It’s a short blog from me today as the vast majority of my time’s been spent glued to a computer screen, sifting through and editing all the pictures that I’ve taken over the past few days as various clients are chasing me for them. In this line of work you get very little notice of jobs and when they’re done – everyone wants the results yesterday!
That said, after a few days running around I wasn’t too averse to a day or two sat at home. Admittedly, I’d been spoiled with the catering arrangements with being away and the novelty of eating other people’s well prepared food and the one luxury I enjoy when away – a full English breakfast! The odd thing is I never miss such things when I’m travelling abroad, it’s purely a parochial delight to be savored this side of the Channel. Anyways, tomorrow’s another busy day so let’s cut straight to the picture of the day which was taken on my recent trip to explore Crossrail – sorry – the Elizabeth line…
We were given the opportunity to explore the new station at Liverpool St which has a rather interesting history. Like most of modern London it’s built on the site of something else. In this case it’s Bedlam and I mean that literally as this glass panel on one of the levels explains.
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Here’s a look back at the first of the old BR built multiple unit classes to be built that were based on the steel Mk3 coach bodyshell in a departure from the earlier series of trains which used aluminum bodyshells. They’re easy to identify because of the distinctive ridged roof which they share with the Mk3s. The 317s were also the first units to be built for DOO (Driver Only Operation), dispensing with the need for a guard. This wasn’t without controversy and led to the units being ‘blacked’ by rail unions which delayed them entering into service. They were also the first modern units to have a maximum speed of 100mph since the 1960s built Class 309s . They’ve led a nomadic existence during their lives, which is now coming to an end.
The first order for Class 317s was built in 1981-82 to operate services on the newly electrified line from London St-Pancras to Bedford. 48 four-car units were constructed by BR at York works, although the Trailer cars (and all the units bogies) were built at Derby works.
Due to the DOO issues with the unions the trains didn’t enter service until March 1983. They plied their trade on the ‘Bedpan line’ (as the Bedford-St Pancras route was nicknamed) until 1987 when they were displaced by the Class 319s built for the ‘Thameslink’ programme. By this time they’d come under the aegis of Network Southeast who transferred to units to services out of Euston where they displaced older, slower, slam-door class 310 EMUs. Their tenure on the line was short as they were soon displaced by the new Class 321s so they moved again, this time to operate services out of Liverpool St and Kings Cross stations on the West Anglia and Great Northern routes. This time their stay was much more long-lived. It outlasted BR and survived into privatisation when ownership of the units was transferred to Angel trains.
At this point in their lives they joined their sister units for the first time.
A second batch of 20 Class 317s (numbered 317349-368) were built solely at York between 1985-86. A further four units (numbered 317369-372) followed on in 1987. The 317/s as they were known were ordered to work Great Northern services from Kings Cross to Cambridge and Peterborough. They were easy to tell from their earlier sisters as the front end had been modified to remove the redundant roof headcode boxes. The 317/2s were allocated to Hornsey depot in North London which also looked after the 317/1s after transfer from Euston services.
Changes continued throughout the units lives as franchises came and went. WAGN was split in 2004 and some 317s were absorbed by ‘One’ which took over the West Anglia routes. The Great Northern services were absorbed by new franchise First Capital Connect in April 2006.
However, Anglia and Great Northern services weren’t the only places you found the 317s. In 1996, LTS Rail hired in Class 317/1 units from its sister franchise WAGN for use on the routes out of Fenchurch St. The initial 2 units increased to a total of 18 units by the following year. The sets were maintained at LTS Rail’s depot at East Ham. They were gradually phased out on what by then was c2c by the arrival of the Class 357s although the final 317s didn’t disappear until 2002.
In 2002 the 317s reappeared on the ‘Bedpan’ route. Thameslink hired in 4 sets to work additional services between Moorgate and Bedford. More units followed in 2004 when an engineering blockade spilt Thameslink in two to allow the St Pancras Thameslink station box to be constructed. a total of 12 317/1s returned to their original stomping ground until the blockade was lifted.
By late 2004 the picture had begun to settle. WAGN was no more. Twelve 317/1s worked on Great Northern services for First Capital Connect whilst all the other sets worked out of Liverpool St for National Express under the ‘ONE’ brand.
Renumbering.
Whilst the service pattern had been simplified, the numbering system hadn’t! All but the sets (317337-348) working on Great Northern had been renumbered during various refurbishment programmes.
First to be renumbered were sets 317322-328 by BR back in 1994 when First Class was declassified. They had became 317392-398.
In 1998-99 WAGN refurbished the entire Class 317/2 fleet at Wolverton. 300 was added to the numbers and the units re-emerged ass 317649-672.
In 2000, 9 sets were modified and refurbished to take over ‘Stansted Express’ services from the Class 322s. They were renumbered in the 317/7 series thus:
Another 15 sets were refurbished by ‘ONE’ with new seating and passenger information systems in 2005 for use on West Anglia services. They were renumbered 317501-515 thus:
Finally, in 2006 a further 12 sets received a minor refresh at Wabtec in Doncaster. These were renumbered in the 317/8 series thus:
The final act in the lives of the 317s was on the 3st May 2015 when London Overground took over some London suburban routes from Abellio Greater Anglia. The lines from Liverpool St to Chingford, Enfield Town and Cheshunt via Seven Sisters were absorbed and eight 317/s and 6 317/8s (rendered surplus from Stansted services by the Class 379s) were taken over to run the services. The units were repainted on London Overground livery but little else. They lasted until April 2020 when the new Class 710 ‘Aventra’ trains displaced them.
