Could someone please fill me in?

[Techniquest]

Hi all,

Since I spent ages off the scene, and it's been forever since I was last down in London, could someone please fill me in with what's going on down there these days?

Last I was there 319s dominated Thameslink services, but is this still the case? 456s have all left Southern to eventually come back to SWT I have seen. Are the 450/5s still as such, are they changing back or not? Where's the best place to get the 377/6s?

Anything else of major/interesting change in the last 12 months down there? I'm looking at going down there for a couple of days at minimum as soon as I can, so I'm starting to plan where to go and so forth.

Thanks in advance

 

[455driver]

Hi all,

Since I spent ages off the scene, and it's been forever since I was last down in London, could someone please fill me in with what's going on down there these days?

Last I was there 319s dominated Thameslink services, but is this still the case?

Yes but there are a few 377/5s running around

456s have all left Southern to eventually come back to SWT I have seen. Are the 450/5s still as such, are they changing back or not?

they are changed back (sort of) inside but have retained their 450/5 numbers but lost the HC bit

Where's the best place to get the 377/6s?

Anything else of major/interesting change in the last 12 months down there? I'm looking at going down there for a couple of days at minimum as soon as I can, so I'm starting to plan where to go and so forth.

Thanks in advance

Cant help with much else.

 

[bb21]

Major changes on the SSL with only a handful of C stock trains around if LU is your thing.

Plenty of discussion in the LU area.

 

[user15681]

319s do still dominate TL services, with the Sutton loop and Sevenoaks - Kentish Town services almost always exclusively run by 319s. The 377/5s that have been introduced only tend to run Brighton-Bedford and peak services off the mainline, including to Rochester and Ashford.

The best place to get the 377/6s is at Victoria station. You can almost guarantee there will be at least one around platforms 9-12, and sometimes 8.

I can't think of anything major to note, sorry.

 

[adrock1976]

London Overground taking over the Inner South London line (the old London Victoria to London Bridge via Denmark Hill route) between Queens Road Peckham and Wandsworth Road. These trains run from Highbury & Islington to Clapham Juction by means of a reinstated line between Surrey Quays and Queens Road Peckham.

This means that there is only one service from Victoria and Wandsworth Road (via Battersea Park?) that remains now. Also it is not possible to travel directly to or from London Bridge from Wandsworth Road, Clapham High Street, or Denmark Hill, without changing at Peckham Rye or Queens Road Peckham.

In peace

Adam

 

[Techniquest]

Most useful stuff guys, looks like I'll be doing a ton of Victoria to Clapham/Croydon leaps then for the 377s. Glad to hear the 319s still rule the roost on Thameslink

Oh crikey aye, I'd forgotten the 'C' stock was getting replaced, definitely need to try and get one in for nostalgia reasons before it's too late.

EDIT: Oh aye, what's going on with the 378s now then? I heard a rumour they were to be extended and re-numbered as a result. Any gen on this?

 

[455driver]

C stock only works on the Wimbledon to Edgeware road route now.

The 378s are still all 4 coach trains, there are plans to extend them but that is as far as it goes.

 

[user15681]

Most useful stuff guys, looks like I'll be doing a ton of Victoria to Clapham/Croydon leaps then for the 377s. Glad to hear the 319s still rule the roost on Thameslink

Oh crikey aye, I'd forgotten the 'C' stock was getting replaced, definitely need to try and get one in for nostalgia reasons before it's too late.

EDIT: Oh aye, what's going on with the 378s now then? I heard a rumour they were to be extended and re-numbered as a result. Any gen on this?

Best chance of getting a C stock is on a Wimbledon. As for the 378s, they're currently all 4 cars. There was talk of lengthening to 5 cars, but I don't know what's happening with that at the moment.

 

[Techniquest]

Thanks for the gen, shame I've missed my chance to do one final run from Paddington to Kings Cross St Pancras on a 'C' stock. Oh well, I'll always have memories...

Looks like I'd better find some time darn quick to get down there!

 

[user15681]

Thanks for the gen, shame I've missed my chance to do one final run from Paddington to Kings Cross St Pancras on a 'C' stock. Oh well, I'll always have memories...

Looks like I'd better find some time darn quick to get down there!

I think the C stock will be sticking around until May, with 4 diagrams on the Wimbledon daily.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Best way I did 319 bashing was to get a timetable book, got one from St Pancras help desk

Any trains marked 'disabled toilet' are 377's, ones without are 319's. Subject to any stock changes that day of course but was useful for bashing in the peak hour as I know what I could flag, and all trains that were supposed to be 377's were, and same for 319's.

UKModernEMU Yahoo group has the 7 day 377/6 diagrams and the temporary Southern 456 diagrams.

 

[Techniquest]

Nicely done guys, much more up to date than before so thanks all

 

[TEW]

Best place to go for 377/6s I find is to go to Clapham Junction and just wait around on the slow line platforms. Plenty will turn up then.

 

[CallySleeper]

Best chance of getting a C stock is on a Wimbledon. As for the 378s, they're currently all 4 cars. There was talk of lengthening to 5 cars, but I don't know what's happening with that at the moment.

Old thread

The NNL has been closed a lot of weekends recently, to facilitate platform extension and signalling work in preparation for the arrival of longer trains.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Thanks for the gen, shame I've missed my chance to do one final run from Paddington to Kings Cross St Pancras on a 'C' stock. Oh well, I'll always have memories...

Looks like I'd better find some time darn quick to get down there!

Well unless you book the C stock railtour, don't think bookings are out yet though. There's two C stock tours, and quite spread out so you could in theory do both. One is a tour of the 'C' stock's stomping ground, Hammersmith, Moorgate bay, a trip round the circle line and IIRC Wimbledon (or Parsons Green bay?)

The second is an off the beaten track tour, going to places like Uxbridge!

 

[Techniquest]

Bloody hell, that sounds interesting. I'd rather get them on a normal service ideally though, that would be much more nostalgic for me personally.

 

[LowLevel]

I'm afraid to say it's good riddance to bad rubbish for me! Although to be fair I was glad to get a last ride in on a fairly recent trip to London. All of the bad points of old style rolling stock with none of the good ones. Vile cattle trucks, can safely say the S stock is a brilliant replacement in comparison.

 

[Techniquest]

Oh I don't knock the S stock, they are well and truely an excellent replacement for the current stock. Quite, I saw on Twitter earlier TfL have started the procurement process for new stock on the Central and Bakerloo lines (if not others), 250 new carriages I think it quoted, so it'll be interesting to see what happens. At the same time, as hot as the Oven Line (Bakerloo) gets, I'll miss those trains as they've also formed essential parts of my spotting and bashing career. Not anytime too soon at least!

As part of my trip to foreign territory (a Western boy on the Southern!), in this case the South Coast a week tomorrow, I'm almost certainly coming into Paddington and using the Tube. So if I do, for a change I'll be trying my luck on a Wimbledon service even if it means changing at Earls Court to get to Victoria!