Wimbledon - Sutton & other 3rd rail branches

[Pete 75C]

Having grown up near to Sutton station in South London, I was very familiar with the Sutton to Wimbledon line but totally unaware that it was so recent, opening in 1930.

I recently discovered this article from The Railway Magazine, December 1966, and found it quite fascinating.

As far as overground railways are concerned (excluding trams, DLR etc), this must have been one of the last railway lines constructed, quite amazing bearing in mind the proximity to London and the area's easy "commutability".

 

http://www.semgonline.com/RlyMag/WimbledonSuttonRly.pdf

Edited November 30, 2013 by Pete 75C

[phil-b259]

Having grown up near to Sutton station in South London, I was very familiar with the Sutton to Wimbledon line but totally unaware that it was so recent, opening in 1930.

I recently discovered this article from The Railway Magazine, December 1966, and found it quite fascinating.

As far as overground railways are concerned (excluding trams, DLR etc), this must have been one of the last railway lines constructed, quite amazing bearing in mind the proximity to London and the area's easy "commutability".

 

http://www.semgonline.com/RlyMag/WimbledonSuttonRly.pdf

 

The Chessington branch was built even later opening in two stages in 1937 &1938. WW2 put paid to the original plans of extending it southwards to Leatherhead though the signs are still there (Platform layout and the presence of the never used 'Up' platform and the blocked up hole in the station building where the footbridge would have gone at Chessington South, plus a short section of completed embankment to the south).

 

Also worth noting that both branches were designed at the outset to be EMU operated so minimal account was taken of the needs of steam traction which would only be used for freight.

[Pete 75C]

That is interesting, and something I didn't know. I am becoming strangely fascinated with the area and its railways, even though I moved away years ago.

I would assume that freight traffic was minimal over the Wimbledon - Sutton line, apart from maybe diversionary? Even more unusual over the Chessington branch? As far as I'm aware the only traffic generated by the Sutton line itself would have been to the Express Dairy facility at Morden South.

[roundhouse]

Freight traffic was actually reasonably frequent over the Chessington branch to both Tolworth and south of Chessington South till the eighties.

 

I recall doing a rail tour in a Hastings unit that went right up to the buffer stops, the furthest point towards Leatherhead that the rials ever went.

 

ian

[Suzie]

Sutton could have become an interesting 'What might have been' to model, a bit like Ealing Broadway with Northern Line tube and District Line sub-surface terminating there but with the added fun of the Croydon and Epsom Downs lines too. It is a good job it got finished before the war or it might have not survived the 'New works' post war cull.

 

I would not be surprised if Boris nabs it for a Northern Line extension at some point as part of giving the Northern line a better southern interchange at Wimbledon with his trams. The article mentions that the line was not very busy, but I have had cause to use it quite a few times.

[decauville1126]

Freight traffic was actually reasonably frequent over the Chessington branch to both Tolworth and south of Chessington South till the eighties.

 

I recall doing a rail tour in a Hastings unit that went right up to the buffer stops, the furthest point towards Leatherhead that the rials ever went.

 

ian

 

And even last Saturday I was confounded by a Brett's stone train with a 66 at the head at Raynes Park in the up Epsom/Chessington platform. A quick check with Realtime Trains showed it was a 'regularish' Saturday working to and from Tolworth.

[Ron Ron Ron]

London's last railway line ??

 

No, far from it.

They're still building new lines right up to the present day and there are more in the pipeline.

 

In the last decade we have seen HS1 brought through east London into St.Pancras International;

....the complete re-building of the East London Line, which although mostly on existing trackbed and railway land, is a completely new railway with all-new infrastructure. There are new sections too.

The re-routing of Thameslink to take through the new St. Pancras International Thameslink station.

Then there's one of the biggest of them all, Crossrail, currently under construction through London.

 

Next up will be HS2, if given the go ahead.

 

 

.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Ron Ron Ron

[Pete 75C]

Fair point but maybe I should have rephrased the opener...

