No they don't partly I imagine because they would require guards between Dorking and Horsham
It's a pretty recent change
Correct - as there are no DOO monitors at the intermediate stops between Dorking and Horsham, 455s would need conductors. Unfortunately this could not happen now, as route knowledge has officially been withdrawn south of Dorking for SN conductors. (Leatherhead-Dorking is still signed as a diversionary option if the Guildfords encounter problems, as any such service would technically be conductor-worked beyond Leatherhead, whichever of the two routes it took.)
It used to be the case that this route needed guards / conductors for all trains for reasons related to the signalling as well as for dispatching passenger services. (This included ECS moves, for example.) I believe this now only applies to freight trains with four-wheeled wagons in the consist, but the chance of that ever actually happening is probably virtually nil.
There were no 455 movements at Horsham in the Dec 2017 timetable, may well have been earlier.
There definitely were, as other posters mentioned already.
AFAIK leatherhead to Guildford requires a guard regardless of traction same as Clapham to Milton keynes
Correct (though on the West London, only Southern services need guards from Falcon Jn to Mitre Bridge Jn). Southern services on both routes are now exclusively 377s.
With only 3 each way per day, and the service being slated for withdrawal very soon, (probably next December) it isn't worth changing now. When it came up in discussion before it wasn't ever categorically explained, but I think they would need NR to upgrade station lighting along the route. This was done prior to DOO operation at a number of stations towards Portsmouth and Southampton.
Yes, it’s to do with the lighting and also dispatch procedures at Guildford. Southern actually ran a DOO “test train” down to Guildford once - never to be repeated, however.
The last 455 to Horsham was in May 2018. There were only three a day but I think all trains south of Dorking had a guard. Not sure if that is still the case.
No, only 455s had conductors from Winter 2016/17 through to May 2018. The rest (377s) were given OBSs, as remains the case for all services south of Dorking today.
They were indeed. I had 455802 on the Victoria-Horsham that leaves just before 8am (2E12) on 6th April 2018, it was a booked move at the time.
However in that timetable period the only booked workings were that and return, as well as one return working leaving Victoria around 4pm.
2E12 was also the only 455 to run fast Dorking to Horsham.
2E12 was a cracking run. Rarely did it manage to do it exactly on time, but the trampoline sensation as the unit tried its best was quite something!