Uckfield branch

[Pete 75C]

Many thanks to retbsignalman and eastwestdivide for the stock info. Much appreciated!

Pete.

[Pete 75C]

A link to the only photo I've been able to find of loco-hauled stock actually in the platform at Uckfield (well, from my era at least).

Again, if anyone knows of any others, I'd be delighted to see them. Pete.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67846482@N05/6410879807/

[Thumper1315]

Hi LifeboatMan,

 

 I had a look through my father's photos of Uckfield and he had one of a loco hauled set. Unfortunately it's from the early seventies, so outside your era, but it may interest you.

 

 

However, there were other photos in his collection that may interest people. In the early eighties the motor coach of 1301 derailed as it passed over the southern crossover. Stewarts Lane crane was dispatched to fix the problem. I love the number of children standing around, I was one of them, watching it being put back on the rails.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of the engineers train in 1970 that was being used to take up the rails to the south of Uckfield.

 

 

And lastly a picture of a 4 car DEMU in the station.

 

 

Peter

 

[Gwiwer]

Thanks Peter

 

There is always curiosity value in seeing cranes at work; these days most derailments are dealt with by other means such as air-bags and packing with very few large cranes left.

 

The headcodes displayed are of interest as well; 47 is not the normal London - Uckfield code which was 88 to Victoria or 99 to London Bridge and I believe this train might have been a Norwood Junction or East Croydon (i.e. depot positioning) trip.  203101 shows 5 which was the code for Uckfield - Oxted shorts although some reference sources do not list this either.    

 

Also the final shot is of some historical interest as images of temporary formations such as the 4L 203101 are very few and far between.

[Thumper1315]

Another picture of the derailment. Doesn't show anything new of the 3D being put back on the rails, but does highlight the number of children around better!

 

 

Here's another shot of the 4L from the other direction

 

 

 

Peter

[Jim]

With regard to the 1994 Cowden accident, I've just found and read through the official accident report. A fascinating, if rather sad, read:

 

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/HSE_Cowden1994.pdf

I have always wondered why trap points were never built into the system at those locations?

It was the same on the single line sections of the Tunbridge Wells to Hastings line. TPWS is now present but there were never any trap points to save a collision occurring.

These days, TPWS mitigates the risk of a collision caused by starting away on a red. The bay platform at Margate has only just lost the trap points for TPWS stop grids as the new signalling went in last year.

 

Jim

 

Edit: re-read some of the report.

Page 27 of the report goes some way of explaining the absence of trap points.

The issue that bothers me is that it relied solely on the driver at worst "misjudging" the red, not disregarding it. After the disregard, that was it......

[Joseph_Pestell]

Those stock numbers certainly accord with my recollection (and long-lost notes) that the oldest Mk1 stock around was in use.  Note some of those TSOs go back to around 1955

 

So they were 30 years old at the time - nothing too extraordinary. Look at the age of some of the Mk3 coaches running around now.

[Pete 75C]

Thumper1315 - many thanks for the pics. Pete.