9th January 1971

Southern Electric Group
2BIL Farewell

EMU's Used 2BIL" 2016, 2024, 2034, 2112, "2HAL" 2603, "4SUB" 4693

Route : 1Z10 throughout

EMU's Route
2024+2112+2016 Wimbledon (LT bay) - East Putney - Clapham Junction - Longhedge Jn - Factory Jn - Brixton - Herne Hill - Tulse Hill - West Norwood - Crystal Palace - Sydenham - New Cross Gate - London Bridge - Metropolitan Junction - London Blackfriars
2016+2112+2024 London Blackfriars - Elephant & Castle - Herne Hill - Tulse Hill - Streatham - Streatham Common - Selhurst  Gloucester Road emergency spur - West Croydon - Waddon Marsh - Mitcham Junction - Merton Park - Wimbledon
2016+2024+4693 Wimbledon - Worcester Park - Epsom - Leatherhead - Effingham Junction - Guildford
2016+2024+4693 Guildford - Ash - Aldershot - Alton
2016+2024+4693 Alton - Aldershot - Ash Vale - Brookwood - Woking - Byfleet - Chertsey - Staines Central - Brentford Central - Clapham Junction - Longhedge Jn - Stewarts Lane - London Victoria (E)
2024 + 2016 + 2603 + 2034 London Victoria (E) - Stewarts Lane - Longhedge Jn - Clapham Junction - Selhurst - Norwood Junction - New Cross Gate - London Bridge (SE LL platform)
2024 + 2016 + 2603 + 2034 London Bridge (SE LL platform) - New Cross - Parks Bridge Jn - Grove Park - Chislehurst - St. Mary Cray - Swanley - Sole Street - Gillingham
2024 + 2016 + 2603 + 2034 Gillingham - Strood
2024 + 2016 + 2603 + 2034 Strood - Maidstone West - Paddock Wood
2024 + 2016 + 2603 + 2034 Paddock Wood - Maidstone West - Strood - Gravesend Central - Dartford - Bexleyheath - Blackheath - Lewisham - Nunhead - Brixton - Stewarts Lane - London Victoria

