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4VEP at Clapham Jct


Joseph_Pestell

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Swanage seem to have made more use of this unit than the Bluebell, although I believe its shoe gear was removed after an incident returning from ?the watercress line? so it wasn't on the juice for a while. At the last Swanage gala I believe they borrowed LT's steam on the Met 4TC to cover the job, and there is a 4TC that is nominally intended for Swanage, but hasn't got there yet.

 

I agree it has some support within SWT staff, but I'm concerned that there may be a problem on the horizon, SWT will have an acute depot space problem soon, 24 extra pairs of456's, about 45-50 extra 458 coaches and 125-250 extra coaches on tender, suggests that Wimbledon Park, Clapham Yard and everywhere else on the suburban is going to be ram-jammed with operational stock.

 

With all those doors, a VEP has got to be the most maintenance hungry EMU they could have chosen. 

 

Jon

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I agree it has some support within SWT staff, but I'm concerned that there may be a problem on the horizon, SWT will have an acute depot space problem soon, 24 extra pairs of456's, about 45-50 extra 458 coaches and 125-250 extra coaches on tender, suggests that Wimbledon Park, Clapham Yard and everywhere else on the suburban is going to be ram-jammed with operational stock.

 

Jon

 

Perhaps SWT might have siding space for it away from the suburbs, perhaps at Bournemouth depot which after all was 3417's first home in its original form as 7717 from 1967.

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I recall a driver's dispute in the early 70s when I was commuting, part of my journey home was on one of the three south coast trains which left just after 5pm from London Bridge (descendents of the 'Three Fives' from SR days). Arrived at LB to find one cancelled, one just leaving formed 2x 4CIG (vice CIG-BIG-CIG) and the third loading formed of a solitary 4VEP (again instead of a CBC set). Train left (on time!!) loaded to the gunnels and me one of the unfortunates standing in the corridor outside a first-class compartment. Guard comes through, ostensibly to check tickets and was understandably given short shrift when trying to assert that 'if you've got a Second Class ticket you can't stand here'...

 

Later that year, another dispute and this time at Victoria, again a full length train made available after three previous ones had been cancelled or left short, loaded to the gunnels with commuters and prospective air travellers going to Gatwick - train still standing at the platform and a railway employee fights his way through the assembled throng and luggage, only to be confronted by a frustrated traveller with the plaintive comment "I suppose the platform is broken, now!"

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I recall a driver's dispute in the early 70s when I was commuting, part of my journey home was on one of the three south coast trains which left just after 5pm from London Bridge (descendents of the 'Three Fives' from SR days). Arrived at LB to find one cancelled, one just leaving formed 2x 4CIG (vice CIG-BIG-CIG) and the third loading formed of a solitary 4VEP (again instead of a CBC set). Train left (on time!!) loaded to the gunnels and me one of the unfortunates standing in the corridor outside a first-class compartment. Guard comes through, ostensibly to check tickets and was understandably given short shrift when trying to assert that 'if you've got a Second Class ticket you can't stand here'...

 

Later that year, another dispute and this time at Victoria, again a full length train made available after three previous ones had been cancelled or left short, loaded to the gunnels with commuters and prospective air travellers going to Gatwick - train still standing at the platform and a railway employee fights his way through the assembled throng and luggage, only to be confronted by a frustrated traveller with the plaintive comment "I suppose the platform is broken, now!"

I worked a Victoria to Brighton service on the day of the Hassocks/Preston Park crash near Brighton. It was the first of two London trips that shift and on departure from Gatport Airwick I had 5 passengers standing in my guards compartment on the Vep. NOT in the caged brake van, but in the compartment where the guard sat.

Luckily the trains were not so full later in the evening when the trains behind us crashed or there would have been many more killed or injured.

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Slightly O/T, because it is more concerned with BIGs/CIGs, but there is a small book called Southern Electric Driver, by Tim Wood, that I can recommend, as it is full of experiences and anedotes. It does get a bit technical in the middle of the book, with descriptions of electrical controls and various braking systems, but it is written in an easy to read style.

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4Vep 3417 has moved from Clapham Junction to Ilford for refurbishment by Bombardier Transportation in partnership with the Southern Electric Traction Group and Bluebell Railway.

 

Details here;

 

http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/bombardier-sponsors-refurbishment-of-unique-southern-emu-1955532.htm

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Is that true?

 

There is the  Brighton Belle project and the 4 CEP currently be backdated to its original state and as the 4VEP is being refurbished there are currently there are no working self powered EMU's on the network, however their might well be up to 3 in the future.

 

XF

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