Rolling stock on East Suffolk line before Sprinters?

[itfcfan]

I have memories as a child of travelling on the East Suffolk line from Halesworth when Sprinters had just been introduced to the line (in the late 80s / early 90s?).

What rolling stock was used on the line before the sprinters came? I assume some variety of 1st generation DMU?

How far back would you need to go before locomotives were regularly used on the line? Were locomotives ever in frequent service on the line during the diesel era or do you you need to go back further to steam for that?

Thanks in advance for any knowledge on the subject!

 

[Ash Bridge]

I'm no expert on railway matters in this part of the world but regarding dmu's I think it would mainly have been Met Cam class 101s and possibly a Cravens 105 or two, although I'm sure better advice will be forthcoming soon.

 

[ac6000cw]

As far as I remember, it was 1st gen DMUs plus peak-time loco hauled to/from London (probably using 37s). I think the loco-hauled trains ceased when RETB signalling was introduced and electrification reached Ipswich (both early 1980s).

 

[Trainfan344]

37s and 47s according to my dad! I know LEV1 was used on the line at one point.

 

[edwin_m]

Some 101s were fitted with RETB equipment, distinguished by a prominent aerial between the cab windows and IIRC referred to as Dorniers as someone though it resembled their radar equipment. These were the only RETB-fitted trains in the area and would have worked the passenger service, although I guess there were a few RETB portables for use on the Sizewell trains that would also have allowed other stock to visit.

 

[AM9]

37s and 47s according to my dad! I know LEV1 was used on the line at one point.

I remember the 16:50 Liverpool St. to Lowestoft (Central in those days). I think that it took over three hours to get there. In the mid '70s, it was typically a class 47 and ten MKIs including buffet. Many of the coaches were compartment stock.
First stop Chelmsford as I remember.

 

[northwichcat]

I recently saw a Michael Palin series on Travel Channel from the early 1980s which showed him travelling along that line. He was shown boarding a 101 and purchased a ticket from the guard on the train.

 

[Clarence Yard]

Michael Palin was a regular on the loco hauled on the East Suffolk, often served his meal by Wally Rose.

When Wally, by now on the Norwich runs, was retiring in Anglia Railways days, Michael Palin was contacted by Anglia to see if he wanted to sign his retirement card. He remembered Wally well and wanted to do something a little more.

So Wally was given a first class farewell trip on the company. He sat down to his meal and who should come out of the kitchen to serve him that meal? You've guessed it - Michael Palin!

Did it because he really wanted to, not for any publicity. Top, top bloke.

 

[randyrippley]

wasn't that part of the original Class 30/31 territory?

 

[anti-pacer]

I recently saw a Michael Palin series on Travel Channel from the early 1980s which showed him travelling along that line. He was shown boarding a 101 and purchased a ticket from the guard on the train.

If you're referring to Around the World in 80 Days, he boarded that train at Felixstowe. Forgive my ignorance if I'm wrong, but as far as I'm aware the East Suffolk Line is Ipswich - Lowestoft.

 

[Polarbear]

Just before the arrival of sprinters, 101's were used on the route. They were introduced when the line was converted to the radio signalling.

Prior to that, you would have found an assortment of First Generation dmu's, including classes 100 (Gloucester), 101 (Met Cam), 105 (Cravens), and possibly the early Met Cam units that lived over there (before my time).

As I recall, Anglia's DMU's were all of the low density variety. I don't think any high density suburban units got that far out?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The Wickham 109s also spent their short working lives in Anglia, but they only lasted a few years before being withdrawn as non-standard. All were scrapped pretty sharpish apart from one which went to departmental use at RTC Derby. After being abandoned and left to rot, it was rescued and restored with its original art-deco-inspired interior with the help of lottery funding and now lives at Llangollen.

 

[AJM580]

As per previous posts, Norwich had an allocation of 3 car 101 dmus, which were fitted with RETB and worked the service in the 80s. Loco hauled services finished on the 12th May 1984. 37s were in charge.

 

[Taunton]

Gerry Fiennes, well-known railway author, and also General Manager Eastern Region in the 1960s, was also a daily regular on the loco-hauled service, as he lived in Southwold, from where he commuted daily to Liverpool Street, class 37 hauled (he would have known them as EE Type 3).

The original dmus from the 1950s were indeed the pioneer "Yellow Diamond" Met-Cam and Derby units, based at Norwich. Before them, there was quite a mainstream through service from Liverpool Street through to Lowestoft and onward on the now-closed line to Yarmouth, hauled by Britannia Pacifics.

The Wickham dmus described above were based at Cambridge rather than Norwich, so would have not been common on the line. Built by Wickham at Ware in Hertfordshire, on GE territory, the five two-car units had completely standard "Blue Square" mechanical parts and controls, but the Wickham-built bodies were to their own design. When withdrawn as "non-standard", after a good 10 years service, and ostensibly by command from the BR HQ at Marylebone who didn't realise how well regarded they were in their area, three of the five were sold back to Wickham to fill an export order they had from Trinidad, while Fiennes himself took a fourth and converted it to a two-car General Manager's Saloon, which was used on the Eastern Region for many years afterwards. Fiennes himself wrote how commercially useful it was to bring it to important meetings with major freight customers, local politicians, etc, and it was a lot more economical than a Class 47 and saloon coach, used before and after. When not in use for the bigwigs it was a useful unit for route learning, line inspections, and such like. The Wickhams had a notably attractive interior design.

As I recall, Anglia's DMU's were all of the low density variety. I don't think any high density suburban units got that far out?

The 20 unique Derby high-powered "Orange Star" 952hp 3-car suburban dmus were initially allocated to Stratford, and although designated for the Lea Valley line from Liverpool Street through Tottenham Hale etc, which was not electrified until about 1970, they got used on Stratford's rural branches as well, St Margarets to Buntingford (now closed) and Wickford to Southminster. They may well have got onto the East Suffolk on the weekend summer excursions from GE suburban stations, a type of traffic long gone. After 1970 these cars were all transferred over to Finsbury Park to remove many of the remaining loco-hauled inner suburban services from Kings Cross, before electrification there.