Class 73s

Extensive collection of images of every Class 73 subtype. Images from around the UK. Part of the Britain's Railways Series.

Built in the 1960s, the Class 73s were primarily used on the Southern Region, owing to their ability to operate from either a diesel engine or third rail. Until the recent introduction of the Class 88s, they were unique in their electro-diesel ability. The initial 73s were either 73/0 or 73/1, depending on production run, and a select few were used on services to Gatwick in the 1980s and reclassified as 73/2s. The last sub-class was the 73/9s, which were converted by GB Railfreight and given new engines.

The Class 73s have never been the best-looking machines on the railway (some even nicknamed them 'shoeboxes'), but the years of service these workhorses have provided certainly cannot be faulted. As the 73/9s continue to find work around the UK, it seems they may be part of the railway scene for a long while to come. With over 220 images, this book shows off all the sub-classes of the 73s and their work around the country.

About the Author

Mark V. Pike has a lifelong interest in UK railways that started at the age of about six when his father used to take him to watch trains at Poole station in Dorset, just after steam had been abolished in the late 1960s. He later joined the railway at the age of 19 as a permanent way trackman at Bournemouth and was later an electric track maintenance worker at Dorchester for over 20 years. Now semi-retired, he is still an avid railway photographer, with various images appearing regularly in mainstream railway magazines and books.