Withdrawal of the 317s has continued to the present day. All the original Class 317/2s have gone for scrap at Eastleigh in Hampshire. The 317/7s have been stored bar 317722 which has been scrapped after being used as a demonstrator for a potential refurbishment programme. All that remains is a handful of 317/5s and 317/s which at the time of writing still work a few peak service between Liverpool St and Cambridge. For how much longer depends on the acceptance into traffic of the Class 720s…
Here’s a selection of pictures showing the diverse routes and liveries the 317s have used over their careers.
It’s the 15th March 2004. Displaced from the LTS but still carrying the modified NSE livery used on that route 317304 is seen speeding through Harringay whilst working a Kings Cross – Peterborough service. A few years earlier on the 17th May 2001 317304 was pictures calling at Upminster on the London, Tilbury and Southend line. The end of the line at Chingford on the 14th December 2001 as the low winter sunlight illuminates (from L-R). 317665. 317306. 317313. 31733 and 317315 at rest in the sidings. A classic LTS location seen on the 7th May 2001 as 317307 speeds past the sea at Westcliff whilst working a service from Southend back to Fenchurch St. In NSE livery and carrying the West Anglia logo (but with added icicles) 317310 freezes in the sidings at Stratford, East London on the 9th February 1991. Seen at St Pancras on the 16th March 2005. WAGN liveried 317315 arrives at the Eastern platforms now used by SET Javelins and passes Thameslink liveried 319452, one of the units that displaced it on the ‘Bedpan’ line. Classic corporate Network Southeast, from the train livery to the new lamp standards and signage! Here’s 317316 at Broxbourne on the 24th May 1991 whilst working a Liverpool St – Cambridge service. It’s the 27th April 1997 and 317398 keeps sister unit 317317 company at Kings Cross. For a short while seven units were renumbered between 317392 and 317398 due to having their First Class seating declassified. Still carrying First Capital Connect livery but ‘Great Northern’ branding, 317337 sits at Kings Cross with a service for Royston on the 14th April 2015. When 317s worked services from Moorgate to Bedford. Here’s 317341 working empty stock on its way to Moorgate passing through Farringdon on the 18th June 2008.On the 7th August 2000 Fragonset liveried 31459 brings up the rear of 5Z45, the Hornsey – Cricklewood stock move with 317398 and 317320, seen at Harringay Park Junction. The scene’s changed completely. The semaphores and signalbox have gone and the lines been fitted with 25kv overhead electrification.On the 18th May 2009 a pair of units in ful First Capital Connect livery with 317345 leading speed North through Alexandra Palace in North London with a service from Kings Cross.The world just before Covid shut it down. Unbranded but wearing Greater Anglia livery, 317340 is seen after its transfer to Transport for London working a service through Hackney Downs on the 11th March 2020. The last of the original batch of 317/1s No 317348 crosses the Walthamstow marshes with a service bound for Cambridge on the 6th March 2003. The unit was still sporting NSE livery but with the addition of the WAGN triangle logo. 317360 from the second batch of 317s seen at Hornsey on the 25th February 1997, still sporting NSE livery. The unit had run ECS from Kings Cross and was about to cross the flyover in order to gain entry to Hornsey depot. A sunny day in London on the 13th May 1995 as NSE branded 317370 heads through Hackney Downs with service to Cambridge.London doesn’t see much snow compared to the rest of the UK, but here’s WAGN liveried 317653 passing through Alexandra Palace on a snowy 31st January 2003. At Bishops Stortford on the 19th May 2015 as 317668 sits on the rear of a service to Liverpool St. The unit’s carrying Abellio Greater Anglia branding. Towards the end of days and just before Covid changed the world, a pair of 317/2s pass just outside Hackney Downs station on the 11th March 2020. On the same say as the picture of 317348 (6th March 2003) WAGN liveried 317661 crosses the embankment above the Walthamstow Marshes with a service inbound to Liverpool St.Inside Ilford depot on the 13th March 2007 with 317511 in full ‘ONE’ livery plus 317722 and 708 showing off the front end modifications and new windowframes they received as part of their refurbishment for ‘Stansted Express’ duties. 317501 is seen in Abellio ‘Greater Anglia’ livery at Cambridge on the 8th August 2017.A few years earlier on the 9th April 2015 317502 is seen at Hackney Downs sporting National Express livery but with Abellio branding. Four years earlier on the 17th May 2011 317508 carrying full National Express branding sits at a virtually unrecognisable Stratford station. Note the original metal hopper windows the unit carried from new that were replaced on refurbished units. Fresh from its conversion and rebuild at Wolverton works 317708 eases on to Hornsey depot, seen from Harringay station on the 7th August 2000. The difference in windows from the previous picture is noticeable. Displaced from Stansted services, transferred to London Overground and repainted into their livery. 317710 leaves the sidings at Chingford on the 3rd June 2016.All three varieties of 317 seen at Liverpool St on the 6th June 2011. 317/2 317666 with a rebuilt 317/1 renumbered 317723 and original condition 317/1 number 317882 wearing Stansted Express branding. On the 21st September 2009 317884 calls at Bethnal Green. The unit’s base livery is the old ‘ONE’ livery with the addition of a white stripe and Stansted Express branding within it. Another year, another view of Bethnal Green. This time it’s the 11th March 2020 and 317886 is seen descending the bank to Liverpool St bringing up the rear of a London Overground service.Here’s a look at the interior of a 317 at Ilford on the 13th March 2007. The unit’s had it’s original metal hopper windows replaced and acquired a Passenger Information System (see the screen on the roof) but it retains the original 3+2 seats.This is the refurbished interior of Stansted Express unit 317723 seen on the 5th March 2005. It’s a far superior layout to the original set-up and has the luxury of having 2=2 searing – and tables!
