Class 442 Feature - Individual Unit History (2405-2408)

2405 was delivered to Bournemouth on 13th April 1988. It was sent to Derby on 22nd April 1989 and MBLS 62941 was exchanged with modified 62944 (ex 2411). 2405 was named ‘City of Portsmouth’ on its MBLS at Portsmouth on 21st August 1992.

The unit went to Crewe on 23rd May 1998 for MBLS modifications and was released on 12th June 1998. 2405 was then refurbished at Eastleigh and returned to traffic on 13th September 1999.

2405 went to Ilford for its C6 overhaul between 3rd April and 4th May 2006. The unit was graffitied on three cars whilst stabled at Weymouth over Christmas 2006.

2405 was the penultimate Wessex Electric unit in service, its last working being the 19.05 Waterloo to Poole service on 3rd February 2007. It was put into store at the former Alstom works at Eastleigh on 15th February.

If units are stored with the prospect of being reactivated it is necessary to move them periodically to keep them in running order. 2405 was used on 17th May with 2413 on a training run between Eastleigh and Basingstoke for Freightliner Heavy Haul drivers and on 21st August, 2405 did another round trip between Eastleigh Works and Basingstoke, this time with 2408, and again on 19th December with 2410. On 27th February 2008, the unit went on a round trip to Basingstoke with 2411. 2405 took two round trips to Basingstoke with 2403 on 17th March and the same pairing was on a single trip during the afternoon of 19th March. On 15th April this unit was moved, with 2410, from Eastleigh to Brighton. Between 9th and 13th June and from 23rd June, 2405 was used with 2406 on driver training runs out of Brighton. During the second week of training runs 25th June saw the first working of this class between Keymer Junction and Eastbourne. Unfortunately, whilst running on this day, 2405 was damaged south of Balcombe due to a pickup shoe becoming detached from passing 377118. Once repaired this unit returned to driver training duties. On 2nd October 2008 this unit, along with 2407, made a test trip into Victoria, the first time any Wessex unit had been into the station since 7th December 1991. On 3rd November, 2405 went from Lovers Walk to Chart Leacon (for overhaul) via Redhill, believed to be the first of this class to traverse the Redhill - Tonbridge line. This unit returned to Lovers Walk and with 2413 temporarily re-entered passenger service - unrefurbished - on Gatwick Express peak Brighton services on 15th December. 2405 was then regularly in service, including working Victoria - Gatwick diagrams with 2413 and on 11th February 2009 did so solo. On 28th March this unit underwent tests with newly refurbished 442411. On 2nd and 3rd April 2405 worked in service with refurbished 442424. This unit's last passenger working with a "snug" was the 18:00 Victoria to Brighton with 442407 on April 9th. It was hauled to Wolverton by 67024 on 14th April. On 20th July, 2405 was hauled back to Stewarts Lane from Wolverton by 67027.

(above) Two Wessex units could be found in the platforms at Weymouth on 29th May 1988, 2405 being in
platform 2 - photograph by Tony Hillman

This unit was delivered to Bournemouth on the 3rd May 1988. It was sent to Derby on 6th May 1989 and MBLS 62942 was exchanged with modified 62941 (ex 2411). MBLS 62941 was then exchanged with 62942 (ex 2403) circa December 1989 thus returning the unit to its original formation. DTS 77411 was damaged in a collision with a fallen tree in the Winchester area 25th January 1990. DTFo 77387 was exchanged with damaged 77389 (ex 2408) January 1990 and the unit was out of use for repairs.

2406 was named ‘Victory’ on its MBLS at Portsmouth on 21st October 1992. The unit went to Crewe on 9th May 1998 for MBLS modifications and was released on 6th June 1998. The unit was then refurbished at Eastleigh and returned to traffic during October 1999.

This unit went to Bombardier Ilford for its C6 overhaul between 8th May and 1st June 2006. 2406's last working was the 18.05 Waterloo to Poole service on 11th January 2007. It was put into store at Eastleigh on the 15th January.

On 17th May 2406 with 2410 did a driver training trip for Freightliner Heavy Haul drivers between Eastleigh and Basingstoke. On 21st August 2406 did another round trip between Eastleigh Works and Basingstoke with 2421, 31st October again with 2421, on 21st November with 2417 and on 19th December with 2403. 2406 did not stay in store for very long because it was out again in the new year running to Basingstoke on 9th January 2008 with 2402. It is believed this unit is likely to be one of the seventeen to be leased to Southern for Gatwick Express services. This belief was re-inforced on 12th February when in a formation with 73209, 2402 and 73205 it was moved from Eastleigh to Lovers Walk. Between 9th and 13th June and from 23rd June, 2406 was used with 2405 on driver training runs out of Brighton. During the second week of training runs 25th June saw the first working of this class between Keymer Junction and Eastbourne. On 30th June and 1st July this unit was seen on training runs paired with 2413 but was out on its own on 4th July. 2406 travelled to Stewarts Lane under its own power on 16th July and on 21st July was taken from there by 66547 to Wolverton for refurbishment, being unit number 7 in the programme. 67003 hauled 442406 to Stewarts Lane on 10th February 2009. Following commissioning there this unit was reported out on a trial run from Stewarts Lane on 21st February and four days later it went to Lovers Walk and was tested in multiple with 442424. It underwent a test trip to East Croydon with 442417 on 28th February, was due to re-enter service on 2nd March but failed. 442406 finally re-entered traffic on 6th March and assisted 442407 with testing on 13th March.

