Class 119s were the mainstay of the route from 1979 through to around 1992. Class 101s displaced from elsewhere in the country removed the worst of the 119s in the late 1980s. As Class 117s became available from Turbos being introduced on other Thames services in 1992 they became more common on the line.
Once the Gatwick Airport service was introduced in 1980, it was one stopper (Reading to Tonbridge), one semi-fast (Reading to Gatwick) per hour. At some point in the early 1980s, the service levels at the local stations between Guildford and Reigate were cut back, with off-peak stoppers terminating at Guildford at off-peak times.
On a related note, were the "Thames Trains" services considered part of the Southwestern division prior to Network Southeast and "Thames & Chiltern"? Given the Tadpole units (and of course the location) the line seemed to fit more into the Southern Region.
The "Tadpoles" were introduced c.1965 and operated an hourly (almost) all-stations Tonbridge - Reading. This was a response by Southern to the Beeching proposal to withdraw all stopping passenger trains: the "basic" service on the Paytrain principle, with most stations de-staffed and buildings demolished, and guards issuing tickets, most likely averted this and saved the service.
Well - the first lot (117s? suburban units) were only better in offering more seats. With doors to every bay they were draughty, seats were basic bus, and they also struggled to keep to the timings designed for DEMUs. (Of course to Tonbridge and Redhill drivers they were quite alien!) The later Met-Cams (101) were better and more comfortable and the Cross-Countrys (119? - sorry, not good on class nos.) were nicer all round.
Yes, I was just referring to the capacity as being an improvement, I do remember the Tadpoles as having been reasonably comfortable when not overcrowded. The trailer was also fairly quiet, unlike the motor coach.
Most off peak stopping services in that era only went as far as Shalford, it being possible to do Reading - Shalford - Reading in two hours. In broad terms the local stops between Guildford and Redhill were served every two hours.
My recollection of the 'Tadpole' units in the mid-1970s was that one half of the ex-2-EPB driving trailers had had the seats removed for the carriage of mailbags and parcels....but I can't remember which half. Therefore there was no way that they - even on the rate occasions that they were unlocked - could seat 66 passengers....more like 30, I would have thought.
Cross Country ran one train a day each way between Guildford and Reading until around five years ago - IIRC it was a casualty of Covid that never returned. Northbound ran at around 0600 from Guildford and the return was mid evening. At different times the northern terminus was York or Newcastle. South of Guildford it ran ECS from/to Eastleigh, and was mainly to help crews retain route knowledge of the Reading - Guildford - Havant - Southampton diversionary route, used by XC when the main line is shut anywhere between Basingstoke and Southampton.
So it managed to be involved in the 3 of the Southern Railway companies but now it's owned by the (First) Great Western!
Were there any loco-hauled jobs on that section at that time, do you recall? I don't remember seeing any, and presumably Reading weren't allocated 33s?
Nice one! Yes I remember some empty compartments on the DTSs for mail bags. Also, at least in later DMU days, the last train from Reading was "parcels only" beyond Guildford, non-stop to Redhill, but a friendly driver/guard would usually let you on. Driver even stopped at Reigate once to drop my mate off!
The loco-hauled peak hour workings were diagrammed for Hither Green-allocated class 33s, crewed by Redhill-based drivers and guards.
I think there were still peak hour loco hauled trains, but I have no memory of ever catching one myself. If they were hauled by 33s as mentioned above, I assume they'd have come from somewhere on Southern Region, possibly Selhurst?* At that time the line was definitely SR territory, only allowed into a little corner of Reading General. I assume that it was when the first-gen DMUs from the WR fleet replaced the Tadpoles that Reading took over the operation.
At risk of veering OT slightly, the existence of what I believe was (and is still there) a loco shed at Ash has me wondering about the early operational days of the line. Not a route that I have much info on tbh?
The old four platform face (SR) station and track was still in place at end of 1964 and probably later, but by 1972 the SR CWN's are quoting berthing in platform 4A with shunts to the (elec) sidings (etc), which was how I knew the place, but I am unclear on the exact rebuild date(s) and what facilities were available during that period.
Thanks for the first, every day's a school day as they say, and p4A/4B and the single lead approach over the bridge and two elec sidings accessed off the DL was how it was in my days.
Great image. Takes you back.
Those 10 years must have been an operating nightmare. Fine if everything was normal, but in the event of delays - or if a diesel broke down in 4A, trapping the electric and stopping anything else coming in... Looking at a 1969 timetable the electrics had a 20-minute turn round, and every hour the Tadpole would come and go from the far end with a 9-minute turnround. All well and good in theory!
Definitely remember these! Nearly got run over by them twice while taking a short cut from the pub along the track late at night...
Interesting, thanks. I remember being on a Tadpole that failed near Chilworth one night, and the rescue 33 came out from Woking - quite quickly IIRC.