Personally, I never really liked the Class 317s. The high windows with their metal hoppers made the units feel claustrophobic and the lack of tables was bizarre considering that they operated medium distance services. But, they provided the railways with 100mph capacity and served it well on a variety of routes over the years. I hope to have one last trip on them over the next few weeks before they enter the history books.
If you’d like to browse (or buy) other pictures of Class 317s you can find them on my Zenfolio website in the following Galleries.
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
At the time of writing, just 8 units of the 61 old BR built Class 315 4-car EMUs constructed at York between 1980-81 remain in service. Operated by Transport for London (TfL), they’re used during the Monday-Friday peaks on one of the routes they were originally built for – Liverpool St to Shenfield. After a career of over 40 years their task of moving people in and out of the capital is finally drawing to a close. The 315s were the last of several fleets (313, 314, 507 and 508 were the others) totalling 755 vehicles based on the 1970s ‘PEP’ test trains. BR then moved on to vehicles based on the Mk3 coach bodyshell, starting with the Class 317 EMUs.
Over their career they’ve worked for several different operators. BR first, then at the advent of privatisation the fleet was taken over by Eversholt Rail and leased to West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) who had 18 units (315844 – 861) based at Hornsey in North London and First Great Eastern who had 43 units (315801-843) based at Ilford in East London. Both franchises used the units exclusively on services from Liverpool St.
Franchises changes in 2004 saw the entire fleet come together again at Ilford depot under the banner of National Express East Anglia which originally named the franchise ‘ONE’. The 315s began to emerge in their distinctive livery which lasted until 2008 when the ‘ONE’ name was dropped. NXEA lasted until February 2012 when operations (and the 315s) were taken over by Abellio Greater Anglia (AGA). Committed to total fleet replacement, this was the writing on the wall for the 315s.
The next change for the fleet was in May 2015 when TfL Rail took over operations of AGA’s metro operations on the Liverpool St – Shenfield line prior to this being incorporated into Crossrail. They also took over the services to Cheshunt, Enfield Town, Chingford and the Romford – Upminster branch. This meant all the 315s moved to TfL control with the first 17 units being allocated to London Overground and the rest to TfL rail. Another repaint into London Overground livery followed.
The last London Overground 315 ran on October 21st 2020 as the fleet was displaced by new Class 710 ‘Aventra’ trains built by Bombardier. Their sisters, the longer 345s continued the job on the Liverpool St-Shenfield services, leaving just the aforementioned 8 Class 315s in service at the present time.
Here’s a look at the 315s over their time in traffic. With a fleet of 61 I’m not going to illustrate every one but give you a snapshot of their lives and times instead.
On the 21st September 2009 the first of the class 315801 in NXEA livery passes the DLR station at Pudding Mill Lane whilst in the background one of the 2012 Olympic stadiums takes shape. This scene’s unrecognisable now and the picture impossible to replicate as the DLR station’s disappeared to make way for Crossrail and the skyline’s much changed due to the Olympics. Accidents happen! On the 6th January 2008 315805 came to grief on the approaches to Hackney Downs station where a set of points appear to have moved underneath the leading vehicle, leaving it trying to arrive into two platforms at the same time! It’s the 17th May 2002 and 315806 in First Great Eastern livery is sat at the end of the branch line from Romford at Upminster whilst working the shuttle service between the two locations. Forward to the 3rd June 2016 when Overground liveried 315808 arrives at Chingford, passing sisters 315814 and 817 stabled in the carriage sidings until the peak.On the same day as the above, Overground liveried 315811 calls at a busy Walthamstow Central station, which is an interchange with (and terminus of) the Victoria Line tube.Here’s another scene that’s vanished forever. Stratford station on the 29th July 1990 with NSE liveried 315814 disgorges passengers at the old platform 9 before heading for Liverpool St. Nothing in this picture (apart from the tower block in the background) survives today. Only four Class 315s ever carried names. Here’s 315817 sporting the nameplate ‘Transport for London’ on the rear vehicle passes the redundant signalbox at Hertford East on the 1st May 2015 It’s the 18th February 2010 and 315818 sits in Platform 2 at Liverpool St with a service to Enfield. FGE liveried 315821 calls at Romford with the 14.38 to Shenfield on the 18th January 2001. On the 1st August 2012 NXEA liveried 315828 is seen leaving Liverpool St from an express heading in the opposite direction – not a shot you can take anymore now the MK3s with their droplight windows have vanished from the route.On the 9th April 2015 a pair of 315s with 834 at the rear pull out of Enfield Town heading for Liverpool St. The transition in liveries is evident, with the leading set in Overground colours whilst 834 has yet yet to be repainted.Not a view you normally get to see (I was there with permission from Network Rail). Here’s 315836 seen leading a service out of Liverpool St on the 9th September 2008. At the opposite end of the route to the last picture, here’s FGE liveried 315839 pulling out of Shenfield on its way back to Liverpool St on the 13th January 2005. It’s the 13th March 2007 and ‘ONE’ liveried 315841 is seen approaching Brentwood with a Shenfield – Liverpool St Service.
