NZ's EE EMU's - SOUTHERN RAILWAY UK 4SUB EMU SIMILARITIES !! Amusing. These English Electric EMU's, when I visited Wellington in 1986 were still in operation on the Johnston branch. What I discovered however (being a British Railways Mechanical Engineer) was that the EE control & Westinghouse straight air brake equipment on these 1,500v DC overhead units, was identical to the Southern Railway's 4SUB (4-car SUBurban) 750v DC Third Rail standard Gauge EMU's introduced in 1941 by the famous Southern CME Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid (originally from New Zealand). Indeed driving one of your units revealed that the handling & braking even felt & sounded similar to the British version. One of which is preserved (unit 4732). Although Bulleid was probably more famous for his Air Smoothed Pacifics, 30 x Merchant Navy Class & 110 x West Country Class) he built during & after WW2. Twenty of which are preserved !!!
As much as I appreciate the newer Matangi units, I sometimes miss the ability to look out the front window of the English Electrics and the North bound Ganzes.
With every trip to Wellington, a trip up the branch was mandatory. Nice video.
A real trip down memory lane.
NZ's EE EMU's - SOUTHERN RAILWAY UK 4SUB EMU SIMILARITIES !!
Amusing. These English Electric EMU's, when I visited Wellington in 1986 were still in operation on the Johnston branch. What I discovered however (being a British Railways Mechanical Engineer) was that the EE control & Westinghouse straight air brake equipment on these 1,500v DC overhead units, was identical to the Southern Railway's 4SUB (4-car SUBurban) 750v DC Third Rail standard Gauge EMU's introduced in 1941 by the famous Southern CME Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid (originally from New Zealand). Indeed driving one of your units revealed that the handling & braking even felt & sounded similar to the British version. One of which is preserved (unit 4732).
Although Bulleid was probably more famous for his Air Smoothed Pacifics, 30 x Merchant Navy Class & 110 x West Country Class) he built during & after WW2. Twenty of which are preserved !!!
Nice video.😊
As much as I appreciate the newer Matangi units, I sometimes miss the ability to look out the front window of the English Electrics and the North bound Ganzes.
When was this filmed
the windscreen is bloody filthy