SWR Metro fleet permanent withdrawals

[Meglos]

A lot less diagrams needed today as the lines through Raynes Park are closed for maintenance work. So no Chessington, Dorking, Guildford (via Effingham Junction), Hampton Court and Shepperton (via Kingston) workings running.

 

[OliverH68]

Still a few more diagrams to be allocated yet so wouldn't like to say for sure.

Afraid my knowledge doesn't extend ahead to Sunday.

There were 7 booked diagrams for yesterday but only 1 actually ran as booked. The other 3 were allocated by fleet.

Nothing allox for today and it looks like none have been sent out by fleet either.

 

[Feathers44]

Guildford (via Effingham Junction)

Technically (yes, I’m a pedant) they’re still running, they’ve just been diverted to run to Raynes Park via Epsom, replacing the Dorkings I guess, so I get a pretty normal service level trundling past the end of the garden.

 

[Meglos]

Technically (yes, I’m a pedant) they’re still running, they’ve just been diverted to run to Raynes Park via Epsom, replacing the Dorkings I guess, so I get a pretty normal service level trundling past the end of the garden.

As a matter of interest how does that work? Are they terminating trains on platform 1 at Raynes Park, and then running them the 'wrong' way back to Motspur Park on the up line?

 

[Feathers44]

As a matter of interest how does that work? Are they terminating trains on platform 1 at Raynes Park, and then running them the 'wrong' way back to Motspur Park on the up line?

I haven’t been on one to check but I imagine they run back down the Up line from platform 1 and then use the crossover where the lines come back together, after the down line comes off the embankment (where I believe the entry to the goods yard used to be), to continue on the Down line.

Edit: They are shown online as departing from platform 1.

 

[swr444]

As a matter of interest how does that work? Are they terminating trains on platform 1 at Raynes Park, and then running them the 'wrong' way back to Motspur Park on the up line?

This is correct, with the use of a pilotman

 

[Meglos]

I haven’t been on one to check but I imagine they run back down the Up line from platform 1 and then use the crossover where the lines come back together, after the down line comes off the embankment (where I believe the entry to the goods yard used to be), to continue on the Down line.

Thanks for the replies. As I was close to Ewell West I made the effort to travel to Raynes Park and back this evening. Mainly to investigate, but also to get a Down run on the Up line, and a rare chance on the Raynes Park crossover.

 

[TEW]

Thanks for the replies. As I was close to Ewell West I made the effort to travel to Raynes Park and back this evening. Mainly to investigate, but also to get a Down run on the Up line, and a rare chance on the Raynes Park crossover.

Usually happens several weekends every year although recently it has been more common to terminate at Worcester Park, using the crossover there to return back towards Epsom.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Usually happens several weekends every year although recently it has been more common to terminate at Worcester Park, using the crossover there to return back towards Epsom.

The Worcester Park turnback is used if there is work on the junction or level crossings at Motspur Park, if anyone is after that one for rare track just watch for engineering at that location and you should get lucky.

 

[Feathers44]

The Worcester Park turnback is used if there is work on the junction or level crossings at Motspur Park, if anyone is after that one for rare track just watch for engineering at that location and you should get lucky.

Since I’ve lived here, I’ve only seen it used to turn trains round and head back towards London when work’s going on at Epsom (They wait for time outside the house.) I never realised they used it in the reverse direction too - I probably never thought about it to be honest.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Well, goodbye 456s anyway, seeing as its now the 17th.
(Actually it’s five minutes to the 17th, and I wish it would turn midnight faster as I’m frozen to death waiting for “24 hour” Tesco Extra to open ) Good little units, but indeed of the age now where they’ve done their time.

 

[WarrenTManager]

Would the staff at Bournemouth Depot be able to take on these D8 exams both units need and if they could, have got all the necessary
spare parts to do the work ?

They have the skills to do it as they do the higher level C4 Level 5 exam anyway. What is missing is the formalities that they have demonstrated that they can do it. They will just have to be witnessed doing the exams and passed competent by a trainer or assessor who knows the job.

Has BM staffing levels dropped since the end of the piggies ?

