DEMU Diary

Compiled on Sunday 15 November 2009

1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005

The Main Diary page contains notes, a notation key, and entries since the end of 2005.

The set of entries on this page is believed to be complete.

See separate pages for entries prior to April 2004, and entries during 2004.

1001’s workings over Network Rail metals during 2005
(See previous entries)
Wednesday 29 December 2004
to
Saturday 1 January 2005
A With Saturday timetables in operation during this week, 1001 was operating diagram 901-Saturdays on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; on Friday (New Year’s Eve) however, it instead worked diagram 972-Saturdays, to allow a Class 171 unit to receive a maintenance exam in the long layover that features in 901-Saturdays. 1001 continued in service right to the end of 972-Saturdays (last train of 2004, the 2224 from Ashford).
Tuesday 4
to
Saturday 8 January 2005
A 1001 operated Diagram 901 from Tuesday of this week, and 901-Saturdays on Saturday.
Monday 10
to
Saturday 15 January 2005
A Our three-car unit worked diagram 901 and 901-Saturdays again this week.
Monday 17
to
Saturday 22 January 2005
A Unit 1001 worked diagram 901 all week, and finished up with 901-Saturdays.
Monday 24
to
Saturday 29 January 2005
A Unit 1001 covered diagram 901 all week again; however, on Saturday it operated 971-Saturdays. This was partly so as to be in use during the middle of the day for the edification of HDL shareholders attending their AGM at Three Oaks, but also because a Class 171 unit needed to be kept on the shorter diagram pending an upcoming exam. Note that from 1922 hrs, our unit 1001 was kept at St. Leonards and a Class 171 covered its last trip; this was in connection with an engineer’s possession at West Marina the following day.
Monday 31 January
to
Saturday 5 February 2005
A 1001 worked the usual 901 and 901-Saturdays diagrams this week.
Monday 7 February
to
Saturday 12 February 2005
A On Monday, 1001 worked the usual 901 diagram. It started off with this on Tuesday, but from 1605 it was swapped onto diagram 973 in time for the 1806 from Hastings. The earlier finish of the latter diagram made it easier to carry out maintenance work on motor coach 60000 Hastings that evening. The remainder of the week saw operation as usual on diagram 901, and 901-Saturdays.
Monday 14
to
Saturday 26 February 2005
A 1001 worked diagram 901 and diagram 901-Saturdays (no work on Sunday) through this period.
Sunday 27 February 2005 S 1001 didn’t get its rest day today, as a class 377 failed at Hampden Park on the way into Eastbourne with the 0744 Brighton to Hastings; our train was used to provide a shuttle service between Hastings and Pevensey & Westham, as follows:
  • Empty to Bexhill, then
  • 1055 Bexhill to Pevensey & Westham;
  • 1111 Pevensey & Westham to Hastings;
  • 1143 Hastings to Pevensey & Westham;
  • 1211 Pevensey & Westham to Hastings;
  • 1243 Hastings to Eastbourne; then
  • Empty to depot.
Monday 28 February
and
Tuesday 1 March 2005
A Our three-car DEMU was out on its usual 901 diagram on these two days.
Wednesday 2 March 2005 S 1001 was strengthened to a 4-car unit by the addition of motor coach 60118 Tunbridge Wells, and fitted with the Dellner coupling adapter. It departed for Eastbourne at approximately 0835, where it was on standby if required to assist any electric trains adversely affected by the snow and icy weather. It returned to depot at 1210 and Tunbridge Wells was removed, in time for the usual 3-car unit to form the 1324 departure from Hastings on 901 diagram. Motor coach 60000 Hastings was fitted with the Dellner coupling-adaptor for the first stint. Later that evening, our train was swapped onto diagram 973 for the 1806 semi-fast to Ashford return, in order that it would finish its day on The Marsh sooner—and could be made available for possible rescue work at an earlier time.
Thursday 3 March 2005 S
A
1001 was sent to Eastbourne early this morning to stand by for use if required, but returned to Hastings in time to work its full day on diagram 901.
Friday 4 March 2005 S
A
1001 was used to assist the first Hastings-London service (dep 0507), an 8-VEP EMU which suffered the loss of all its conductor shoes in Bopeep Tunnel because of a defective conductor rail. The resulting train was brought to St Leonards Depot where customers were transferred to road transport. 1001 then covered its usual Ashford line duties.
Saturday 5
to
Tuesday 8 March 2005
A 1001 worked diagram 901-Saturdays and diagram 901 on three of these days (no work Sundays).
Wednesday 9 March 2005 A 1001 started off on diagram 901, but was swapped at Hastings at 1610, working the final round trip of diagram 973 instead.
Thursday 10
to
Saturday 12 March 2005
A Our 3-car unit worked the Marshlink service on Diagram 901 on Thursday. It is currently formed (Ashford-facing end first): 60000-60529-60116. Friday and Saturday were spent at St. Leonards depot, for the cleaning of 1001’s seven cars, shunting them into formation, and preparing the train for Sunday’s railtour.
Sunday 13 March 2005 R Our seven-car train operated the HDL Lydd Ranger railtour today. A news article with photos has been created. The train got turned in the course of the day’s running, and so when our motor coaches were at Hastings station, Mountfield faces Rye, and Hastings and Tunbridge Wells now face towards Bexhill.
Wednesday 16 March 2005 A 1001 was used on the Marsh today, on diagram 901; it was formed (Ashford end) 60116-60529-60000.
Thursday 17 March 2005 S A 6-car train was formed, using 60116-60529-70262-69337-60501-60118. This operated (not in service) as a driver-training run for EWS as follows: 5Z01 12+26 St. Leonards Depot – Hastings – Tonbridge and return.
Monday 21
to
Thursday 24 March 2005
A The three-car version of our train was operating diagram 901 on the Ashford & Hastings Line for Southern.
Saturday 26 March 2005 A Following a rest on Good Friday (Sunday service in operation), our unit worked 901-Saturdays today.
Monday 28 March 2005 A Unit 1001 was in use on diagram 971-Sundays today (Easter Monday), whilst work was carried out on 171 723.
Tuesday 29 March
to
Saturday 2 April 2005
A 1001 worked diagram 901 and diagram 901-Saturdays for the remainder of this week.
Monday & Tuesday 4 & 5 April 2005 A On these two days, our 3-car train operated Diagram 901 until 1610 when it was swapped to Diagram 973 until close of traffic.
Wednesday & Thursday 6 & 7 April 2005 A For this pair of days, 1001 was used on Diagram 901 throughout.
Friday 8 April 2005 A The green DEMU operated Diagram 901 until 1610 when it was swapped to Diagram 973 until close of traffic.
Saturday 9 April 2005 A 1001 operated as follows:

The extra workings for 1001 were because of a door fault on 171722.

Sunday 10 April 2005 A Our DEMU ran on Diagram 971-Sundays today
Monday 11 April 2005 A The three-car version of unit 1001 ran on Diagram 901 until 1210 at Hastings, then Diagram 973 from 1224 until 1610, when it reverted to Diagram 901 to close of traffic.
Tuesday 12 April 2005 A 1001 was used on Diagram 901 today.
Wednesday 13 April 2005 A

Our DEMU ran on Diagram 901 until 1522 (at depot). It was then reformed with Tunbridge Wells in place of Hastings, as follows:

[Ashford end] 60116-60529-60118. It was worked empty to Hastings for the last trip of Diagram 973 (1806 Hastings–Ashford semi-fast & return at 1854).

Thursday 14 April 2005 A The three-car unit was used on Diagram 901 today.
Friday 15 April 2005 A

Following some urgent maintenance work which was carried out on our train, it was reformed, swapping back to motor-coach Hastings in place of Tunbridge Wells:

[Ashford end] 60116-60529-60000. It then worked the final part (1806 semi-fast round-trip from Hastings) of Diagram 973.

Saturday 16 April 2005 A 1001 started on Diagram 901-Saturdays; after one trip, at 1024, it swapped onto Diagram 972-Saturdays; and at 2024 it moved onto the other diagram, 971-Saturdays. This was because of a defective Class 171 unit awaiting assistance from Bombardier.
Monday 18 to Saturday 23 April 2005 A Our 3-car unit worked the Ashford & Hastings Line on Diagram 901 and 901-Saturdays, with the following exceptions: on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was swapped onto 973 from 1610 at Hastings.
Monday 25 to Saturday 30 April 2005 A Unit 1001 operated Diagram 901 and 901-Saturdays. However, on Monday and Wednesday, it was swapped at Hastings from 901 diagram onto 973 at 1610.
Monday 2 to Friday 6 May 2005 A

Unit 1001 mostly worked Diagram 901 on these days. It was reformed on Tuesday 3 May at its fuel stop, with motor coach Hastings being replaced by Tunbridge Wells. The unit became thus formed:

[Ashford end] 60116-60529-60118. This was done to provide Tunbridge Wells with some “running-in” following maintenance work, prior to the railtour at the weekend. 1001 worked the final trip of Diagram 973 on Tuesday evening, reverting to its usual pattern on Wednesday. The unit remained in the depot on Friday, in preparation for the next day’s railtour.

