8 July 1963 Redhill. 4 LAV 2949 passing U class 31791.
“I soon realised that the 4.49 up was a very rare and interesting train”
During 1966 I worked in the Materials and Progressing Section at Southern Region HQ at Waterloo, my job entailing moving the stocks of spares for the remaining steam engines around between depots to keep the engines working. The spares stocks for modern traction had been centralised under the CM&EE and therefore my application for promotion to the Accounts section of the CM&EE at Southern House, Croydon in December 1966 was a natural career progression. At that time I was still living at home in Shirley, near West Wickham but rarely did I go straight home after work. As steam still clung on out of Waterloo until July 1967 and I was engaged to be married to a young lady who also worked on the railway and lived at Tunbridge Wells, my normal journey after work ended at 4.30 pm each day, at least until the end of steam. I would catch the 4.49 pm East Croydon to London Bridge, whence I could either catch one of the remaining steam hauled trains out of Waterloo, or meet the aforesaid young lady or a combination of both!
I soon realised that the 4.49 up was a very rare and interesting train, for it was a 12 LAV formation originating from Reigate and after arrival at London Bridge forming one of the last main line workings with LAVs, probably returning on the 17.26 to Reigate. Whilst my main interest was timing steam hauled trains I had always timed a selection of modern traction and retain the same balanced view on matters to this day. In theory a 60mph speed limit applied in the suburban area out as far as South Croydon but scant regard was paid to this in those far off pre spy-in-the-cab and HSE days. The line from East Croydon to London Bridge starts with the continuation of the 1 in 264 fall from the North Downs and then levels out before Norwood Junction after which it is level or slightly downhill to the north end of Forest Hill station where the line then falls steeply at 1 in 100 until just before New Cross Gate station, a distance of 2.70 miles which produced all the excitement with the right drivers on the 4.49. In those days there were no missing or misplaced mileposts, which unfortunately cannot be said today when there is barely one correctly placed post over the whole of this stretch, many having gone missing and/or been replaced with modern posts in the wrong places.
The tables show a selection of my best runs and a remarkable degree of consistency is apparent. As can be seen the train wasn’t always pure 12 LAV formation; quite often a 4 SUB was substituted and on one occasion a BIL plus HAL, but always it was twelve cars.
Run 1 shows that the inclusion of a SUB did nothing to slow down progress; indeed the 80 max below Brockley was one of the highest I recorded on this train. It wasn’t a case of the LAVs pulling the SUB along either as I timed a lone SUB at this speed and location the following year. Run 2 was to prove to be my fastest ever time from East Croydon to London Bridge and stands well in the RPS database against far more modern 319s, as against this 1933 built stock with 275 hp traditional traction motors and control gear. The running was typical with a steady start and no doubt the controller held right round against the stop until what would today be regarded as very late braking for the curve through New Cross Gate and the speed restriction at Bricklayers Arms Junction. Run 2 also contains my highest speed on this stretch with a multiple unit of any sort, 82mph, and a very fast finish indeed quite impossible to emulate in today’s environment.
Run 3 also contained an 80 but had signal checks approaching the terminus, probably as a result if us being late and out of course. Run 4 was also another 80mph run, showing that it wasn’t just Driver James who had the monopoly of these. 2947 was the only LAV unit to suffer damage from bombing in the war. Run 5 was the run where the formation included a BIL and a HAL unit and was slightly below par for the course. Run 6 was a sub 12 minute run with no real fireworks but Run 7 gave me my fastest start to pass Brockley and also included a SUB in the formation. Run 8 was pure James on 12 LAV and yet another sub 12 minute run with another very fast finish and to round off, Run 9, with another SUB in the formation, was just typical but with a maximum of ‘only’ 76mph.
In July 1967 steam out of Waterloo ended. I usually finished work later and I then soon married and moved to Ashford in Kent so ending this interesting and exciting spell of train timing. I hope that these runs show that the LAVS could produce some sparkling performances rather than just plodding around the Southern metals on semi-fast and stopping services.
26 May 1963. 2933+2930 on up Brighton stopper at Coulsdon North, 9.39 am.