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BREL was established by the [[British Railways Board]] on 1 January 1970 to take over the management of its 14 rolling stock maintenance centres, including [[Ashford railway works|Ashford]], [[Crewe Works|Crewe]], [[Derby Litchurch Lane Works|Derby Litchurch Lane]], [[Derby Works|Derby Locomotive]], [[Doncaster Works|Doncaster]], [[Eastleigh Works|Eastleigh]], [[Glasgow Works|Glasgow]], [[Horwich Works|Horwich]], [[Shildon railway works|Shildon]], [[Swindon Works|Swindon]], [[Wolverton railway works|Wolverton]], and [[Holgate Road carriage works, York|York]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= British Rail Engineering Limited formed |magazine=[[Railway Gazette International|Railway Gazette]] |date=5 December 1969 |page=882}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= New BR workshops company |magazine=[[Modern Railways]] |issue= 256 |date=January 1970 |page=41}}</ref> The pricipal object of BREL was the provision of a construction, maintenance, and repair services to Britain’s railways.<ref name = "sciencegroup summary">{{cite web |url = https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap96/british-rail-engineering-ltd |title = British Rail Engineering Ltd |publisher = [[Science Museum Group]] |access-date = 23 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-train-makers-1981-online |title = The Train Makers |publisher = British Transport Films |via = bfi.org.uk |date = 1981 |access-date = 23 September 2023}}</ref>
BREL was established by the [[British Railways Board]] on 1 January 1970 to take over the management of its 14 rolling stock maintenance centres, including [[Ashford railway works|Ashford]], [[Crewe Works|Crewe]], [[Derby Litchurch Lane Works|Derby Litchurch Lane]], [[Derby Works|Derby Locomotive]], [[Doncaster Works|Doncaster]], [[Eastleigh Works|Eastleigh]], [[Glasgow Works|Glasgow]], [[Horwich Works|Horwich]], [[Shildon railway works|Shildon]], [[Swindon Works|Swindon]], [[Wolverton railway works|Wolverton]], and [[Holgate Road carriage works, York|York]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= British Rail Engineering Limited formed |magazine=[[Railway Gazette International|Railway Gazette]] |date=5 December 1969 |page=882}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= New BR workshops company |magazine=[[Modern Railways]] |issue= 256 |date=January 1970 |page=41}}</ref> The pricipal object of BREL was the provision of a construction, maintenance, and repair services to Britain’s railways.<ref name = "sciencegroup summary">{{cite web |url = https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap96/british-rail-engineering-ltd |title = British Rail Engineering Ltd |publisher = [[Science Museum Group]] |access-date = 23 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-train-makers-1981-online |title = The Train Makers |publisher = British Transport Films |via = bfi.org.uk |date = 1981 |access-date = 23 September 2023}}</ref>


