Great Western Coffee Shop

From Geoff Marshall



With lots of other interesting bits ... for those of us odd enough to be interested.

This is a great little video with quite a twist.  Worth a look.  No-one spoil the twist for those who haven't watched it yet please.

In the pre-COVID timetables I think there were 3 passenger services per day, on weekdays, but many more empty stock moves, about 20 or so.  The reason being that the Wimbledon depot position on the west of the main lines means empty suburban stock heading from Waterloo to the depot on the down main slow would have to cross to the fast tracks, and then cross over the up fast.  Conflicts are not quite so bad in the up direction, but still have to cross the down fast...

So by leaving Waterloo on the Windsor/Reading side trains can approach the depot on the down side of the District Line tracks, which is much more straightforward.   I suspect even if the passenger services ceased, the requirement for ECS moves will be required in the long term, as there’s no obvious alternative.

Of course although the ownership was transferred to LU, it’s still fundamentally a main line, with normal 3 aspect signalling controlled by NR at Wimbledon, with TPWS for the SWR trains, alongside train stops for LU.

So it’s also the exception that disproves the usual point made about mainline units must have tripcocks to mix it with LU…

Paul

Traction power is provide by Network Rail, the substations are maintained by NR and the traction power is controlled by Raynes Park ECR

You may recall that in 2017 an early morning SWR train taking that route derailed in Wimbledon on the crossover between the main line and District line. That knocked out the District Line for a few days.

Interestingly, I missed this story from Surrey Live a few months later which points the blame at LU.

www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/wimbledon-train-derailment-south-western-14257570

Were you not following the thread on this forum (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18953.msg224731#msg224731) then?

Yes, a very odd sort of transfer of “ownership” really…

Paul

Oops... I even posted on that thread. I suspect I did not click on the links to the RAIB report.  :(

According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSWR_suburban_lines#Putney_to_Wimbledon) The line has quite a history of this. With the District Line planning it, then not having the money so LSWR built it and and District running it!

Absolutely.  This is where the third rail began - 25 Oct 1915, the LSWR started a 20 min electric service between Waterloo and Wimbledon via East Putney.

Spot on (page 349 of the following). For those that subscribe to the Railway Magazine archive: "A Great Electrification Undertaking: Equipment of the London & South Western Suburban System", November 1915, p. 349-359.

Thanks.  Before posting, I checked my copy of G T Moody's book "Southern Electric 1909 - 1979" which I bought soon after it came out.  The first edition was in 1957.