#3150
British Rail Class 506
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Metro-Cammell· from 1954· class of 8 three-car electric multiple units
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3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 17.07.84 Manchester Piccadilly Class 506 (6076993098): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2. BRCW Class "506": Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 3. Class 506 units at Reddish Depot on 09 May 1981: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 506 was a 3 carriage electric multiple unit (EMU) built for local services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield on the Woodhead Line, which was electrified in 1954 on the 1,500 V DC overhead system.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 72 years ago, in 1954.
- 552 kW is about 6 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 54 m long: about 12 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 30 years (1954–1984).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1954
- in service from
- 1954
- retired
- 1984
- status
- retired
- number built
- 8
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Metro-Cammell, Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
- operators
- British Rail, London Midland Region of British Railways
- top speed
- 121 km/h
- power
- 552 kW
- electric system
- 1,500 V DC overhead
- formation
- 3 cars per trainset
- length
- 54 m
- capacity
- 64 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4970835, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 506 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.