Sunday August 7 2011 at 5.55 am. From Longmead over the humped-back bridge over the railway line by Ewell West station, past the duck pond and into the ...
Thanks.I have no interest in trains but that said i have been used to going
on slam doors all my life. You get used to your surrounding. Its a bit like
red phone boxes. You never noticed them when they were there but you soon
notice when they are missing. What makes places all over the world more
interesting is 'difference'. Thing that are unique to one particular
country. It could be architecture, or something as simple as a post box.
There was something so 'British' about those old trains.
@dauntz88 I agree to an extent, they were more reliable and certainly more
comfortable than the units that replaced them. However, they weren't really
suitable for the growing number of passengers using them - and, as Clapham
Junction and Cannon Street accidents demonstrated, they fell a long way
short of modern crash worthiness standards.
Lets be honest, from a passenger view, Electrostars are much better. Though
I did love my CEPs and CIGs, I hated the VEPs, due to the every door to
seating compartment. In the last clip, the noise the slammers made when
"idling" brought back some great memories of when I did the Margate
slammers. Thanks Oashmole!
In my view.. NOTHING beats a well maintained Mark 1 coach... sadly they
were so badly run down by Connex that everyone wanted something new by the
time electrostars arived. If it was not for the HSE.. we would still have
perfectly serviceable slam door stock running!
The only line they run on now is between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier,
the 2 units are in 3 car sets 421497 painted in BR Blue & Grey and 421498
painted in BR Green. plus soon there will be another running on the main
line which is being done up for railtour use.
@carlisleboyz the last slam door train ran on the branch last weekend
saturday 22nd May, with the 450 starting on the 23rd May, and the 158
starting on 24th May.