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)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Wimbledon [P4] 09.27d 09.27
2.66 East Putney 09/33 09/35
3.37 Point Pleasant Jn 09/36 FL 09.37 ~ 09.37½
4.52 Clapham Junction 09.39a ~ 09.40d 09.41½ ~ 09.43
5.58 Longhedge Jn 09/43 09/47
6.23 Factory Jn 09*46a ~ 09*56d 09/48
7.66 Brixton 09/59½ 09/51
8.47 Herne Hill 10.01a ~ 10.02½ 09.54 ~ 09.54½
9.53 Tulse Hill 10/05 09/58½
10.27 West Norwood 10/07½ 10/01
12.12 Crystal Palace 10/11½ 10/06½
13.24 Sydenham 10/14½ TL 10/11
14/14 Forest Hill 10/16½ 10/13
16.70 New Cross Gate 10/20 10/16½
17.44 Bricklayers Arms Jn 10/21 10/17½
19.57 London Bridge 10.24½a ~ 10.25d 10.22 ~ 10.24
19.73 Borough Market Jn 10/26 10.26a ~ 10.27d
20.15 Metropolitan Jn 10/26½ 10.27½ ~ 10.27½
20.79 Blackfriars 10.30a ~ 10.34d 10.31½ ~ 10.37
24.17 Loughborough Jn 10/43 10/45
25.07 Herne Hill 10/48 10/47
26.13 Tulse Hill 10/51 10/50
27.54 Streatham 10/55 10/53
28.21 Streatham Common 10/57 10/55½
31.05 Selhurst 11/03 EMER 11/03
32.20 West Croydon 11.06½ ~ 11.07 11.06 ~ 11.07
33.34 Waddon Marsh Halt 11x10a ~ 11x17d 11.10 ~ 11.17
34.57 Beddington Lane Halt 11.19½ ~ 11.20 11.19½ ~ 11.22
35.34 Mitcham Junction 11.21½ ~ 11.22 11/24
36.11 Mitcham 11.23½ ~ 11.24 11/26
37.64 Merton Park 11.26½ ~ 11.27 11.29½ ~ 11.30
38.42 Wimbledon 11.31a y 11.51d 11.32 ~ 12.40
39.75 Raynes Park 11/54 12/43
45.44 Epsom 12/03 12/54½
49.30 Leatherhead 12/10 13/04
51.73 Bookham 12p15a ~ 12p29d 13/08
53.48 Effingham Junction 12/33 13/11
62.28 Guildford 12.47a ~ 12.57d 13.22 ~ 13.36
68.51 Ash 13/07 13/48
69.76 Aldershot North Jn 13/09½ 13/51
71.36 Aldershot 13/12 13/53½
74.41 Farnham 13/20 13/58
83.21 Alson 13.32a ~ 13.39d 14.09 ~ 14.13½
92.01 Farnham 13/50 14/25
95.06 Ash Vale 13/58 14/32½
102.10 Brookwood 14/05 FL 14/38 SL
105.28 Woking Jn 14/10 14/41
109.67 Byfleet Jn 14/16 14/45½
110.59 Addlestone Jn 14/18 14/47
115.51 Virginia Water 14/27 14/55
119.65 Staines Central 14/34 15/02
125.34 Feltham Jn 14/41 15/08½
126.33 Hounslow 14/42½ 15/10½
132.70 Barnes 14/52 FL 15/17 SL
136.03 Clapham Junction 14.57a ~ 14.59d 15.26 ~ 15.27d
137.09 Longhedge Jn 15/03 15/30½
137.39 Stewarts Lane 15/04 15/31
138.76 Victoria (E) 15.09a ~ 15.24d 15.35½a ~ 15.55
139.69 Battersea Pier Jn 15/27 15/57
140.33 Stewarts Lane 15/29 15/59
140.63 Longhedge Jn 15/31½ 16/00
141.15 Pouparts Jn 15/33 TL 16.00½a ~ 16.01½d
141.69 Clapham Junction 15.36½a ~ 15.37d 16/04
144.11 Balham Jn 15/40½ 16/08 LL
145.66 Streatham Jn 15/42 16/10
149.51 Thornton Heath 15/45½ LL 16/13
150.29 Selhurst 15/47½ 16/14
151.37 Norwood Junction 15/49½ LL 16/16½
154.44 Forest Hill 15/52½ 16/28½
157.20 New Cross Gate 15/55 16/31
157.74 Bricklayers Arms Jn 15/56 TL 15/56 LL
160.07 London Bridge (LL) 16.00a ~ 16.04d 16.35½ ~ 16.42
161.08 Spa Road Jn 16/06 16/44
162.42 North Kent East Jn 16/08 16/48½
164.31 Parks Bridge Jn 16/11 16/51½
165.33 Hither Green 16/12½ 16/53
169.37 Chislehurst 16/18½ 16/58
170.14 St Mary Cray Jn 16/19½ 17.00a ~ 17.00d
174.42 Swanley 16/24½ 17/06½
184.02 Sole Street 16/35½ 17/16
190.11 Rochester Bridge Jn 16/41½ 17/22
193.04 Gillingham 16.48a ~ 17.00d 17.29 ~ 17.39
195.77 Rochester Bridge Jn 16/41½ 17/22
196.21 Strood 17.09a ~ 17.15d 17.48 ~ 17.54
201.69 Snodland 17/27 18/01½
207.46 Maidstone West 17.39a ~ 17.49d 18/09
217.42 Paddock Wood 18.06a ~ 18.15d 18.24 ~ 18.39
227.38 Maidstone West 18.34a ~ 18.46d 18/52
233.15 Snodland 18.56a ~ 19.03d 19/06½
238.63 Strood 19.11½a ~ 19.12d 19.11½ ~ 19.14
245.79 Gravesend Central 19/24 19/23½
252.63 Dartford 19/34 19/33½
254.29 Crayford Creek Jn 19/36½ 19/39
260.52 Eltham Well Hall 19/49 19/47½
263.60 Lewisham 19/56 19/53
265.45 Nunhead 20/00 19/57
266.55 Cambria Jn 20/03 20/01
268.25 Brixton 20/04½ 20/04
270.04 Stewarts Lane 20/09½ 20/08
271.41 Victoria 20.16a 20.12

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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