West Croydon to Wimbledon

[Dr_Paul]

I only travelled the line in its later days, when it was an odd backwater, not urban but not rural either. I think that all of the industry and the accompanying sidings had gone by then.

 

[Thebaz]

I travelled the line a couple of times in my childhood, not because it was of any use to me - I had a Wimbledon train direct from Carshalton Beeches if I needed to go there - but because I liked trains and wanted to have a ride. Went on the 2EPBs when it was a 30-minute service which passed in the Mitcham loop. Latterly the 456s took over and it had become a 40-minute service. Stations were deserted and there were few passengers unlike now (as noted by Cricketer8for9). The line was single from West Croydon, originally with a passing loop at Waddon Marsh, single again through Beddington and then doubling before Mitcham Junction. It singled again NW of Mitcham a good way before Morden Road station before doubling again at Merton Park most of the way to Wimbledon. There was a lot of industry in the valley and in the earlier times there were quite a few sidings particularly between Beddington and West Croydon. There's a brief history here

 

[frodshamfella]

These curious little branch lines all seem to have swept away these days, I know that the modern offerings are normally much improved, but something is lost.

 

[lawried123]

The last time I travelled the line before the line was converted was on a non-stop special working between Mitcham Junction and West Croydon! I was on a Sutton-bound train which got held at signals just outside Sutton because the points at the station had failed. After some delay, this was sorted out by running back (quickly) wrong line to Mitcham Junction, then a reversal and away we went to West Croydon. Then a change for the next down train for Sutton via Wallington. Sadly I have no record of exactly when this happened or the units involved.

I had an interesting diversion experience many years ago. I used to travel home from work from Victoria to Cheam. On one occasion we stopped on the spur off the fast line at Streatham for a considerable time and were informed by the guard walking along beside the train telling everyone what was going on that some children had thrown something on the line around about the Eastfields area. After waiting a while we then proceeded to travel via Haydons Road to Wimbledon then down via Merton Park and Mitcham to Mitcham Junction. Probably a rare occasion for an 8 coach train to travel over this bit of line and rather temarkable to not actually miss out any stations on the journey, still calling at Balham and Mitcham Junction. (Eastfields didn't exist then). I found this all quite fascinating but sadly most of the other passengers of the train didn't seem to even notice.

Lawrie

 

[CastlebarKeith]

l commuted from Victoria to Shoreham-By-Sea for many years. During that period, we were diverted three times via Horsham, the 2nd & 3rd occasion had the announcement only made once we had left Victoria. Once via Three Bridges, once via West Croydon and once via the Streatham spur and Mitcham Junction. l have been told that the Dorking route is no longer an option as Littlehampton and Brighton drivers are no longer trained on it. ls this true??

 

[MotCO]

I had an interesting diversion experience many years ago. I used to travel home from work from Victoria to Cheam. On one occasion we stopped on the spur off the fast line at Streatham for a considerable time and were informed by the guard walking along beside the train telling everyone what was going on that some children had thrown something on the line around about the Eastfields area. After waiting a while we then proceeded to travel via Haydons Road to Wimbledon then down via Merton Park and Mitcham to Mitcham Junction. Probably a rare occasion for an 8 coach train to travel over this bit of line and rather temarkable to not actually miss out any stations on the journey, still calling at Balham and Mitcham Junction. (Eastfields didn't exist then). I found this all quite fascinating but sadly most of the other passengers of the train didn't seem to even notice.

Lawrie

Was route knowledge required for this unusual diversion, or was it not as important back then as it is
now?

 

[Cricketer8for9]

These curious little branch lines all seem to have swept away these days, I know that the modern offerings are normally much improved, but something is lost.

And here very much improved - as is the case the other side of Croydon with the Addiscombe branch and the Woodside to Selsdon line which can never ever have made any money.

 

[Rescars]

I had an interesting diversion experience many years ago. I used to travel home from work from Victoria to Cheam. On one occasion we stopped on the spur off the fast line at Streatham for a considerable time and were informed by the guard walking along beside the train telling everyone what was going on that some children had thrown something on the line around about the Eastfields area. After waiting a while we then proceeded to travel via Haydons Road to Wimbledon then down via Merton Park and Mitcham to Mitcham Junction. Probably a rare occasion for an 8 coach train to travel over this bit of line and rather temarkable to not actually miss out any stations on the journey, still calling at Balham and Mitcham Junction. (Eastfields didn't exist then). I found this all quite fascinating but sadly most of the other passengers of the train didn't seem to even notice.

