Class 442 Feature - The Final Month with South West Trains

The last "scheduled" day of class 442 operation on was Saturday, 13^th January 2007 when a third of the fleet - much more than the two units that had been expected - was actually working.  u2405 and 2411 were expected to be the celebrity pair with the honour of the last "scheduled" working due to fall to 2411. However, this unit disgraced itself with an overheating bearing on its MBLS and it was failed at London Waterloo after working the 09.20 from Fratton. u2411 adjourned to Clapham Yard at 11+45 arriving there at 11+53.  Changes to diagrams followed.  Actual workings on the last "scheduled" day therefore became:

We start our photographic coverage of the events of 13th January at Waterloo where u2405 (out of sight at the buffer stops) and u2411 seen here have just arrived from Clapham Yard to form the 07.30 service to Fratton.  Many die-hard enthusiasts started their day of Wessie (or Pig) "bashing" at this early hour!

At Fratton, the country end of this first down working of the day for a class 442 unit from London. At the time Fratton was the temporary terminus for Portsmouth due to major engineering works on the remainder of the line to Portsmouth Harbour.  As recounted above u2405 and u2411 were due to be celebrity units working the only 442 diagrams on the day, however six other units worked services during the day.

U2405 (London end) and u2411 (country end, seen here) now await their departure to Waterloo at 09.20.