I'm afraid I have zero interest in today's plastic trains and their associated modern infrastructure, including HS1/2 and Crossrail. I was thinking new from a historical perspective, although I admit that does sound contradictory...

[Pete 75C]

Sutton could have become an interesting 'What might have been' to model, a bit like Ealing Broadway with Northern Line tube and District Line sub-surface terminating there but with the added fun of the Croydon and Epsom Downs lines too. It is a good job it got finished before the war or it might have not survived the 'New works' post war cull.

 

I would not be surprised if Boris nabs it for a Northern Line extension at some point as part of giving the Northern line a better southern interchange at Wimbledon with his trams. The article mentions that the line was not very busy, but I have had cause to use it quite a few times.

 

Wasn't that the original premise for the line, as an Underground "overground" extension? I remember reading in Christian Wolmar's "The Subterranean Railway" that the south of London was nowhere near as well-served by the underground lines simply because it was already saturated by existing lines.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Pete_S

[Oldddudders]

The author of the article, Alan A. Jackson, was joint-author of a comprehensive work on the history of the Underground - Rails Through The Clay - which I found fascinating as a teenager. He also co-authored a history of my home town - Dorking.

 

I share the OP's interest in these branches, this one being known as the Wall of Death due to the gradient shown in the photo of the 4-SUB approaching Sutton. It always was a bit of a Cinderella (unlike the Chessie branch) and when unsocial behaviour became a way of life for disaffected yoof in the 60s and 70s it was a potentially unpleasant line to patronise out of hours. Thameslink took it over in BR days and did a good job of "reclaiming the railway" by improving security and sprucing up the stations.

[Pete 75C]

Ian, I began my railway career at Sutton (when there was still an Area Manager's office there, turn left out of the station, upstairs above a parade of shops) and there was a standing joke among the platform staff regarding the life expectancy of booking clerks along the line. You're quite right, the stations had something of a "reputation" come darkness.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Pete_S

[Oldddudders]

Ian, I began my railway career at Sutton (when there was still an Area Manager's office there, turn left out of the station, upstairs above a parade of shops) and there was a standing joke among the platform staff regarding the life expectancy of booking clerks along the line. You're quite right, the stations had something of a "reputation" come darkness.

The AM's office was originally at Cheam! I think Frank Gladwin was the original incumbent. Was Don Love AM there for a while? Perhaps Tony Goff. Alec Shore was SM at Sutton for years. I think Gary Walker may have been a supervisor there.

[bbishop]

I think the Southern Railway built the Wimbledon - Sutton line as a "blocker" to the Metropolitan District Railway extending beyond Wimbledon.  Perhaps Ian could confirm or deny?

 

Bill

[Pete 75C]

I remember Don as Area Manager while I was a "runner" in the AM's office. Lovely guy. He was instrumental in getting me my move from platform staff to train crew at Norwood after the station manager (can't remember his name) blocked it. I believe a few strings were pulled! Gary Walker eventually moved to Sutton as supervisor after spending some time at West Croydon. I went on my first "track walk" between West Croydon and Waddon Marsh with Gary and also remember climbing the London end semaphores with him at West Croydon.

[Pete 75C]

I think the Southern Railway built the Wimbledon - Sutton line as a "blocker" to the Metropolitan District Railway extending beyond Wimbledon.  Perhaps Ian could confirm or deny?

 

Bill

 

I've definitely read that somewhere but can't confirm if it was hearsay or fact. The Railway Magazine article from 1966 suggests that agreement was reached for the Underground to be built to Morden but no further and the Southern would fund the Wimbledon-Sutton line themselves. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the history comes across as a little muddled.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Pete_S

[phil-b259]

I think the Southern Railway built the Wimbledon - Sutton line as a "blocker" to the Metropolitan District Railway extending beyond Wimbledon.  Perhaps Ian could confirm or deny?

 

Bill

 

Well sort of - I say that because the situation was not straightforward.

