Whither Wessies?

The award of a second franchise term from February 2007 for Stagecoach, the current operator of the South West Trains (SWT) franchise has involved a commitment to provide 20% extra seats during peak hours and the payment of a large premium to the Department of Transport (DfT). To accommodate this, SWT undertook a controversial a major rolling stock reshuffle. The Class 458 Juniper units, originally to be dispensed with, have been retained for Waterloo-Reading, Guildford-Ascot and Farnham-Waterloo via Ascot peak duties, displacing Class 450 units to the Portsmouth line, which frees Class 444s for Weymouth duties. As a result the Class 442 fleet was taken off lease after February 3rd. However Southern are now to lease up to seventeen of these units for their forthcoming Victoria - Brighton Gatwick Express services which are a requirement of their new combined South-Central/Gatwick Express franchise. Units will be refurbished for this and it is thought this will involve converting the first class compartments to open accommodation and a third rebuilding of the motor brake buffet standard vehicle to remove the buffet and further increase seating accommodation. The first two units, 2412 and 2414 were taken to Wolverton on 3rd December 2007. C6 overhauls - prior to rebuilding - recommenced during February 2008 with 2417 and then 2419 being taken to Chart Leacon. For information about movements of and work on units for future Southern/Gatwick Express use please see individual unit histories and our Southern Class 442 news.

Training of Southern drivers on this class commenced during the week of 9th-13th June 2008 when 2405+2406 made a number of runs out of Brighton. Then during a second week of driver training, again using 2405+2406, 23rd June saw the first appearance of the class at Eastbourne and the first time these units have run between Keymer Junction and Eastbourne.

On the 14th June 2008 Sheffield Railway Auctions sold 17 nameplates off former SWT Wessex units with the proceeds going to Naomi House Childrens Hospice near Winchester. The results of the auction were as follows:

151	“BOROUGH OF WOKING” and separate coat of arms with the Latin quotation “Fide et Diligentia” in scroll at base. Carried by the unit 2404. Nameplate: 49½” x 4½”; coat of arms: 15¾” x 15½”. (2)	£1600
152	“THE NEW FOREST” as carried by the unit 2403. 49½” x 4½”.	£520
153	“VICTORY” as carried by the unit 2406. 30” x 4½”.	£300
154	“BEAULIEU” as carried by the unit 2401. 30” x 4½”. VGC.	£420
155	“SPECIAL OLYMPICS” as carried by the unit 2412. 43” x 4½”.	£200
156	“CITY OF SOUTHAMPTON” as carried by the unit 2420. 61” x 4½”.	£420
157	“WOKING HOMES” as carried by the unit 2417. 40” x 4½”.	£100
158	“BBC SOUTH TODAY” as carried by the unit 2419. 53” x 4½”. Mint condition.	£400
159	“MERIDIAN TONIGHT” as carried by the unit 2410. 51” x 4½”.	£300
160	“OPERATION OVERLORD” as carried by the unit 2422. 59½” x 4½”.	£400
161	“COUNTY OF DORSET” as carried by the unit 2408. 46½” x 4½”. Poor condition.	£260
162	“MARY ROSE” as carried by the unit 2415. 34½” x 4½”.	£190
163	“THE RAILWAY CHILDREN” as carried by the unit 2421. 55” x 4½”.	£260
164	“THOMAS HARDY” as carried by the unit 2407. 44½” x 4½”. Poor condition.	£100
165	“COUNTY OF SURREY” as carried by the unit 2423. 55½” x 4½”.	£200
166	“WESSEX CANCER TRUST” as carried by the unit 2418. 55” x 4½”.	£100
167	“CITY OF PORTSMOUTH” as carried by the unit 2405. 62” x 4½”.	£200

The first installment of a full detailed history of the Class 442 with South West Trains appeared in the February 2007 edition of Live Rail (LR 214), the bi-monthly members’ magazine of the Southern Electric Group. The second installment appeared in the April issue (LR215). If you would like to join the SEG, including to receive Live Rail, please click here for details.

To complement the magazine articles this is a pictorial overview of the class as a whole and a detailed history of each unit. These pages are still being compiled as history unfolds and they will therefore be updated periodically.

(left) An unidentified Wessex Electric unit passing through the New Forest. Picture courtesy of Alan Cheek/Network SouthEast Archive/www.railimages.co.uk

Development work to the structure of the BR Mk3 coach undertaken for Iarnrod Éireann, specifically the floor being able to take greater weights (to permit a generator to be installed) and power operated plug doors, provided the key to the evolution of the Mk3 design that became the class 442 EMU.

(right) IE Electrical Generating Van 7610 at Dublin Heuston station on 26th October 2005.
photograph by Colin Duff

A mock-up of a Mk3 unit was put on display in Poole Yard for press & publicity purposes during October 1986. This used former ECML TRUK 40416, subsequently rebuilt into RFB 10207.

photograph by Roger Smith

Being Network SouthEast's pride and joy the class 442 fleet was branded as "Wessex Electrics". This gave rise to their nickname of "Wessie" and quasi-SR unit code 5 Wes. Another widely used nickname, unpopular with Network SouthEast managers, was "Wessex Pig" (due to the cab front shape resembling a pig's snout). This derogatory nickname was somewhat in conflict with the units being the most comfortable and popular third rail mainline units ever. A subsequent enthusiasts' variation to the nickname was "Plastic Pig" (resulting from the GRP front).

(left) Wessex Electric branding on a unit side
photograph by Tony Hillman/www.srpublicity.co.uk

The Wessex Electric Fleet was launched with a blaze of publicity by Network SouthEast's Publicity Department, former members of which have freely contributed photographs to these pages, for which many thanks. Seen left is a promotional corkscrew, perhaps inspired by "Castleman's Corkscrew" the name given to the tortuous original route of the LSWR through Dorset after its promoter who was a solicitor from Wimborne?

photograph by Roger Smith

The high speed run across the level crossing at Poole

Prior to first diagrammed use, on 14th April 1988 a high speed charity trip ran from Waterloo to Weymouth using 2401 & 2403, this being the first public use of the new units. A time of 1hr 59mins 24 sec was achieved with a maximum speed of 109mph. Passengers were conveyed in unit 2401 only as fitting out of 2403 was incomplete. Here the special run is seen through Poole, due to the level crossings the slowest part of the trip.

photograph by Roger Smith

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