EPB 5001 visits the Addiscombe Branch | 1991

[@robertb7918]

This is the first time I have found any video or photographs of the line between Elmers End and Woodside (except for Tramlink). I grew up on Escourt Road which runs parallel to the line up to Woodside Station and the footbridge was at the bottom of the road. As the train leaves Elmers End there was an odd curve in the line which means that it you were standing in exactly the right place on the footpath which runs adjacent to the line, for a split second the train seemed to be coming straight at you. The line runs adjacent to the boundary of what is now South Norwood Country Park but used to be a disused sewage farm and was a dangerous place. At 1.23 you can just make out a pair of old level crossing gates which are still there. There is also a gate set at 45 degree to the track which used to close over a spur that went to an incinerator on the sewage farm. Except for being shown on historic maps I have been unable to find out anything more about this.

[@KatharineA0203]

I grew up in Cloister Gardens & walked over the footbridge to Ashburton High 😊

[@robertb7918]

@@KatharineA0203 Do you remember the Griffin on the end of the roof of the house by the top of the path leading to the footbridge? I was always afraid of passing it!

[@brslamdoornetwork2972]

That's right. The pair of gates which still exist were for a small occupational crossing, possibly for those on foot using the sewage works, yet the track you mention going off to the sewage farm broke away from the branch at the point just were 5001 passes over the AWS ramp heading down to Addiscombe. I would say it was an additional track to the works to handle disposal or provide coal for heating etc in the days of steam. One of our members used to live up at Elmers End and he would often climb up to the hill near to where the sewage works were (late 80s/early 90s) so he could observe the branch when it was still operating, and he would walk right along to the footbridge alongside the line in the park.

[@Dave.Thatcher1]

I was a signalman at Hayes just up from Elmer's End back in the early 70s.......I lived in Elmers End Rd.. Went on from there to the south western division to work Twickenham West Box.. prior to those two I started at Crystal Palace C Box, and then onto Liegham Junction, those two were in the mid 60s.

[@michaelmiller641]

I was on that trip! All those years ago!

[@brslamdoornetwork2972]

Must bring back a lot of happy memories

[@KatharineA0203]

2:39 - the line passes to the side of Woodside Infant school playground - loved being out in the playground as the peak hour services returned to be stabled at Addiscombe around 10am

[@brslamdoornetwork2972]

Must have been exciting sometimes, and to hear the rattle from the trains as the 2 coachers shuttled back and forth between Elmers End to Addiscombe every 30 mins. Many of the berthing trains to and from Addiscombe were usually 8 or 10 coaches long - very few occasions as 4 or 6.

[@4vepvik781]

Nice memories there as I grew up n went to school from Woodside Green back in the 70s.

[@dodgydruid]

My ol' father was D grade relief from Elmer's End signal box, able to work any of the then still going signal boxes along the branches before moving on to Wimbledon A.

[@tenfootvoyager]

Carried my pushbike over that foot bridge a few times when I lived in South Norwood and my friend lived off Bywood Avenue opposite where the footpath came out on Long Lane. Quite a short cut about 60 years ago!

[@anthonyireland6108]

Brings back such childhood memories , I still say they could of kept Addisconbe station as a railway museum complete with the old semaphore arm signals, the ghosts of Addisconbe station were all part of the local folklore too

[@southlondon63]

Used to travel to Hayes a lot years ago to see my father. Always wondered what was down that line when we arrived at Elmers End , can see Addiscombe station was quite a big area with those train sheds before they got bulldozed and ripped up.

[@brslamdoornetwork2972]

So did I for a while - all you could see from the down platform at Elmers End down platform was the lines converging into a double track and a couple of signals in the distance with trees covering the route from that point. I started going on the 'Popper' and it was quite an enjoyable and light little branch. Yes - Addiscombe station area and its shed were of importance and vital to BR, although there were others with positive ideas for the station after its closure before the unfortunate demolition in August 2001.

[@stevenelliott5403]

I drove 5001 a few times back in the 90's before they replaced the EPB's

[@TrainBusFan06]

Weird how the line has part colour light signals and part manually operated semaphore signals. That said it must have been a joy to ride on back in the day with the old EPBs. Shame it no longer exists and now never will again...

[@martynthomas7486]

Lovely to see 5001 in action. I rode it on it's last ever run, on the 'End of an Era' railtour. A shame it couldn't be saved for preservation but there you go. 1991 was the last full year of EPB dominated services on the Kent Link region before the Notworker invasion of '92.

[@brslamdoornetwork2972]

It was very close to being sold for £1 but by the time it was interested parties could not tell the green from the rust during the last years of 5001 being in open air storage. 1991 certainly was.

[@OlafProt]

What's the thing running in the centre of the tracks for quite a long time? ends at 2:08. Love all those familiar EPB sounds.

[@jasonl4411.]

The green Goddess railtour

[@brslamdoornetwork2972]

Yep - on 13/4/1991. I believe the SEG have uploaded the whole video of the tour on their KZbin channel.

[@EM-yk1dw]

Lovely I miss the EPBs. Didn't Addiscombe signal box get burnt down?

[@stevenelliott5403]

Yes, they tried to blame the signaller if I remember correctly called Alice, after that it was worked by pilotman from Elmers End to Addiscombe, worked a few of those over the years until they closed the line

[@CoxallK]

Great footage. Thanks for sharing.