Whither Wessies? - Wessex Electric Gallery

2403 coupled to 2402 in Bournemouth Depot February 1988.

photograph by Ian Buck

The high speed run across the level crossing at Poole

Prior to first diagrammed use, on 14th April 1988 a high speed charity trip ran from Waterloo to Weymouth using 2401 & 2403, this being the first public use of the new units. A time of 1hr 59mins 24 sec was achieved with a maximum speed of 109mph. Passengers were conveyed in unit 2401 only as fitting out of 2403 was incomplete. Here the special run is seen through Poole, due to the level crossings the slowest part of the trip.

photograph by Roger Smith

Wessex Electric Unit between Waterloo and Vauxhall

In the run up to introduction to service, and whilst driver training was taking place, the Network SouthEast Publicity Department was in action capturing images of their modern 3rd rail stock and producing publicity material - of which more on the sixth page of this gallery. The following three photographs are official publicity photographs generously contributed by the Network SouthEast Archive, courtesy of Alan Cheek www.railimages.co.uk (via Richard Sharp).

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This page updated 20th February 2007 by Colin Duff.
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