Lawrie

You did better than me! My "excursion" was promised a reversal at West Croydon to go through to Sutton (and probably Cheam!), but Control went for the easy option and the stock went off empty to Selhurst. Everyone noticed the change of train at West Croydon!

 

[Somewhere]

Was route knowledge required for this unusual diversion, or was it not as important back then as it is
now?

I suspect a bit of both. Route knowledge was both more extensive, and also not as vitally important

 

[4SubAsociation]

Seeing this thread reminded me that one of the EMUs that opperated the West Corydon to Wimbledon branch is still with us. It was one of the Ex Tyneside Units 5793. I did see a picture a while ago on ebay of it at Waddon Marsh but cannot find it atm.

Here is a link to the train in question. http://www.emus.co.uk/tyn.htm

 

[izvor]

The railway may have had soul; the trams have passengers. The latter are more valuable. I used the old service a few times 2EPB and later class 456. Never full. Trams often are.

Indeed. And on a greatly reduced headway.

Buying tickets from the signalbox was a common thing on the SR at rural stations. I think several Arun Valley Stations survived for a long time after West Croydon to Wimbledon. Some even made it in to privatisation. I think the last one was Littlehaven which closed in 2012 when the crossing transferred to three bridges.

I remember buying tickets at signal boxes at Isfield (closed c.1969) and, more recently, Warnham.

 

[mike57]

I used the line on a fairly regular basis from about 1979 for maybe 18 months. I worked in Deer Park Rd for a year or so, and if I needed to get to or from Wimbledon, or places where a change at Wimbledon made sense then the train from Morden Rd was the first option. A two car slam door EMU, either hourly or half hourly, cant remember now, or how the ticketing worked. It felt like a complete backwater compared with the other suburban lines in south London. Passenger numbers were tiny outside the rush hour. To be honest I am surprised it survived Beeching. Lines with a far more passengers got the chop.

I then moved away from London at the end of 1980, so lost touch with it.

The company I worked for had offices near Merton Park, on High Path, and Deer Park Rd, and we used the by now closed Merton Park - Tooting line as a path from High Path to Merton Park, the track had been lifted but there was still the odd bit of railway furniture around. A quick look at Streetview shows that very little has survived in the area. I wished I had taken some pictures, but as always hindsight is 20/20 vision.

The whole area has an interesting history, as the River Wandle has a long history of use for water powered mills

 

[Busaholic]

One oddity (possibly unique on BR) was at Merton Park station.
The main station building (including the ticket office) was situated on a disused platform (even after track was lifted).
It was on the former up Tooting line platform - closed to passengers in 1929. The down platform was disused but had track used by the daily goods train until into the 1970s. Even after its abandonment a walkway was constructed across the trackbed to reach the Mitcham line platform. The ticket office remained in use until line closure in 1997.

I am aware that at Uckfield old station after singling in 1990 that station building was the disused down platform when trains used the up platform. This only lasted a year until closure in 1991 and the new station was opened.

Having earlier said I never used the line, I realise now that I must have done once in the mid to late 1950s. My godmother lived at Merton Park and I recollect on one occasion when I was staying with her we went to Merton Park station to get a train. I am pretty sure we didn't go to Croydon, so I imagine it was to go to Wimbledon. We usually walked there, but I expect she indulged me in my wish for a train ride! I do remember being fascinated by a station the like of which I'd never seen before, or since come to that!

 

[norbitonflyer]

Seeing this thread reminded me that one of the EMUs that opperated the West Corydon to Wimbledon branch is still with us. It was one of the Ex Tyneside Units 5793. I did see a picture a while ago on ebay of it at Waddon Marsh but cannot find it atm.

