| Posted by JerryE on September 16, 2012 | |
The third and fourth passenger cars are not original to these trains, they are either converted from standard passenger stock or are ex-EMU stock. The original "Hastings Units" were build to a narrower loading gauge width (8' 2" instead of the UK standard of 9'), this was due to the narrow tunnels found on the direct line to Hastings. These tunnels were originally built to the standard loading gauge but the contractor basically messed up -either knowingly or accidentally- later requiring the tunnels to be relined and thus becoming narrower. In the 1980s it was decided that the lines through the tunnels should be single line rather than double track which allowed the line to be converted to electric traction "BR Standard" stock used. The nick-name "Thumper" comes from the beat of the 4 cylinder engines when at idle, when standing next to these units one can really feel each cylinders power stroke. One of these units was involved in the 1967 Hither Green rail crash, caused by a broken rail, where 49 people died.
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