Wessex Farewell

buffy500 · Post by **buffy500** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:43 pm

My favorite 442 shot found on my hard drive.

<IMG width="800" height="600" SRC="http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php ... SWT442.jpg">

Says it all really, they were the face of Waterloo for many years.

tango4262 · Post by **tango4262** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 12:16 am

Nice shot mate has a certain prosperity about it

Cheers

David

fredmaster424 · Post by **fredmaster424** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:58 am

Thats strange i was told that it has been put off and now the last day of all the wessexs will be the 17th!

champy · Post by **champy** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:23 am

Not according to some posts via yahoo gen its this weekend comming.

The final Class 442 'Wessex Electric' sets are scheduled to operate
for South West Trains on Saturday 13 January 2007

The plan is for the following trains to be formed of 2 sets.
07.30 Waterloo to Fratton
09.20 Fratton to Waterloo
11.35 Waterloo to Weymouth (one set detached at Bournemouth)
15.00 Weymouth to Waterloo (one set attached at Bournemouth)
18.35 Waterloo to Weymouth (one set detached at Bournemouth)
23.10 Weymouth to Bournemouth

(From http://www.therailwaycentre.com)

Jon

fredmaster424 · Post by **fredmaster424** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:31 am

Heres one of myne

carlwestwood · Post by **carlwestwood** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:52 am

and mine...
click on the thumbnail for the rather.. larger picture

Click the image to zoom in

Carl

Damo · Post by **Damo** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:49 pm

My personal fav:

trains2 · Post by **trains2** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 4:32 pm

Go on then, seeing as everyone else is....

...and any others in that collection on my site. Millbrook's a very nice location in the morning for sunny piggy shots.

http://www.southernrailwaypics.co.uk/Mi ... index.html

Rich

EDIT: actually maybe this one - more sun.

reaver156 · Post by **reaver156** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:19 pm

The info is, is that the 442's will be given back to Angel Trains, and u probably also know that they are having c6 exams, and the idea is to pass them on again to somewhere else.

So you never know, u might see them still in the uk!?

I need to get some pics of them too before they go...

trains2 · Post by **trains2** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:56 pm

I believe they are due to be stored at Eastleigh, and 2 sets are to be kept in reserve while the big stock shuffle takes place. Whether they will be used is looking doubtful.

Rich

reaver156 · Post by **reaver156** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:09 pm

Angel Trains have said they want them in good nick again, so it will be interesting to see where they go after SWT change over to the 444's

thomascairns · Post by **thomascairns** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:36 pm

Probably returning to SWT if we use railway common sense...

steve74 · Post by **steve74** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:53 pm

I noticed at Bournemouth the other day, that getting rid of the 442's means at least one station engineer is out of a job.
When the 10 car sets arrive at Bournemouth they seperate leaving 5 to continue to Weymouth, and although they have an automatic coupling, the engineer has to connect and disconnect the electrics and air pipes.
A job obviously not necessary on the 444's/ 450's/ 458's and all the diesel sets with their fully automatic integrated couplings.

reaver156 · Post by **reaver156** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:00 pm

If they are contracted to SWT then maybe they will train up in a different area?

If not maybe angel trains will keep hold of them?

allypally · Post by **allypally** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:27 pm

steve74 wrote:I noticed at Bournemouth the other day, that getting rid of the 442's means at least one station engineer is out of a job.
When the 10 car sets arrive at Bournemouth they seperate leaving 5 to continue to Weymouth, and although they have an automatic coupling, the engineer has to connect and disconnect the electrics and air pipes.
A job obviously not necessary on the 444's/ 450's/ 458's and all the diesel sets with their fully automatic integrated couplings.

It'll either be the driver or a shunter down from Bournemouth depot.

True icons considering what a short length of time in real terms they've operated, and several happy memories of holidays at Weymouth with them at a stand with the ironic seagull on the roof rather than stuck in the couple.

Also had a very random situation being towed home to Bournemouth after failing by a 4CIG!

Nevertheless, as a more northern type person, they're one of the few Southern Region units to actually hold a place in my esteem.