Old CX-Dartford Line 3rd rail EMUs

[HST-DAVE]

Just a quick question.
I used to spend my childhood in the 70's on the Dartford/CX EMUs. Can anyone confirm their class number ? was it class 501 stock? I remember they were made of wood and were quite old.
cheers Dave

 

[pendolino]

EPBs?

A quick google gives this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_415

 

[HST-DAVE]

.. not sure they were 415s, I thought they were on lines to the south e.g. Bromley..
we were on the Bexleyheath or occasionally the Sidcup line. I seem to remember spotting 5705 as it was also a lyric in a song at the time
and they did a 2car version so as well as 4's you could have a 4+2 or even 4+4+2..
cheers ...Dave

 

[pendolino]

They had 4 car EPBs and 2 car EPBs I think (I don't really know to be honest, I'm just going by what I've been told by colleagues who have been on the railway a lot longer than me).

 

[EM2]

There certainly were 4-EPB and 2-EPB (and very similar 2-HAP and 4-CAP).
This is a very good resource: http://www.semgonline.com/photoind.html

 

[HST-DAVE]

Thanks Pendolino.. perhaps they were. I've still got all my old train-spotting books with the exact details but they are stored away in boxes somewhere.
I was more into diesels at the time so just took the EMUs to go to the North, West and East mainline London Stations. 37s were my favorite then
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks EM2 ! Solved it !! That is a good resource. It's the BR version of the 416 which we had on the lines (different shape front to the others).. 416/2 EPB2 etc..
cheers... Dave

 

[The Barlow Boy]

The EPBs weren't made of wood, they were of steel. If it was the early seventies you might have caught the last of the S.E. Division allocated SUBs.

 

[andchafri]

A good source of info on all thigs Southern is http://southernrailway.net/home/index.php

 

[HST-DAVE]

cool, another good site.
Must have been EPBs, although I do remember coming home from London Bridge c1979, the train was packed and I had a load of student books/folders with me, the guard kindly let me in to the guards storage room/area. Inside the room there was no internal lining and the framework posts/beams were made of wood, it may have been clad in steel on the outside but it were certainly wood on the inside framework
Dave

 

[Hydro]

It was the same for most of the guards vans on SR EMU's, wooden interior panelling, painted grey on the NSE/Connex units I recall. I think it was the CIG's that had a cage for the luggage compartment too. Fun to see all the brake gauges and valves as you passed through.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

As someone whos a SR fanatic, I can safely say it was an EPB (there 2EPB & 4EPB as mentioned) or a 4SUB of which the later batch have a similar appearence. I also heard someone mentioned wooden material on them? These may of been on the foot rail as I can remeber CEPs having them too. The current stock on the line are mainly Class 465 'Networkers' and Class 376 'Electrostars' if you wondered.

If you want anyother info on them you can PM me (I'm a Southern EMU nutter!) and could tell you a fare bit!

 

[HST-DAVE]

Thanks SE-465,

Just one quick question, what did the black triangle on the fronts mean?

cheers, Dave

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Thanks SE-465,

Just one quick question, what did the black triangle on the fronts mean?

cheers, Dave

From what I know the black triangle indicates to platform staff at which end of the train the guard's / luggage area is located.

 

[steamybrian]

I agree that in the 1970s the Charing Cross to Dartford service was only worked by 2 EPBs and 4 EPBS (4 SUBs had long disappeared from these services although they still worked South Central and South Western suburban areas). Very occasionally a 2 HAP would appear on SE suburban services as well as semi-fast CX- Dartford- Gillingham services.
Must not forgot the unique 8 car double deck set worked CX-Dartford until the early 1970s.

 

[yorksrob]

@ the OP, Would they have been anything like my Avatar per chance

As other posters have commented, they weren't wooden, but they included wooden panelling. Snapped this view of a bullied designed one on the Hayes branch:

 

[HST-DAVE]

Thanks yorksrob, the photo is just how I remember them. It's nice to see one with clean windows, most I remember had years of smoking residue on them (smoked glass
They were good old trains
Dave

 

[yorksrob]

Thanks yorksrob, the photo is just how I remember them. It's nice to see one with clean windows, most I remember had years of smoking residue on them (smoked glass
They were good old trains
Dave

They were indeed - and I miss them greatly

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Snapped this view of a bullied designed one on the Hayes branch:

Not often that I saw one without "Mike of the Shed" scratched into the woodwork!:roll:

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Thanks yorksrob, the photo is just how I remember them. It's nice to see one with clean windows, most I remember had years of smoking residue on them (smoked glass
They were good old trains
Dave

If you wanted to see one again look into when the East Kent Railway are holding one of there EMU days. They run 2EPB 5759 on the line on EMU days aswell as a 4BEP and MLVs.