Interesting sights on the Southern today
 

Did the London to Brighton run today (but forgot the camera :rolleyes:).

First up was 60040 in "Territorial Army" logo at Crawley New Yard for the aggregate load. She does look very smart, but I still prefer Rhubarb & Custard.

The other thing was 1x 10 car and 1x 5 car SWT Plastic Pigs (Class 442) down in Montpelier Sidings. I don't know if they were hauled down there or driven down, but the 10 car had a totally smashed Driver's window which would have been difficult to see out of.

My understanding is that these are due to form the new 'Gatwick Express' service when it is taken in house by the Southern Railway and extended to run London Victoria-Gatwick-Brighton. I guess that in the coming months they'll be busy teaching the fitters how to fix them and doing traction conversion courses for traincrew.

Apologies if this has been reported before, but I don't get down there as often as I'd like.

HTH,
Foggy.

Apparently driver training has begun on the 442s and they have been into Birghton station on at least one occasion.

Yea, a unit passed me at Hassocks today going northwards. There were 3 blokes in the cab wearing HiVis, so that pretty much confirms what you said. Those things can really motor ! :eek:

Just to check I'm understanding this - Southern are taking on all the 442's, and they're going to use them on a (stopping?) service between Brighton and Victoria? Isn't there already a Sothern service between Brighton and London that stops at Gatwick?

Well put it this way. AIUI Southern has absorbed the 'Gatwick Express' franchise due to the severe lack of pathways on the Vic-Brighton route. Southern will run a 'new' fast service of Vic-Gatwick-Brighton, and the units they will use are 442s - I don't know if this will be the whole 442 fleet.

It's not clear yet whether this is to be a 24hr/peak only/off-peak only service as rumours are rife. :cool:

What about the 460's? Will they start appearing in Southern colours anytime soon? If so, I might pop out and photograph a few of them.

I don't believe so. I haven't heard of any plans for them. They may well go back their Rosco (Porterbrook ?).

Apparently the 460s will keep their Gatwick Express colours.

My understanding was that the Vaders would run the remaining Victoria-Gatwicks an off peak times and pairs of 442s would run the peak Victoria-Gatwick-Brighton runs, using about 2/3s of the 442 fleet, from the Dec 08 timetable change.

I don't think the 442s will stop at all stations between Brighton and Gatwick. I think they are doing peak time expresses.