On the 28th March 2002 315844 calls at the single platform station at Ware, Hertfordshire on its way to the end of the line at Hertford East.
On the same day at the end of the line, 315854 waits to return to London as the 12.:23 to Liverpool St. The unit’s in pure white livery, even the doors are the same colour which was hardly an aid to the partially sighted! Not that this was in the days before the station was resignalled and rationalised, hence the fact the centre road run-round loop still exits. On the 11th June 2000 a WAGN service from Enfield is off the beaten track due to engineering work. NSE liveried 315856 is seen at South Tottenham taking the long way round to get to Liverpool St. Over the years some 315s appeared in a variety of special vinyl liveries/branding. Here’s 315858 at Bethnal Green on the 2nd March 2005 sporting a Network Rail anti trespass message.Here’s Bethnal Green on the 27th July 2004 as the last of the class (315861) sporting the former WAGN livery calls at the station en-route to Liverpool St.
The interiors of the 315s changed little over the years although the units were refurbished a number of times they retained their low-backed seating. Here’s the refurbished interior of 315857 on the 19th March 2008.A decade later on the 14th November 2018 this is how the interior of 315843 looked.
Four of the class carried names. Unit 817 was ‘Transport for London’. 829 was ‘London Borough of Havering Celebrating 40 years’. 845 was named ‘Herbie Woodward’ and 857 became ‘Stratford Connections’.
315845 was named after Ilford fitter Herbie Woodward on the13th March 2007. Here’s the unit – and the man himself!The nameplate on 315857 seen on the 18th March 2008.
You can brows (or buy) many more photographs of the 315s in these galleries.
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Following on from part 1 I’ve completely skipped the logical path of documenting the Class 455/8s – for two reasons. One is that the fleet is split between SWR and Southern and the other is that this is the fleet that’s also the last that’s going to go! Instead, I’m concentrating on the 20 strong Class 455/9 fleet that all work on SWR and are based at Wimbledon Park depot.
The 455/9s were built at York works in 1985. They were identical to the earlier 455/7s apart from the fact they didn’t use recycled class 508 TSO trailers and were built as brand-new 4-car units. That said, set 5912 has a TSO formerly part of the prototype Class 210 DEMU (picture later) and set 5913 (now stored) had a MSO which was rebuilt from another former class 210 vehicle after the original was written off by a cement-mixer which fell off a bridge and crushed it at Oxshott in November 2010.
Just four years old, first in class No 5901 in original BR livery and condition leaves Vauxhall and heads for Clapham Junction on the 26th November 1989. 5902 arrives at Kingston-upon-Thames on the 3rd March 2010. Approaching Clapham Junction on the 30th December 2021 is 5903, paired with a 455/7 unit. A picture that illustrates the front end difference between the earlier 455/8’s and later 455/9s. Here’s5855 keeping 5904 company at Waterloo on the 3rd January 2018. Inside Wimbledon Park depot on the 20th May 2015 where 5905 is receiving fitters attention. On the same day as the previous picture and a few miles down the road from the depot 5906 and 5871 head for Waterloo wit a service from Guildford. A sight that will soon be gone forever. A trio of 455s 5907, 5911 and 5912 wait at Waterloo with services to Guildford and (in the case of 5912) Hampton Court on the 30th June 2011. On a wet 3rd April in 2018 5908 arrives at Guildford on the rear of a working from Waterloo. 5909 passes Wimbledon depot (and 5706 heading in the opposite direction) whilst working a service from Waterloo to Hampton Court on the 20th May 2015. Forward to the 27th January 2022 and 5910 is pictured at Waterloo after arriving from Woking. At Guildford London Rd station on the 24th April 2014 5911 arrives with a service to Waterloo via Surbiton. Sporting the old Stagecoach livery, set 5912 leads a service for Chessington South past Wimbledon on the 12th January 2005. 5913 calls at Clapham Junction on the 28th July 2015. This unit’s one of the early casualties and has already been taken out of service and stored. Back at Waterloo on the 27th January 2022 where 5914’s seen waiting to depart platform 2 with a service to Hampton Court. The 8th January 2022 was a day of torrential rain across the South-East and the aftermath can be seen in this view of Epsom, where 5915 leads 5851 whilst working, 2D43 the 1553 London Waterloo to Effingham Junction.Back at Clapham Junction on the 27th January 2022 as 5916 leads a Waterloo – Woking service.It’s the 8th September 2009 and set 5917 leads a service out of Waterloo station and across the complicated switches and crossings that make up the station throat. 20th May 2015 was a good day for capturing shots of 455s around Wimbledon. In this view 5918 brings up the rear of a service from Waterloo along with 5733 as it passes the Sutton branch to the left and the severed remains of the M&EE engineers siding. Clapham Junction on the 27th January 2022 again with 5919 arriving on the rear of a service from Dorking. It’s the 31st August 2021 and the last built Class 455 calls at Clapham Junction whilst working a service to Guildford.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
*update* – the final pictures were added on the 2nd February. You can now find all 43 units plus internal shots of the SWT refurbishment.
