The thread on headways and conflicting moves got me thinking about the Waterloo peak which was notable for an intensive 2-min headway service, particularly between 1730 and 1802, with 2-min headways and only one gap in the 1982/3 and 1983/4 timetables (at 1748).
Part of this intensive pattern comprised four Guildford via Cobham services in the hour, at 1702, 1722, 1742, 1752 and 1802. In 1982/3 and 1983/4 these were formed of various combinations of VEPs, EPBs and HAPs.
I remember 1984/5 was when 455s were introduced on the Guildford via Cobham. However I am a bit hazy as to whether the peak timetable changed, most of my observations in this era were at Woking so I often missed the Cobhams, though I saw the off peak services as they were on my route to school (and these did not change on the introduction of 455s). So first of all, does anyone know if the peak services were unchanged when the 455s came in?
In 1985/6 there was a reduction of Alton services from 3tph to 2tph in the peak due, I think, to the Alton singling. The 1734 Basingstoke/Alton divider became Basingstoke only, and the 1758 was removed, to be replaced by a new service at 1748 (i.e. in the one gap in the 2-min sequence). Also the 1716 Alton moved back two minutes to 1718, and the slow Farnhams and Woking terminators (each running every 20 min, to give a 10 min pattern from Esher to West Byfleet) were swapped, perhaps a knock on effect of the Alton changes. But again I cannot remember if the Cobhams changed. If they did not, then the intensive service would have remained.
I do remember 1988/89 brought a bigger peak recast due to the introduction of 442s and the Weymouth electrification - for example the fasts were no longer 1730 and 1744 but the more evenly-spaced 1715 and 1745. If I remember right the new 1988 peak pattern remained more or less set in stone until the big 2004 change (but with some reductions on the Direct), quite notable stability in the peak given the off-peak pattern had many updates in the 90s. Perhaps 1988 was a likely time for the peak Cobhams to switch to the SL?
So would be interesting if anyone can fill in the details on when the Cobhams switched to the SL. It would also be interesting to know how long that intensive 2-min-headway pattern out of Waterloo remained for.
Part of this intensive pattern comprised four Guildford via Cobham services in the hour, at 1702, 1722, 1742, 1752 and 1802. In 1982/3 and 1983/4 these were formed of various combinations of VEPs, EPBs and HAPs.
I remember 1984/5 was when 455s were introduced on the Guildford via Cobham. However I am a bit hazy as to whether the peak timetable changed, most of my observations in this era were at Woking so I often missed the Cobhams, though I saw the off peak services as they were on my route to school (and these did not change on the introduction of 455s). So first of all, does anyone know if the peak services were unchanged when the 455s came in?
In 1985/6 there was a reduction of Alton services from 3tph to 2tph in the peak due, I think, to the Alton singling. The 1734 Basingstoke/Alton divider became Basingstoke only, and the 1758 was removed, to be replaced by a new service at 1748 (i.e. in the one gap in the 2-min sequence). Also the 1716 Alton moved back two minutes to 1718, and the slow Farnhams and Woking terminators (each running every 20 min, to give a 10 min pattern from Esher to West Byfleet) were swapped, perhaps a knock on effect of the Alton changes. But again I cannot remember if the Cobhams changed. If they did not, then the intensive service would have remained.
I do remember 1988/89 brought a bigger peak recast due to the introduction of 442s and the Weymouth electrification - for example the fasts were no longer 1730 and 1744 but the more evenly-spaced 1715 and 1745. If I remember right the new 1988 peak pattern remained more or less set in stone until the big 2004 change (but with some reductions on the Direct), quite notable stability in the peak given the off-peak pattern had many updates in the 90s. Perhaps 1988 was a likely time for the peak Cobhams to switch to the SL?
So would be interesting if anyone can fill in the details on when the Cobhams switched to the SL. It would also be interesting to know how long that intensive 2-min-headway pattern out of Waterloo remained for.
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