Inspired by this message from @JonathanH
No, definitely not in 1982 and not in 1985 either, I don't think.
It was certainly complete by October 1987 - I have vivid memories of EMUs NOT reaching East G in the aftermath of the non-hurricane
Indeed, it started in May 1986 and ran via Tulse Hill. I had forgotten about this one.
The Southern Heights plan was virtually moribund by 1931 when Col. Stephens died, so it is unlikely there was any connection.
The Southern had a few of these, third rail electrification being pretty cheap, especially if you could avoid a substation, but the stations were a bit of a cost. The unelectrified South Croydon to Selsdon link was little more than a couple of train lengths, and I did once idly wonder if there was a lineside power feeder there supplying the Sanderstead conductor rails from the Brighton Line.
Unlike the others, Coulsdon North was a conversion from the LBSC overhead system.
And then Crystal Palace or Selhurst?
Addiscombe at least provided carriage stabling
Selhurst. [the Holborn Viaduct service]
There was a substation installed under the 1933 Brighton electrification scheme at Sth Croydon Jcn but i don't recollect it having circuit breakers for Sanderstead but given Selsdon Jcn was so close and the Addiscombe to Sanderstead section wasnt electrified till 1935 its possible it did. Also it was nearly four miles to Elmers End whivh was next nearest substation so would have been a stretch.
Having been driving the route for a while now, Oxted tunnel walls are not a smooth curve. They are about 100m straight then an angle then 100m most of the way through. The tunnel is pretty much a left hand turn the whole way through.
Or right hand going the other way...?
Don't think the requirement for window bars came in until after electrification, so loco hauled stock would never have required it. Originally, CIGs were allowed down there, but they were banned when the requirement for window bars came in and only VEPs and EPBs were fitted.Or right hand going the other way...?
Joking aside though, that's interesting. Oxted tunnel suffered a major collapse in 1919, and I believe the line was slewed as a result; there is apparently a cavern within the tunnel due to this, called Rose Cottage by PW men.
Window bars: I remember these on some units (4-VEPs?) but I don't think on the DEMUs, and certainly not on the Mk.1 stock that was used on loco-hauled trains.
Thanks, yes that ties in with my recollections.
207s were of narrower profile than the standard mark 1 profile, although of course 205s also worked the line.
I think the restriction for the narrower 207s applied to the section between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells West, where a couple of the units long operated an hourly shuttle service, rather than the main diesel services from London, and the 205s which were progressively moved over to the line, many of which stabled overnight at Tunbridge Wells West depot, just could not work any further. Eventually this section from Eridge was closed.
The narrower profile (but not as narrow as the Hastings gauge) was indeed for the tunnel at Tunbridge Wells, but it did also result in a slightly better clearance in the Oxted tunnel than the 205s had. With hindsight, I wonder why a couple of units were not built to Hasting gauge (even perhaps re-using some of the redundant cars that also provided the "Tadpole" units) so that the East Sussex line units could be built on the same jigs as the Hampshire units
The explanation I have normally heard given for Horsted Keynes was for operational reasons, to avoid Seaford - Haywards Heath trains occupying platforms for too long at the latter. Once you've gone as far as Ardingly, it presumably was better to extend to Horsted Keynes for the onward journey opportunities. Especially given Ardingly's remoteness from potential passenger traffic.
Which provided carriage stabling - and the branch was I think rather more important earlier on than the Sanderstead connection
The complex E Sussex network would have been rather less efficient if TWW to Tonbridge had been operated separately - though TBF diagramming the mix of Mk1 hauled and 3-Ds must have been "interesting."
Indeed - Addiscombe was the SER's Croydon station!
.....though the SER and LBSC did operate East Croydon as a joint enterprise (which is why the LBSC opened what are now platforms 1 and 2 and called them New Croydon so they could undercut the agreed fares from East Croydon!)