 

Before the creation of London Transport, the owners (Underground Electric Railways Company of London) of the District line did draw up plans for an extension south of Wimbledon pretty much the same as the line the SR eventually built. This greatly annoyed the LSWR and later the newly formed SR who were investing heavly in electrification and didn't appreciate the District steeling what the LSWR / SR regarded as 'their' passengers especially as the District line trains ran over LSWR / SR metals from Putney Bridge - Wimbledon (remember this bit of track -despite not having a regular BR service for decades didn't transfer to LUL until 1994).

 

However it was not only the District that threatened LSWR / SR traffic because the same UERL also wanted to extend what we now know as the Northern line southwards to take advantage of the much grater capacity it offered thanks to the recent upgrades UERL had carried out (tunnel enlargement works on the Bank branch, the Chaing Cross - Kennington link, etc). When planing the extension it was assumed that the District's plan would also eventually gain parliamentary sanction so initial designs - and possibility the site of, Mordern depot were designed to accommodate District trains. Again the LSWR / SR objected to the plans regarding the southern suburbs as 'their' territory.

 

Eventually a compromise was reached and the SR consented to the extension of the Northern line to Mordern (and no further) but with the condition that any plans to extend the District line from Wimbledon were withdrawn and would never see the light of day again. To compensate those people who would has been served by a potential District line extension, the SR as part of the deal with UERL, oversaw completion of the Wimbledon - Sutton line.

 

However much to the SRs disappointment the new line wasn't particularly popular compared to the new tube. While the housing estates at St Helier were expected to provide lots of commuters, the fact that the SR line was on the periphery of the estates combined with good bus links with Mordern tube meant traffic has never reached expectations. This influenced the stations on the line, most of which never had much in the way of station buildings - the temporary / interim buildings constructed for the opening were supposed to be replaced with grander designs as traffic built up. As the traffic didn't materialise the temporary facilities stayed and became increasing uninviting, dingy and unpleasant over the years - with most being demolished in the mid 90s to improve, the by now unstaffed, stations appearance. Had the District line got its way though things might be very different now.

Edited November 29, 2013 by phil-b259

[phil-b259]

And even last Saturday I was confounded by a Brett's stone train with a 66 at the head at Raynes Park in the up Epsom/Chessington platform. A quick check with Realtime Trains showed it was a 'regularish' Saturday working to and from Tolworth.

 

The stone trains began running in the mid 70s I think when a stone terminal was opened up in what had been a coal concentration depot. As with the Purley terminal Chessington remains key part of the supply of aggregates to London for building purposes.

 

Historically 99% of the freight on the branch had been coal - in fact the goods facilities were geared up to this and not much else. In an era of gas central heating its easy to forget that as the suburbs expanded so did the demand for coal and many small stations had to have their goods yards expanded accordingly when the SR began electric services through them.

[robertcwp]

The Chessington branch opened to Tolworth in 1938 and through to Chessington South in 1939.  Between Malden Manor and Tolworth stations is the Knollmead overbridge.  This was built to carry a new road that would have seen the A24 diverted in the Lower Morden area to run via Malden Manor (along what is now Sheephouse Way) then over the railway and along alignments used for a couple of local roads then down to Leatherhead.  Instead, the A24 through North Cheam is still the Roman road and Epsom remains a traffic bottleneck.  So, the Chessington branch was part of a much larger development plan which WW2 and the Green Belt put a stop to for good.

 

Compared to the Epsom line, passenger traffic on the Chessington branch is light, with only a half-hourly service even in the peaks and only hourly in the evenings, plus starting later and finishing earlier.  The stations are rather sad with waiting rooms boarded up and minimal facilities.  The wide staircases at Malden Manor have probably never seen the number of commuters anticipated when the line was built and today Malden Manor is the busiest station.  In days gone by, there was a fair bit of commuting to Tolworth as there were government offices there (possibly also Chessington South).

 

The Coal Concentration Depot at Tolworth was built around the time lots of local station coal yards, such as Worcester Park, closed.  I remember the coal trains still running regularly in the 1970s and a few into the 1980s.  I saw a 58 on one once.

