Third-Rail EMU Photos

[John M Upton]

Three of the four Southern Class 377 sub classes put to bed for the night down Bognor Regis:

[DY444]

On 21/06/2023 at 00:40, John M Upton said:

Three of the four Southern Class 377 sub classes put to bed for the night down Bognor Regis:

 

Surely 3 of the 6 Southern 377 subclasses?  377/1, 377/2, 377/3, 377/4, 377/6, 377/7

Edited June 22, 2023 by DY444

[John M Upton]

1 hour ago, DY444 said:

 

Surely 3 of the 6 Southern 377 subclasses?  377/1, 377/2, 377/3, 377/4, 377/6, 377/7

 

You are indeed right, mind you down here on the Sussex Coast we don't get the 377/6 and 377/7's unless there has been a massive cock up.

[DY444]

9 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

 

You are indeed right, mind you down here on the Sussex Coast we don't get the 377/6 and 377/7's unless there has been a massive cock up.

 

Indeed although iirc there was one summer when at least one pair of /6 (/7) had a weekend turn or two between Victoria and Brighton (which I appreciate isn't the Sussex coast in the East/West Coastway sense).

Edited June 22, 2023 by DY444

[John M Upton]

It has happened....

 

1st of May 2015, 377604 was turned out on the last Victoria to Chichester via the Arun Valley, started from Three Bridges with whatever could be found due to very servere disruption:

Caused havoc overnight at Littlehampton as it was one carriage too long and the night shift only really deal in multiples of four...

 

In April 2016, 377613 somehow managed to escape all the way to Southampton!!!

 

And there was a classic incident one Friday night where at Victoria the 21:32 to Epsom Downs and the 21:32 to Portsmouth & Southsea via Horsham swapped stock due to a miscommunication and with an engineering block over the weekend, the five car sent in error spent the entire weekend shuttling between Portsmouth and Havant attracting quite a lot of attention from the local enthusiasts!

[phil_sutters]

A mixed bunch from a visit to Battle Abbey yesterday

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by phil_sutters

[Darius43]

377409 at West Worthing this morning.

 

 

I see that the 313s stabled at Hove are starting to get graffitied.

 

700130 at Burgess Hill.

 

 

377148 at Haywards Heath.
 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Darius43

[StuAllen]

My son (and friends) walked along South Downs Way yesterday, I met them at Southease - it’s a bit remote! (Well remote for Sussex). Thought it’d be rude not to take some photos while waiting. Might need to come back when the stone trains come through

[John M Upton]

21 hours ago, Darius43 said:

377409 at West Worthing this morning.

 

 

I see that the 313s stabled at Hove are starting to get graffitied.

 

 

Someone photographed 377409 at West Worthing late afternoon too as I barrelled through there westbound.

 

As for the graffiti on the 313's, I am astounded given the extensive amount and the fact CCTV exists on the Sidings which has proven to be absolutely no deterrent whatsoever. 

 

I don't know if it has to be scraped off before they are sent on the ScrapEx trips though.

[Darius43]

4 hours ago, John M Upton said:

 

Someone photographed 377409 at West Worthing late afternoon too as I barrelled through there westbound.

 

 

Wasn't me as I was there at around 9.15 to catch the 9.31.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Edited June 27, 2023 by Darius43

[phil_sutters]

The new normal! I think that it was 302. I took another shot which caught the rear end, but at that distance it is difficult to be 100% sure.

Edited June 28, 2023 by phil_sutters

[John M Upton]

Well it wasn't 312, that has been on the Littlehampton/Bognor/Southsea circuits for almost a week now:

 

Soooo much better than a 313, the seat is comfortable, the aircon actually works, there is a cupholder and the timekeeping on the Littlehampton/Southsea all sheds has improved dramatically.