A key activity of BREL was the manufacturing of new rolling stock for use by British Rail. Between 1975 and 1982, it produced 95 [[InterCity 125]] trainsets; these trains, commonly referred to as the ''High Speed Train'', were a diesel-powered high speed passenger train that travelled faster than any previous production British train.<ref name = 'EarlyHighspeedBR' >{{cite journal |title=High speed track on the Western Region of British Railways |last= Collins |first=R.J. |volume=64 |issue=2 |date=May 1978 |pages=207–225 |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |url=http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/abs/10.1680/iicep.1978.2755 |doi=10.1680/iicep.1978.2755 |publisher= [[Institution of Civil Engineers]] |access-date = 2 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/LocomotivesAndRollingStock/CollectionItem.aspx?objid=1988-7000 |title=HST Power Car |publisher=[[National Railway Museum]] |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-date=11 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011100217/http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/LocomotivesAndRollingStock/CollectionItem.aspx?objid=1988-7000 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Semmens1990">{{cite book |last1=Semmens |first1=Peter |title=Speed On The East Coast Main Line: A Century and a Half of Accelerated Services |date=1990 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |isbn=0-85059-930-X |pages=129–225}}</ref> During the 1980s, BREL produced the [[British Rail Class 58]] freight locomotive, which it had designed with the intention of attracting international orders.<ref name = "etwell 1986">{{cite journal |last1=Etwell |first1=M. W. J. |title=British Rail Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Transport Engineering |date=1986 |volume=200 |issue=2 |pages=135–147 |doi=10.1243/PIME_PROC_1986_200_173_02 |issn=0265-1904 |citeseerx=10.1.1.920.246}}</ref><ref name="RailwayCentre">{{cite web | url = http://www.therailwaycentre.com/Recognition%20Pictures%20Loco/Artists_loco.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070118035253/http://www.therailwaycentre.com/Recognition%20Pictures%20Loco/Artists_loco.html | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 18 January 2007 | title = Artists Impressions – Locomotives | publisher = TheRailwayCentre.com | access-date= 25 October 2007}}</ref>
A key activity of BREL was the manufacturing of new rolling stock for use by British Rail. Amongst those rail vehicles is the [[InterCity 125]] trainset; produced between 1975 and 1982, these train, commonly referred to as the ''High Speed Train'', is a diesel-powered high speed passenger train that travelled faster than any previous production British train.<ref name = 'EarlyHighspeedBR' >{{cite journal |title=High speed track on the Western Region of British Railways |last= Collins |first=R.J. |volume=64 |issue=2 |date=May 1978 |pages=207–225 |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |url=http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/abs/10.1680/iicep.1978.2755 |doi=10.1680/iicep.1978.2755 |publisher= [[Institution of Civil Engineers]] |access-date = 2 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/LocomotivesAndRollingStock/CollectionItem.aspx?objid=1988-7000 |title=HST Power Car |publisher=[[National Railway Museum]] |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-date=11 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011100217/http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/LocomotivesAndRollingStock/CollectionItem.aspx?objid=1988-7000 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Semmens1990">{{cite book |last1=Semmens |first1=Peter |title=Speed On The East Coast Main Line: A Century and a Half of Accelerated Services |date=1990 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |isbn=0-85059-930-X |pages=129–225}}</ref> During the 1980s, BREL produced the [[British Rail Class 58]] freight locomotive, which it had designed with the intention of attracting international orders.<ref name = "etwell 1986">{{cite journal |last1=Etwell |first1=M. W. J. |title=British Rail Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Transport Engineering |date=1986 |volume=200 |issue=2 |pages=135–147 |doi=10.1243/PIME_PROC_1986_200_173_02 |issn=0265-1904 |citeseerx=10.1.1.920.246}}</ref><ref name="RailwayCentre">{{cite web | url = http://www.therailwaycentre.com/Recognition%20Pictures%20Loco/Artists_loco.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070118035253/http://www.therailwaycentre.com/Recognition%20Pictures%20Loco/Artists_loco.html | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 18 January 2007 | title = Artists Impressions – Locomotives | publisher = TheRailwayCentre.com | access-date= 25 October 2007}}</ref>


BREL did not have a [[monopoly]] on the manufacture of new rail vehicles; various private companies, such as [[Brush Traction]], [[Metro-Cammell]], and [[Metropolitan-Vickers]] amongst others, also manufactured rolling stock, although in general, it was built to specifications produced by BREL. Furthermore, BREL often acted as a [[subcontractor]] to a main contractor, such as [[General Electric Company|GEC]], which supplied traction equipment. These contracts typically required BREL to build the frames, body shells, and [[Bogie|bogies]] and install the traction and ancillary equipment of the primary contractor. The majority of the electric locomotive construction programme of the 1980s, such as [[British Rail Class 89|Classes 89]], [[British Rail Class 90|90]], and [[British Rail Class 91|91]], was carried out in this manner. The [[Sprinter (British Rail)|Sprinter]] and [[Pacer (British Rail)|Pacer]] families of [[diesel multiple-unit]]s (DMUs) were also manufactured with a emphasis on collaboration and competitive forces.<ref name = "hansard july1986"/><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/25731/from-the-archive-prototype-150-unveiled/ |title = From The Archive: Prototype ‘150’ Unveiled |first = Alex |last = Bestwick |publisher = railwaymagazine.co.uk |date = 27 June 2023}}</ref>
BREL did not have a [[monopoly]] on the manufacture of new rail vehicles; various private companies, such as [[Brush Traction]], [[Metro-Cammell]], and [[Metropolitan-Vickers]] amongst others, also manufactured rolling stock, although in general, it was built to specifications produced by BREL. Furthermore, BREL often acted as a [[subcontractor]] to a main contractor, such as [[General Electric Company|GEC]], which supplied traction equipment. These contracts typically required BREL to build the frames, body shells, and [[Bogie|bogies]] and install the traction and ancillary equipment of the primary contractor. The majority of the electric locomotive construction programme of the 1980s, such as [[British Rail Class 89|Classes 89]], [[British Rail Class 90|90]], and [[British Rail Class 91|91]], was carried out in this manner. The [[Sprinter (British Rail)|Sprinter]] and [[Pacer (British Rail)|Pacer]] families of [[diesel multiple-unit]]s (DMUs) were also manufactured with a emphasis on collaboration and competitive forces.<ref name = "hansard july1986"/><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/25731/from-the-archive-prototype-150-unveiled/ |title = From The Archive: Prototype ‘150’ Unveiled |first = Alex |last = Bestwick |publisher = railwaymagazine.co.uk |date = 27 June 2023}}</ref>

