North Berwick Branch - Rolling Stock

Rolling Stock

The North Berwick branch has been served by a variety of rolling stock over its life. Steam locomotives were typically tank engines, North British Railway 4-4-0T, 0-4-4T and 4-4-2T successively being the norm. By the end of regular steam passenger service on the branch in 1958, LNER Class V1/V3 2-6-2T engines were the usual power. Despite there being no turntable, tender engines were also used on both passenger and goods traffic, mainly 4-4-0s and 0-6-0s. Excursion traffic very occasionally brought larger engines such as K3 Class 2-6-0s. LNER steam railcars were tried in the late 1920s and '30s, with limited success. Clayton Type 1 diesel locomotives operated the branch goods service in its final years, but subsequently visits by diesel locomotive have been confined to occasional engineering trains.

Early diesel multiple units (DMUs) used on the line from 1958 onwards were Class 100 and Class 101. Subsequently, many different types of DMU appeared on the line, including Class 104, Class 105, Class 107, Class 108 and Class 120. In 1987 new Class 150 Sprinter DMUs took over some services.

Upon electrification in 1991, five thirty-year-old 305 electric multiple units (EMUs) were refurbished for the line, having been made redundant from London Liverpool Street suburban services. In their later years these trains became unreliable and deputisation by diesel units (including equally elderly Class 117s) was not uncommon. Prior to privatisation, it was not unknown for InterCity 125 diesel-electric units to operate to North Berwick if no other train was available.

Most services were operated using five Class 322 4-car EMUs. These trains were built in 1990 for use on London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport express services, but were displaced from these services by 2001 when they were leased to ScotRail to allow withdrawal of the elderly Class 305s. They were occasionally assisted by Class 318's especially during the half hourly services on Saturdays. Their lease expired in mid-2004 and the 322s returned to England, prompting a search for suitable replacement stock. No modern EMUs were available at the time, and the line reverted to locomotive haulage for a time, using Class 90 electric locomotives hired from EWS and former Virgin Trains Mark 3 coaches, with each set incorporating a DVT to allow push-pull operation.

In mid-2005 the Class 322 units became available again, refurbished for permanent use by First ScotRail. Apart from the Class 322s, diesel units of Classes 156, 158 and 170 also operated some services, mainly on Saturdays when there were not enough EMUs to maintain a half-hour frequency throughout the day.

In June 2011, Class 380s began operating the North Berwick line, phasing out all Class 322s which were all returned to England.

• Class 101

• Class 305

• Class 322

• Class 380