The first part of this trilogy is featuring the 43 Class 455/7s which were built by BREL at York between 1984-85. Whilst they weren’t the first series to be built, they’re one of the fleets that’s already being withdrawn as several sets have already been taken out of service. They’re unique amongst the class in that they were built as 3-car sets but made up to 4-car by the addition of redundant but nearly new trailer cars from Class 508 EMUs which were transferred to Merseyside as 3-cars sets.
This makes the 455/7s easy to recognise as the Class 508 vehicles are a completely different design and construction with a very different roof profile. The front end of these units differs from their earlier siblings as they were built without the redundant headcode boxes which was a feature of the first sets (just as they were on the 1981 built 25kv Class 317s). The 7’s also featured a revised light cluster with the air-horns being moved to a different position.
All 43 trains were allocated to the SW Divison of BR where they’ve remained ever since. Latterly working for South-west trains and finally South-Western Railway who ordered new units to replace them back in 2017. That replacements been delayed for several years but the inevitable has started to happen.
I’m fortunate in that I’ve been photographing these trains for over 30 years and have a record of each member of the class. I’ll add them all to this blog eventually when time permits but for now these are the edited highlights. I’ll put a header on the blog each time I add new pictures. You can find all my Class 455 pictures in three galleries on my Zenfolio website. 1. The BR gallery. 2. South-West Trains. 3. Southwestern Railway.
On the 17th October 2020 the leader of the Class calls at Clapham Junction with a service to Guildford via Surbiton. 5702 arrives at Dorking after working a service via Epsom on the 19th June 2013.Back in BR days now on the 6th June 1990 when NSE liveried 5703 was working services to Shepperton, seen here at Clapham Junction.Here’s 5704 in the company of a classmate passing Wimbledon depot on the 20th May 2015 whilst working a Waterloo to Guildford service. In August 2017 the Waterloo blockade to extend platforms 1-4 to 10 car lengths was happening. On the 8th of that month 5705 is seen leading a service into the terminus.On the same day as the previous picture 5706 is seen leaving the former Eurostar terminus at Waterloo with a service to Kingston upon Thames. It’s the 11th November 2013 and in glorious autumn sunlight 5707 approaches Vauxhall from Waterloo with a service to Woking. On the 8th September 2009 a pair of 455/7s with 5708 bringing up the rear arrive at London Waterloo. On the 27th January this year 5709 approaches Clapham Junction with an inbound service to Waterloo. Inside Wimbledon depot on the 22nd October 2013 where 5710 keeps company with 5918.Several years earlier on the 29th November 2006 5711 sits outside Wimbledon Park depot adjacent to the main line.Here’s Kingston on Thames on the 3rd March 2010 as 5712 arrives on a Waterloo to Shepperton service. Back at Wimbledon Park on the 8th September 2009 as 5713 passes with a service for Guildford via Cobham.It’s the 7th December 2021 and there’s steam in the air as an excursion approaches Clapham Junction whilst 5714 brings up the rear of a service heading for Waterloo.A different view of Wimbledon on the 17th April 2007 as 5715 leads a sister unit on a ‘Kingston rounder’.Back at Clapham Junction on the 21st December 2019 where 5716 is seen bringing up the rear of a Woking to Waterloo service.This time we’re at Epsom on the 29th June 2014 as 5717 calls at the station with a service from Waterloo to Dorking.Vauxhall again on the 13th November 2013 where 5718 is approaching the station from Waterloo with a service for Chessington South. Another, rather different view of Wimbledon as 5719 crosses the flyover next to the depot and passes 444032 heading for Portsmough.Between duties, 5720 sits alongside the shed at Clapham Junction on the 1st May 2019.Having been repainted into Network SouthEast livery in the early 1990s 5721 waits at Windsor and Eton Riverside with a service to Waterloo on the 19th June 1994.Guildford has been associated with the class all their working lives. Here’s 5722 sat at Platform 3 whilst working a Waterloo via Woking service on the 15th November 2015.Also seen at Guildford, this time on the 26th May 2012, is 5723 after arriving from Waterloo via Surbiton. Back at Clapham Junction on the 2nd November 2011 when 5724 was stabled in the yard in the company of a quartet of Siemens-built Class 450sLivery transition time as 5725 in the new SWT suburban red liver passes classmate 5717 which was still in the old Stagecoach white and blue with orange and red stripes. The date is the 9th May 2006. The changing scene at Guildford. 5726 departs on a service to Waterloo via Epsom on the 23rd April 2014, passing the relaying of stabling sidings which are being extended to take 10 car trains. Back in BR days 5727 sporting Network South-East livery callas at Clapham Junction with a Shepperton branch service.The footbridges West of Wimbledon station and the open vista provide a great location for open shots of South-Western suburban services. Here’s 5728 with a sister unit bringing up the rear of a Woking – Waterloo service on the 20th May 2015. Another shot from the Wimbledon footbridges but this time taken several years earlier on the 29th November 2006. 