Longest scheduled non-stop run for "suburban" stock?

[Big Jumby 74]

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[30907]

4-SUBs were regularly booked to Brighton in the summer - the furthest I can find (1958) is 40 1/4 miles from East Croydon followed by 38 Dorking to Littlehampton and 36 Guildford to Havant (SO).

 

[D6130]

There used to be a 303 service which was non stop between Charing Cross and Dumbarton Central.

And in the early 303 era one non Stop Craigendoran to CharingCross (or it might even having bee Queen St (LL), I'd need to check.

Yes indeed....the long-standing 08 29 Helensburgh Central-Bridgeton 'express'. In the Summer 1963 timetable, it was booked non-stop from Craigendoran to Queen Street via Yoker in 29 minutes for the 23 miles. By the time I started using it in the early 1970s, it had gained a Charing Cross stop. The corresponding evening working in the opposite direction was the 16 57 from Bridgeton....but that stopped at High Street, Queen Street, Charing Cross, Dumbarton Central, Cardross, Craigendoran and Helensburgh Central.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

There used to be a train from Welwyn Garden City to Kings Cross that was a pair of 313s that ran fast from Hatfield to Finsbury Park. Incredible ride; suspension going crazy, traction motors screaming through Hadley Wood Tunnels, bouncing out of your seat almost as they rushed over the points at New Barnet - loved that service.

 

[Dr Hoo]

May I suggest that the ultimate answer must come in the shape of the 'Never Stop Railway' at the Empire Exhibition at Wembley from 23 April to 1 November 1924 and from 9 May to 31 October 1925 (i.e. basically a year in total). This was formed of 'suburban' stock - no gangways, no toilets, no first class and so on - and operated solely in a suburb - Wembley. It had fixed formations and was powered by electricity.

(In a nice twist of fate it shared the exhibition site with both Flying Scotsman and Pendennis Castle (each justly famed for epic non-stop runs later in their careers) neither of which turned a wheel during their static display.)