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7th June 1986
Set: B430
GWR liveried Class 117 set B430 (51368 + 59520 + 51410) at Ashford Chart Leacon open day on June 7th, 1986. Stuart Pearce.
13th July 1987
W in 9/85 from Newton Heath class 104 DMBS 53475 was dispatched to Derby RTC for departmental use. It never received its allocated departmental number ADB 977342 and was supposedly withdrawn from departmental use in 11/85 with no work undertaken and allocated for scrap. It clung on in a twilight existence for several years before being allocated to the the DM&EE (Divisional Mechanical & Electric Engineers), downgraded to unpowered status as hauled stock and given the TOPS code QXV. After languishing for several years at Derby it was put to use as a Carriage Washing Machine Test Vehicle. What this entailed isn't documented but I suspect it was just used to check clearances and capabilities of refurbished or new carriage washers. To that end it paid a visit to Ashford probably to test the new Down Yard Carriage Washer after which it spent months dumped in Ashford Down Yard labelled as condemned. It eventually went to Vic Berry's in Leicester being broken up in 12/88. Adrian Nicholls.
15th August 1988
Set: L594
Reading allocated class 119 set L594 (51073 and presumably 59435 + 51104) waits to leave Ashford with the 04.10 staff train to Tonbridge on August 15, 1988. For several years one of the late evening trains off the Redhill to Tonbridge line used to run through to Ashford Chart Leacon ECS for fuel and cleaning. It would then make this unusual working in the morning the 04.10 Ashford to Tonbridge staff train which called at all station except Pluckley and Marden. It was unusual in being a WR DMU set on what was an electrified normally EMU only passenger route. Primarily for railway staff going to work it would connect at Tonbridge into the 04.58 to London Charing Cross passenger service. Some 'normal passengers' made use of it but it could be withdrawn at short notice for overnight engineering work and replaced with a mini-bus. At Tonbridge the DMU would then start off the first or second train of the day up the Redhill line which was not yet electrified. Adrian Nicholls.
18th August 1989
Set: L595
For a number of years before Western Region DMU sets ceased to be used on the Tonbridge-Redhill / Gatwick Airport-Reading route one of the late evening trains off the Redhill to Tonbridge line used to run through to Ashford Chart Leacon as ECS for fuel and cleaning. The train would generally be the 21.51 Reigate to Tonbridge. After servicing at Ashford Chart Leacon the stock would be recessed in the old works yard east of Ashford station prior working the early morning 04.10 Ashford to Tonbridge staff train which called all station except Pluckley and Marden. In in the Wheel Shop Yard in the early hours prior to running ECS to Ashford station on 18/8/89 is Class 119 set L595 comprising 51086 + 59430 + 51074. Adrian Nicholls.
Unknown Date
Class 117 DMU set B430 (51368 + 59520 + 51410) seen during the Ashford Chart Leacon open day on 7 June 1986. Stuart Mackay Collection.
Page 1 of 1, displaying 1-5 of 5 images