See the EPBPG's 2EPB in service at London Bridge , then 6259 as it arrives at platform 6 at the rear of a 10 EPB and then later leads a train back out to the country.
Back then, the EPB's that used the "express" lane next to platform 6 were the fast Bromley North trains which ran fast from Waterloo E to Grove Park platform 3 and went in on the now gone crossover, was a rush hour only service which disappeared not so long after. Sometimes pathing allowed the fast to run into platform 1 at Grove Park which was a hairy moment crossing the up fast of platform 2 and the driver always applied the beans to whizz over the junction then slammed hard on the brakes and making sure he was well clear lest one of the coastals erased his tailmost coach lol
That was the last year my late father worked the 1-6 platforms panel at London Bridge before being early retired. That panel was a cruel mistress during rush hours, my old man went in hale and hearty and left somewhat withered by it all as all it took was one idiot passenger and the whole system snarled up all the way down the blocks leading to further chaos as each train crawled from signal to signal and passengers getting riled, drivers getting sweary in frustration it was not a "fun" job at the best of times on the SE side during rush hour. Meanwhile over on the central panels, they would be kicking their feet up, reading the paper and enjoying a major paid doss hehe
Noticed also 2HAP 4308 leading a London bound train, this now preserved at the NRM and under restoration, whilst the second unit in the same train is the 4VEP with the 4TC driving trailer (was it 3558?). Great film, thanks for sharing.
Never been sure when the slam door sub stock - SUB or EPB - was finally declared dead (living in Australia since 1968), but consider myself to be incredibly lucky to get shots of 205/7 stock still working at Winchelsea in January 2004, nearly ten years after your pix, while my wife and I were living and working around Hawkhurst and Hastings from 2002 - 2006. By Gee, some of that Mk 1 kit lasted well!
The last 'Thumpers' Class 205 DEMU's were withdrawn early 2005, with the remainder of mainline slam door stock being withdrawn in September of that year. Several units were kept to work the shuttle service on the Lymington Branch in Dorset finally being replaced in August 2010 :)
Abs agree. Back in the late 90s I got to chat with the shuntmaster at Bournemouth West sidings where the EPB's were accruing and he told me that when they were inspected by his staff there, not ONE of the EPB stock was anywhere near close to less than superb condition and they could have done another 50 years easily with correct maintaining but that was the whole con of privatising, stitch up the taxpayer and the customer for new, joyless, soulless plastic junk that has a hard job making it 20 years without major repair or just scrapped.
@@dodgydruid Oh, for goodness sake, the EPBs were completely rancid and hopelessly out of date by the nineties and in desperate need of replacement. The Networkers are now over 30 years old, and that's as long as the SUBs lasted.