Here is a link to the train in question. http://www.emus.co.uk/tyn.htm

I'm surporised at that, as the Wimbledon - West Croydon branch was operated by the Central Division (and usually, as I recall, by SR-type 56xx 2EPBs, although I read that the first few 57xx BR-type units were originally used on the branch) whereas the ex-Tyneside units were allocated to the SW division - their larger luggage compartment and therefore lower seating capacity being less of an issue there than on the South Eastern where most of the 57xx units worked.

 

[30907]

I'm surporised at that, as the Wimbledon - West Croydon branch was operated by the Central Division (and usually, as I recall, by SR-type 56xx 2EPBs, although I read that the first few 57xx BR-type units were originally used on the branch) whereas the ex-Tyneside units were allocated to the SW division - their larger luggage compartment and therefore lower seating capacity being less of an issue there than on the South Eastern where most of the 57xx units worked.

I have certainly ridden in/spotted Tyneside units on the SED in the mid/late 60s, and the 57xx units were certainly used on the WIM-WCR branch - I suspect this changed to allow destaffing of intermediate stations in the 70s.

 

[4SubAsociation]

Back in the 70's when I became interested in such things, Waddon Marsh (Croydon B Power station) had three standard gauge loco's, a RSH/WB 8367 (Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn/Bagnall) 0-4-0 diesel named 'Hengist' now long gone, whilst the other two loco's there then are listed as still around in the latest Industrial Railway Society volume I have (2019), these being EEV (English Electric) D1122, an 0-4-0 diesel, at Siemens Ardwick depot, Manchester and named 'Lancelot' and a Pecket 0-4-0 ST (2103) listed as being at the Middleton Railway Trust. This was as of four years ago now, so may be out of date?

Saw this message a thought i'd fill in the details on Hengist and Lancelot

Hengist has two works numbers (Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns 8367 & Bagnall 3212) was orignally ordered for Richbrough Powerstation at the same time Horsa was. Both then split up and Heingist ending up at Croydon. After 1980 both Hengist and D1122 ended up at went to Thos Ward London, where it was not scrapped. It apprently went to somewhere in grays, Essex and then moved to ECC Broadlands Quarry at Quidhampton, before this it was renamed Thomas. It was scrapped in the mid 2000s' Before 2008.

Lancelot is even more interesting. After it went Thos ward, i am not sure where it went, but believed to be re-engined with a Rolls Royce Engine in around 1989. Eventually it was used to build the Croydon Tramlink. It was based at Wabtec Doncaster in the Mid 2000s and has since been at Siemens Ardwick since the 2010s

If Siemens do have another open day at Ardwick, i would sure like to see Lancelot for sure.

 

[778]

Was it a bit like a 3rd rail vesion of the Abbey Line?

 

[Somewhere]

Was it a bit like a 3rd rail vesion of the Abbey Line?

In what way? Wasn't as rural as the Abbey Line. Plus it had rail connections at each end as well as in the middle

 

[Peter Sarf]

In the 1990's I advised a friend to use the service for her commute from Surbiton to Croydon. She gave up on it quite quickly because of cancellations and went back to changing at Clapham Junction.

I also had that misfortune. In about 1993 I was commuting to Hinchley Wood from Croydon. After a few attempts to use the "service" from West Croydon I changed my season ticket for a more expensive one via Clapham Junction. This was so I could go straight to East Croydon station without first checking if the "service" was running to Wimbledon from West Croydon. I don't think I actually succeeded in ever using the line !.

 

[Rescars]

In what way? Wasn't as rural as the Abbey Line. Plus it had rail connections at each end as well as in the middle

Comparing the two, the Abbey Line only went as far as experimenting with second hand tube stock. West Croydon - Wimbledon has gone the whole hog and been converted to a tramway.

Given its origins as part of the SIR, this route must be unique as having been built as a plateway, converted to a railway and now used as a tramway. There aren't many other two-rail alternatives left to try!

 

[Revaulx]

Was it a bit like a 3rd rail vesion of the Abbey Line?

I’ve not been on either for a long time, but I’d say absolutely not.

Abbey is a rural branch. Wimbledon-W Croydon passed/passes through typical London suburbia; there are quite a few big green spaces, but e.g. the Hayes line has those as well.

What made it so interesting was that the passing scene was just like on so many other London lines, but the actual railway (trains, infrastructure, passenger numbers etc.) felt quite bucolic.