Southern Electric cab rides

[Re6/6]

Here's a link to a 9 minute piece of film from the 1930s as a motorman's view. It shows much complex trackwork (by todays standards!) and the abundence Pullman cars marshalled in the middle of trains.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmCdP_3XvOQ

 

[Re6/6]

.....and here's another.

its a motormans view from Class 71 in the 60s.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzDL7abXNms

 

This has to have the most mournful dull commentary that you're ever likely to hear!

 

Links courtesy of '10800'.

[John M Upton]

Its amazing that despite the eighty years time lapse I can easily recognise most of the locations between South Croydon and Victoria!!

 

The signal engineer on the overhead gantry just north of Clapham Junction was taking his life in his hands wasn't he?

[BROADTRAIN1979]

Mournful to say the least! i bet he's a joy to live with

[10800]

I think he went on to do the voice for Marvin the robot in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

[Gwiwer]

Classic footage. And yes many of the locations are perfectly recognisable many years later. Still with "Southern" green trains in many cases as well though not the same company and lacking the creature comforts of the Pullman cars. Somehow the Plastic Pigs just aren't quite the same!

[45156]

Very recognisable - and I left the Southern twenty years ago, and this still seems like yesterday.

 

I had quite a few Southern cab trips in the 1970s and my best memories are of doing the whole of Wimbledon to Norwood Jn via Mitcham Jn in the cab of a 33 which was bringing W&C stock back from Waterloo to Selhurst for overhaul. I had followed the working as far as Clapham Jn on the outward run, by going direct Norwood (photo'd it leaving) to Clapham, back to Wimbledon (photo'd it again), then back to Clapham (for another photo) by the direct route while the working went via the District lines to gain the Windsor side for the shunt at Waterloo. Back at Wimbledon, I was accosted by a railway official, and thought I was in bother for some slight trespass there on the outward run (down the platform end) but it turned out he was the Norwood driver, (who turned out to be a friend of a friend), and asked if I'd like to ride back with him to Norwood. Well.... Yes.

 

Another lovely run was from Surbiton to Eastleigh in the cab of a 4TC leading a 4REP at the invite of the driver (again an acquaintance) "I'll leave the connecting door open, but don't come up 'til between Surbiton and Esher" was the request, so I did as bidden, and was treated to a run the like of which I had never seen before - a 4TC/4REP was quite unusual (the norm was 8TC/4REP) on the fast Weymouth, and was due to a failure at Weymouth earlier in the day, which had also caused some late running, so my driver acquaintance had some time to make up, and only eight cars with 3200h- wow, Micheldever bank was never descended so fast - I'll not reveal the speed, but we regained ten minutes on the non stop Waterloo - Southampton booked time. I have to say that this was a fabulous run.

 

Another beauty was a cab run that I did quite frequently late at night, from Vauxhall to Motspur Park with a friend who was a master of the old 4SUB and could handle its unusual braking system (no EP brake in those days - just a Westinghouse) and also could judge the speeds in all conditions to a T - no AWS or protection of any type - just sheer driving skill and experience.

 

Needless to say, such exploits are very much a thing of the past now.

[Re6/6]

Thanks for that very interesting post.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

Somewhere in my sound collection I have the motorman sound file of the 3 CEP between Lymington and Brockenshurst. Sound only but recorded in the cab itself complete with AWS warnings and clicks and hisses as the train is driven. No names, no dates, no pack drill.

 

I think it might be E Mailable and is in CD mono format.

 

PM me please if you are interested and, no, nothing really for a sound project!!

[The Stationmaster]

.....and here's another.

its a motormans view from Class 71 in the 60s.

Links courtesy of '10800'.

And since then Shortlands Jcn has been remodelled twice (turning into a burrowing junction with the last lot of alterations) and Bickley Jcn (which wasn't named but was the one before the two overbridges where lines went off to the right, to Orpington) has been remodelled as well. Very interesting to compare it with how it all looked in the 1990s although I only saw it from the front end a couple of times (and in the opposite direction).

[Tim Chambers]

Thank you John for two fascinating clips.I have to say I really enjoyed the 60s commentary- quiet, measured, dignified and informative- so different from the hysterical braying which can pass for "media-speak" today.

[RFS]

There are loads of similar films here - http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthernRailwayFilms

 

And if you really wnat to step back in time then try a trip on the Met from 1910 here - http://www.ltmcollection.org/films/index.html

[Re6/6]

There are loads of similar films here - http://www.youtube.c...ernRailwayFilms

 

And if you really wnat to step back in time then try a trip on the Met from 1910 here - http://www.ltmcollec...ilms/index.html

 

Thanks for those great links. I particularly like the Met film. A load of little gems if you can catch them. A real look at the lineside life and suburbia before WW1.