No. They've been doing Mods on 701s at Bournemouth, and helped other depots.

What work do they do to the 455's at Bournemouth depot?

In the past Bournemouth have carried out C4 and C62 overhauls on the 455s, including repaints.

In recent times they have helped with tree strike repairs, wheel swaps and other bogie related work.

 

[444045]

They have the skills to do it as they do the higher level C4 Level 5 exam anyway. What is missing is the formalities that they have demonstrated that they can do it. They will just have to be witnessed doing the exams and passed competent by a trainer or assessor who knows the job.


No. They've been doing Mods on 701s at Bournemouth, and helped other depots.


In the past Bournemouth have carried out C4 and C62 overhauls on the 455s, including repaints.

In recent times they have helped with tree strike repairs, wheel swaps and other bogie related work.

Thank you for clarifying that @WarrenTManager.

They will have more staff to help as the 701 units will no longer being going there for mods, going to York instead!!

 

[Snapper]

Here's looking back over 30 years at the BR Class 456s (with pics of each member). https://paulbigland.blog/2022/01/17/another-old-br-emu-class-bows-out/

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Since I’ve lived here, I’ve only seen it used to turn trains round and head back towards London when work’s going on at Epsom (They wait for time outside the house.) I never realised they used it in the reverse direction too - I probably never thought about it to be honest.

What they do these days may, of course, be different!

Plus the thought occurs to me you may not notice when it's the other way because they'd be waiting for time in the platform in that instance.

 

[Feathers44]

What they do these days may, of course, be different!

Plus the thought occurs to me you may not notice when it's the other way because they'd be waiting for time in the platform in that instance.

Yeah. That’s why I’d need to think about it to realise. I’d probably be lucky to even notice the closure unless I happen to need to get a train somewhere.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

37800 allocated to take as yet unspecified units from Wimbledon to Long Marston today, leaving Wimbledon at 11:26.

 

[ChampsRacing]

It'll either be for either 458507 or it'll be for 5704/5736/6003 which are prepped for loco drag now.

Confirmed 5736/5704 & 6003

 

[TrainTrackJack]

Wonder if they'll be warm stored, or left to rot ready for a one way trip to Newport.
And would Long Marston have enough space for a quite expansive fleet about to come off lease?

 

[ChampsRacing]

I believe it will be the latter. I know 5704 has component recovery not sure on the other 2 units so I doubt they’ll run anywhere again.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

All those fresh AC packages.... one hopes they dont end up in the shredder and can be put to use on another fleet.

 

[Class455]

Any idea when 456003’s last day in traffic was? I would have thought it wasn’t too long ago

 

[Southern Dvr]

Interesting that they’ve gone to Long Marston, I would have thought they’d have gone either direct to Newport or Eastleigh.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

Interesting that they’ve gone to Long Marston, I would have thought they’d have gone either direct to Newport or Eastleigh

Wasn't there a battery plan kicking around....?
I wont hold my breath though.

 

[Towers]

Do we presume then that the pair of 455s are pretty much demic?

 

[Domh245]

Wasn't there a battery plan kicking around....?
I wont hold my breath though.

The only battery conversion plan that I'm aware of is Porterbrook's 350 flex using the (eventually) off-lease 350/2s

 

[43102EMR]

The only battery conversion plan that I'm aware of is Porterbrook's 350 flex using the (eventually) off-lease 350/2s

There were plans by Porterbrook to convert the 455s to some sort of hybrid, but given the farce with the 319 bi-mode conversion and more newer units coming off-lease, I don’t think they’ll bother now in all honesty.

 

[Feathers44]

Wasn't there a battery plan kicking around....?
I wont hold my breath though.

There was talk of something a long way back but I haven’t heard anything recently. I’m not sure if it was an “industry” plan or an enthusiasts dream though, I can’t remember where I saw it.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

New list pending, will be released tomorrow

 

[warwickshire]

It'll either be for either 458507 or it'll be for 5704/5736/6003 which are prepped for loco drag now.

Confirmed 5736/5704 & 6003

Also confirmed with 37800 on from with 455736 455704 456003 on rear through charlbury around 15 minutes late.