140, 252, 424). 1972 sneaks under the radar as the class 252 prototype unit was originally classified as hauled stock, and was therefore not a one-off as it had two class 41 locomotives.
Happy to be advised of amendments. I can post the full list if people are interested.
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