Saturday 7 May 2005 R

Our train in its 7-car formation operated the HDL Lincoln Green railtour today. A news article containing photos of the tour has been created. The train was formed:

60000+60118-60501-BIG-CEP-60529-60116, with Hastings leading throughout the tour. Thus, the train ended up back at the depot having been turned round, with 60000 and 60118 now facing east, and 60116 facing west.

Monday 9
to
Saturday 14 May 2005
A

1001 was reformed as a 3-car train again, as follows:

[Ashford end] 60000-60529-60116. It was out all week on Diagrams 901 and 901-Saturday. On Saturday afternoon 1001 was reformed, with motor coach 60118 Tunbridge Wells taking the place of 60000 Hastings:

[Ashford end] 60118-60529-60116. This entered service with the 1924 to Ashford.

Monday 16
to
Saturday 21 May 2005
A Whilst generally working Diagram 901 this week, our train was swapped onto 973 at 1610 hrs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It also only worked the first part of 901-Saturdays. These changes allowed more time for maintenance.
Monday 23
to
Saturday 28 May 2005
A

On Monday, our train started off with Diagram 901, but at 1530 in the depot it was reformed with a motor-coach swap as follows:

[Ashford end] 60000-60529-60116. It then ran to Hastings station and operated the final trip of Diagram 973. Tuesday and Wednesday saw the same train formation and operation of the same workings, with the swap taking place at 1610 at Hastings station. For Thursday and Friday, 1001 was on Diagram 901 throughout, likewise Diagram 901-Saturdays on Saturday.

Monday 30 May
to
Saturday 4 June 2005
A On Bank Holiday Monday a Saturday service was in operation on the Marsh, with 1001 working diagram 901-Saturdays. The balance of the weekays featured our train on Diagram 901, apart from on Friday when it was swapped onto Diagram 974 from 1512 until close of traffic (last train over the Marsh), because of a faulty Class 171 DMU. 901-Saturdays was operated on Saturday as normal.
Monday 6
to
Saturday 11 June 2005
A

Monday saw our train working on Diagram 901; on Tuesday it started out on Diagram 974, swapped at 1010 onto 901, at 1210 onto 973, and at 1610 onto 901 again!

Our unit continued work on Diagram 901 for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Friday evening, a further Class 171 unit was brought in from Selhurst in preparation for next week’s new diagrams which are allocated to Class 171 DMU stock only. However, in the end our unit worked the final part (1900-2135) of 901-Saturdays.

Saturday 25 June 2005 R Our train operated the HDL West Country Cruiser railtour (incorporating the Tarka Special excursion to Barnstaple). The train was formed:
60000+60118-60501-BIG-CEP-60529-60116, with Mountfield leading at the start of the tour.
Sunday 3 July 2005 S
A

Our train had some special workings today. These were timing runs, made in order to test the performance of our 3-car DEMU (with two motor coaches). The first was an out-of-service run from Hastings to Eastbourne, operating to the timings of a new timetable that will come into force in December; it has several minutes shaved off it due to more powerful trains being available. Could 1001 cope with these sped-up timings? Yes! Admittedly the train had no payload (passengers) but it even recovered about 3 minutes’ time on the return trip, with mock 30-second station dwell times being strictly observed.

Our train departed Hastings at 1230, arriving at Eastbourne at 1306; 1353 return, arriving at Hastings at 1430. The train then operated the public 1515 service from Hastings to Ashford and return, part of Diagram 971-Sundays; this was also timed, and despite slightly late departures at both terminii good running was made and time regained.

The train was formed: [Ashford end] 60118-60529-60116 [Eastbourne end].

Wednesday 13 July 2005 A Our 3-car train was out in service on this day, working Diagram 973 from 1200 to end of diagram. This was to cover for a Class 171 unit.
Sunday 17 July 2005 R Our train operated the HDL Mid-Hants Venturer railtour today. A news article contains photographs of the excursion. The train, which was not turned round in the day’s running, was formed with all seven carriages as per the previous railtour.
Tuesday 19 July 2005 A The 3-car version of 1001 (formation as per 3 July) was used on Diagram 974 from 1100 until 2112 today, to cover for a faulty Class 171 DMU.
Wednesday 24 August 2005 A 1001 was out on Diagram 975 all day today. This was the last working on the main line prior to 1001 being long-term stopped for the fitting of Central Door Locking.
The Main Diary page contains the most-recent entries.