Tunnel Vision
When a youthful fbb used to go on Crusader holidays on the Isle of Wight, he found Waterloo station fascinating and a bit scary. Back then, green worms (Southern Region electric trains) would slide and wiggle on the tracks approaching the station. The lad hoped that the wiggles would not bring the carriages into crunching contact.
But everything, it seemed, was green caterpillars whizzing to and fro. You might then think that everything south of the Thames was electric.
Even today, fbb's local line at Axminster is still diesel ...
... and very much in need of some new trains.
The colours were brighter under Stagecoach ownership but they have reverted to dull and duller c/o First.
The main line between London and Hastings was a late electrification candidate. Before being plugged in, it was operated by diesel electric units ...
... later resplendent in blue and grey.
These units were somewhat thinner than standard because of restricted clearance in some of the tunnels.
But, eventually, the third rail power came along, the tunnels were up-fettled and normal thickness trains were used.
They were even given a special livery called 'jaffa cake' by enthusiasts.
... and were appropriately branded.
Trains between Hastings and Ashford remained diesel electric, in various liveries ...
... on class 207 stock.
Today's equivalent are from the class 170 stable ...
... running as two or three car sets.
Single Vision
Which left just one bit of line in the area without the electric.
The units run through from Eastbourne via Hastings to Ashford providing a clock face hourly frequency.
In passing, note the times of trains at Rye above, xx47/xx49; and in the opposite direction below, xx46/xx48.
Tourism Vision
Although, practically, only the section between Hastings and Ashford was originally branded "Marshlink" ...
... publicity tends to extol the virtues of the whole route. This full colour illustrated map is an example.
Here we see Eastbourne to Hastings ...
You would have a long walk to Herstmonceaux and a connecting train to Battle.
Then from Hastings to Ashford.
Again, best of British for a connection to Tenterden for the Kent and East Sussex Railway. 
There would be an equal challenge to make it to the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch line.
If you wish, you might even connect with a Eurostar at Ashford!
But Eurostar won't allow you to go from Ashford to Bruxelles!
Oddly, Rye Station would appear to have a signal box!
fbb will adumbrate tomorrow.
Next Rye station blog : Weds 24th June
The 1066 tunnels weren't "upfettled", they were singled so that normal trains could get through. Failure of the points at either end of the single line sections (three in total) is a common source of delay on the route.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm sure you know, not all the trains when you went from Waterloo in the sixties were green worms. "Your" line had Warship diesels (looking rather out of place) while there was still some steam on the Bournemouth line. Indeed Waterloo was the last London terminal to have steam - rather ironic when one thinks that the LSWR began to electrify round about 915!
ReplyDeleteWhoops - 1915.
ReplyDelete