15th April 1995

S.E. / S.E.G.
End of an Era Railtour

EMU's Used 4-EPB's 5001 + 5176

Route : 1Z22 throughout

EMU's Used Route
as listed London Bridge - London Cannon Street
as listed London Cannon St - Metropolitan Jn - London Blackfriars
as listed London Blackfriars - Loughborough Jn - Brixton - Stewarts Lane Jn - London Victoria (Chatham Side)
as listed London Victoria - Stewarts Lane Jn - Longhedge Jn - Clapham Junction
as listed Clapham Junction - Longhedge Jn - Factory Jn - Crofton Road Jn - Nunhead - Lewisham - New Beckenham - Addiscombe
as listed Addiscombe - Woodside - New Beckenham
as listed New Beckenham - Beckenham Jn - Shortlands - Bickley - Petts Wood - Orpington - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge - Tonbridge Post Office Platform
as listed Tonbridge Post Office Platform - Tonbridge - Godstone - Redhill
as listed Redhill - Godstone - Tonbridge -Paddock Wood - Maidstone West - Aylesford - Strood - Rochester Bridge Jn - Gillingham - Sittingbourne
as listed Sittingbourne - Kemsley - Sheerness
as listed Sheerness - Kemsley - Western Jn - Newington - Gillingham - Strood - Gravesend - Dartford - Sidcup - Bromley North
as listed Bromley North - Grove Park - Hither Green - Lewisham - Nunhead - Cambria Jn - Linford Street Jn - Nine Elms Jn - London Waterloo
as listed London Waterloo - Nine Elms Jn - West London Jn - Latchmere Jn - Kensington Olympia
as listed Kensington Olympia - Latchmere Jn - Longhedge Jn - Factory Jn - Crofton Road Jn - Nunhead - Lewisham - Hither Green - Sidcup - Crayford Spur B - Crayford Creek Jn - Plumstead - Charlton - London Bridge - Waterloo East - London Charing Cross

Notes :
(1) W.R. (Bill) Lynch comments: As well as the last-ever passenger-carrying run of any EPB, the tour was claimed to have been the first and last time that EPBs traversed Tonbridge - Redhill, the Linford viaduct, West London Jn - Latchmere Jn and possibly other bits, although we were refused the international platforms at London Waterloo.  At one point on the Tonbridge to Redhill leg at speed there was a loud bang, attributed by some aboard to some sort of mismatch between the collector shoes and the newly electrified infrastructure, but progress was unaffected.

Sources : W.R. (Bill) Lynch (on the train throughout) & Alan Costello

Tour Review
(by Nick Ross)

The tour began with a fight for seats at London Bridge with me bagging coach 14002 in green 4 EPB 5001. All over blue 5176 completed the 'end of an era' consist. Our coach of an already 'full' tour was swelled by many pay on the day brigade so it was a 3 abreast wedge for the next 12 hours. with 20 'physical needs' breaks and a sociable atmosphere the wedge was soon forgotten. Our 0900 departure visited a closed Cannon Street, then Blackfriars and onwards to the atmospheric Addiscombe branch. The physical needs breaks took on a new dimension here with mass pissing in the undergrowth as the lack of toilet facilities at many SR stations saw much steam generated! From Orpington fast country running took us to rare EPB haunts like Redhill where 33202/47704/47705 were stabled between van turns. Fast running ensued to Strood, Sittingbourne, and Sheerness. Back at Bromley North the sun put in a late appearance and 5001/5176 looked really impressive on the long straight platform, every door open rush hour style. Leaving Waterloo we ran parallel and then overtook a departing Eurostar to everybody's amusement. Kensington Olympia was the last rare haunt for a 4EPB visited and the last steam stop of the day. After a last South London deviation and just 3 minutes down, we entered Charing X at 2023 for the last ever time, with sad farewells. A classic cranks day out, good fun and a sense of history as well.

