The Christmas Pudding, Saturday December 30th 1995
The sociable 1000 tour departure from Victoria meant a fairly relaxed 0634 departure from Leighton on 321411/405. The forecast snow hadn’t produced it was just icy cold. A Watford bail saw 313022 joined for a rumble down the DC to Willesden Jn. Upstairs the 0808 from Willesden to Clapham Jn got surprise power in “bubble” 55027. 2 319s took me from Clapham Jn to Victoria.
The usual suspects were all hanging around Victoria all 500 of them, VEP’s 3591 and 3500 quickly filled with 33109 confirmed as the power. A right time departure took us past Stewarts Lane depot, Lewisham and a rare loco hauled trip down the Addiscombe branch. A short stop at this always atmospheric station, then unfortunately due a loco fault the VEP’s powered us, dragging the idling Crompton back to Elmers End.
Two views of the tour at Atmospheric Addiscombe, 33109 looking good at this now long closed (in 1997) Croydon termini on December 30th 1995.
Here a second farce saw all 500 tour participants having to bail onto ice covered platforms, freezing rain was now falling, not snow. This was because passenger trains “couldn’t use the emergency crossover” so at Elmers End 500 passengers slipped and slid over the footbridge to the Hayes line platform. 33109 powered us to the rare loco hauled haunt of Hayes for a quick turnround with the EMUs once again powering to New Cross via Lewisham.
Bromley North was the next rare loco hauled venue for the tour with an ontime 1205 arrival. Here a rare branch visitor but dud for most, 37037 gave us 50 miles of snarling growledge to Tonbridge via Dartford. At Tonbridge 2 Eurostars passed but a slow loco change here saw a stagger behind an all shacks behind dud 58023 all the way to Hastings.
The tour atmosphere remained subdued, the average/common power and awful freezing rainy weather hardly helping. The 58 ran round at Hastings to leave in darkness for another dull run back towards London. The bone was removed at London Bridge as they were banned into Cannon St so once again VEP power over the Thames into Cannon St.
Here 33025 (not the allocated 33002) was bolted on and a good old thrash through the snowy wastes of Barneshurst and Slade Green followed back to Victoria. Victoria was reached half an hour down, a tour that to be honest seemed much better with hindsight, for me and Mr Chapman it was 321430 home
Organiser “D Tours”
Stock 2 x VEP (3591/3500)
Power 33109, 37037, 58023, 33025
Ching £25
Headcode 1Z66
T/keeping p to 30L
Tour gen
33109 Victoria – Addiscombe/Hayes/New Cross- Bromley N
37037 Bromley N – Lee Spur Jn/Sidcup/Dartford – Tonbridge
58023 Tonbridge/Tun Wells- Hastings – Tun Wells/Orpington – London Bridge
3591/3500 London Bridge – Cannon St
33025 Cannon St – New Cross/Barneshurst/Slade Green/Lewisham/Brixton – Victoria
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