25kV stuff - old and new (and other electrics)

[Yorkshire Dave]

The class 312 sets continued to provide the 07:32 and 08:02 departures from Hatfield Peverel until 2004. The view from the window was always that bit better than from the low floor stock. Withdrawal came early because of a lack of central door locking.

This class were built for the GN electrification and GE services. They are a direct descendant of the 310 (AM10) built in 1965 for the WCML local and stopping services.

310 (AM10) at Berkhamsted 1997-80. The third centre dot was added to the headcode box to denote the first class end.



And one in blue/grey (with a full blue unit behind) at Northchurch Tunnels 1980-82.



As I recall these were gangwayed within coach pairs but not between the guards compartment i.e. between the first two and last two coaches.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Seats on everything but the 315's were also luxurious, something that I miss now we just effectively get a beach towel draped over a plastic chair these days. Seemingly nothing to do with fire safety but saving money.

The 315s were developed around the same body shell as the 508s (originally SR 4-PER). I recall reading about these as the units on the Southern Region initially ran with a class 455 trailer car to make them up to four cars. However I think they were originally designated 4-PEP and due to the reduced seating either a Southern Region employee or commuters came up with PEP as the acronym for Pack 'Em Perpendicular.

Class 508 at Kingston 1978-82.




Class 313 Kings Cross 1985-95

 

[Jordan]

The third centre dot was added to the headcode box to denote the first class end.

I never knew that! Learn something new every day!

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

In those days I recall being able to catch a jaffa cake 309 into London from Romford and being very impressed with the ride.

My only 'Jaffa Cake' is a 4-CEP taken at Hastings in 1986.

 

[76043]

I recall reading about these as the units on the Southern Region initially ran with a class 455 trailer car to make them up to four cars.

*Pedant alert*
Sorry, I think it's the other way round, when the 508's moved to Liverpool, a trailer car was removed and added to the 455's. Still knocking about I think. The 508's were designed for Liverpool.

British Rail Class 455 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

My only 'Jaffa Cake' is a 4-CEP taken at Hastings in 1986.

I've got shots of 309's in Jaffa Cake livery at Romford, along with various other units. Will dig them out and add them here.

Lots of interesting stuff on this thread, well done everyone. Especially the info on 91/APT drive trains.

Tony

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Sorry, I think it's the other way round, when the 508's moved to Liverpool, a trailer car was removed and added to the 455's. Still knocking about I think. The 508's were designed for Liverpool.

Thanks for the correction - I knew it one one way round or the other and seeing Southern Region sets with an odd profile trailer car.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

And one from the archive.

This is one of my grandfather's photos taken in the mid 1950's of an AM1 unit - one of four ex-LNWR Oerlikon units converted to 6.6 kV 50 Hz for operation on the Lancaster-Morecombe-Heysham electrified line.

At this time (1953) the line was converted from 6.6 kV 25 Hz to 6.6 kV 50 Hz to test power taken from the national grid rather than be provided by the railway's own power station.

Lancaster Green Ayre.

 

[oldravendale]

310 (AM10) at Berkhamsted 1997-80. The third centre dot was added to the headcode box to denote the first class end.

I never knew that, and I only travelled up to town on the b***dy things every weekday for years...

Brian

 

[adrian]

I don't think I've posted this story before - not loco's per se but it's WCML and has catenary so I think it counts.

This first photo wasn't entirely lucky timing. This is early 1980's somewhere on the WCML just north of Stafford IIRC. As kids we'd been visiting Grandparents in Nelson just after Christmas and caught the train home to Lichfield TV, I have some shots from Preston somewhere. Anyway the train started slowing down, stopping and then crawling along at 2mph before stopping again. Fortunately just before a bridge allowing me to frame this northbound train.


Anyway after 20 minutes my brother decided to work his way down to the buffet car for a drink and food. Whilst separated they decided to separate the train as well!! Hence a photo of the separated train with my brother hanging out the window!



It transpired that with the cold weather the rail had snapped and a crew turned out to clamp the broken rail back together with a temporary fishplate. Once completed they hooked us all back together and we carried on our merry way. Highly entertaining!

 

[mickoo]

Adrian, it's Cranberry Staffordshire, one of the few straight sections where the tracks split and widen for bridges, I actually know it quite well as the class 90 test train photo I took is the other side of that bridge almost exactly where the northbound 86 is in your photo. There's a road that runs parallel each side of that bridge you're stopped under, I used to race trains and try to take pan shots in the evenings whilst on a training course at Mill Meece, several courses actually.