5729 and a 455/9 units head off into the autumn sunset…In this shot taken outside the shed at Clapham Junction 5730 is missing one of its driving trailers (77786) for reasons unknown. The unit’s sporting the earlier Stagecoach livery. The date is the 26th January 2001.Back at Wimbledon on the 5th of September 2011 when the switches and crossings underneath the train were still awaiting renewal (see later pictures for afterwards). Here’s 5731 in multiple with a 455/9 set whilst working a service to Woking. Framed by the lighting towers at Wimbledon Park depot unit 5732 is being shunted into the stabling sidings on the bright autumn day. The 29th November 2006 in fact.On the same day in November 5733 sits inside Wimbledon Park awaiting attention. Back at the Wimbledon footbridges on the 20th May 2015 and the track renewal has taken place. Meanwhile 5734 and a pair of class 456s with 456004 leading work a Waterloo – bound service from Guildford.Journey’s end. 5735 unloads its passengers at Waterloo on the 20th February 2015. With a skyline full of cranes as the Battersea Power station redevelopment is on full swing, 5736 brings up the rear of a Waterloo bound service at Clapham Junction. This vista has changed out of all recognition in the past decade as London’s skyline has become defined by new high-rise and landmark buildings. The date is the 19th May 2018.A brace of 455/7s with 5737 pull out of platform 1 (The Cobham bay) at Guildford on their return to London via Epsom on the 23rd April 2014. Another of those photographs that show how much London’s skyline has changed in a decade. Compare this view from the 2nd November 2011 when 5738 was heading for Waterloo past a brace of SWT Class 159 with this shot (link) taken in 2021. On the 3rd April 2005, 5739 sporting Stagecoach livery approaches Raynes Park with a service for Chessington South.It’s back at my old favourite, the footbridges West of Wimbledon station! Here’s 5740 bringing up the rear of a Shepperton branch service bound for Waterloo on the 5th September 2011. It’s the 5th July 2017 and 5741 calls at Strawberry Hill, the home of the Southern Electric Traction Group and the last remaining 4-VEP. 3417. Wimbledon once more for our penultimate 455/7. 5742 passes the depot with a Guildford via Surbiton service on the 4th October 2006.And finally! Renumbered out of sequence as 5750 this is really 5743. It was given the new number in may 1991 to celebrate Wimbledon depot obtaining BS5750 quality services accreditation. It’s seem here on the 3rd July 2006.
For those who may have never travelled on the 455/7s, here’s a few internal shots showing how they looked after SWT has refurnished the units between 2004-2008. The pictures show the interior of 5735, taken in July 2006.
Vehicle 77795, one of the driving trailers.A great improvement over the BR design (and Southern units which don’t have the modification) was that the sliding doors were altered so they opened wider. The interior of trailer 71563. The roof line and vestibule area immediately give this away as one of the former Class 508 vehicles, in this case 62817.Driving trailer 77796.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at the 455/7s. The rest of the series will follow, but I can’t promise I’ll be posting individual pictures of all 74 Class 455/8s!
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It’s been a busy week here at Bigland Towers. Despite the sunny weather I’ve been stuck indoors trying to catch up on paperwork, deal with picture requests from clients whilst continuing with decluttering – and scanning old slides. But now I’m getting itchy feet. The good weather is forecast to be around for a few more days so tomorrow I intend to get out with the camera in order to document more of the changing face of the railways. That’s getting harder to do as the Government and Dept of Transport cut many rail services from the timetable from Monday. An example is Manchester – Euston which has gone from three to one train an hour. All this just as it seems that Covid cases have peaked and are in decline, although the data is too fresh to draw firm conclusions. Mind you, with the political shambles we’re seeing at the moment I’m not expecting anything better. We have a Transport Minister who’s still trying to pretend his widely-derided (dis)Integrated Rail Plan is the best thing since sliced bread and castigates its critics, whilst everyone else outside of his Westminster bubble knows it’s a lemon. The railways are having an unhappy time of things at the moment due to a complete lack of direction and the feeling that the only people in charge are the bean-counters in the Treasury – the people who are the living embodiment of the old phrase about knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Still, I’m looking forward to escaping the confines of the Calder Valley for a while, just to remind myself what the wider world looks like again. No doubt there’ll be a rolling blog appearing…
In the meantime, here’s the picture of the day selected from my latest batch of old slide scans taken in 1996. A lot’s changed over the past few years, but these standing stones at Avebury in Wiltshire have seen millennia come and go. After all, many of them have been standing since 2900 BC!
