Favourite Ex-Southern Region Division?

Sad Sprinter · 18 Nov 2018

Out of the Western, Central and Eastern divisions, what is your favourite and why? I would say the Central is mine, because of the lovely countryside on the way to Brighton, plus the complexity of the lines between Victoria and Redhill. Not to mention the great views of South London from the train on the embankment between Streatham Common and Norbury.

The Eastern wins hands down for the complex structure of its suburban lines, but looses outright due to its meandering and slow long distance services.

And finally, the Western division I’ve always found to be a little dull. Granted it’s best for stock variety, and use to have a plethora of longer distance destinations, but the approach to Waterloo lacks the drama of approaching Victoria, Charing Cross or London Bridge. Plus the country it passes through is relatively sedate, until it reaches the New Forest of course.

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Ianigsy · 18 Nov 2018

In my childhood we used to visit an aunt whose garden backed on to Ewell West station so I still have some affection for the SW section. Not sure about the approach to Waterloo lacking drama when you can see the Houses of Parliament, though! There also used to be a car which had been craned on to a disused factory chimney to look out for and Arding & Hobbs at Clapham Junction which I remember seeing lit up at Christmas.

Bookd · 18 Nov 2018

And the Pimlico Plumbers building near Vauxhall which may sometimes carry a politic slogan, but at Christmas will have reindeer running along the front.

Sad Sprinter · 18 Nov 2018

Ianigsy said:
In my childhood we used to visit an aunt whose garden backed on to Ewell West station so I still have some affection for the SW section. Not sure about the approach to Waterloo lacking drama when you can see the Houses of Parliament, though! There also used to be a car which had been craned on to a disused factory chimney to look out for and Arding & Hobbs at Clapham Junction which I remember seeing lit up at Christmas.

You are right, I always thought it was a shame that Continental Eurostar passengers now get such a dull approach into London. The stretch into Waterloo gave them a view of not only the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben but the MI6 building too!

yorksrob · 18 Nov 2018

I'm possibly biased because I grew up in Ashford, however I would say the Eastern side is more interesting as its two networks woven into one. You get two of everything - two terminals in the West end, two in the city, two main lines to Dover, two to Margate, two main junctions etc.

It gives the railway network a very distinctive structure.

I suppose in the past I had a preference for the Central. I used to enjoy getting the Marshlink to the Sussex coast, and I preferred the central's CIG's to the Eastern's refurbished CEP's.

Islineclear3_1 · 18 Nov 2018

I am biased too as I grew up in Canterbury and had an affinity for the CEPs/BEPs/HAPs and remember,as a kid (nose glued to the window) scribbling down the numbers of the lovely BR blue EPBs as we approached London. Plus the train stopped all stations to Ashford, then was fast to Tonbridge, then Waterloo East and Charing Cross. Often bunked up on Hap stock much to my parents' dismay. Visited relatives in Headcorn but often stood up on the bridge spotting the boat trains that could be seen from miles away (due to the relatively straight track). And the seaside was only a few stops away from Canterbury (although my parents preferred Margate, rather than Ramsgate). We also had those rather elegant Class 71's...

Sadly, the coming of the refurbished 4CEPs spelt the beginning of the end...

When I left home, I spent a lot of time cabbing on EPBs on the Central Division on the way to/from work which brought me closer to the South Western Division where their stock tended to be cleaner and they (nearly) always got new stock before any of the other divisions. Sadly, the 4 Subs had gone by then and I only saw them on scrap lines

ChiefPlanner · 18 Nov 2018

Being Welsh I hardly count - but lived in London and around from 1979 - the South Eastern is / was the most complex and interesting. Sarcastically referred to as a "tramway"by the rest of BR - but a challenging railway to operate and manage. Read Stephen Pool's book on it .....for an insight.

yorksrob · 18 Nov 2018

robert7111a said:
I am biased too as I grew up in Canterbury and had an affinity for the CEPs/BEPs/HAPs and remember,as a kid (nose glued to the window) scribbling down the numbers of the lovely BR blue EPBs as we approached London. Plus the train stopped all stations to Ashford, then was fast to Tonbridge, then Waterloo East and Charing Cross. Often bunked up on Hap stock much to my parents' dismay. Visited relatives in Headcorn but often stood up on the bridge spotting the boat trains that could be seen from miles away (due to the relatively straight track). And the seaside was only a few stops away from Canterbury (although my parents preferred Margate, rather than Ramsgate). We also had those rather elegant Class 71's...

