Third-Rail EMU Photos

[SR Chris]

Wednesday, 11th December 2002 13:30

New and old : A 9-Cep formation led by 1102 and tailed by 1113 stands at the Whitstable stop on its Victoria - Ramsgate journey and is passed by 375612 arriving at the other platform.

 

[Unicorn1]

 

Wednesday, 11th December 2002 13:30

New and old : A 9-Cep formation led by 1102 and tailed by 1113 stands at the Whitstable stop on its Victoria - Ramsgate journey and is passed by 375612 arriving at the other platform.

 

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Chris, I have really enjoyed your EMU pics - all taken at places I know very well. I commuted from Canterbury to Deal (via Ramsgate) for eleven years, so clocked up lots of miles on CEPs, VEPs ,and CIGs. 

I must confess I don't miss the three car CEPs too much, especially when they were busy - and many had seats missing!

We once owned a house near Canterbury West, and for a while I really missed the sound of the train doors slamming, as well as listening out for a CEP to blow a fuse just before St Dunstans Crossing!

Again, super photos, thanks for posting.

Les

[SR Chris]

Friday, 13th December 2002

14:13 365507 splashes out of Faversham taking the Ramsgate line at the rear of a service from Victoria passing a 3-Cep and a 4-Vep berthed in the Down sidings.

 

 

14:39 4-Cep 1594 stands at Faversham's Platform 4.

 

[eastwestdivide]

...

I can still hear the compressors thumping away and the doors slamming ....

For the compressor sound, get yourself over to Turin, and ride on the older trams there - I was instantly transported back to platform 3 at Strood and the compressors firing up on the Maidstone branch CEP.

[SR Chris]

Wednesday, 18th December 2002 

13:29 Next for the melting pot ... On a glorious winter afternoon 66012 stands in Ramsgate's 4 Lay-by coupled to Ceps 1560, 1104 and 1574 awaiting time for their final departure.  The Ceps are shoe-less but 1574 has retained its horns, although by the look of them they weren't good for much other than scrap anyway.

 

 

13:38 The Grim Reaper snakes off of 4 lay-by and the Margate end depot departure road onto the Up line over Ramsgate viaduct.

 

 

 

[SR Chris]

Wednesday, 18th December 2002 

13:44 4-Cep 1551 stands in Ramsgate's Platform 3 with a Margate to Charing Cross via Canterbury West service whilst 3-Cep 1118, having shunted out of the depot at the Minster end, runs through Platform 2 with an ECS working to Faversham.

 

 

13:47 1551 clatters under the Newington Road bridge on its way to its next stop at Minster.

 

[SR Chris]

Friday, 20th December 2002 13:28

The uniquely Connex liveried 4-Cep No. 1602 leads 1593 into Whitstable with a Ramsgate - Victoria service.

 

[SR Chris]

Wednesday, 22nd January 2003 

13:53 New and not so new - Lest I be accused of a Cep bias (guilty) here's 365504 & 365506 at Chestfield with a Down Ramsgate service being passed by 375714 and 375704 stopping with an Up Victoria service.

 

 

13:57 And now to resume normal service here's 3-Cep 1103 passing Chestfield and Swalecliffe four minutes later with a Ramsgate to Faversham ECS working.

 

 

[SR Chris]

Friday, 24th January 2003 

13:55 An unidentified Class 365 leads 365516 away from the Whitstable stop on its Victoria to Ramsgate journey

 

 

14:01 4-Vep 3473 passes Whitstable with a Ramsgate to Faversham ECS.

 

[Welly]

 

Friday, 20th December 2002 13:28

The uniquely Connex liveried 4-Cep No. 1602 leads 1593 into Whitstable with a Ramsgate - Victoria service.

 

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Not many unwashed 4CEPs without the "widow's peak" shaped patch of muck above the front vestibule!

[SR Chris]

Tuesday, 28th January 2003 

13:53 365506 slows for the Chestfield stop on its journey to London Victoria

 

 

13:57 and is closely pursued by 3-Cep 1117 working a Ramsgate to Faversham ECS

 

 

Wednesday, 29th January 2003

13:57 375615 rolls to a stand at Chestfield with its Ramsgate to Victoria service

 

 

14:01 and is closely pursued by tagged 930002 on a De-icing run

 

[SR Chris]

Friday, 31st January 2003 

13:51 365505 'Spirit of Ramsgate' splashes away from Whitstable at the rear of a Down service bound for Ramsgate.

 

 

13:57 4-Vep 3472 and 3-Cep 1116 make the Whitstable stop on their Ramsgate to Victoria working.

 

[roundhouse]

Some more recent photos, taken yesterday at Victoria.

 

Edit

 

The blurry green one came through Redhill this morning with far more damage on the other side after graffiti removal than on the cab.

Edited November 6, 2017 by roundhouse

[Colin parks]

 

Friday, 31st January 2003 

13:51 365505 'Spirit of Ramsgate' splashes away from Whitstable at the rear of a Down service bound for Ramsgate.

