Could the Southern region DEMUs been built as bimodes?

[Cricketer8for9]

Before electrification to East Grinstead, most - or at least many - of the Oxted line DEMU services went to Victoria. I forget how things worked date wise, but certainly AIUI the concentration of the Uckfield services (which stayed diesel) at London Bridge was connected with reccnstruction at Victoria with an over platform raft, and the desire not to have diesel trains under it.

There were ventilation shafts set at coaches 1, 3, 4 and 6 at Victoria which got most of the fumes out except when a two coach unit was sent up. 171s’ exhausts are in different locations hence the ban on them using the Brighton line platforms at Victoria. I think only 18 and 19 were equipped.

 

[Snow1964]

Although I read somewhere that the 205's were designed with half a mind to being converted into HAP units should the need arise.

I have read that too, it went something like at time of ordering (around 1958) was expected that after finishing the Kent coast electrification, would continue electrifying as Southern railway did. So was expectation that in mid 1960s Solent lines, Bournemouth & Weymouth line, the lines to Romsey, Fawley, Swanage, Winchester-Alton etc would be done.

The electrification schemes were eventually cut back to just Brookwood-Bournemouth in 1967, with Solent lines around 1990.

I must admit, I don't think I've ever experienced a 205 or 207 on a fast(ish) run.

The 3H units got used on some Portsmouth-Eastleigh-Reading services from about 1979, from memory it was Sundays. The could be quite bouncy on the long straight sections near Micheldever. Always felt bit gutless. And in those days were still sections with welded up former jointed track which didn't help poor ride.

 

[mike57]

Before electrification to East Grinstead, most - or at least many - of the Oxted line DEMU services went to Victoria. I forget how things worked date wise

Certainly in the mid to late 70s when I used the service fairly regularly between Clapham Junction and Oxted all services except peak hours went to Victoria, and I think the train split in Oxted with sections for East Grinstead and Uckfield. Peak hour services were somewhat different, some skipped Clapham Junction and some went London Bridge. If I stayed over and went straight to work in the morning I did need to consult the timetable.

 

[nw1]

Before electrification to East Grinstead, most - or at least many - of the Oxted line DEMU services went to Victoria. I forget how things worked date wise, but certainly AIUI the concentration of the Uckfield services (which stayed diesel) at London Bridge was connected with reccnstruction at Victoria with an over platform raft, and the desire not to have diesel trains under it.,

In the 80s, and by the looks of things, the 60s, this was indeed the case. Old timetables reveal an xx09 departure time from Victoria in the 60s. By 1981 this had become xx13, in 1985 it was xx24 from Victoria and this was shifted to xx36 in 1986. (xx36 remained the time post-electrification).

They didn't stop at Clapham Junction in any of the above time periods, presumably due to the slower running times of the diesels. In 1985, the xx24 had a GatEx at xx30 behind it so presumably a Clapham stop would have delayed the latter. In 1986 the xx36 was ahead of an xx40 to Horsham which did stop at Clapham, but that was an EMU which would have presumably caught up the DEMUs had the latter stopped at Clapham.

Post-electrification East Grinstead services called at Clapham, as they were obviously EMUs.