Sadly, the coming of the refurbished 4CEPs spelt the beginning of the end...

When I left home, I spent a lot of time cabbing on EPBs on the Central Division on the way to/from work which brought me closer to the South Western Division where their stock tended to be cleaner and they (nearly) always got new stock before any of the other divisions. Sadly, the 4 Subs had gone by then and I only saw them on scrap lines

The lovely EPB's were blue/grey or red, white and blue by the time I used to see them between Orpington and London.

Edders23 · 18 Nov 2018

not a part of the country I frequent did a 2 week southern railrover in 1978 I think and have never been back one of the more boring parts of the Network the only thing that might have been mildly interesting were the 33's +tc sets so on that basis Western division

30907 · 18 Nov 2018

I grew up on the SED, missed exploring the backwaters of the Central, but my favourite would be the Main Line end of the SWD, ideally from its formation in 1960 to 1963 when everything West of Salisbury was taken over by the Other Railway. I was too young to get that far in steam days but I did manage Swanage.

Jim Jehosofat · 22 Nov 2018

Got to be the South Eastern as that's where I started work on the railway in 1973.

Deepgreen · 22 Nov 2018

The W, with its inheritance of the burrowing/flying junctions on the main line which made operations less conflicting than would otherwise have been the case. Also the longest-distance routes, the magnificence of Waterloo as a terminus and the last steam operations on the region.

big all · 22 Nov 2018

central really as a redhill [ex coulsdon north]driver 25 years ago i signed most routes perhaps 95%
not hurst green jct to uckfield or copyhold to ardingly not seaford to newhaven not west off barnham but most else plus tonbridge reading oxford western main line to ook and southwestern lines reading london[clapham old oak wilesden brent sudbery sidings ] keny clapham hern hill tulse hill bricklayers arms [remember mercers crossing ???

hernhill to holborn viaduct
leatherhead effingham

30909 · 22 Nov 2018

All of them! They each had their own character or rollingstock. Redhill to Victoria or Brighton in the corridor composite of a 4LAV. Haywards Heath to Eastbourne in a 6PAN or 6PUL. Redhill to Tonbridge in the last SECR Birdcage sets behind a U class. Redhill to Reading in a Maunsell set with either a N class or occasional GWR Manor.
A gallop from Tonbridge To Ashford with a King Arthur. Waterloo to Basingstoke with any Bullied pacific or if lucky a Lord Nelson or Schools. Portsmouth on the direct with a 4COR and 4RES. Oh happy days when there was variety and not the somewhat bland rollingstock of the last 30/40 years.

big all · 22 Nov 2018

i had wondered if you where a maunsel fan now your pre late 60s favourates suggests you are

or you like clactons

30909 · 22 Nov 2018

Well he did "standardise" much of the passenger stock and quite a few new build locos. However nothing wrong with the eccentricities of Bulleid locos, when they worked and his carriages had much in common with Mark Is

LAX54 · 23 Nov 2018

Has to be the Central, mainly as it where I started my Railway life in 1972 at Arundel Junction

HaggisBotherer · 23 Nov 2018

The Eastern, where I grew up... until Swindon butchered the 4CEPs and electrification removed the Hastings units.

The Central and Western divisions were foreign lands, where strange multi-wheeled beasts roamed to places with exotic names like St.Reatham, Haven't, Sorlsbree, Bas'n Stowk and, most exotic of all, Ex Itter and Reddin'

satisnek · 24 Nov 2018

Looks like it's got a lot to do with where people grew up, so it's the Western division for me, with so many childhood memories :smile:

Bedpan · 24 Nov 2018

I grew up on the western too, trainspotting at Esher where you could see about threequarters of a mile in each direction from the down platform. All the classes mentioned above came past as well as plenty of Standards, King Arthurs, S15s and there was an old 700 class (30700) based at Guildford which came past sometimes. On summer Saturday mornings I recall that there was a train in view more often than not. The downside of the Western Section main line was/is that it is pretty suburban all the way to Woking, but on the other hand I thought and still think that the route into Waterloo, at least between Clapham Junction and Waterloo, was/is one of the most interesting, being built on arches all the way (I know the same could be said about London Bridge). I get the opposite now, a fair bit of countryside all the way to Scratchwood but then a boring approach to Central London, pretty well entirely in cuttings or tunnels all the way in from West Hampstead.

contrex · 24 Nov 2018

swills said:
Has to be the Central, mainly as it where I started my Railway life in 1972 at Arundel Junction

CD for me too, although I don't think the one that sticks has to be the one you first knew. I grew up in a house backing onto the Herne Hill - Tulse Hill spur; always up & down between Herne Hill and Auntie's in Orpington; Bank Hols at Margate (first in ex-SR stock behind a very dirty Bulleid Pacific, later in CEPs/BEPs) as a result got pretty blasé about the LCDR/SER (SED) part of the Region; 1963, started at Alleyn's School (Tulse Hill - North Dulwich); a whole new strange railway with a different flavour altogether: the ex-LBSCR Central Division! Sheba and Queen Mary SUBS, (some very odd ones on peak services to London Bridge!), hardly an EPB to be seen at that time - I remember the surprise amongst my schoolfellows waiting at Tulse Hill when an 8-EPB formation formed a "49" (London Bridge-London Bridge via Forest Hill & Crystal Palace); the original Brighton line stock still in service; distinctive station architecture - I loved the old West Norwood station.

GW43125 · 24 Nov 2018

Obviously I’m biased because I grew up there but the Wessex division for me. Until it falls apart like it does on a daily basis.

Robsignals · 24 Nov 2018

The interesting feature of the South Eastern is the lack of terminal stations outside London, only 1 on an isolated branch line. Even some of the London stations aren't and does St Pancras count as a through station.

contrex · 24 Nov 2018

Robsignals said:
does St Pancras count as a through station?

I don't want to get all pedantic/OCD, like so many spotters, (Oh No! Definitely not! Not me!) but surely St Pancras is London Midland Region? It's from where we went to Granny's in Derby in a maroon rake hauled by a Black Five!

yorksrob · 24 Nov 2018

Robsignals said:
The interesting feature of the South Eastern is the lack of terminal stations outside London, only 1 on an isolated branch line. Even some of the London stations aren't and does St Pancras count as a through station.

I still count Folkestone Harbour

big all · 24 Nov 2018

the old secr had both caterham and tattenham corner and possibly reading as termini

yorksrob · 24 Nov 2018

big all said:
the old secr had both caterham and tattenham corner and possibly reading as termini

Not to mention Sandgate, New Romney, Dungeness and Gravesend West

ChiefPlanner · 24 Nov 2018

Bromley North

bramling · 25 Nov 2018

Sad Sprinter said:
Out of the Western, Central and Eastern divisions, what is your favourite and why? I would say the Central is mine, because of the lovely countryside on the way to Brighton, plus the complexity of the lines between Victoria and Redhill. Not to mention the great views of South London from the train on the embankment between Streatham Common and Norbury.

The Eastern wins hands down for the complex structure of its suburban lines, but looses outright due to its meandering and slow long distance services.

And finally, the Western division I’ve always found to be a little dull. Granted it’s best for stock variety, and use to have a plethora of longer distance destinations, but the approach to Waterloo lacks the drama of approaching Victoria, Charing Cross or London Bridge. Plus the country it passes through is relatively sedate, until it reaches the New Forest of course.

For me it’s the south eastern division, although I don’t really know why.

Perhaps it’s the sheer intensity and complexity of the inner-suburban service, contrasted with the unique nature of the mainline services which have their own “laid back” character - certainly thinking back to the 90s where it was possible to ride around Kent on a generally almost-empty VEP, or before that a CEP. This continues to this day to some extent with the Electrostars.

By contrast the south western I always found rather dull, with the south central being somewhere in between.

contrex · 25 Nov 2018

Hayes

Favourite Ex-Southern Region Division?

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