9th January 1971

Southern Electric Group
2BIL Farewell

Route : 1Z10 throughout

Source : John Clifford (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by John Clifford)

This was a tour to mark the forthcoming end of the 2 BIL units which had worked on the Central & South Western divisions of the Southern since the 1930's. Apart from covering some of their old haunts we also travelled of some parts which they rarely visited. We left from platform 4 at Wimbledon, one normally used only by the Underground. Our first reversal was at Blackfriars from which I had travelled in a 2BIL a few years previously on 1749 Blackfriars - Streatham Hill (a good train to watch out for at the time since occasionally Streatham Hill shed would turn out something unusual).

2016 is seen here leading at Blackfriars (photo: Tom Burnham)

We covered the West Croydon - Wimbledon line (now part of the Croydon Tramlink) and had to get out at Wimbledon while the train reversed in Wimbledon Park Sidings. A fault had been discovered on 2112 so this had to be removed (all the more complicated since the unit was the middle one). BIL working had, by this time, ceased on the South Western so Wimbledon depot provided us with the only stock that they had which would work with our train, a 4SUB (4693). Our 20 minute wait on the platform at Wimbledon turned into one of over an hour.

We set off over a route which the BIL's had not normally covered to Guildford via Epsom and then to one they had to Alton via Aldershot. It was then back to Victoria via Hounslow where the 4SUB came off to be replaced by a further BIL (2034) & a HAL (2603). By this time the only BIL's & HAL's were based at Brighton & I think their workings were confined to the coastal routes from there. The Central division must have made a special effort to get them up to London - well done.

The HAL's were no strangers to the South Eastern and had worked on the division from Charing Cross & Victoria to Gillingham & Maidstone (both East & West) from electrification in the late 1930's until replaced by HAP's with phase 1 of the Kent Coast electrification 1959. BIL's were another matter. In all my spotting days at Bromley South I only ever saw BIL's working there twice.

We set off for Gillingham and (whisper it softly) reached 82 mph on the descent of Sole Street bank. The tour covered the route to Paddock Wood. This was extremely rare as being part of phase 2 of the Kent Coast electrification had only ever been worked by post 1959 stock. By dint of missing out the working stops we got back on time and reached Victoria a few minutes early.

BIL's & HAL's did have a few month's more work being withdrawn in July 1971. By this time they could be found mainly on the Brighton - West Worthing trains and there was also an odd Saturday afternoon train from Bognor to Littlehampton (1724, I think).

An excellent tour, despite the problem with the stock at Wimbledon.

These notes are written in April 2003 so I am relying on memory for part of them.

John Clifford

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford)

EMER – Via Gloucester Road emergency spur
FL – Fast line
LL – Local line
p – Photographic stop
SL – Slow line
TL – Through line
x – Cross train on single line
y – Shunt to Wimbledon South Sidings (arr. 1132)

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