Class 442 Feature - Individual Unit History (2409-2412)

2409 was delivered to Bournemouth on 13th May 1988. It was sent to Derby on 25th March 1989 and MBLS 62945 was exchanged with modified 62946 (ex 2411). 2409 was named ‘Bournemouth Orchestras’ on its MBLS at Waterloo on the 22nd May 1992.

This unit went to Crewe on 5th December 1998 for MBLS modifications, being released on 18th December 1998. It was then refurbished at Eastleigh and returned to traffic on 24th August 2000. Subsequently, 2409 underwent an experimental modification to have an electrically operated (as opposed to pneumatically operated) camshaft. The unit was withdrawn from stock still in this condition and no other class 442 unit has ever been modified like this.

It was noticed that the unit had been un-named by 18th November 2006. A traction motor failed at Woking whilst working the 20.08 Weymouth to Waterloo service on 29th December. It was put on a wheel skate and was hauled to Bournemouth the next day but only reached Southampton due the EDL hauling it failing. 2409 was back in service by 6th January 2007. Its last working was the 20.35 Waterloo to Weymouth service on 12th January.

2409 was stored at Eastleigh on 29th January. As far as can be established this unit has not moved since, except perhaps within the confines of Eastleigh Works. It is thought that 2409 will not be a candidate for going on lease to Southern because of its non standard camshaft arrangement. This was born out on 29th August 2008 when 67006 hauled it to Chart Leacon for use as a donor unit for spare parts. Whilst it appears other members of the Class 442 fleet are likely to be re-activated, this fate is unlikley to befall 2409. However, in April and May of 2009, other units that were not taken by Southern went out on mileage runs due to a shortage of trains with Southern. It is therefore possible that the unit will return to service once parts are obtained.

(above) 2409 through Walton on 17th August 2004 - photograph by LSWR Penguin

There was a sprinkling of snow - clearly not the "wrong sort of snow" because trains are still running - on the 29th January 2004! 2410 is pictured here at Hersham.

photograph by LSWR Penguin

This unit was delivered to Bournemouth on 17th May 1988. It went to Derby on 11th March 1989 and MBLS 62946 was exchanged with modified 62948 (ex 2411). 2410 was subsequently named ’Meridian Tonight’ on its MBLS.

2410 was sent to Crewe on 10th October 1998 for MBLS modifications, and was released on 23rd October 1998. The unit was then refurbished at Eastleigh and returned to traffic on 25th January 2000. 2410 went to Ilford for its C6 overhaul between 21st August and 7th September 2006. This unit was the third last in service, its last working being the 18.05 Waterloo to Poole service on 3rd February 2007. It was put into store at Eastleigh on 15th February.

On 17th May 2410 with 2406 did a driver training trip for Freightliner Heavy Haul drivers between Eastleigh and Basingstoke and it had another run, this time with 2410, on 14th August. It ran again between Eastleigh and Basingstoke on 3rd October with 2401. On 8th October this unit was moved within Eastleigh Works by 07007. On 28th November it did a round trip between Eastleigh Works and Basingstoke, again with 2401, and another run on 19th December with 2405. 2410 did not stay in store for very long because it was out again in the new year running on 9th January 2008 to Basingstoke with 2417. 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 reinforced on 28th February when, piloted by a class 73, it was moved to Lovers Walk. However, on 17th March it was piloted back to Eastleigh with 73136 and then three days later it accompanied 2407 on two round trips to Basingstoke. On 10th April 2410, with 2407, undertook tests of a new wheel slip protection probe with a round trip between Eastleigh and Bournemouth. On 15th April this unit, with 2405, was moved from Eastleigh to Brighton and returned, with 2402, under their own power on 20th May. 66547 hauled this unit, along with 2402, to Wolverton on 26th June, being unit number 6 in the programme. It was released on 14th January 2009, being hauled to Lovers Walk by 67021. 442410 was reported in service on 28th January. On 19th March this unt, with 442424, made a test run to Eastbourne specifically to test passenger elements of operation prior to the introduction of the Eastbourne - London Bridge peak workings.

This unit was delivered to Bournemouth on 18th June 1988. It was involved in a sidescrape collision with 3070 at Wimbledon Park on 28th November 1988 and DTF 77392 was damaged. It went to to Derby for repair on 8th December 1988, being reformed with damaged TS 71858 & DTS 77422 (ex 2417). MBLS 62947 then had its ‘snug’ modification carried out so enabling a "float" of MBLS vehicles to allow the remaining outstanding vehicles to be modified. The process being for the donor units' MBLS to be temporarily allocated as part of ‘2411’ for approximately two weeks whilst undergoing modifications. 62947 was exchanged with 62938 (ex 2402) 28th January 1989

Damage repairs to the trailers were completed and the unit returned to the SR on 23rd September 1989 formed with 62939 as its allocated MBLS. However 2411 remained out of use and MBLS 62939 was then exchanged with 62940 (ex 2404) during November 1989 and the unit finally went back to traffic circa 10th November 1989.

