Class 33/1 + 4TC Reading - Waterloo c2001

[Czesziafan]

One day about 20 years ago. or possibly a little more, I saw a Class 33/1 with a 4TC set in all over blue livery in the old Platform 4 at Reading station. The station announcer was on the PA saying the train was for "Clapham Junction and London Waterloo only". This was at 09.00 on a weekday, and the train was not a special. I just wondered whether anyone knows anything more about this unusual working. The Reading - Waterloo service was invariably an emu with numerous stops on the Southern route, but was there a particular reason for this apparent diversion? Was there a diversion via the GW main line and the West London line to Clapham, or did it run nonstop along the SR route? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JonathanH]

One day about 20 years ago. or possibly a little more

Almost certainly somewhat nearer to 30 years ago. The last TC stock was withdrawn about that long ago.

As I understand it Basingstoke crews sign Reading to Waterloo. A train formed of 33+4TC stock could potentially have worked from Basingstoke to Waterloo via Reading and Ascot in disruption.

In the 1980s, before Solent Link electrification, I think there may have some 33+TC operations from Reading to Portsmouth.

The last two TC units with NSE, 8010 and 8017 were painted in blue for charter work.

33+4-TC in 2001 at Reading seems quite unlikely.

 

[30907]

It must have been the retro 410/17 that you saw, apparently they lasted till about 1994. But non-stop to CLJ is remarkable - engineering work closing the Paddington line? Royal Ascot relief later on?

I can't imagine an Up train on Platform 4 at 0900 on a weekday so I presume you mean bays 4a/b? If so, the train must have taken the Wokingham route.

 

[Peterthegreat]

In 1982 a 33 and TC worked up from Poole/Bournemouth/Southampton to Reading in place of a failed Inter Regional service. It worked back to the southern on one of the standard hour Waterloo services. AFIK it made the booked stops. IIRC it also left from the old platform 10.

 

[big all]

It must have been the retro 410/17 that you saw, apparently they lasted till about 1994. But non-stop to CLJ is remarkable - engineering work closing the Paddington line? Royal Ascot relief later on?

I can't imagine an Up train on Platform 4 at 0900 on a weekday so I presume you mean bays 4a/b? If so, the train must have taken the Wokingham route.

It was actually quite normal for replacement or off depot units for gatwick services to come onto 4 as the most convenient for those going to the more normal 4b platform as a level swop so assuming the crompton and tc came from basingstoke it would make perfect sence assuming an empty platform ??

 

[Czesziafan]

It must have been the retro 410/17 that you saw, apparently they lasted till about 1994. But non-stop to CLJ is remarkable - engineering work closing the Paddington line? Royal Ascot relief later on?

I can't imagine an Up train on Platform 4 at 0900 on a weekday so I presume you mean bays 4a/b? If so, the train must have taken the Wokingham route.

It was definitely Platform 4 proper which was what first drew my curiosity, apart from the sight of a 33/1+TC in Reading at that time, which was after the first Reading station rebuild. In the 70's and 80's such formations were diagrammed SuO on the Basingstoke service and I do believe that many were through workings to Portsmouth Hbr. Trains could access the SR route from 4 via the spur to the east and one sometimes saw Adex or Chartex from the SR Central Division stop at 4 to change locos. I remember one such working in December 1978, a Brighton - Swansea Adex that changed its 33 for a 47 before heading west. I have also heard tell that the Reading - Gatwick trains were sometimes diverted from the North Downs ex SECR route to run via Old Oak Common and the West London line to reach Clapham and the Central Division.

 

[big all]

I have also heard tell that the Reading - Gatwick trains were sometimes diverted from the North Downs ex SECR route to run via Old Oak Common and the West London line to reach Clapham and the Central Division.

we had diversions via clapham and old oak for several week ends you could hammer it with a good run and do it in around 1hr25 rather than booked around 1h40 between redhill and reading the branch run [via guildford ]at the time was something like redhill depart 09 reading arrive 20??

 

[yorksrob]

It was quite a nice idea really - NSE facelifted a couple of TC units for charter service. I was a bit sad that they didn't last longer in that guise (I think they went into departmental use after a while).