Wimbledon specials

[cjohnson]

About 10 years ago I remember seeing what must have been some sort of special working at Wimbledon for the Championships - it was a black/greyish DMU; but not sure what TOC it was (but definitely not SWT), nor what route it would have been on. Does anyone know what service this might have been?

I know in more recent years SWT stop some of the fast Portsmouth/Woking/Salisbury etc. services at Wimbledon during the day, but have there been any other special or unusual workings for the tennis?

 

[Eagle]

Do you remember which platforms it was at? (And are you sure it wasn't just the old navy blue Thameslink livery?

 

[quarella]

Somewhere between 1995 and 2002 the Wales and West Carmarthen - Waterloo service called additionally at Wimbledon during The Championships. Would have called at Wimbledon around 1100 and returned around 1830. I used it, when. due to rain a number of matches were being played on the Monday of a third week with free admission. Could it have been the Ginsters Cornish Pasty livery?

 

[cjohnson]

Somewhere between 1995 and 2002 the Wales and West Carmarthen - Waterloo service called additionally at Wimbledon during The Championships. Would have called at Wimbledon around 1100 and returned around 1830. I used it, when. due to rain a number of matches were being played on the Monday of a third week with free admission. Could it have been the Ginsters Cornish Pasty livery?

It was platform 6 - think it might have had 'Alphaline' livery?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It was platform 6 - think it might have had 'Alphaline' livery?

Class 158 from Wales & West; they used to have a daily diagram to Waterloo; no doubt it was one of many services which had ( many still do ) an extra stop inserted at Wimbledon during the tennis.

 

[Eagle]

Class 158 from Wales & West; they used to have a daily diagram to Waterloo.

It actually survived into the days of ATW; I remember being at Waterloo in spring 2004 and there was an ATW service to Swansea (IIRC) being announced, oddly it skipped Salisbury but called at Warminster.

 

[BestWestern]

Class 158 from Wales & West; they used to have a daily diagram to Waterloo; no doubt it was one of many services which had ( many still do ) an extra stop inserted at Wimbledon during the tennis.

I bet that was fun with a two car 158!

 

[quarella]

I went for the Ginsters livery due to mention of grey/black as I think of Alphaline as being either the blue Provincial stripes on a white background or silver. I had no idea when it ceased running through to/from Cardiff as it's importance to my job was greatly reduced.
Plenty of trains Waterloo - Salisbury. At least one an hour Salisbury - Bristol/Cardiff so quite understandable not to call there. May have been a political decision. Reservations were compulsory from Bath. The times I used it there was a decent loading.