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Costello & W.R. (Bill) Lynch)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 London Bridge 09.00d [DCSR] 08.59 [P2]
? Borough Market Jn 09/01 ?
0.57 Cannon Street 09.03a ~ 09.10d [P7] 09.02 ~ 09.10
1.19 Metropolitan Jn 09/12 ?
? Blackfriars Carr Road 09/14 ?
2.03 Blackfriars 09.16a ~ 09.22d [P1] [SL] 09.18 ~ 09.22
5.10 Lougborough Junction 09/27 ?
5.52 Canterbury Road Jn 09/28 ?
5.68 Brixton 09/30 ?
? Shepherds Lane Jn 09/31 [AL] ?
7.07 Voltaire Road Jn 09/32 ?
7.54 Stewarts Lane Jn 09/34 ?
8.19 Battersea Pier Jn 09/36 ?
9.10 Victoria 09.40a ~ 09.50d [P5] [FL] 09.42 ~ 09.55
10.09 Battersea Pier Jn 09/52 ?
10.46 Stewarts Lane Jn 09/54 [RVL] ?
10.76 Longhedge Jn 09/57 ?
12.04 Clapham Junction 10.00a ~ 10.10d 10.08 ~ 10.11 [P2]
13.12 Longhedge Jn 10/13 ?
13.51 Factory Jn 10/14 ?
13.75 Voltaire Road Jn 10/15 [AL] ?
14.78 Crofton Road Jn 10/18 ?
18.67 Nunhead 10/21 10/29
20.27 Lewisham 10/26 10/34
? Catford Bridge 10/29 ?
23.67 New Beckenham 10/31 ?
25.30 Elmers End 10/35 10/43
27.20 Addiscombe 10.40a ~ 10.55d [P2] 10.51 ~ 10.57
? Woodside 10p57a ~ 11p07d 10.59 ~ 11.07
29.10 Elmers End 11/10 ?
30.53 New Beckenham 11.13a ~ 11.21d 11.13 ~ 11.23
31.35 Beckenham Junction 11/24 ?
32.39 Shortlands Jn 11/26 ?
34.74 Bickley Jn 11/31 [DFV] ?
35.67 Petts Wood Jn 11/33 [FL] ?
37.24 Orpington 11.35a ~ 11.49d [P5] 11.35 ~ 11.49
45.48 Sevenoaks 11/59 ?
53.01 Tonbridge 12.09a ~ 12.17d [P2] 12.05 ~ 12.18
? Godstone 12/34 ?
72.57 Redhill 12.49a ~ 12.54d [P2] 12.50 ~ 12.56
? Godstone 13/00 ?
92.33 Tonbridge 13/17 13.20 ~ 13.22
97.56 Paddock Wood 13.30a ~ 13.48d 13.35 ~ 13.44
107.26 Maidstone West 14/03 ?
? Aylesford 14p08a ~ 14p24d 14.07 ~ 14.15
118.51 Strood 14.35a ~ 14.45d 14.33 ~ 14.44
118.74 Rochester Bridge Jn 14/47 ?
? No.1 Down Siding 14/48 ?
121.08 Gillingham 14.54a ~ 15.02d 14.56 ~ 15.03
129.72 Sittingbourne 15.10a ~ 15.18d [P3] 15.22 ~ 15.26
131.63 Kemsley 15/21 15/30
135.65 Queenborough 15.28 ~ 15.31 15/37
137.63 Sheerness 15.35a ~ 16.00d 15.42 ~ 16.02
139.59 Queenborough 16/04 ?
? Kemsley 16/12 ?
145.35 Western Jn 16/14 ?
? Newington 16p17a ~ 16p26d 16.21 ~ 16.27
153.31 Gillingham ??.??a ~ 16.36d 16.34 ~ 16.35
155.44 Rochester Bridge Jn 16/38 ?
155.67 Strood 16/40 ?
161.66 Gravesend 16/50 16/51
169.49 Dartford 17/03 17.04 ~ 17.05
169.76 Dartford Jn 17/04 ?
174.68 Sidcup 17/12 17/16
178.68 Lee 17/17 17/21
? Lee Spur Jn 17/19 ?
181.01 Grove Park 17/28 17/30
182.50 Bromley North 17.33a ~ 17.45d [P2] 17.38 ~ 17.47
184.19 Grove Park 17/51 [SL] 17.52 ~ 17.56
186.01 Hither Green 17/54 ?
186.48 Parks Bridge Jn 17/56 ?
187.07 Lewisham 17/58 18/02
188.73 Nunhead 18/05 18/07
191.00 Cambria Jn 18/09 ?
191.56 Brixton Jn 18/12 ?
192.29 Linford Street 18/15 ?
192.69 Nine Elms Jn 18/17 [RVL] ?
194.69 Waterloo 18.22a ~ 18.37d 18.31 ~ 18.43 [P15]
196.69 Nine Elms Jn 18/42 ?
198.05 West London Jn 18/44 ?
198.45 Latchmere Jn 18/46 ?
201.28 Kensington Olympia 18.58a ~ 19.06d 18.57 ~ 19.06
204.11 Latchmere Jn 19/09 ?
204.75 Longhedge Jn 19/12 ?
205.35 Factory Jn 19/14 ?
205.50 Voltaire Road Jn 19/15 [AL] ?
208.16 Crofton Road Jn 19/18 ?
209.26 Nunhead 19/21 ?
211.12 Lewisham 19/26 ?
211.51 Parks Bridge Jn 19/28 [SL] ?
212.31 Hither Green 19/30 ?
213.01 Lee 19/31 ?
217.08 Sidcup 19/38 ?
227.36 Crayford Spur B 19/42 ?
228.06 Crayford Creek Jn 19/44 ?
234.47 Plumstead 19/51 ?
237.04 Charlton 19/57 ?
240.23 North Kent East Jn 20/07 ?
241.57 Spa Road 20/09 ?
242.58 LOndon Bridge 20.13a ~ 20.14d ?
243.17 Metropolitan Jn 20/15 ?
243.67 Waterloo East 20.17a ~ 20.18d ?
244.48 Charing Cross 20.20a 20.24 [P5]


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