(above) 2406 through Esher on 2nd August 2004 - photograph by LSWR Penguin

2407 was delivered to Bournemouth on 7th May 1988. It was sent to Derby on 11th February 1989 and MBLS 62943 was exchanged with modified 62938 (ex 2411). MBLS 62938 was then exchanged with its ‘own’ 62943 (ex 2412) circa 20th March 1989.

The unit ran through buffer stops at Bournemouth depot on 3rd September 1989 after ‘running away’ and three coaches ended up in an adjacent roadway. The unit was sent to Eastleigh for a C4 repair, returning to traffic 13th February 1990. 2407 was named ‘Thomas Hardy’ on it MBLS at Dorchester South on 5th June 1990.

2407 went to Crewe on 27th November 1998 for MBLS modifications and was released on 8th January 1999. The unit was then refurbished at Eastleigh during September 1999.

This unit went to Ilford for its C6 overhaul between 27th February and 29th March 2006, the second unit to go. Its last working was the 23.10 Weymouth to Bournemouth service on 13th January 2007. 2407 was put into store at Eastleigh on 22nd January. On 3rd October, 2407 went on a return trip to Basingstoke with 2410 and again on 3rd December, this time with 2421.

In 2008 this unit had further outings to Basingstoke, this time with 2401 on 22nd February, on 19th March with 2413 and on 20th March with 2410 in the morning and again in the afternoon. On 10th April 2407, with 2410, undertook trials of a new wheel slip protection probe with a round trip between Eastleigh and Bournemouth. Its next outing was on 14th May with 2401 on a round trip to Basingstoke. During the evening of 24th June, 2407 was moved from Eastleigh to Lovers Walk but returned to Eastleigh on 1st July in the company of 2401. On 8th August it was again moved to Lovers Walk and then on 30th August to Chart Leacon for overhaul. 2407 returned from Chart Leacon to Lovers Walk on 24th September. On 2nd October 2008 this unit, along with 2405, made a test trip into Victoria, the first time any Wessex unit had been into the station since 7th December 1991. On 4th November this unit, with 2413, made another trip to Victoria, this time overnight to assess platform to door distances for wheelchair access. A move to Wolverton on 23rd December was cancelled, however 66731 hauled it there for refurbishment on 13th January 2009. 442407 was delivered to Stewarts Lane for commissioning on 27th February and moved to Lovers Walk on 12th March. It was out testing with 442406 on 13th March but the date this unit re-entered service has not been reported.

(top) 2407 approaches Clapham Junction in Network SouthEast livery but post privatisation. Note the Stagecoach SWT branding applied over Network SouthEast logo - photograph by John Lewis
(above) Two liveries later, the same unit emerges from Clapham Yard on 19th April 2005 - photograph by Colin Duff

This unit was delivered to Bournemouth on 12th May 1988. It was sent to Derby on 8th April 1989 and MBLS 62944 was exchanged with modified 62945 (ex 2411). DTFo 77389 was damaged in a collision with a fallen tree at Winchester on the 25th January 1990 and exchanged with 77387 (ex 2406). 2408 was named ‘County of Dorset’ on its MBLS at Weymouth on the 5th October 1990.

2408 went to Crewe on 1st August 1998 for MBLS modifications, being released on 14th August 1998. The unit was then refurbished at Eastleigh and returned to traffic on 23rd December 1999.

2408 went to Bombardier Ilford for its C6 overhaul between 31st July and 18th August 2006. The unit's last working was the 18.35 Waterloo to Poole service on 12th January 2007 and it was stored at Eastleigh on 17th January.

On 21st August 2007, 2408 did a round trip between Eastleigh Works and Basingstoke with 2405 and on 28th November with 2414. During 2008 so far this unit has been run to Basingstoke thrice, on 30th January, 7th and 12th February, on all outings with 2421. 2408's next outing was on 20th May when with 2402 it did a round trip to Winchester. On 31st July this unit was taken by 73206 and 73208 from Eastleigh to Chart Leacon for a C4 bogie overhaul. It returned to Lovers Walk on 19th August. On 5th September 2408 went back to Chart leacon, reason unknown and 24th October 2408 was hauled by 67028 from there to Wolverton for refurbishment, being unit number 12 in the programme. 442408 was hauled from Wolverton to Stewarts Lane by 67001 on 20th March. It moved to Lovers Walk on 1st April and on the 5th did a series of test trips to Eastbourne with 442417. 442408 entered service, working solo, on 6th April with the 06:56 Brighton to Victoria.

(left) Wessex units being very much the pride of Network SouthEast, 2408 was put on display in Woking PW Yard for the popular LSWR 150 event, pictured here on 29th May 1988. Note that the leading vehicle is clearly a DTFo by this time. photograph by Tony Hillman.