Edited June 28, 2023 by John M Upton

[phil_sutters]

12 hours ago, John M Upton said:

Well it wasn't 312, that has been on the Littlehampton/Bognor/Southsea circuits for almost a week now:

 

 

 

It wasn't the middle digit that was almost too fuzzy to read, it was the final '2'. I am glad you are enjoying your new office. Having a cup-holder must be a big plus 🙂

Edited June 29, 2023 by phil_sutters

[The Lurker]

and 303 was at the head of a 6 car formation arriving at LBG parallel to the train I was on off the Dartford Loop (around 9)

[Rich_F]

30 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

and 303 was at the head of a 6 car formation arriving at LBG parallel to the train I was on off the Dartford Loop (around 9)

 

London Bridge to Beckenham Junction are 6 car since the 455/313 retirement. 

[EmporiaSub]

Meanwhile, on the island…..

001 has been split, not sure why.

Can just be seen at the back of the shed.

[Gwiwer]

Back on the mainland a very unusual solo working of a 5-car 701/5 was noted at Clapham Junction yesterday. 
 

The first such working definitely recorded although comments suggest a very few others have occurred.  The extremely limited public appearances of the 5-car units have hitherto always been in pairs. 
 

701510 works an Eastleigh - Waterloo training / test trip. 
 

 

In other class 701 news there has been a significant upturn in activity this week. While 701510 was in shot as above 701014 was moving cautiously out of the yard just off-shot to the right and departed towards Staines with an SWR driver in charge. 701028 followed it out of the yard and ran down 49 siding for static training. 701006 promptly emerged from the washer road with another training trip making four units through the station in around 20 minutes. Three more were berthed in the yard. 

[Northmoor]

Thanks @Gwiwer; I think I passed a 5-car somewhere round Twickenham yesterday so may have been one of these.  I had noticed the Feltham sidings have been empty of 701 for at least the last week.

[Gwiwer]

15 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Thanks @Gwiwer; I think I passed a 5-car somewhere round Twickenham yesterday so may have been one of these.  I had noticed the Feltham sidings have been empty of 701 for at least the last week.

The only 5-car out yesterday was this one. The usual working is Eastleigh - Waterloo - Staines - Waterloo - Eastleigh so it would have come through Twickenham twice. 
 

Feltham has been empty for quite some time. I understand there are concerns as a storage location (i.e. they don’t want the new trains “redecorated” at an unattended location) which would not be the case when it becomes a staffed and active depot. 
 

 

[John M Upton]

Of course the big question is, will a 701 carry a fare paying passenger before the end of the year (whichever year that may be!)?

[Gwiwer]

50 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

Of course the big question is, will a 701 carry a fare paying passenger before the end of the year (whichever year that may be!)?

Stagecoach SWT promised that they would get class 707 into service despite many problems which delayed that happening. 
 

In the event they ran one train of 707 stock on one journey on the last day before their franchise passed to SWR.  The promise was fulfilled. 
 

SWR now seem to be working at a rate consistent with getting at least one 701 into revenue service before this year is out. If you remove the two-year Covid effect and factor in another six months for post-Covid recovery and the various long-running industrial disputes we still have a lengthy lead time on introduction.  
 

Not all of the 90 units has yet been delivered again down to the Covid effect.  

 

My money is on a gradual introduction to Windsor line services starting at the December timetable change and ramping up through 2024.
 

  

[lmsforever]

On 30/06/2023 at 14:45, EmporiaSub said:

Meanwhile, on the island…..

001 has been split, not sure why.

Can just be seen at the back of the shed.

When I go to Bembridge  I pass here it looks very impressive now  the station areas is much cleaner plus the units are a good replacement for old ones.

[John M Upton]

Bognor shut all day yet again (not having much luck lately) meant stock all over the place being scrounged to run those trains which would have worked by those trains stuck down Bognor. 

 

So here we have a three car 377 going from Victoria to Southampton Central!

 

 

[Gwiwer]

4 hours ago, John M Upton said:

stock all over the place being scrounged to run those trains which would have worked by those trains stuck down Bognor. 

387224+377310 through Clapham as empties. They work together but not in traffic due to software differences. A mixed red and green train is quite rare. A mixed 7-car formation possibly unique. 

[Chris116]

3 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

387224+377310 through Clapham as empties. They work together but not in traffic due to software differences. A mixed red and green train is quite rare. A mixed 7-car formation possibly unique. 

I fear that you are now going to tell us you failed to get a photo of said unique formation! 

 

 

Just can't get the staff.