Sadly, I can’t see myself making it to Wiltshire tomorrow, but I hope I can keep you entertained with tales from somewhere less ancient…
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There’s not much of a blog from me today. It’s not been a vintage day and the weather here in the Calder Valley’s been miserable. We’ve been buried in dank and dismal fog all day with visibility down to just a few hundred metres. I did my best to keep occupied with a spot of gardening and stretched my legs by going shopping for tonight’s home-cooked meal (Parsi prawns, which I haven’t cooked for ages) but otherwise much of my day has been spent building up an archive of fresh slide scans which will give me something to do during down time at Christmas. My plan to have all all the old slides scanned by the end of the year proved optimistic. I’ve still several thousand left to do, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Barring some unknown cataclysm such as the end of the Earth I will have the project finished in 2022 – just don’t ask me *when* in 2022! I’ve finished all the shots from my Bali trip in 1994 and 1995 and moved on to a series of UK travel shots from the summer of 1995. Here’s one of them supplying the picture of the day…
Easter 1995 saw Lynn and I join a couple of our North London neighbours who were walking the whole of the Ridgeway. We joined them for the last leg to the amazing village of Avebury in Wiltshire. This tiny village is built in the middle of a prehistoric stone circle which is surrounded by a massive ditch, but it’s not the only prehistoric site in the area, just a few miles down the road is Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow. This is where today’s picture was taken, on the 1st April 1995…
Silbury Hill framed by some of the stones that form the outside of West Kennet Long Barrow.
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The pair of us are having a local but active day here at Bigland Towers. Dawn’s been busy baking, experimenting with some cake and cookie recipies whilst I’ve been occupied in the office. I had a phone call on Friday afternoon that’s completely changed my plans for next week as it involves some commissions and COP26 so trips to Scotland beckon. Meanwhile, I’ve some articles to pen before I do, which means the week ahead’s going to be hectic.
As if that wasn’t enough, I’ve been trying to keep up the momentum on scanning old slides, which leads to today’s little picture story.
The latest batch of slides were taken in 1994 when I was working as a Housing Officer in Bow, East London. Having left my previous housing job in nearby Poplar (where I lived) to spend a year travelling solo in SE Asia I applied for a job with Bow neighbourhood, was accepted and offered a position as Housing Officer on the Lefevre Estate. The name sounded far better than the reality. The Estate consisted of a series of brutalist 1970s deck access maisonettes linked together by walkways. Our office, located on the estate, wasn’t much better. Even so, I really enjoyed working there. When I accepted the job I’d been told that the estate was due to be transferred to a new Government quango called a Housing Action Trust (HAT), one of only 5 in the country. This would manage the complete redevelopment of the estate and 2 others adjacent. I had the option of staying with the council and being transferred to another housing job on another estate or being TUPE’d across to the HAT when it was established. Being adventurous and liking what the embryonic HAT Management team told me about what to expect and the opportunities to broaden my skills that would be on offer, I decided to sign up.
This meant that I stayed on the HAT estates for the rest of my housing career. A decision I never regretted although I’d no idea at that time what my future career looked like. I could write a book about those times, but that’s not the purpose of this blog. Instead, I’m going to talk about something else – one of the railways of that part of the East End and the changing face of London.
Our office on Lefevre Walk backed onto what had been a scrapyard, but before that it had been a railway. The North London Railway. It had been a Southerly branch from what’s still the North London Line (now the Overground) running through Old Ford, Poplar and Bow down to the London docks. I moved to East London in 1986 so never knew this line when it was open as it had closed a couple of years before. In those last days it had been a freight only line although I could still see the remains of some of the old stations like Bow Rd which had all closed in 1944 due to enemy action.
Sadly, I never researched the route by getting any books on the NLR. Nowadays it’s so easy just to look stuff up on the internet, but not in 1994. So, whilst I knew that the old scrapyard outside my office window (known as Yallop’s Yard) had been an old railway goods yard I never knew at the time there’d been an old railway station on part of the site. In some ways that’s not too surprising. The area looked completely different as in the 1970s an urban motorway (the A102M) had cut a swathe through the old factories and homes in the Lea Valley. Here’s some of the pictures I took in 1994, then I’ll link to something that shows you how it used to look even earlier. To say you wouldn’t recognise it now is an understatement. I don’t recognise the 1950s photos. Today, if you visited the area, you wouldn’t recognise it from my 1994 pictures either!
The Lefevre walk estate in April 1994 with my old office in the centre. The old railway yard is behind with the A102M beyond. After that is the canal with the London Borough of Newham beyond. When the estate was built no-one even tried to give the blocks pretty names, they just had letters. So some people lived in H Block. Nice! Sadly, time has dimmed the memory, so I can’t remember which blocks you can see here. Everything you see is gone now – apart from the urban motorway! The area to the right beyond looks very different now – that’s because it became the 2012 Olympic park. Who would have thought back then…Looking South from the corner of the block you can see in the previous picture. My old office is in the bottom right and the route of the North London Railway and Old Ford goods yard can be seen to the left. The Tower blocks beyond are in Poplar and were built on old NLR railway land. The edifice in the middle is the old Bryant and May match works which was then being converted into apartments. Just behind it is the Great Eastern Main Line with Stratford to your left. The match factory has an important part in social history due to the match girls strike. The goods yard and the route of the NLR are now buried under new homes. The road you see going off into the horizon to the right of the match works is Fairfield Rd. It used to take me 15 minutes to walk to work along it. Happy days!
