British Rail Southern Region 1985-London Victoria with Class 73, DEMU Thumpers & EMU's

One of my earlier videos now, from November 1985. We see the Western Side at Victoria before the shopping centre was built above the platforms. BR blue liveried 73s are at work on the Gatwick Express services along with DEMU Thumper units and EMUs in blue & grey livery. If you liked the video please subscribe to my channel, there are lots more transport & quirky vids to upload!

[@vicsams4431]

Another great video. Thanks for posting. Nice to see the Gatwick Express in its original guise, with Class 73/1s in blue, and carrying headboards numbered 1 to 7, to denote which of the seven sets (diagrams) it was working. Although the Class 73/1s used on the Gatwicks were fairly dedicated, this video pre-dates them being renumbered into Class 73/2s. Not everyone twigged that the GLV (Gatwick Luggage Van) on the London end was also providing powered - top'n'tailed, hence the Mark 2 carriages were designated Class 488 EMUs. Nice to see a nine car Thumper formation, some 4CEPs, one 4EPB and what looked like 4CIGs in the background. Many a happy bash to Gatwick and back trying to get all 7 x Class 73s ! It took 3.5 hours to complete them all.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you.... I used to do the Gatwick's as a fill in move when i dated my BR Staff Travel Box. If i had only one day trip out a few trips to gatwick would help knock off the 73s.... Although i got my last Gat Ex one for haulage (202) on the very last trip they ever did when it was top & tailed with another! better late than never......

[@vicsams4431]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Cheers mate. You were not alone. But I missed one or two Class 73/2s. I did manage to cabride one Class 73 and one GLV on one trip. It was quite odd, watching the dual controls in front of you move, without you touching them. A bit like riding an OBB 2143 diesel hydraulic, which I have also done. One of the most exhilarating runs behind a Class 73 I had was from Waterloo to Reading. The route has loads of level crossings, where the road is wider than the loco is long, causing it to get gapped. Full power, blinding flash electrocuting the shrubbery, no power, second blinding flash electrocuting the shrubbery, full power and launched back into your seat. The 500hp diesel up onto the GWML was less impressive ! When the 4REPs were donating their traction motors to the Class 442s, Class 73s also worked daily to Bournemouth and Portsmouth. The Channel Islands Boat Train used to be a Class 73 to Bournemouth and a Class 33 to Weymouth Quay, using conventional Mark 1 TSOs. I have also done a Class 73/9 from Fort William to Edinburgh, via Bathgate. It is strange a Southern engine built to the Hastings Gauge of 8' 8" ended up in the north of Scotland.

[@Keithbarber]

The latter days of the blue/grey era - when train travel seemed more of an adventure Too stifled now, but those days would have to end

[@AndreiTupolev]

So that was what Victoria Brighton side looked like before the shopping complex was built over it? I've only ever known it since then. Everything looked rather grimy pre-NSE, but that iron roof had a lot of character

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

And the place had daylight! But this was before NSE had been formed, funny to think now i've had a video camera since August 1985.......

[@EM-yk1dw]

Lovely Soi. Victoria uncluttered. Tadpole unit too. Really miss the railway as it was then. Terrible now.

[@ianjones4116]

Watching train vids again lol...... hope your keeping ok. 👍😎

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you.....

[@macstar2010]

Wonderful to see and hear the DEMUs. Victoria ruined now. And dull trains. Zero character.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

It's amazing how much it has changed there now..... A bit like Liverpool Street East Side Suburban....

[@jos4669]

455s are still about, mind you

[@spompey]

Brilliant vintage material....best wishes....Mark

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you, some of my earliest videoing.....

[@bingbong7316]

That was no Tadpole in the consist, it was a 6L power car temporarily swapped in to a 3D. Tadpoles used ex-6S power cars and a 6S saloon with an ex-2EPB driving trailer, very different beast.

[@Phil6219]

Ahh syncronised door opening, don't you just miss it? ;) I find it somewhat ironic that both London Victoria and Manchester Victoria were ruined when the councils went and built great big buildings on top of them, at least in the case of London Vic, the track layour remained pretty much the same unlike up here where we went from 17 platforms to 6 with only 4 being through roads :/ Great footage and good memories :)

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you.... Yes Man Vic was totally destroyed. I understood loosing a couple of platforms for Tramlink but to reduce the main lines so much was madness! Check out my upload here kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHaUpZpjmKaWoM0

[@joegrey9807]

Yeah the station has definitely been over built since then, but at least it's a lot cleaner than it was. As a kid it was great, but by god the stations and trains were grimy then.

[@Glenn1967ful]

It all looks so old fashioned now, but this was 36 years ago and British Rail was only slowly replacing its first generation multiple units. Also the stations were more basic then, manned barriers, British Rail buffet and WH Smiths concession, not the shopping centre style stations we have now.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, it was a totally different station back then!

[@itsthatsebguy93]

Victoria Station looked a lot less cluttered back then. Much easier on the eyes.

[@roberthill6216]

Because of the natural light probably. It's a shame BR buried so many stations in concrete.

[@geoffbarry9540]

So, looking at 1.00, the old platform layout had already been modified? When I used the station in the 50s and 60s it still had several "double" platforms able to hold two eight car rains , with the concourse end unit able to leave up the centre access road.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Probably had a rationalisation in the 1960s perhaps?......