This unit went to Crewe on 13th June 1998 for MBLS modifications, being released on 17th July 1998. It was then refurbished at Eastleigh and returned to traffic on 14th February 2000. 2411 was named ‘The Railway Children’ on its MBLS at London Waterloo on 30th July 2003.

2411 went to Ilford for its C6 overhaul between 2nd and 19th October 2006 and returned to traffic on 25th October. It failed with damage to a bearing on one of its motor bogies on 8th December and was taken to Wimbledon Park for repair. It returned to Bournemouth on 31st December as the rear unit, locked out of use, of the 21.05 Waterloo to Bournemouth service. 2411 was due to be one of the last units in service at the end of the "last scheduled day" of operation on 13th January 2007, however, it never made the end of the day due to being failed at Waterloo again with a damaged motor bogie bearing. It never returned to passenger service so its last working was the 09.20 Fratton to Waterloo service on 13th January. It was repatriated from Wimbledon Park to Bournemouth on 26th January and was put into store at Eastleigh on 29th January.

If units are stored with the prospect of being reactivated it is necessary to move them periodically to keep them in running order. Accordingly on 21st November 2007, 2411 did a round trip between Eastleigh Works and Basingstoke with 2402. On 21st February 2008, the unit went on another run, this time with 2405 and again on 27th February with 2405. On 1st April, 2411, with 2404, was hauled by 73204 to Chart Leacon for a C4 overhaul. Following an extended stay in Kent, this unit moved to Stewarts Lane on 5th November 2008, believed to be a staging post to Wolverton, to where it was hauled, with 2403, on 2nd December. This unit was hauled to Stewarts Lane overnight 13th into 14th March 2009 and on 28th March underwent tests with unrefurbished 2405. 442411 entered service on 30th March 2009. It was reported being out with 2423 making test runs overnight 6th-7th April.

(above) DTS 77422 of 2411 at Waterloo during June 1993 - photograph by John Lewis

2412 was delivered to Bournemouth on 23rd June 1988. It was sent to Derby on 25th February 1989 and its MBLS exchanged with modified 62943 (ex 2411). MBLS 62943 was then exchanged with 62938 (ex 2407) circa 20th March 1989 and further exchanged with 62947 (ex 2402) circa 1st April 1989.

2412 was named ‘Special Olympics’ on its MBLS at Portsmouth & Southsea on 12th July 1997. This unit went to Crewe on 15th August 1998 for MBLS modifications, being released on 28th August 1998. The unit was refurbished at Eastleigh and returned to traffic on 17th January 2000.

2412 went to Bombardier Ilford for its C6 overhaul between 11th and 28th September 2006. The honour of being the last Wessex Electric unit in service - at least hopefully for the time being - falls to 2412. It worked a staff railtour from Waterloo to Windsor and Eton and Shepperton on 3rd February 2007 and then the 21.05 Waterloo to Poole service. It was put into store at the former Alstom Works at Eastleigh on 12th February.

On 3rd October, this unit did a round trip between Eastleigh Works and Basingstoke with 2403. On 8th October it was moved within Eastleigh Works under its own power. There was a further round trip between Eastleigh Works and Basingstoke on 18th October, this time with 2404. On 3rd December, 2412 with 2414 was hauled to Wolverton works by 47830, making them the first two units to undergo refurbishment for Southern's forthcoming Victoria - Brighton Extended Gatwick Express service. 2412 is unit number 2 in the programme, with 2414 being number 1. The motor brake car, 62947, was moved by road to Derby during December, believed for "sway" testing. On 6th November 66727 hauled 2412 to Lovers Walk, the second unit to be released from refurbishment. Along with 2414, it reached Gatwick on 8th December but the pair were failed and returned to Brighton. However the following day the pair re-entered passenger service, the first (Gatwick Express) refurbished units to do so, on an off peak Victoria-Gatwick Airport diagram, which they maintained for three days. On 13th December, the pair were moved to Stewarts Lane in preparation for running peak Brighton-Gatwick Airport-Victoria diagrams on 15th December. 442412 had its tyres turned at Selhurst on 7th February 2009. This unit accompanied 442404 on a test run to East Croydon on 20th March.

(above) DTFo 77393 of 2412 bringing up the rear of a down working through Clapham Junction during June 1996 - photograph by John Lewis