Several clues from the photos, the twin anchor portals each side of the feeder sub, the anchor portals terminate each section of wire and the two portals in between facilitate the ending of one section and the beginning of the other, the feeder sub feeds into the middle of the mix.



Looking the other way and zooming a little you can see some of the details on the bridge abutments



Paired tracks this wide are usually a good indication that the LNWR had a station here at some point, but I can't find any evidence of that and it'd not make sense as Madeley is a few miles north and Norton Bridge a few miles south.

 

[adrian]

That's very impressive route knowledge. Glad to see my recollection of being north of Stafford 40 years ago wasn't that wide of the mark!

Paired tracks this wide are usually a good indication that the LNWR had a station here at some point, but I can't find any evidence of that

Google maps lists the approach road as Station Road


and Scottish Library mapping suggests Standon Bridge Station.

Ordnance Survey Map records search - Map images - National Library of Scotland

That is all the evidence I have found.

 

[mickoo]

That's very impressive route knowledge. Glad to see my recollection of being north of Stafford 40 years ago wasn't that wide of the mark!


Google maps lists the approach road as Station Road
View attachment 186237

and Scottish Library mapping suggests Standon Bridge Station.

Ordnance Survey Map records search - Map images - National Library of Scotland

View attachment 186236

That is all the evidence I have found.

I think folks underestimate my ......'obsession'....with 25Kv in Cheshire and Staffordshire and basically to London As I said I spent some time in the area and your photos just had that tingly feel I'd been there before.

Well that figures for the LNWR, lets call the station nothing like any conurbation nearby. I'm glad there was a station there as the layout has all the classic hall marks for a LNWR station site. I'll have a trawl through the LNWR archives, they may have some images or reference material.

I didn't check old maps, just the current OS which other than station road doesn't really give any more clues.

 

[adrian]

I'll have a trawl through the LNWR archives, they may have some images or reference material.

I've just done the same and found the following - the LNWR membership is superb for access to the digital library.
Sign up now : LNWR Society Home




On the far left you can just make out signal box on the other side of the bridge.


no doubt due to the close proximity of the bridge a rather splendid and elevated signal box.

 

[mickoo]

Ah, perfect, I've already signed up as I've got a few LNWR projects coming along soon, I've been trawling through the archives here and there and reckon I've covered about 1% of the pictorial material. I've also picked up some really good non LNWR drawings and images and I like the way you just mail the curator and he releases the full scale drawing or image in exchange for appropriate funds. It can/has get/gotten quite expensive.

What is interesting is the narrowing...or widening if you're going the other way...of the bridge over the slow lines, clearly the second bridge of the two when the LNWR added the extra tracks.

 

[simond]

Thank you gents, an interesting breakfast diversion into LNWR history.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Well that figures for the LNWR, lets call the station nothing like any conurbation nearby. I'm glad there was a station there as the layout has all the classic hall marks for a LNWR station site. I'll have a trawl through the LNWR archives, they may have some images or reference material.

Google maps lists the approach road as Station Road

and Scottish Library mapping suggests Standon Bridge Station.
Ordnance Survey Map records search - Map images - National Library of Scotland

That is all the evidence I have found.

It's not unknown for stations to have been built be in what appears to be the middle of nowhere.

In this case it could have been the landowner insisting on a station being built as recompense for the railway being built on their land. Swynnerton Hall and Park are nearby to east and may well have been the local landowners. The station would have provided them with a 'fast' route to London and the goods yard serving the estate and neighbouring estates.

 

[Peter Insole]

Sorry to be a pedant Mickoo, but you're a bit adrift with your location of the last (B&W) shot of the class 315 in post 53.

It is actually Forest Gate Junction - between there and Manor Park! The signal identity plate clearly shows F39 of the junction box. The bridge in the distance is Balmoral Road, while the houses in the right background are on Hampton Road.

Incidentally, signal F39 was the one passed at danger in 1953, when a down "Shenfield" struck an up goods as it crossed over to the up main.

Pete.

 

[Jordan]

Found another old photo of mine, taken at B'ham New Street, no idea of the exact date, late '80s/early '90s anyway. It was after my 'real' spotting years - when I was number taking the 86s were only subdivided 86/0, 86/1 & 86/2!!

86 426 in 'retro' electric blue livery.