100 years ago........

[grahame]

....... steam passenger trains were erradicated from the 'South London Line' when it was electrified with AC 6700v OHLE (at the end of 1909). Just twenty years later the last Southern OHLE train ran to Coulsdon when the network was upgraded to third rail electrific operation.

 

G.

[Edwin_m]

I'd suggest that word "upgraded" is questionable with hindsight. It is arguable that the Southern would be a lot safer and more energy-efficient today if they had stuck with the higher voltage and the overhead line. Having said that, high voltage was in its infancy and the benefits probably could not have been achieved or even foreseen at the time the decision was made to abandon it. I recall that the change to third rail was so they could have through running with the Underground.

[10800]

IIRC the change to third rail was determined by the SR as the way to go, since it had already been introduced by the LSWR.

[Edwin_m]

Probably true. Compatibility with the Underground was probably the reason for the LSWR adopting it originally, not so much for the SR standardising on it.

[The Stationmaster]

I have no doubt that there were internal politics in deciding to adopt the LSWR's 3rd rail system but the main reason given for it over the years was that it made electrification cheaper and quicker than using an overhead system.

 

(and as an aside it left the Southern Railway with a rather large stock of gantry structure material that it subsequently put to use in other ways)

[smudgeloco]

Whatever the reason - it is so much better looking than overhead, which is decidedly ugly.

[10800]

Whatever the reason - it is so much better looking than overhead, which is decidedly ugly.

 

Haven't got my pictures handy but the Brighton catenary could be considered a thing of beauty IMO