The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway electrified two of their urban railway networks - one in Liverpool and the other in Manchester - in order to improve the service offered against the competition being put up by new electric tramways.
Liverpool electrification
In Liverpool, the 600 V DC Third Rail system was adopted for the electrified LYR lines. The first to be converted was that between Liverpool and Southport (opened to electric trains in March 1904). Liverpool to Aintree followed in 1906, and the line to Ormskirk followed later. Electricity was generated at the LYR's own power station in Formby.
A variety of electric multiple units were used on these routes. The first batch of fifty cars usually operated as four-car units formed of a Trailer First (TF) and a Trailer Third (TT) between two Driving Motor Brake Third (DMBT) cars. All cars had wooden bodies on steel underframes; were 60 feet (18 m) long and 10 feet (3 m) wide; and the driving motor cars weighed 44 tons, the trailer cars 26 tons.
Further cars (to different designs) were ordered as further lines were converted and services enhanced. In total, the LYR had 64 DMBT cars, 51 TT cars, 41 TF cars and 3 luggage vans. In order to operate the connection to the Liverpool Overhead Railway, the LYR also owned twelve lightweight cars. In addition, an experimental electric shunting locomotive (of 2-4-2 wheel arrangement) was built for use in the yard at Aintree, but was scrapped in 1919.
These units were replaced by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in the 1930s with new stock that was later classified by British Rail as Classes 502 and 503 .
Manchester electrification
From 1913 to 1917, an experimental electric service operate between Bury and Holcombe Brook. The equipment was provided by Dick Kerr of Preston, which was developing its products for overseas sales. The system used was 3.5 kV DC overhead electification, and two two-car units were built at the LYR Newton Heath works for the service, formed of a Driving Motor Brake Third (DMBT) and a Driving Trailer Third (DTT).
Despite these tests, the LYR decided to proceed with the electrification of the Manchester to Bury line using a 1200 V DC Side Contact Third Rail. This was opened to electric trains in 1916, and the following year the branch to Holcombe Brook was converted to use the same system. Electricity was generated at the LYR's own power station at Clifton, where a four-wheel battery electric shunter was used (withdrawn 1946).
In contrast to the Liverpool electric multiple units, the stock used on this line was of all-steel construction. 66 cars were built at the LYR Newton Heath works and operated in five-car units, formed of a DMBT + TT + DMBT + TF + DMBT. Each car was 67 feet 7 inches (20.6 m) long and 9 feet 4 inches (2.8 m) wide; the driving motor cars weighed 54 tons and the trailer cars 29 tons.
These units were withdrawn in 1959 and all scrapped, having been replaced by British Rail with new stock that was later designated Class 504 .
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