Tommy91125
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Who built the Tyne and Wear Metrocars? And what did they replace?
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Tyne and Wear Metrocars, Who built them?
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High Dyke
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They Metro cars were built between 1978-81 by Metro Cammell in Birmingham and refurbishment by Wabtec at Doncaster has been ongoing since 2010. In addition to its passenger trains, Metro also operates three battery-electric locomotives constructed by Hunslet which are used to pull engineering trains around the network.
Prior to the network being converted to the Metro its brief history is... The line through Jesmond, Benton and on to Tynemouth was opened in the 1860s by the Blyth and Tyne Railway (B&T), and the line through Wallsend by the Newcastle and North Shields Railway in 1839. The portion of the East Coast Main Line to Benton had been opened by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway in the 1840s. The Newcastle Quayside Branch had been opened by the NER in 1873, and the Riverside Branch in 1879. The junctions at South Gosforth dated back to 1905 and were laid for the Gosforth and Ponteland Branch. The short freight only Newcastle Quayside Branch left the Tynemouth lines just east of Manors East station at Trafalgar South yard, opposite Argyle Street signal box, and emerged after traversing through three tunnels into the Quayside yard adjacent to the quayside at Newcastle. This route was equipped with both overhead line and conductor rail to enable electric operation in June 1905.
The original B&T terminus in Newcastle was at New Bridge Street. Thus the original electrified route was not quite a loop. Electric services ran from New Bridge Street until 1908 when a replacement station was built at Manors. The existing station at Manors that served the lines to Heaton was renamed Manors East while the new station was named Manors North. The electric service continued to terminate here until 1917, when full out-and-back circular running to and from Newcastle Central station began and Manors North no longer functioned as a major terminal for electric services. The section of line that closed up the loop from a new junction at Manors (East) and effectively by-passing New Bridge Street station had been laid in 1905. Some services from Newcastle Central to Benton did start running over the new section of line after the opening of Manors North station.
Electrification of the South Tyneside line from Newcastle via Heworth to South Shields was announced by the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935 and electric services began in the spring of 1938.
In 1904 the North Eastern Railway electrified suburban services on Tyneside with a third rail at 600 V DC and built saloon cars that ran in 3-car to 8-car formations. More cars were built between 1908 and 1915 to cope with increased traffic. In 1918 a fire at Walkergate car shed destroyed 34 cars and replacement cars were built in 1920.
In 1938, to allow the extension of electrification to South Shields, the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) received articulated twin passenger electric units to replace the NER electric units that had been built in 190415 by the North Eastern Railway. The order including some single-unit motor parcel vans and motor luggage vans. The 1920 stock was refurbished and operated the South Shields service until 17 May 1955 when they were replaced by British Rail built Class 416 units.
Fifteen units built in 1954/5 to the BR Mark I coach design were built for the third rail electrified Tyneside Electric lines. They were built at Eastleigh, and were the last Tyneside third rail EMUs built. They followed the new British Railways standard design for suburban rolling stock: similar units were built at the same time for use on South London suburban routes, but the Tyneside units had features in keeping with previous Tyneside EMUs, such as a large brake van to accommodate a large volume of fish boxes and prams; electric headcode lights on the cab front between the windows; and above those a roller destination blind. Unlike units of this style built for service in the south, the Tyneside units had a single first class compartment.
In the 1960s declining passenger numbers and the high cost of electricity lead to the replacement of the electric multiple units with diesel multiple units in 1967.
Prior to the network being converted to the Metro its brief history is... The line through Jesmond, Benton and on to Tynemouth was opened in the 1860s by the Blyth and Tyne Railway (B&T), and the line through Wallsend by the Newcastle and North Shields Railway in 1839. The portion of the East Coast Main Line to Benton had been opened by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway in the 1840s. The Newcastle Quayside Branch had been opened by the NER in 1873, and the Riverside Branch in 1879. The junctions at South Gosforth dated back to 1905 and were laid for the Gosforth and Ponteland Branch. The short freight only Newcastle Quayside Branch left the Tynemouth lines just east of Manors East station at Trafalgar South yard, opposite Argyle Street signal box, and emerged after traversing through three tunnels into the Quayside yard adjacent to the quayside at Newcastle. This route was equipped with both overhead line and conductor rail to enable electric operation in June 1905.
The original B&T terminus in Newcastle was at New Bridge Street. Thus the original electrified route was not quite a loop. Electric services ran from New Bridge Street until 1908 when a replacement station was built at Manors. The existing station at Manors that served the lines to Heaton was renamed Manors East while the new station was named Manors North. The electric service continued to terminate here until 1917, when full out-and-back circular running to and from Newcastle Central station began and Manors North no longer functioned as a major terminal for electric services. The section of line that closed up the loop from a new junction at Manors (East) and effectively by-passing New Bridge Street station had been laid in 1905. Some services from Newcastle Central to Benton did start running over the new section of line after the opening of Manors North station.
Electrification of the South Tyneside line from Newcastle via Heworth to South Shields was announced by the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935 and electric services began in the spring of 1938.
In 1904 the North Eastern Railway electrified suburban services on Tyneside with a third rail at 600 V DC and built saloon cars that ran in 3-car to 8-car formations. More cars were built between 1908 and 1915 to cope with increased traffic. In 1918 a fire at Walkergate car shed destroyed 34 cars and replacement cars were built in 1920.
In 1938, to allow the extension of electrification to South Shields, the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) received articulated twin passenger electric units to replace the NER electric units that had been built in 190415 by the North Eastern Railway. The order including some single-unit motor parcel vans and motor luggage vans. The 1920 stock was refurbished and operated the South Shields service until 17 May 1955 when they were replaced by British Rail built Class 416 units.
Fifteen units built in 1954/5 to the BR Mark I coach design were built for the third rail electrified Tyneside Electric lines. They were built at Eastleigh, and were the last Tyneside third rail EMUs built. They followed the new British Railways standard design for suburban rolling stock: similar units were built at the same time for use on South London suburban routes, but the Tyneside units had features in keeping with previous Tyneside EMUs, such as a large brake van to accommodate a large volume of fish boxes and prams; electric headcode lights on the cab front between the windows; and above those a roller destination blind. Unlike units of this style built for service in the south, the Tyneside units had a single first class compartment.
In the 1960s declining passenger numbers and the high cost of electricity lead to the replacement of the electric multiple units with diesel multiple units in 1967.
Tommy91125
Member
Thank you for the answer 
Prototype Metrocars 4001 and 4002 were built in 1975; production Metrocars 4003-4090 were built 1978-81.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyne_and_Wear_Metro_rolling_stock for more information.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyne_and_Wear_Metro_rolling_stock for more information.
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