#2385
SR Class 4-LAV
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Southern Railway· from 1932· class of 4-car outer suburban EMU
1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 4-lav emu: Ian Mockford· CC BY-SA 2.0
what is it?
The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designation 4-LAV to the electric multiple units built to work the semi-fast services on the route between London and Brighton. None of these units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated a TOPS class.
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 94 years ago, in 1932.
- 820 kW is about 10 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 78.3 m long: about 17 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 37 years (1932–1969).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1932
- in service from
- 1932
- retired
- 1969
- status
- retired
- number built
- 35
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Southern Railway
- operators
- Southern Railway, British Rail
- top speed
- —
- power
- 820 kW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- Bo′2′+2′2′+2′2′+2′Bo
- formation
- Power car + 2 trailer cars + power car
- length
- 78.3 m
- capacity
- 70 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q7392884, Wikipedia: SR Class 4-LAV (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.