 

The goods yard at Tolworth saw a brief revival for stone traffic around 2000 but more recently a large terminal for building materials has been built there.  I believe one of the conditions of the planning consent was that bulk deliveries were by rail.  Thus, the sleepy suburban branch boasts regular visits by 66s on aggregates trains.

 

Here are some views:

 

66016_MaldenManor_14-5-08_2m by robertcwp, on Flickr

 

 

P1050278 by robertcwp, on Flickr

 

P1050292 by robertcwp, on Flickr

 

5719_nrMaldenManor by robertcwp, on Flickr

 

4-SUB_4621_ChessingtonSouth by robertcwp, on Flickr

 

[RJS1977]

Fair point but maybe I should have rephrased the opener...

I'm afraid I have zero interest in today's plastic trains and their associated modern infrastructure, including HS1/2 and Crossrail. I was thinking new from a historical perspective, although I admit that does sound contradictory...

I understand you... London's last new railway not counting all the others that have been built since.... 

[Pete 75C]

I understand you... London's last new railway not counting all the others that have been built since.... 

 

Again, fair point, and I probably should have rephrased the opener but the whole point of the OP was an article dated 1966. You'll have to forgive the author of said article for not having a crystal ball...

[Pete 75C]

OP title altered to avoid any further confusion...  

[Pete 75C]

If coal on the Chessington branch wasn't a factor in its very early years, would the only freight have been local pick-up?

[robertcwp]

If coal on the Chessington branch wasn't a factor in its very early years, would the only freight have been local pick-up?

There was probably coal traffic from the start.  Tolworth and Chessington South had goods facilities.  The change that came in the 1960s was to concentrate the coal traffic on Tolworth and Chessington and close other local goods yards such as Worcester Park, which had handled coal traffic amongst other things. Use of coal for domestic heating in the area (as elsewhere) collapsed in the 1970s and had probably largely disappeared by the mid-1980s.

[roythebus]

In my days at Waterloo the coal depots at Tolworth and Chessington were rather busy. there was also the regular aggregate train to Tolworth. shunt movements at Tolworth were made by the local diesel shunter, of which there were 2 on site. I never actually worked into either yard. ISTR having to shunt a 508 beyond the bridge at Chessington one day to allow a railtour into the platform.

 

The Tolworth yard (and later the Chessington yard after Tolworth stopped dealing in coal)provided coal which was transferred by road to the Battersea power station site after it closed to provide heating for Dolphin Square at Pimlico. This was originally heated by excess heat from said power station!

 

There was probably never any pick-up goods on the branch or the Wall of Death. Interestingly, a friend lives on Cannon Hill Lane in Lower Morden, and the deeds for his house show the land was originally owned by the Southern Railway as part of the planned route, but the route built differed from the original plan.

[Joseph_Pestell]

The author of the article, Alan A. Jackson, was joint-author of a comprehensive work on the history of the Underground - Rails Through The Clay - which I found fascinating as a teenager. He also co-authored a history of my home town - Dorking.

 

I share the OP's interest in these branches, this one being known as the Wall of Death due to the gradient shown in the photo of the 4-SUB approaching Sutton. It always was a bit of a Cinderella (unlike the Chessie branch) and when unsocial behaviour became a way of life for disaffected yoof in the 60s and 70s it was a potentially unpleasant line to patronise out of hours. Thameslink took it over in BR days and did a good job of "reclaiming the railway" by improving security and sprucing up the stations.

"Wall of Death" surely because of the concrete wall next to the said gradient and sharp curve at the bottom.

 

A late build because it mostly serves estates (particularly the huge St Helier estate) that were not built until the 20s/30s.

 

I don't believe that it will ever form part of an Underground extension. There is a strong case to incorporate it with Tramlink. That would be a win-win with a much more frequent service and enhanced capacity for Southern trains at Sutton. No doubt there would be some complaints about the loss of through services to central London but, in my experience, most passengers change trains anyway at Wimbledon as it's quicker.