nickysdad

Hi Kelly, Best of luck with this project, I will watch with interest. Mainly because during the time period you have chosen I was a Guard based at Grove Park Depot and worked over that section of line hundreds if not thousands of times. You are quite correct the majority of services where operated by EPB's (which we recon actually stood for "Every Passenger Bounces" due to the thick springy seat cushions). The networkers slowly started to appear from late 92 onwards before eventually ousting the surburban slam door units to scrap mans torch in 1994. Other passenger classes however you can also legitimately use are the Hornby 4 VEP's which operated some peak hour trains and the newly announced Bachmann 2 HAP's (which had mostly been formed in to 4 car units and reclassified as "4 CAP" with the two motor coaches and guards vans in the middle). Although 4 CEP's and 4 CIG's did operate over the line they where normally only as Empty stock heading towards Slade green, Gillingham, Faversham and even Ramsgate depots and sidings. The Bachmann 4 Cep is not really suitable for the time period as it covers the units in their un-refurbished form. How ever again their is modellers licence and the Blue Grey on looks really good. All the emu's during this period in that area where either Blue and Grey or Network South East livery. The Kent Link and Kent Coast brandings only appeared in either 1990 or 91 (am happy to be proved wrong as this is only from memory). Some of the CEP's where also in still in the short lived "London & South East (Jaffa cake) livery too. Another type of unit which also regularly operated over this route was the class 419 MLV which in addition to running attached to CEP's giving extra luggage space on boat trains to Folkestone and Dover or on parcels trains where used to deliver stores to the train care depots. With Slade Green at the other end of your chosen line you have a genuine excuse. Some really rare visitors that I also personally witnessed in the Woolwich area (both due to weekend engineering work diversions) where the VSOE Orient Express Stock on a cathedrals express to Canterbury East being pulled by Clan Line and a green class 55 Deltic hauling some Mk2 coaches (a summer only service ran in the early 90s several times a week to Ramsgate or Dover normally booked via Bromley South and Sole Street). The majority of freight was as you suspected where hauled by class 33 & 73, however other regular classes seen are Class 47, 56 and 60's. All the freight traffic normally turned left at Charlton and headed towards Angerstien or Lewisham. Only the odd engineers trains headed towards Greenwich. Cannon Street station was rebuilt in the early 90's and also a lot of platform extension work, Including the installation of DOO (Driver Only Operation) Cameras and Monitors. Which where installed at most metro area stations in readiness for the arrival of the Networkers so it was not unheard of for the odd train to run that way. You could probably get away with the odd class 37 but to be honest they where very rare visitors before the withdrawal of the class 33's. I also seem to remember seeing the odd class 58 stabled outside Hither Green Loco shed, but again they where very very rare visitors and doubt they went any further south having arrived at Hither Green via Lewisham & Nunhead (I never saw one if they did anyway?) I hope this inane drive makes scence and helps a little. Steve