Portsmouth to Southampton/Eastleigh line 70s

[swt_passenger]

Certainly from about 1973 until '78 the hourly shuttle from Eastleigh ran to the bay at Fareham (xx06 of Eastleigh, due Fareham xx23, and back out at xx28 to EH), mostly 2H again, although 3H was diagrammed SO summer dates in 1977. By 1979 the vast majority of the Eastleigh's had been extended to/from Portsmouth & S, barring a small few, very early/late that still used Fareham bay.
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Thanks for such a detailed reply. 1973-77 is probably about right for the period I was travelling via Botley.

 

[nw1]

There was a weekend, 17/18th Feb 1990, when the new juice rail was all but laid, and there was some event on in the area I think?. A number of shuttles were run, with additionals using the bay. I have photos of 205001/029 arriving in the bay with 2Z77, 14.00 Southampton to Eastleigh via Fareham, whilst in the other direction they reversed in the Down platform (eg: 2Z44, 13.55 Eastleigh to Southampton with 205008/030).
Of note was 207017 which failed at Swanwick, possibly on the 12.20 Southampton to Portsmouth Harbour and was later dumped in Fareham yard.

Don't remember that but it is of note that my only main-line journeys on Southern DEMUs were in early 1990, just before electrification, including IIRC one day that weekend, Saturday Feb 17 (Southampton to Dean). The others were Eastleigh-Botley and Hamble-Southampton on Saturday March 10 (with a walk in between). A very nice spring day I remember, in sharp contrast to the wet Feb 17!

My only other trip on a Southern DEMU was on the Watercress Line 10th anniversary event in September 1987, when one was loaned from BR and ran one of the diagrams - presumably to commemorate the line's latter days.

 

[30907]

I think over 'The Alps' mid 60's on, was largely an hourly DEMU, Alton to Southampton Terminus, worked for the most part by two diagrams (diag numbers 1 & 9) of 2H each, xx53 off Alton and likewise off Southampton. Early morning and late evening the odd 3H diagram seems to have got involved in one or two trips. After Southampton Terminus closed, the service was of course diverted to Central. Think that's pretty much as it remained until the end?

Yes, pretty much so. Rumour has it that the 3H units couldn't reliably maintain the very tight timings (station stops were booked 15 seconds in the WTT!) and the equally tight connections at Alton, so the service reverted to 2H.
From 1967 the timetable was altered to have trains cross at Alresford and to use 3 units not 2.

 

[Gloster]

Yes, pretty much so. Rumour has it that the 3H units couldn't reliably maintain the very tight timings (station stops were booked 15 seconds in the WTT!) and the equally tight connections at Alton, so the service reverted to 2H.
From 1967 the timetable was altered to have trains cross at Alresford and to use 3 units not 2.

From something I read earlier this evening, it was the likelihood of stalls, particularly in the leaf fall season, by the sets geared for 75 mph that brought about the change. (Oddly, sets - such as the Hastings ones - which have two equal power-cars, one pulling and one pushing, have fewer problems than those with only one power-car).

The timetable alteration would have become possible as several DEMU worked lines had closed shortly before, so making it possible to find an extra set.

 

[Snow1964]

I am not sure if it was late 1970s or early 1980s, but some of the Fareham -Eastleigh trains were extended to Reading via Basingstoke. Might have been Sundays. I remember riding one bouncing along (they didn’t ride very well at speed) in the sole single compartment (which might have been 10 seats, but was non-gangwayed) from Eastleigh to Reading. It was my only ever trip on a non-gangwayed compartment on SWR mainline

The majority of the 3H DEMU were semi-open saloons, but I can’t remember why some had a single compartment unless it was built for something else but converted.

 

[Magdalia]

For many years in the 1980s the Sunday service was Portsmouth-Reading with class 33 and 4TC.

 

[Gloster]

I am not sure if it was late 1970s or early 1980s, but some of the Fareham -Eastleigh trains were extended to Reading via Basingstoke. Might have been Sundays. I remember riding one bouncing along (they didn’t ride very well at speed) in the sole single compartment (which might have been 10 seats, but was non-gangwayed) from Eastleigh to Reading. It was my only ever trip on a non-gangwayed compartment on SWR mainline

The majority of the 3H DEMU were semi-open saloons, but I can’t remember why some had a single compartment unless it was built for something else but converted.

A quick look at the 1980 and 1982 timetables show that Reading-Portsmouth Harbour was roughly two-hourly on weekdays and hourly on Sundays.

 

[D6130]

The majority of the 3H DEMU were semi-open saloons, but I can’t remember why some had a single compartment unless it was built for something else but converted.

As originally built, the driving trailers had a single second class compartment between the driver's cab vestibule and the first class section. In later years many - but not all - of the units had the seating removed from this compartment so that it could be used for the carriage of secure parcels and mailbags.

 

[Gloster]

As originally built, the driving trailers had a single second class compartment between the driver's cab vestibule and the first class section. In later years many - but not all - of the units had the seating removed from this compartment so that it could be used for the carriage of secure parcels and mailbags.

It was often locked out of use due to complaints by passengers following unpleasant experiences, culminating in the murder of a schoolgirl in 1964, which actually occurred in one of the toilets. The compartment was also used as an overflow for mail, so was probably a bit dusty.

 

[nw1]

Yes, pretty much so. Rumour has it that the 3H units couldn't reliably maintain the very tight timings (station stops were booked 15 seconds in the WTT!) and the equally tight connections at Alton, so the service reverted to 2H.
From 1967 the timetable was altered to have trains cross at Alresford and to use 3 units not 2.

I have to admit I was surprised that Alton to Southampton could be done in around 55 minutes (the minimum time for 2 diagrams, 5-min turnaround each end). Also, if you miss your path, you're screwed - you can probably only get away with a tight turnaround at one end before the schedule goes to pot. Three diagrams sounded more appropriate for the line.

A quick look at the 1980 and 1982 timetables show that Reading-Portsmouth Harbour was roughly two-hourly on weekdays and hourly on Sundays.

In 1982, and possibly until the recast in 1989 (not sure when it changed, but it had definitely changed by 1989 to something very similar to the current Sunday pattern), the Reading-Portsmouth took on the entire service provision at Micheldever and Shawford on Sundays, with an hourly service.

Rather than one single '93' service, the Waterloo-Bournemouth stopping provision was formed with no less than four separate services on Sundays: a Waterloo-Basingstoke, the Reading-Portsmouth, an Eastleigh-Lymington, and finally the Waterloo-Bournemouth semi-fast '92' calling all stations beyond Brockenhurst on Sundays.