466
At the start of the week the thing which we all knew was inevitably going to happen inevitably happened- the 4 Carriage (class 465) was replaced by the 2 carriage (Class 466). Was it foolish this time to think that the 465 would remain forever? Probably. These bouts of 465 usage are a yearly thing, usually in winter to avoid breaking down (more pick-ups) but they seem to go on unnecessarily far into spring like this year. It would interest me greatly to know why they use the 465s every now and again.
465s mean
- Much needed space in the peaks is provided
- Unnecessary fuel consumption and space in the off peak.
This is the problem with introducing 465s in the Popper. The peaks need 3-4 carriages but quite a few of the off-peak running s only need 1 carriage so even the 466 seems uneconomical at these times. This has been further exacerbated by the increase in off-peak trains although hopefully the increase in passenger numbers by the improved freqency will balance this out.
"Amongst my very earliest memories is myself sitting in my pushchair and watching “Edward” as mum used to call the 0-6-0 shunting the coal sidings at Bromley North. Our vantage point was the footbridge at the Grove Park end of the station and sidings. That must have been from very early in the 1950s. And I must have watched the same shunting operations later on as I walked down from home, over that footbridge on my way down to watching the trains at Bromley South. An altogether much more interesting place to me in the late 1950s!"
A C Class at Sheffield Park Station, the type which shunted at Bromley North in the 50s. Displayed with Kind Permission from S.Lofting.
The above passage comes from Bryan Benn, whom I have been in contact with recently. Although the C Class was no longer there when he got his first camera, the memory serves well as a reminder of what used to be, at Bromley North and many other locations. Thanks go to him.