[@thepacerman]

something strangely nostalgic about this even though this was way before i was born

[@glenjarnold]

Used to love my almost-weekly journeys from Victoria down to Gillingham during this era.

[@philsam1232]

Wow so different to the Victoria I know thanks for sharing. Looks like what happened to Liv Street with the sky rights got sold off and then closed off at the county end, at least on the Brighton side.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, the old terminals were fairly bright places until built over.....Now they are like Underground stations!

[@robertbutlin3708]

The Brighton side pre-rebuild (ie pre-turning it into an underground dungeon with valuable air rights).

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, amazing how light & airy it was back then!

[@mirvids5036]

Some nice footage there. The DEMUs bring back memories as I often used the line to East Grinstead where they were common until electrification finally happened.

[@dodgydruid]

That was a sight, a tadpole in between two standard thumpers O.o

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

It seemed a long train for an early afternoon working?......

[@AndreiTupolev]

Interesting DEMU combo: 9 car with a Tadpole in the middle, that must have been pretty rare

[@onanexcursion]

Not a Tadpole as such as by that time they had been disbanded. One of the Hampshire units was formed with a Hastings unit motor coach for a period during 1985 before withdrawal on completion of the East Grinstead electrification. The Blood and Custard website says, about unit 1107, "MBS 60106 condemned 25‑Jul‑85 due to severe roof corrosion and defective door pillars; replaced by ‘long’ Hastings MBS 60037 (ex. disbanded 3R no.1206) this coach seating 30 giving a unit total of 19 first and 184 second"

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thanks for the detailed info.....

[@bingbong7316]

@@onanexcursion Well, ex-Tadpole (3R) motor coach, although I confess that in my day they were "short" (3-bay) rather than "long" (4-bay), so maybe 1206 had had a replacement from a later Hastings unit at some point?

[@ianjones4116]

Great sounds Soi, thumped do sound nice. 73s in BR blue, matching the inter city livery stock. Very smart lol. 👍😎

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Some classic traction on this upload for sure.....

[@zebedep]

Fantastic footage, thank you! It's interesting to see how Victoria train station looked before it was covered by a shopping centre / office development. It's also great to see the rolling stock of yesteryear that now looks so antiquated!

[@mirvids5036]

It's "Railway Station", not "train station". Just to be correct. The latter is a horrible Americanism that has crept into usage over here.

[@Martindyna]

@@mirvids5036 He might be American !!

[@mirvids5036]

@@Martindyna Indeed he might well be !

[@zebedep]

@@mirvids5036 Well hot dang! ...I'm from London as it happens ;-)

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Either way, i prefer stations that have natural daylight compared to being in a dungeon!

[@roberthill6216]

@ 3.31 I think someone's left the grill on too long and burnt the toast.

[@4vepvik781]

Nice to see a montage of old skool slam door CIGs/BIGs/EPBs/3H etc and a Tadpole unit👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😊😊.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

At the time it was just a regular day out.......

[@4vepvik781]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Yes and we'll done for the vision because We have quality posterity videos to look back on and enjoy!...Thanks👏🏾👏🏾😊😊

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

@@4vepvik781 Thank you, video was such a massive increase in quality over cine film.... and with sound!

[@theimperialist2686]

Great railway video again Soi Buakhao

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you.....

[@Qwerty1235945]

Superb work as always Soi. Thank you for sharing.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

My pleasure.....

[@timstrainvideos142]

excellent video!

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you.....

[@jerrywinder7249]

Interesting to have intercity stock going in to victoria!

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

That was the Gatwick Express service.....

[@misstrever1952]

...thank you for the video! have very vivid memories when it was like this as if only yesterday, can remember rubbing my finger on the black sooted brickwork! 👌

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Funny to think this period was nearer to steam operation than we are to this time now......

[@markcf83]

Wow. I don't ever remember Victoria looking like that.....

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

It was a long time ago now, even i forgot how light & airy it was.....

[@RailwayVideos.]

Love the video

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you....

[@171trains]

It's nice to see how my mainline would of looked when newer stock such as electrostars were introduced, good that the old workhorse 73s are still around and a 201

[@jos4669]

i suppose im the only one who doesnt dislike the current version of the station, seeing as this one just looks filthy and rather unpleasant to be in (minus the attractive roof design). still a fascinating and very nice selection of stock that is just not seen any more (and sorely missed)

[@mikelitoris4027]

@2:02 is that a 415?

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, that's an EPB unit......

[@dgattenb]

i love the bog cars... very sexy sound

[@martynthomas7486]

Fantastic stuff from a great era, thanks as always Soi.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

My pleasure.....

[@martynthomas7486]

Yes, a nice view of things just before the Network Southeast rebranding. To think you could once travel in Inter-City 1st Class luxury on the Gatwick Express and now it's 'ironing board' seats throughout in the woefully inadequate Class 378's. Even the supposed inferior service run by Southern has more comfortable seating in their 377's and their passengers pay less!

[@la535lhx]

The old Slam door 🚪 thumps 👍

[@OlafProt]

Brilliant video - the Gatwick Express thunders down the hill at some speed onto the platform. 1:55 4EPB code 84 from Dorking! I could've been on that train! Wonderful Thumper mix with some Tadpole going on.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I'm pleased you enjoyed it!.... Trains certainly creep about a whole lot more these days, that's for sure......