Southern Class 455 Withdrawal

[JonathanH]

I don't think there has been a 12 car 455 in passenger service in the last 20 years at least.

Not on Southern. In particular, given 12-car formations couldn't go DOO on the Brighton line until the changes in 2016, which is about the only place 12-455 could operate, although 455s went to Brighton fairly often, there wouldn't have been a lot of motivation to run 12-455 formations at any point. In slam door days, 455s would occasionally run late night services to Brighton DOO when a guard wasn't available.

12-car 455 formations have historically operated on SWR to Basingstoke or Woking from Waterloo during service perturbation or strike timetables.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...tion-into-service.122552/page-70#post-3287020

 

[BRblue33]

It's been reported 838/39/41. Are now at Hove. 833 moved from Horsham to hove as'well today.

 

[trainmania100]

With these 455 moves are we still talking about selhurst roof damage? Or is it more than that? Must be some significant damage for units to be stored at both hove and Horsham...

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Any chance of an update of what is at Hove and Horsham please?

 

[trainmania100]

Any chance of an update of what is at Hove and Horsham please?

This was hove around 3pm BUT there was a 16xx back to Stewart's lane. I can confirm both in the morning if nobody replies sooner

455809 / 455830 (arr 3/3/22)
455810 / 455827 / 455831 (arr 17/3/22) - I saw this at Preston Park
455838 / 455839 / 455841

 

[Islineclear3_1]

This was hove around 3pm BUT there was a 16xx back to Stewart's lane. I can confirm both in the morning if nobody replies sooner

455809 / 455830 (arr 3/3/22)
455810 / 455827 / 455831 (arr 17/3/22) - I saw this at Preston Park
455838 / 455839 / 455841

Thanks @trainmania100

Thought I might have missed something but clearly, the situation is quite fluid....

 

[Peter Mugridge]

This was hove around 3pm BUT there was a 16xx back to Stewart's lane. I can confirm both in the morning if nobody replies sooner

455809 / 455830 (arr 3/3/22)
455810 / 455827 / 455831 (arr 17/3/22) - I saw this at Preston Park
455838 / 455839 / 455841

455 809 and 455 830 were the pair that ran back to Stewart's Laze as 5Z58.

 

[westcoaster]

Should be info on a tour out soon.

Some rare moves and routes.

 

[physics34]

Should be info on a tour out soon.

Some rare moves and routes.

Have seen the early itiniery. Looks good. Will it be GBrF drivers driving it or Southern?

 

[theblackwatch]

Should be info on a tour out soon.

Some rare moves and routes.

Details of the tour are now on the Branch Line Society website at https://www.branchline.uk/fixture_set_id.php?id=324

 

[FOH]

10 hours with 1 break. Cross yer legs

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

10 hours with 1 break. Cross yer legs

Indeed but a few rare connections to be had.

 

[westcoaster]

10 hours with 1 break. Cross yer legs

Sure it says other (comfort breaks) included.

 

[brad465]

I'm gonna nickname that service the forklift shift in light of all the reversals/shunts on it.

 

[Fincra5]

10 hours with 1 break. Cross yer legs

There's Comfort Breaks included in some of the Reverse Movements (RM).

 

[mmh]

There's Comfort Breaks included in some of the Reverse Movements (RM).

Passing round the coke bottles and funnels?

 

[Fincra5]

Passing round the coke bottles and funnels?

Dam, the plan has been foiled!

 

[Techniquest]

A good price that tour is, and some interesting routing. Sadly I will not be available that day, as things stand, and by the time I will know if I am or not the tour is likely to sell out. If it does, then it's not meant to be!

For those going on it, I hope it's an excellent time.

 

[StephenHunter]

I have a prior commitment but it's on a Southern route and I may try to get a 455 back.

 

[Dhansak]

Curious reversal at Billingshurst I see. The Arun Valley is very busy, so they'll have to be slick with the reversal. The cross over is also to the south if the station, beyond the level crossing. The next station on, Pulborough, may be more conducive as the cross over is just north of the platforms, but I guess that is where the high volume of traffic may come into play, and may make those additional few miles impractical.

 

[M-Train]

Have any 455’s gone that far onto the SED previously?

 

[JonathanH]

Have any 455’s gone that far onto the SED previously?

They used to go regularly to Chart Leacon works at Ashford but Sevenoaks seems to be fairly uncharted territory - I guess clearance is inherited from 319 operation over the relevant routes.

 

[Fincra5]

Curious reversal at Billingshurst I see. The Arun Valley is very busy, so they'll have to be slick with the reversal. The cross over is also to the south if the station, beyond the level crossing. The next station on, Pulborough, may be more conducive as the cross over is just north of the platforms, but I guess that is where the high volume of traffic may come into play, and may make those additional few miles impractical.

Not cleared to Pulborough...

 

[Benjaminmorgan]

I'm booked on the farewell tour on the 14th to Brighton

 

[Dhansak]

Not cleared to Pulborough...

Interesting. Seems curious that any clearance would have only gone that far (in fairness, I am not aware of a 455 venturing along the Arun Valley before), as opposed to Littlehampton or Bognor. Billingshurst isn't a particular destination station in its own right for a service.

 

[Fincra5]

Interesting. Seems curious that any clearance would have only gone that far (in fairness, I am not aware of a 455 venturing along the Arun Valley before), as opposed to Littlehampton or Bognor. Billingshurst isn't a particular destination station in its own right for a service.

Yeah, not sure myself tbh! I just know where they're cleared to

 

[WesternLancer]

Yeah, not sure myself tbh! I just know where they're cleared to

Interesting. Seems curious that any clearance would have only gone that far (in fairness, I am not aware of a 455 venturing along the Arun Valley before), as opposed to Littlehampton or Bognor. Billingshurst isn't a particular destination station in its own right for a service.

Christ's Hospital once would have been a key interchange station tho. Maybe that influenced things...

 

[paul1609]

Yeah, not sure myself tbh! I just know where they're cleared to

In days of yore there were school specials that started and terminated at Billingshurst to take school kids into Horsham. I think in some years the stock was provided by extending 455s on the Victoria to Horsham via Dorking service.
At the Southern end of the Arun Valley there was a morning Littlehampton to Arundel service which provided a connection to a Vic service and then reversed to Chichester via Littlehampton also to provide a school service. This was formed of mainline stock.
It all harked back to the Grammar school system in West Sussex where if you passed your 11+ exam you commuted to the grammar schools which were in the main towns.

 

[Fincra5]

In days of yore there were school specials that started and terminated at Billingshurst to take school kids into Horsham. I think in some years the stock was provided by extending 455s on the Victoria to Horsham via Dorking service.
At the Southern end of the Arun Valley there was a morning Littlehampton to Arundel service which provided a connection to a Vic service and then reversed to Chichester via Littlehampton also to provide a school service. This was formed of mainline stock.
It all harked back to the Grammar school system in West Sussex where if you passed your 11+ exam you commuted to the grammar schools which were in the main towns.

I remember working the school kid special to Chi as a guard!

Then as a driver the 313 to Ore, which included the Hastings-Ore College Shuttle.

 

[Bikeman78]

In days of yore there were school specials that started and terminated at Billingshurst to take school kids into Horsham. I think in some years the stock was provided by extending 455s on the Victoria to Horsham via Dorking service.

What era are you thinking of? I don't think a class 455 has run south of Horsham in service. There used to be a special train every September for Christ's Hospital school. It ran to Blackfriars or Cannon Street. It ran to Billingshurst to reverse. I heard a rumour that class 319s did it one year.