Revision as of 17:15, 23 September 2023

British Rail Engineering Limited
IndustryTrain & carriage manufacturing & maintenance
PredecessorBritish Rail Workshops
Founded1 January 1970
DefunctSeptember 1992
FatePrivatised
SuccessorABB
HeadquartersDerby, England
ParentBritish Railways Board (1969–1989)

British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) was the railway systems engineering subsidiary of British Rail. Established in 1970, the maintenance arm was split as British Rail Maintenance Limited in 1987, and the design and building of trains was privatised in 1989,[1] purchased by the Swiss-Swedish conglomerate Asea Brown Boveri (40%), Trafalgar House (40%), and a management-employee buy-out (20%). After ABB became the sole shareholder in September 1992, it was subsumed into ABB Transportation.

History

Variant logo used on rolling stock and corporate sales
Later logo, circa 1991
The InterCity 125 was formed from Class 43 powercars built at Crewe Works and Mark 3 carriages built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works
Mark 2 carriages were built by BREL's Derby Litchurch Lane Works
Class 58 locomotives were built by BREL's Doncaster Works

BREL was established by the British Railways Board on 1 January 1970 to take over the management of its 14 rolling stock maintenance centres, including Ashford, Crewe, Derby Litchurch Lane, Derby Locomotive, Doncaster, Eastleigh, Glasgow, Horwich, Shildon, Swindon, Wolverton, and York.[2][3] The pricipal object of BREL was the provision of a construction, maintenance, and repair services to Britain’s railways.[4][5]

A key activity of BREL was the manufacturing of new rolling stock for use by British Rail. Amongst those rail vehicles is the InterCity 125 trainset; produced between 1975 and 1982, these train, commonly referred to as the High Speed Train, is a diesel-powered high speed passenger train that travelled faster than any previous production British train.[6][7][8] During the 1980s, BREL produced the British Rail Class 58 freight locomotive, which it had designed with the intention of attracting international orders.[9][10]

BREL did not have a monopoly on the manufacture of new rail vehicles; various private companies, such as Brush Traction, Metro-Cammell, and Metropolitan-Vickers amongst others, also manufactured rolling stock, although in general, it was built to specifications produced by BREL. Furthermore, BREL often acted as a subcontractor to a main contractor, such as GEC, which supplied traction equipment. These contracts typically required BREL to build the frames, body shells, and bogies and install the traction and ancillary equipment of the primary contractor. The majority of the electric locomotive construction programme of the 1980s, such as Classes 89, 90, and 91, was carried out in this manner. The Sprinter and Pacer families of diesel multiple-units (DMUs) were also manufactured with a emphasis on collaboration and competitive forces.[11][12]

In addition to the domestic market, BREL pursued international sales. The Mark 2 carriage proved to be attractive abroad, derivatives of which were exported to the Republic of Ireland, Kenya, and Taiwan. BREL's entry of the Chinese market in the late 1980s was hoped to lead to expansive orders for as many as 1,500 carriages.[11] Freight wagons of various sorts were produced for overseas customers in Sweden, Malaysia, Yugoslavia, and Bangladesh. BREL was also a major supplier of components and general engineering equipment to numerous businesses that were not primarily involved in railways, such as the British Steel Corporation.[4]

Throughout the 1980s, various sites operated by BREL were permanently closed, including Ashford Works in 1981, Shildon in 1984, and Swindon in 1986.[13][14] During 1987, Doncaster, Eastleigh, Glasgow, and Wolverton were transferred to the newly-created BR Maintenance.[4][15] The maintenance requirements of British Rail's rolling stock was reduced as newer vehicles, such as the Mark 3 carriages, were introduced that were designed to minimise operating costs; British Rail also progressively increased its use of electric traction (which required less maintenance than diesel-powered trains) with further reduced demand for BREL's services, leading to cuts in personnel employed by the organisation.[11][16] The loss of such jobs and the closure of certain sites became a politically charged matter during the late 1980s, which included threats of industrial action and allegations of insufficient investment.[11][17][18]

As early as 1986, the British government were examining operations to privatise BREL and make it more competitive on the international market.[11] According, amid the wider privatisation of British Rail during the 1990s, BREL was sold via a management buyout, with management and employees owning 20% and Asea Brown Boveri and Trafalgar House 40% each.[19][20][17] At the time of the management buyout, BREL's locations comprised Crewe, York, and two separate works in Derby; Derby Locomotive Works was closed in 1991.[21][4] In March 1992, ABB bought out the other shareholders, making BREL a wholly-owned subsidiary. It was subsumed into ABB Transportation in September 1992.[22][23][4]

Products

Diesels

Electrics

Multiple units

BREL also produced some railbuses.

