European Railroad Discussion > Southern Region dmu at Reading General 1968

I spent many hours train spotting at Reading as my grandmother lived nearby.

By 1968, I had emigrated to Canada, but made frequent visits back to the UK. I had abandoned my trainspotting book for a point and shoot camera.

I remember that in 1968, Reading had two stations, the main line Reading General station which was of Great Western Railway heritage, and a parallel electrified Southern Region station just west of the main line station.

I also recall there were stub end platforms at the east and west end of Reading General which hosted dmu trains. Those more familiar with Reading station can tell me whether this is a view looking east or west.

The dmu is one of a class built in the BR Southern Region shops which had long service lives. Unlike most other dmu's which had underfloor engines, this type featured an English Electric diesel engine mounted in an engine room behind the driving cab, much like a North American gas-electric car. Some examples are preserved.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/22 20:09 by eminence_grise.

Another great catch, a tadpole - a class 206, made up of two narrow bodied Hastings DEMU - the end you can see in the picture - and a driving trailer second (DTS) of a normal profile EPB, hence the nickname. I guess it's on a Basingstoke train, or maybe from further afield - Southampton or Portsmouth as the Southern was never shy using inappropriate stock on long-ish distance services. The passengers usually deserved better :-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/14 13:17 by 86235.

eminence_grise Wrote:
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> I remember that in 1968, Reading had two stations,
> the main line Reading General station which was of
> Great Western Railway heritage, and a parallel
> electrified Southern Region station just west of
> the main line station.

The electrified SR station was actually slightly east of the WR station. In the integrated station, the third-rail electrified lines are still in the same position in relation to the "Western" lines, which are themselves in the process of being electrified, albeit with overhead wiring. I was there a few weeks ago and many catenary masts are in position, but no wires as yet on the running lines. The depot to the northwest of the station has some wiring in place, though.

Southern Electric Groups's website shows the 88 headcode was used in 1961 for services between Portsmouth Harbour-Southampton Terminus (semi-fast) via Netley. By 1981, this had changed to Portsmouth Harbour-Salisbury/Westbury (semi-fast) via Netley. Neither of these accounts for the arrival of a train with that headcode at Reading, but perhaps in 1968 that was different.

Lots of changes at Reading, but fortunately the Three Guineas pub is still going strong, albeit no longer directly accessible from the platforms and thus all access is from outside the barriers. It still has a great trainspotting table.

I think that the gas holders in the far distance are/were on the London side of the station. That suggests that the unit had arrived from the Bracknell/Guildford/Redhill/Tonbridge (North Downs) line which has some credence because that was a (the) Tadpole route and the headcode was 88 - a southeastern headcode because the power units were from the Hastings route.

Quite why it was using the bay platform in the "Western" station remains a question mark although when the old "Southern" station was closed only one platform was added to the "Western" station. That was found to be inadequate and a 2nd platform was later added (recently a third has appeared). It may be that the North Downs services were diverted because the single platform was inadequate.

You are spot on in all that you have to say about the photograph.
Keith G, London, UK

Hartington Wrote:
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> Quite why it was using the bay platform in the
> "Western" station remains a question mark although
> when the old "Southern" station was closed only
> one platform was added to the "Western" station.
> That was found to be inadequate and a 2nd platform
> was later added (recently a third has appeared).
> It may be that the North Downs services were
> diverted because the single platform was
> inadequate.


That stirred a distant memory from my trainspotting days at Reading in the late 1950's, the other spotters called the the "Redhill" trains, and they must have had the same consists for prolonged periods, so they were ignored because they had been "spotted" before by most of the local spotters.