WELCOME to 1S76.com the rise and fall of cross country train
services to and from Brighton.
INTRODUCTION:
September 1978 saw a pimply faced youth fresh from 6th
form start work for British Rail at Brighton as a CO1 station relief clerk,
in the Old Steine travel centre or the 'town
office' as it was known .
The following year in May 1979 saw the re-introduction
of through services from the Midlands to the Sussex Coast and brought daily
locomotive haulage back to Brighton to break up the solid diet of EMU’s.
Coincidence? I think not! The powers that be must have known I much
preferred locos to EMU’s!!!
December 2008 saw the end of these trains. I'm still
working for 'The Railway', now well into the what were the old
BR MS management grades.
It has been generally all down hill
since the Voyagers took over from the class 47’s and Mk2 stock back in
2001, but their ultimate demise is really courtesy of the DfT and Arriva trains who now hold the franchise.
I hope this will be more than just a potted history of
those workings from the twice daily start back in 1979 through the optimism
of four trains a day in 1986, the often forgotten six trains a day in 2002
and Virgin Trains proposal for an hourly service, ending with the rather
half – hearted service that remained at the end.
As they were closely related the Cross Country services
to Dover, Folkestone and Ramsgate from 1986 are also included.
If you are able to fill in any gaps or correct any
errors supply photos or anything else please don’t hesitate to let me know,
email address at the bottom of the page.
All
the pictures are Copyright Andy Gibbs unless otherwise stated. Copies of all
my photos are available for sale through Zenfolio.
Latest updates added 12/06/2013
The website gets a
mention in issue #205 of TRACTION
magazine.
Many
links on the loco page restored.
1986
new picture and leaflet added also some updates.
1987
several new pictures added carriage labels and timetable updates.
1988
new picture added.
1994
new picture added.
1996
new timetable leaflet added.
1997
new picture and timetable leaflet added.
1998
new timetable leaflet added.
2004
first picture added.
73128 drags a failed 47439 into
Brighton with the late 0727 from Manchester Piccadilly. Photo taken 20th
June 1981.
There are well over a 300 photos of the cross country
services, I am also still looking for more suitable photos, train
formations, stock workings, carriage labels, leaflets and any other
information for the website, anything used with be fully acknowledged.
The many photos that have been kindly supplied show the
variety of traction that appeared on the trains, currently we have classes
20, 31, 33, 37, 40, 45, 47, 50, 55 ( yes a Deltic
on the Sussex Scot ), 58, 59, 73, 81, 85, 86 and 87. I know of class 56 and
08 haulage so do you have any photos?
Why call the site 1S76? Well 1S76 was the running number
of the most well known of the trains from
Brighton, the northbound Sussex Scot which ran from 1988 to 2002.
47519 arrives at
Reading with a very short rake of coaches on 1M31 the 1718 Folkestone
Central to Liverpool Lime Street.
Photo
taken 28th July 1988.
Click
on the year box to the left for details of timings, routing, traction,
stock details and of course pictures. Click on any picture for a larger
image. All pictures are copyright the original photographer.
Each page is the timetable year i.e
May 1979 to May 1980 up until 2004. The Timetable change was then moved to
December to bring it in line with the rest of Europe so 2004 is May to
December 2004, 2005 is December 2004 to 2005 and so on.
This is a big project so please be patient, I will
update and add to the years as soon as I can.
I Hope you enjoy it.
45110
passes through Clapham Junction on 1M41 the 1848 Brighton to Derby service,
once again the London Midland managed a week or more of supplying
"Peaks" on the 0958 from Manchester, south of New Street and the
return service. Saltley crew need I say more! There
was just time after work to ride this train to Gatwick, leg it upstairs
into the airport for a pint and then back down to the platform for the 1620
Manchester to Brighton service. Bliss!
Photo
taken 13th June 1985.
Photographer
Paul Winter. Used with permission.
This
'spare' unfitted nameplate from 220022 has recently been added to the
collection!
1979 also saw the restart of a Saturday service to
Bristol to add to the existing Saturday service to Exeter and details of
these workings will also be added to this website at a later date. How much
better are double headed Cromptons than a class
158! and the rumour mill has it that these
services are also on borrowed time. I hope to be able to bring you a
Westward Ho! page soon.
CONTACT
ME:-
If you have any comments, corrections, pictures, stock
details, reservation labels or any contribution, you can email me at acg5324ATbtinternet.com.............just
substitute @ for AT!
I am especially looking for photos to use of the
services north of Birmingham, anything with unusual traction of course and
stock workings, pocket timetables carriage labels etc. If you can help the
email address is above. Full credit will be given for anything used.
