23rd April - The Ore No More Tour
I booked on my first Branch Line Society Tour since 2020 with the “Ore No More” (although at the time it was called something else but got re-routed away from Ore due to clearance issues). It was nice to have a railtour where I could start from home without the cost of hotels, so my day started with the 05:27 service from Grateley to Basingstoke where I had around 32 minutes to waste before the tour train was due to arrive.
The time got a bit longer due to being late from Reading due to a broken-down freight train, but soon enough required 50008 rolled in with Mk1 coaches and 50007 on the rear. I took my seat and settled down for the trip towards Winchester, going via the loop at Wallers Ash, with the final pick-up being at Eastleigh. The tour headed towards Fareham and reached platform 4 at Portsmouth & Southsea for the first of many reversals.
50008 arriving at Basingstoke
50007 was in charge for the run back towards Fratton, where we were meant to wait time for a Southern service to overtake, but for whatever reason we went before the Southern service, causing that train to get delayed (oops!). Going nonstop through Chichester was certainly unusual and soon the train arrived at Barnham, going into platform 2 to reverse with 50008 taking the train to Bognor Regis where there was a 30-minute break.
I made the most of the break to pop to Morrisons for lunch supplies (although I ended up in Tesco as Morrisons didn’t have much). Back at the station and it was onwards to Littlehampton for another short break (only around 10 minutes this time).
313201 departs Bognor Regis
After Littlehampton the train carried on heading east, pausing at Hove (quite odd seeing 455s in the sidings next to the station). Next up was a trip into Brighton where some passengers alighted for a longer break, but I remained on board for the trip back to Hove, reversing to head to Preston Park, then finally back to Brighton, this time on the higher numbered platforms. Brighton is a bit like Inverness in having platforms which are not connected other than a short crossover.
50008 at Brighton
Everybody was back on board for the trip towards Lewes and the Seaford line, heading into the former Newhaven Marine station (just the platform and a large security fence, with a couple faded signs which I assume would have said Newhaven Marine). I believe the train got as far as the gates to the aggregate terminal. After Newhaven Marine the train headed back towards Lewes, going via Plumpton to reverse at Haywards Heath to go back on itself towards Lewes this time staying on the main-line to reach Eastbourne, the furthest East it would get today due to clearance issues on the line towards Hastings.
The train returned towards Lewes, and Haywards Heath going via platform 1 before heading north towards Gatwick Airport, where due to engineering works only the slow lines were open (platforms 1 to 3). The train had a short dwell on platform 2 to allow other trains to pass, before carrying on towards London, using the connection to the Quarry Lines before Earlswood station.
Remains of Newhaven Marine station
Carrying on heading north, along the quarry line (which must be quite unusual for a charter train to use due to the volume of traffic). A spirited run via East Croydon towards London Bridge, where it used a little used connection from the Thameslink lines to platform 3 to go into London Cannon Street where there was a 90-odd minute break. I decided to make the most of the break with a little walk along the bank of the River Thames, only from the railway bridge, underneath London Bridge to reach Tower Bridge.
I crossed over Tower Bridge (which was quite busy, but it is a big tourist pull for London) and on the south bank walked back towards Southwark bridge (going via a little Tesco near London Bridge station), crossing over to the North bank. I wish I had a better camera for zoom as I reckon it would have been a good picture of 5008 at Cannon Street (all be covered with a stabled pair of 376s). I returned to the station to board the train which had emptied out (I believe there was something happening on the Sunday).
50008 at Cannon Street (if only I had a better zoom and those 376s weren't there)
The route southward was the complete opposite of the way into London, in terms of speed, as I believe it took us nearly an hour to reach Purley due to being behind an Overground stopper from New Cross Gate (then behind a stopper after East Croydon). Thankfully the train did get back to speed for the run via Redhill but caught up with a late running Thameslink service for Horsham, so back to a crawl for the next 15 odd minutes.
After Horsham with the stopper out of the way, it was time for some speed for the run via the pretty Arun valley, thankfully the charter got put out in front of a Portsmouth stopper around Ford and by the time it reached Fareham the delays had pretty much gone, and it was back running on time. I believe it even got into Southampton Central a minute or so early, which is where I left the train (it would continue to Eastleigh, but connections from Eastleigh to Basingstoke weren’t the best).
50007 at Southampton Central
I
don’t think I was the only passenger who was hoping to make the connection into
a London train, although for some reason it got later & later (so the connection was easily made). Eventually the pair of 444s arrived to take
me back to Basingstoke, where I had a short wait for some 159s to take me
home. I will admit to being surprised at
the ticket barriers still being in use at Basingstoke, especially as
Southampton were wide open.
It was a nice easy day trip, exploring some of the Southern branches (been a few years since I’ve visited Bognor). Only my 2nd time (knowingly, so excluding any times when I was very young) behind some classic 50s. The Sunday was a day of walking (after a visit to the dump to get rid of some garden waste) where I walked from Micheldever station to Winchester via several paths.
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