Here’s a zoom shot showing the course of the North London Railway heading South. The first bridge is where the Great Eastern main line crosses. The second is the link from the GEML at Bow junction to the former London Tilbury and Southend line to Fenchurch St at Gas Factory Junction. The NLR route had been converted into a linear park several years previously (at considerable expense) but was now being taken for housing as London’s population – which had been shrinking since World War 2 was suddenly expanding again. See the red roofed building below the tower blocks? If you look to the right you can just make out the platforms of Bow Rd DLR station.
Here’s a view of the Old Ford Goods yard and station site taken in October 1994 when the contaminated soil had been removed – hence the lakes! The former railway station was situated on the extreme right of the picture with the lines running along the base of the concrete wall. Behind is the wall of maisonettes that made up part of the Lefevre Walk estate. This next shot was taken in September 1994 from the top floor of one of the blocks you see above. A footbridge has replaced the original old Ford Road. The hoarding underneath it is the site of Old Ford Station. The remains of the North London Line trackbed can be seen as the green strip along the edge of the A102M.
Nowadays, with the advent of the internet, it’s easy to research images of what they area used to look like. The excellent ‘Disused stations’ website has the history of the railway and also some old pictures of the station and area. Even I was surprised by how the place used to look! Here’s a link to a look at a long-vanished part of London’s East End.
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The weather forecast for Shropshire was lousy today. It claimed we’d be awash with rain, so we’d planned accordingly and arranged a couple of indoor visits. After a leisurely start to the day that involved lots of coffee and a healthy breakfast of porridge, blueberry compote and toasted coconut flakes we drove off to our first assignment – a visit to the Royal Airforce Museum at Cosford. For anyone interested in aircraft it’s an amazing place packed full of aircraft right through from World War 1 Sopwith Pups right to prototype Eurofighters – with lots more in between. The aircraft and other exhibits are spread over several halls, most of which are old aircraft hangers but the building dedicated to telling the story of the ‘cold war’ is a custom-built structure and a great exhibition space. Due to Covid rules we were encouraged to pre-book and register for add-ons like the 4D ‘Red Arrows’ experience, where you feel like you’re in the cockpit of one of the planes flying in their famous displays. The museum was quiet when we visited so we had the 4D experience (which costs £5 apiece) to ourselves. The pair of us found the museum so interesting we ended up spending several hours there, from 11:00 until after 14:30. Admittedly, we did take a coffee break in the cafe in-between halls!
An English Electric ‘Lightning’ interceptor aircraft on display in the ‘Cold War’ building. The Mach 2 Lightning was in service with the RAF from 1960 until 1988. It was designed to protect the RAF’s nuclear deterrent ‘V-Bomber’ airfields from Russian bomber aircraft. It’s displayed like this in homage to its incredible rate of climb capability which led to the nickname pilots gave it – the ‘Frightening’. This is the British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 strike and reconnaissance aircraft, one of only two ever built before the programme was cancelled back in 1965. The decision was controversial with some people maintaining this was the best aircraft we never built. Here’s the Sikorsky S-65/HH-53C ‘Super Jolly Green Giant’ helicopter which was converted for special operations – hence the rotary cannon sticking out of the side behind the cockpit!
On leaving we drove back to our next appointment which was in Shrewsbury where we’d booked to see the new James Bond film “No time to Die”. At 2 hours 40 it’s hardly a short film but to be honest, the time flew by! It’s a blockbuster of a film with a real twist that I won’t reveal but fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed by the action scenes, chases, locations or gadgets. Daniel Craig’s as excellent as ever. Personally, I’d have to say he’s been my favourite Bond since Sean Connery started the ball rolling.
Now we’re relaxing at ‘home’ with a drink after scoffing a home-made veggie noodle stir-fry. Tomorrow the weathers meant to change once more so we’ll be back outdoors. The plan is to spend much of the day walking on the Long Mynd at Church Stretton, which is a wonderful bit of countryside. Watch this space…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
There’s not been much relaxing today. We were up early as we had a full day planned in order to beat the weather as the forecast wasn’t great. We really wanted to get some walking in so as soon as we were ready we drove over to Church Stretton, a place I’ve not visited since 2003 and that Dawn’s never visited. Our mission was to climb Caer Caradoc, a 459m tall hill (and old hill fort) to the East of the town. Despite the weather it was a glorious walk, the views from the top are superb. Plus, you get to see what weather front you’re likely to be facing, which in our case was heavy rain! So after enjoying the views and getting a selection of pictures we high-tailed it out of there! Here’s why…
Back at base we sheltered in the car before driving South to Ludlow in torrential rain. Mercifully, the downpour eased after we arrived leaving us free to explore the town which is an architectural gem. It also has more drunken buildings than I think I’ve seen in any English city.
Paul Bigland 