- The Regency Javelin Railtour
- RVAR Compliant Lavatories on Class 465
- 395015 "Live On" - Operation Javelin
- Class 375 Refurbishment Update Autumn 2015
- Blue 375 Livery Anomaly
- First Refurbished Electrostar in Service
- First Refurbished Electrostar Returns
- First Electrostar Away For Mid-Life Refurbishment
- Networkers with yellow doors - last handful
- Variety on the Amber Rudd Express
- Class 376 Moves to Ramsgate
- East Sussex Rail Summit - Class 395 excursion
- 12 Car Networker Workings Commence
- The Victoria Cross
- Class 375 Livery Variations
- Charing Cross 150
- Derailment at St. Leonards
- 395 Maidstone East Route Refreshers
- Class 465 Liveries
- 2012 Stock Alterations
- 395 Student Games Services
- 375 3car vice 4
- New 375 Livery Variation
- 395 Livery Variation
- Medway Valley High Speed Service
- Paddock Wood Post HS1 Domestic Services
- Refurbished 466 Returns
- 395 Maidstone West Test Run
- High Speed Route Learning
- 508s Go to Brighton
- The Javelin Starts
- 508 Maintenance Moves
- 375 Loans to Southern
- 508s Into Store
- January Diversions via The Old Road
- 395 Testing & Training
- 376 rescues 375
- 395 Driver Training
- Golden Jubilee 375 No Longer Golden
- 395 Testing
- End of Connex Livery
- 508 Livery Variation
- Electrostar in Stealth Livery
- First Javelin Flight!
- 508s To Be Reprieved?
- Class 376 On Display
The Regency Javelin
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| In November each year since 2014 our friends UK Railtours has run a charity rail tour to raise funds for The Royal British Legion and Southeastern have decorated and named a unit to publicise the Poppy Appeal and highlight the valour and sacrifices made during The Great War. The last two digits of the unit number match the year it was so named, it being removed the following November. This year 395016 was named "Somme 100" to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and its enormous loss of life on both sides. 395016 was coupled to last year's unit, 395015, oriented so that both power driving trailer standard open "B end" cars were coupled together so that the unit names on the "A cars" were at either end of the formation. |
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The copyright of UK Railtours for the above map is acknowledged. This year's route was basically a figure of eight with branches off involving reversals. Not all reversals, for instance at Redhill and Preston Park, are shown on the map. The key and very important feature of the tour this year was that for the first time it took Class 395 units carrying fare paying passengers well off Southeastern territory, reaching as far west as Littlehampton, taking a break at Brighton (hence the "Regency" in the tour's title) and then on to Eastbourne and Hastings, where Javelins have previously visited before heading back to St. Pancras International a circuitous way round via Rochester. Whilst the Webmaster had a ticket for this tour unfortunately he missed it due to being struck down by a Winter Vomiting Virus nine hours before the tour was due to depart. So this item is compiled from material donated by contributors. It is projected that 2017's tour will go even further off Southeastern territory, so to avoid a repeat the Webmaster will go into isolation for a week before the tour! |
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photograph by Simon Jeffs (above) Representatives of The Royal British Legion were present at every major stop. This is at St. Pancras International prior to departure. 395016 led the tour for this first leg with 395015, seen here, trailing. |
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photograph by Colin Price (above) The weather throughout the tour was grey, wet and grim. 395016 is seen here approaching a damp Redhill from the Tonbridge direction for the first reversal of the day. |
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photograph by John Chisholm (above) Not very much later, a bit further south Horley does not look so damp. This shows how the two units were coupled together symmetrically. |
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photograph by Simon Jeffs (above) For this leg of the tour 395015 led and is seen here at Three Bridges prior to taking (we will use the traditional title) the Mid Sussex Line down to the coast. The young boy seen in this picture was celebrating his 12th birthday and had just been on a cab ride. It was said that as a consequence he wants to be a Southeastern High Speed driver when he grows up! |
