The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designation 2-HAL to the electric multiple units built during the late 1930s to work long-distance semi-fast services on the newly electrified lines from London Victoria to Maidstone and Gillingham (Kent). This type of unit survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated

TOPS Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) is a computer system for managing railway locomotives and rolling stock, known for many years of use in the United Kingdom. TOPS was originally developed between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), S ...

Class 402.

Construction

A development of the earlier 2-BIL units, the 2-HAL units (2-car Half Lavatory stock) were so-called because only one car in each unit had a lavatory. They were built in three batches: The handful of post-war units were of completely different appearance, of all-steel construction, and looked very like the standard 4-SUB units being built at the same time, with flat ends, whereas the main 2-HAL units had the domed end appearance of the first 10 prototype "Queen Mary" 4-SUB units. In the early 1960s the Eastern Division was fully changed over to EP-braked electric stock, and the 2-HAL units operating from Victoria to Maidstone/Gillingham etc. were removed to the Central and Western Divisions, being replaced by the large new build of 2-HAP units. The units then remained in service on these divisions until replaced at the end of their life by new 4-VEP units.

Formations

The original formations of these units are set out in the table below:

Departmental service

De-icing units

In 1967, three units were converted for de-icing the 3rd rail and were renumbered 001 - 003. These units operated from depots at

Eastleigh Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census. The town lies on the River Itchen, ...

and Bournemouth.

Stores units

In 1970, two units were converted for use transporting stores between depots. Renumbered 022 and 023 these units linked Eastleigh Works and other depots on the Southern Region and followed a set route on a weekly schedule. Unit 022 was allocated to Slade Green and served

Stewarts Lane Stewarts Lane is a large railway-servicing facility in Battersea in London, England, founded by the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) in 1862, to serve London Victoria railway station. It is sited in the midst of a maze of railway lines ...

Hither Green Hither Green is a district in south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham. It forms the southern part of Lewisham, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south-east of Charing Cross, and on the Prime Meridian. Growing extensively with ...

, Ashford, Ramsgate and

Slade Green Slade Green is an area of South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies northeast of Bexleyheath, northwest of Dartford and south of Erith, and east-southeast of Charing Cross. Historically Slade Green was part o ...

while Unit 023 was allocated to Brighton and served Wimbledon,

Selhurst Selhurst is an area in the London Borough of Croydon south-south-east of Charing Cross. Historically it lay in Surrey. The area is bounded to the west and south by Thornton Heath and Croydon and to the east and south by South Norwood and Woodsid ...

, New Cross Gate, Brighton and Fratton.

2-PAN

In 1971, six units were converted for use conveying parcels and newspaper traffic. They were renumbered 061-066 and designated 2-PAN (2-car Parcels and Newspapers stock), reusing the PAN code originally allocated to 6-PAN (Pantry) stock. Their life was not extended by long; within two years, all had been withdrawn.

Withdrawal

After withdrawal in 1971, various 2-HAL units in company with 2-BIL units were noted at Stratford in east London destined for scrapping by Kings of Norwich, or being hauled west for scrapping in the Newport area.

References

Citations

Sources

* * {{British Rail EMU 2HAL 402 Train-related introductions in 1939 750 V DC multiple units