Cab Ride - East Croydon to Redhill

Continuing our journey from Hither Green to Woking aboard a Plasser 09 type tamper, this section of the journey is from East Croydon to Redhill, via Purley and Coulsdon

[@martinmarsola6477]

A nice relaxing video today. Weather was nice and so was the ride! ❤😊

[@bazza945]

Thank you, happy holidays, Keep Safe, Alan.

[@emmo999]

Happy Christmas to you, Barry

[@ralphcruickshank4389]

Thank you for these fantastic cab rides! This one in particular, as it's a route in the game Train Sim World 2 London Commuter and although I've never been here, it is a delight to see the route in all its natural glory. Other Brighton Mainline journeys also take my fancy. Keep up the great work!

[@alanwrigley3154]

Thoroughly enjoying this! Having grown up in Coulsdon in the 50s and 60s and spent many hours on trains visiting family friends in Reigate and Dorking, going to school in London and later working in London, I remember every inch of your journey between Herne Hill and Dorking but rarely in such good weather! I'm re-living my childhood through your cab!

[@emmo999]

Glad you’re enjoying the ride. I should hopefully get the next bit - Redhill to Woking - uploaded back end of this week

[@shaunwest3612]

Great video emmo, really nice journey, those quarry line are some feat of engineering aren't they amazing 👌, looking forward to seeing your next video, thanks 👍👌😀

[@emmo999]

Redhill-Woking will be next, across the North Downs line

[@AshBehindtheCamera]

Excellent video I really enjoyed it 🙂👍

[@emmo999]

Cheers 👍🏻

[@hypercomms2001]

Memories... I remember this journey well... but now I live in Croydon....Victoria... .Melbourne...!

[@emmo999]

Somewhat distant, then! Croydon has changed a lot over the last 10 years

[@jessicamorgan3073]

Thanks for another fab video, you're certainly taking the Great Way Round! I used to spend a couple of hours after school on the footbridge just north of Redhill Station back in the day. It was v. different then!

[@emmo999]

Oh, I bet! When you say "back in the day", when are we talking roughly?

[@jessicamorgan3073]

@@emmo999 1975~78

[@emmo999]

I love the old slam door trains that would have been about then. I remember them well, although I was only born in 1975 so am a little later vintage

[@rubyait]

@@emmo999 You are just a baby! Younger than my children. Now, when I say, “Back in the day,” we’re talking the transition from coal to diesel in the States. I remember both. And the subways were live center rail. THAT’S back in the day.

[@CycloneGU]

Ah, the London to Brighton route. To be fair, this is covered in a Brighton to Bedford video, but not sure offhand which lines it used (express or service). I also recognized the 377 and, I think, 375 going by having driven a simulated version of the route many times.

[@emmo999]

Yes, passing stock was 377, 375 and 700s

[@fetchstixRHD]

Lovely set of videos! Now I'm a bit curious though, is there a reason they chose this routing rather than via Tonbridge like last time? I was guessing it would have been so that you wouldn't have been turned the wrong way, but to me it looks like both choices would keep you facing the same way in the end?

[@emmo999]

That I’m not sure of. I’m sure someone somewhere decided it was a good idea, but not sure why. Given the hold at Kent House etc, clearly the machine was in the way somewhere

[@fetchstixRHD]

@@emmo999: Ah I see, thank you! I was thinking the actual answer may have been along the lines of “I don’t know” - maybe it was a bit “random” and both routes would have been pretty similar in the end, or they guessed it would have been easier to keep you waiting somewhere 🤔

[@johnshanks1341]

Great series of videos, presenting combinations of routes not normally seen. But can I ask that you point the camera down instead of up? It is the track we would love to see, not the sky. Thanks for all your efforts.

[@emmo999]

This is something I am conscious of, but unfortunately it’s about as low as I can get it, due to the angle of the windscreen. I will see if I can find a good suction mount that holds the camera a bit further off the screen. That would allow me to lower the angle more

[@johnshanks1341]

@@emmo999 Wow, that would be super, but I can see the problem with a sloping window. Thanks.

[@robertbutlin3708]

Do you know what you were chasing south of Purley? Being stopped at Stoat’s Nest Junction seems a little unusual if what was in front was a train stopping at Coulsdon South.

[@emmo999]

I edited out a few minutes hold there. I can’t remember exactly now, sorry. It wasn’t anything exciting!

[@robertbutlin3708]

@@emmo999 thanks. At that signal I’d assume it was something crossing down fast to down slow. I think some Thameslinks do/did East Croydon to Coulsdon South non-stop and used the cross-over.

[@emmo999]

Yes indeed they do

[@ewsclass6679]

Do you prefer chasing yellows or just running at line speed?

[@emmo999]

I don’t think anybody enjoys chasing yellows!

[@ewsclass6679]

@@emmo999 thought it might add a bit more variation/excitement idk, excitement probably isn't the right word 😂

[@emmo999]

It’s not good practice. You get in the routine of automatically cancelling the AWS without actually taking in the signal aspect and drivers have been known to SPAD because of it

[@markcf83]

What was a South Eastern unit doing at Coulsdon South?

[@emmo999]

Can’t say for certain, but the SE 377/5 definitely go to Selhurst for maintenance, so may have been heading there

[@AlteranAnciote]

Redhill and Croydon is a diversionary route for Southeastern between Charing Cross and Hastings. It's not uncommon to see them on this route during weekends. After Tonbridge they'll run to East Croydon and then London Bridge. They'll sometimes run empties on this route during the week for staff training purposes, and you'll sometimes see a pair of blue uniforms staffing the Redhill to Tonbridge shuttle for the same reason.