 

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13:57 4-Vep 3472 and 3-Cep 1116 make the Whitstable stop on their Ramsgate to Victoria working.

 

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Hi Chris,

 

Rather than just clicking the like button dozens of times,  I would like to say thanks for posting so many evocative images of third rail trains in the South-East.  There are some really good reference pictures among them.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

 

All the best. 

[SR Chris]

Thanks for the Likes and appreciative comments, makes the thousands of hours spent chasing slam-door stock last decade seem worthwhile!  I've worked my way through 1750-odd images so far, only another 40,000 or so to go.

 

Time for three more before I do the washing up ...

 

Wednesday, 5th February 2003 

12:00 My personal favourite 4-Cep 1592 leads 1614 with a Victoria to Ramsgate service at Chestfield and Swalecliffe.

 

 

13:28 4-Cigs 1877 and 1872 stand in Whitstable's Up platform with a Victoria service.  It was always much easier to open the door than to close it here!

 

[lmsforever]

Like the mixture of liveries the green looks good and coupled to NSE livery its a great contrast the photos are very interesting thanks for posting.

[SR Chris]

Friday, 7th February 2003 A lunchtime excursion to Herne Bay.  In the space of five minutes three trains, three different classes of unit and three different liveries.

 

13:51 375705 leads an 8-375 formation away from Herne Bay with an Up Victoria service.

 

 

13:54 4-Cig 1843 passes Herne Bay with a Ramsgate to Faversham ECS

 

 

and starts out on the three minute run before passing Chestfield.

 

 

13:56 365505 arrives with a Down working to Ramsgate

 

 

[Mike Storey]

Thanks very much indeed for all these pics Chris, which are so useful for modelling and for nostalgia!

 

Did you, by any chance, ever take a gander up the Sheppey branch, with your camera, before it was re-signalled a few years ago?

[SR Chris]

...

Did you, by any chance, ever take a gander up the Sheppey branch, with your camera, before it was re-signalled a few years ago?

 

Unfortunately not specifically to take photo's.  I ended up at Sheerness on a couple of railtours, mostly steam hauled in one direction.  As I come across any I'll be sure to post them for you.

[SR Chris]

Saturday, 8th February 2003 

12:34 One of Ramsgate's 'ghosts' 4-Cig 1701 in unbranded all over white livery leads a classmate up the incline off of Wade Marsh, passing Minnis Bay, Birchington whilst heading for its home depot with a Down service.

 

[SR Chris]

Friday, 14th February 2003 

14:03 3-Ceps 1118 and 1108 pass through Whitstable working a Ramsgate to Faversham ECS

 

 

14:23 Colourful 365515 'Spirit of Dover' leads 365511 past Whitstable Bay on the approach to the Whitstable stop with a Victoria to Ramsgate service 

 

[Unicorn1]

More great photos Chris

 

Nice to see 1592 - it was always a treat to see this turn up on one of my journeys.

 

Regards

 

Les

[SR Chris]

Saturday, 15th February 2003 

10:16 'Ghost' 4-Cig 1701 stands at Birchington-On-Sea's Up platform's 8 car stop board with a Ramsgate to Victoria working.  Note the improvised newspaper draught excluder wedged under the corridor connecting door, this modification was also carried by 4-Cep 1586 at the other end.

 

 

10:58 Arriving at Birchington-On-Sea's Down platform is grubby 4-Vep 3553 at the front of an 11-car Victoria to Ramsgate working with an unidentified 4-Vep in the middle and 3-Cep 1118 bringing up the rear.

 

 

12:54 Also in Birchington's Down platform stands vehicle 76487 of 4-Vep 3451 at the rear of a 12-car Victoria to Ramsgate working led by 4-Cep 1594 with another 4-Cep between them.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Like the newspapers - but I bet there aren't enough Evening Standards left on the evening train from Cannon St to wind-proof a VEP for the next morning's run.

 

I'd moved away from Kent by the time the 3-CEPs came about - was there a good reason for them losing a coach? Your photos seem to show them in random formations with other 3/4-car units, to create random train lengths.

[SR Chris]

I understood the 3-Ceps were created as some platforms (on either the Hastings or Tunbridge Wells routes or thereabouts) weren't long enough for 12 cars and it was deemed unacceptable to have the rear coach off the platform.  Adding a 3-Cep to the existing 8 car peak hour trains to make 11 cars was cheaper than extending the platforms.  They obviously had to be worked to/from Ramsgate for maintenance so were often seen in trains there.

 

However by the early 2000's they seemed to be used indiscriminately on Kent Coast services and 3, 6 and 9 car formations were not unusual.  They were also often substituted for 4-Ceps, so 7, 10 or 11 cars could also turn up instead of 8 or 12.  The only formation I never witnessed was 4 x 3-Cep, presumably as that would have exceeded the conductor rail index.