Coaches

Main products

The vast majority of BREL's output was rolling stock for British Rail, including Mark 2 and Mark 3 carriages, the latter for locomotive haulage and InterCity 125 diesel High-Speed Trains. BREL built the NIR 80 Class diesel-electric multiple units for Northern Ireland Railways. Other Mark 3 derived vehicles included Class 150 diesel multiple units in the 1980s and numerous electric multiple units such as Classes 313 and 317.

BREL had success in the export market, notably with Mark 2 and Mark 3 carriages for Iarnród Éireann and the Taiwan Railway EMU100 series.[24] Rolling stock was also manufactured for Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, and Tanzania.[25][26][27][28]

Other products

An APT-P at Crewe in October 2006

BREL built prototypes such as the Class 210 DEMU and the experimental high-speed Advanced Passenger Train (APT) tilting train during the 1970s and early 1980s.[29] The Class 210 were externally very similar to the first batch of Class 317 EMUs, but half of the forward carriage was taken up by the engine room, where an above-floor diesel engine drove a generator to power traction motors on the axles.

References

  1. ^ "British Rail Workshops". RailwayBritain.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  2. ^ "British Rail Engineering Limited formed". Railway Gazette. 5 December 1969. p. 882.
  3. ^ "New BR workshops company". Modern Railways. No. 256. January 1970. p. 41.
  4. ^ a b c d e "British Rail Engineering Ltd". Science Museum Group. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  5. ^ "The Train Makers". British Transport Films. 1981. Retrieved 23 September 2023 – via bfi.org.uk.
  6. ^ Collins, R.J. (May 1978). "High speed track on the Western Region of British Railways". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. 64 (2). Institution of Civil Engineers: 207–225. doi:10.1680/iicep.1978.2755. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  7. ^ "HST Power Car". National Railway Museum. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  8. ^ Semmens, Peter (1990). Speed On The East Coast Main Line: A Century and a Half of Accelerated Services. Patrick Stephens Ltd. pp. 129–225. ISBN 0-85059-930-X.
  9. ^ Etwell, M. W. J. (1986). "British Rail Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive". Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Transport Engineering. 200 (2): 135–147. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.920.246. doi:10.1243/PIME_PROC_1986_200_173_02. ISSN 0265-1904.
  10. ^ "Artists Impressions – Locomotives". TheRailwayCentre.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ a b c d e "British Rail Engineering". Hansard. 24 July 1986.
  12. ^ Bestwick, Alex (27 June 2023). "From The Archive: Prototype '150' Unveiled". railwaymagazine.co.uk.
  13. ^ "Ashford Works to close this year". The Railway Magazine. No. 965. September 1981. p. 407.
  14. ^ "Swindon to close". Rail Enthusiast. No. 46. July 1985. p. 25.
  15. ^ "BREL divided". The Railway Magazine. No. 1034. June 1987. p. 390.
  16. ^ Goddard, Jane (28 September 2017). "Workers left reeling by shock news of 1,420 Derby BREL job losses in 1987".
  17. ^ a b Cawthra, Lynette (1 September 2023). "Closure of British Railways Workshops". wcml.org.uk.
  18. ^ "British Rail Engineering BREL Job Losses 1986". Youtube. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  19. ^ Pollitt, Michael G.; Smith, Andrew S. J. (December 2002). "The Restructuring and Privatisation of British Rail: Was It Really That Bad?". Fiscal Studies. 23 (4): 463–502.
  20. ^ "Buyer for BREL". The Railway Magazine. No. 1055. March 1989. p. 143.
  21. ^ "Industry". Railway Gazette International. No. January 1991. p. 13.
  22. ^ "ABB to control BREL". The Railway Magazine. No. 1083. May 1992. p. 7.
  23. ^ "For BREL, read ABB". Rail Magazine. No. 183. 16 September 1992. p. 5.
  24. ^ "Taiwan emu delivery by BRE begins". The Railway Magazine. No. 921. January 1978. p. 41.
  25. ^ "Wagons for Ghana". The Railway Magazine. No. 886. February 1975. p. 55.
  26. ^ "Kenyan wagon contract shipment". The Railway Magazine. No. 923. March 1978. p. 150.
  27. ^ "First contracts for BR Engineering". The Railway Magazine. No. 927. March 1970. p. 125.
  28. ^ "Derby Coaches for Tanzania". The Railway Magazine. No. 952. August 1980. p. 366.
  29. ^ "This is British Rail (reproduction of the text of a British Rail leaflet)". Apt-P.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012.
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