Nearing the "Papworth Piggery" 2016-09-28--016

47812 approaches its destination, hauling "Wessex Electric" EMU 442418 past Ely Cathedral. The working was 5E42 04.15 Eastleigh Works - Ely Papworth Sidings, and the EMU was going into warm storage.

The class 442 EMUs were built for the extension of third rail electrification from Bournemouth to Weymouth (inaugurated in May 1988), and were effectively mark 3 coaches with one vehicle in the set fitted with traction motors. They also had power-operated external doors, the only mark 3 coaches built for use in the UK with them (although the mark 3 coaches for Ireland had power doors). They were unofficially given the Southern Region classification "5-WES", being used on what was known as the "Wessex Electrics" route.

After South West Trains decided to standardise its outer suburban and longer distance fleet using Siemens "Desiro" units they became surplus to requirements. They then saw a spell on Gatwick Express services (which saw the SWT livery modified significantly), and that morphed into fast Victoria - Gatwick Airport - Brighton workings which saw the "Gatwick" removed from the branding (leaving just "Express"). Southern then decided they weren't needed, and owner Angel Trains put many of them into warm storage at Ely; they were the first EMUs to be stored there, and the site gained the nickname the "Papworth Piggery" (because the 442s had been nicknamed "Plastic Pigs" when they had first appeared).

"Warm storage" meant the units were kept in operational condition, being moved around from time to time and also being connected to an ETS-fitted loco to keep the on-board electrics functioning. Indeed, one or two paid visits to Eastleigh Works during their stay at Ely in order to rectify any faults which had developed (and this unit was taken back to Eastleigh after three weeks, returning to Ely again a month after that). A new operator was found for many of them - South West Trains, which needed extra capacity - and a major refurbishment was planned, which included a new traction package. The was well underway, and some units were actually in service, when the whole fleet was withdrawn for the rectification of a problem - and then the Coronavirus pandemic struck! A year or so later, it was then decided the abandon the project, and the entire remaining fleet was sent for scrap, some having been prepared for traffic but never been used.

This was the seventh working taking 442s to Ely for warm storage, and 442418 was the eighth unit to arrive there. This was, however, the first working to arrive at Ely during the morning; the previous six had departed from Eastleigh either mid-morning or around lunchtime. As can be seen, it was popular with photographers - especially as ROG was just beginning to establish itself as an operator, so its 37s and 47s were also of interest.

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Taken on: September 28, 2016

Tags:

4412418

2418

EMU

5-WES

Wessex Electric

class 47

47812

British Rail

Brush

ROG

Rail Operations Group

Ely

cathedral « less

Sets appears in: • BR class 47 locos • Unit drags more » • ROG workings « less

Groups appears in: • UK Railway Landscapes • East Anglian Railways more » • West Anglia Main Line (London Liverpool Street - Kings Lynn) • ROG Workings • Rail Operations Group (ROG) • East Anglia UK Rail Photographs • Train in a Beautiful Landscape « less

Camera: Pentax K20D, f/0, 1/500 sec, 85mm (=127mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Pentax K20D
Aperture:	f/0
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Focal Length:	85mm (35mm equivalent: 127mm)
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Contrast:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Windows Photo Editor 10.0.10011.16384
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