Class 442 Feature - The Final Month with South West Trains

2407 at the end of the line - geographically as well as almost but not quite yet metaphorically.  Just out of sight are the "Jurassic Coast" signs prevalent in this part of the country. One might be tempted to write a "Dinosaur unit on the Jurassic Coast" type caption if it were not for the fact that the writer thinks these units are the pinnacle of mainline third rail unit design and it has been downhill ever since.

In retrospect perhaps 2407 "Thomas Hardy" was an apt unit to run the "celebrity" Wessex Electric diagram.  Unlike a few class 442 units the name plate had not been removed by January 13th though it was rather care-worn by then.

Wessex Electric twilight in the twilight! u2405 at Southampton Parkway on its way to Waterloo with the 15.01 departure from Poole.

It is early evening and u2405 is at Waterloo waiting to form the 18.05 departure to Poole.  u2417 and u2407 have recently arrived back from Weymouth.

Saturday 13th January was the last day of "scheduled" operation, however with only eighteen class 458s units then available for service to cover eighteen diagrams, six Wessex units 2405, 2410, 2412, 2413, 2419 and 2424 (plus 2410 for three days) remained available for use until the lease on the fleet ended after February 3rd.

Wessex Electric units did indeed continue to be used until 3rd February. Here u2410 departs Clapham Junction for Waterloo with the 10.01 service from Poole on 22nd January.