Veteran SR EMU's 4732+2090 at Ore. 10/05/86.
The SEG 'William the Conqueror' railtour ran as special 1Z26 the 07.15 Brighton to Brighton. The tour had an extensive itinerary taking in most of the electrified North London DC lines as well as the likes of the Mid Kent line to Hayes and other South London routes. To end the day it made an early evening run down the recently electrified Tonbridge to Hastings line two days ahead of the inaugural public service on the 12th before finally returning to Brighton via the East Coastway line. The tour was organised by the Southern Electric Group using NRM owned 2-BIL unit no.2090 and 4-SUB unit no.4732, by this date both units were very non standard as neither had EP brakes and only a limited number of drivers retained knowledge on them.
The units are seen running back into Ore from the carriage depot headshunt on the east side of the station before departing Ore at 19.02 for Brighton via Eastbourne. Sadly both units despite being operational in the 1980's are now museum pieces. The 2-BIL with its part wooden construction is now on display inside at the NRM Annexe in Shildon. The 4-SUB has passed to the Electric Railway Museum at Coventry albeit in open storage.
I have a lasting memento from the tour as the driver who drove the units from Holborn Viaduct to Hastings was a Tonbridge man by the name of Ken Glascott. He retired later the same year and gave me the large brass S key that operated the drivers desk on the 2-BIL. It was the last stock to use an S key rather than the standard BR EP or drivers desk key common to most other BR units and locomotives.
Veteran SR EMU's 4732+2090 at Ore. 10/05/86.
The SEG 'William the Conqueror' railtour ran as special 1Z26 the 07.15 Brighton to Brighton. The tour had an extensive itinerary taking in most of the electrified North London DC lines as well as the likes of the Mid Kent line to Hayes and other South London routes. To end the day it made an early evening run down the recently electrified Tonbridge to Hastings line two days ahead of the inaugural public service on the 12th before finally returning to Brighton via the East Coastway line. The tour was organised by the Southern Electric Group using NRM owned 2-BIL unit no.2090 and 4-SUB unit no.4732, by this date both units were very non standard as neither had EP brakes and only a limited number of drivers retained knowledge on them.
The units are seen running back into Ore from the carriage depot headshunt on the east side of the station before departing Ore at 19.02 for Brighton via Eastbourne. Sadly both units despite being operational in the 1980's are now museum pieces. The 2-BIL with its part wooden construction is now on display inside at the NRM Annexe in Shildon. The 4-SUB has passed to the Electric Railway Museum at Coventry albeit in open storage.
I have a lasting memento from the tour as the driver who drove the units from Holborn Viaduct to Hastings was a Tonbridge man by the name of Ken Glascott. He retired later the same year and gave me the large brass S key that operated the drivers desk on the 2-BIL. It was the last stock to use an S key rather than the standard BR EP or drivers desk key common to most other BR units and locomotives.