Something not usually seen - a Wessex unit on accommodation bogies, these being of B5 origin, as here on the TSW of 2412.

Piloting of a class 442 unit by an Electro-diesel locomotive has happened as and when required throughout their service life, (also see our picture of 2419 in Network SouthEast days) normally when the cab at the leading end has a fault. Seen here on the 16th September 2006 SWT "thunderbird" 73235 is leading an unidentified 10 car formation.

At the beginning of 2006 the class 442 fleet commenced its C6 overhaul programme at Bombardier Ilford. u2401, left Bournemouth hauled by Brush type 4 47841 for Ilford on the 4th January 2006, this being the first of a rolling programme which continued even after announced it was not going to renew its lease on the fleet from February 2007.

Some weeks later, a glimpse of the new DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant "swoosh" being applied to ' 442401 at Ilford during its C6 overhaul. Note the "swoosh" now extends further back along the coach by the length of another window and the door within it is a contrasting yellow. Other doors are red as before.

A picture is worth a thousand words and here is a comparison of overhauled 2401 coupled to 2416 clearly demonstrating how the "swoosh" and cab vestibule door has been changed during the overhaul.

This fortunate shot was taken during shunting at Clapham Yard on June 7th. Interestingly, the doors into the rear of the cab vestibule are now orange (a lighter shade than the orange of the "swoosh"), believed to be as originally designed, and not yellow as seen at Ilford above.