The Epsom Downs Branch Website - Motive Power on the branch

In the early days of the branch, tender engines were used for the heavy race days traffic. Everyday traffic on the other hand only required tank engines. In the 1890s, "A" class 0-6-0T engines - better known as "Terriers" - operated the branch out of West Croydon shed with sets of old four-wheeler coaches.

With the start of motor train workings in 1906 (push-pull sets), still out of West Croydon shed, D1 0-4-2T engines no. 605 and 627 took up these duties, followed by more locos from the same class. The D1s could haul two standard coaches and gradually phased out "Terrier" workings, the last being no. 661, transferred from West Croydon to Littlehampton in 1920.

LBSCR "Stroudley" 0-4-2T D1 class no. 259 Barnham, pushing a two-coach train out of Belmont en route to Sutton
(Lens of Sutton)

During 1925-1928, more than a dozen different D1s operated the branch line, all shedded at West Croydon.

Race days brought an otherwise unseen variety of engines to the branch: Marsh 4-4-2Ts, I3 4-4-2Ts, H 0-4-4T, E5 0-6-2T, with Pullman service invariably being hauled by 4-4-2T locomotives.

The Royal Train pulled by Marsh I4 class locomotive no. 31 (12-40 departure from London Victoria to Epsomd Downs) has just left Belmont on 4 June 1913. This engine was withdrawn in January 1936.
(Adrian Wymann Collection)

This photograph, hand-coloured for the production as a postcard, shows another Marsh I class 4-4-2T locomotive (introduced in 1907/08), the standard LBSCR choice for the Royal train to Epsom Downs (the last of which ran to Epsom Downs in 1924).

The caption on the postcard reads "Royal train near Banstead"; the towering signal on the left is the "intermediate signal box C" (in use only on racing days) and shows that the train has only a few hundred yards to go before it reaches Epsom Downs.

Following electrification of the line in 1928, steam locomotive haulage was limited to goods trains.

Branch goods trains were hauled by various E1 class locomotives during the LBSCR period. The Southern Railway used various 0-6-2T engines, such as classes E3, E4, E4X, E6 and E6X. Initially out of West Croydon shed, they later had their base at Norwood Junction shed.

During the British Railways period, C2X 0-6-0s and subsequently Moguls were used on freight traffic such as domestic coal, gradually dropping off after 1964.

Belmont goods yard, c.1935
(Lens of Sutton) [Click to enlarge]

Following the demise of such services to the stations along the line, steam hauled trains became a rarity. In most cases, such ventures onto the branch occurred as specially chartered "railtour" events.

Steam returns to the branch in September 2003 when Bulleid 'West Country' Pacific Bodmin pays a railtour visit to Epsom Downs
(c) John H. Bird

Since the electrification of the line in 1928, the electric multiple unit (EMU) has reigned supreme - not surprising for what has essentially been a commuter branch since the 1920s.

In the days of the classic "Southern Electric", most services were operated by SUB (suburban) EMUs.

3SUB on a Victoria to Epsom Downs service pictured at Banstead in 1938. The train is actually formed of two 3-car units (top and tail) plus two additional coaches in between, resulting in a 8-car train.
(Lens of Sutton)

After 1945, all-steel units steadily started to replace the older wooden-bodied stock. In 1951, the first EPB (Electro-Pneumatic Brakes) designs, direct descendants of the SUB, were introduced. These two and four car units (2EPB and 4EPB, later designated Cl 416 and Cl 415) became the main motive power on the branch throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and these slam-door EMUs were only gradually replaced by sliding-door stock (Cl 455) during the latter half of the 1980s.

Cl 416 325 pulls into Banstead in July 1987 with an Epsom Downs to Victoria.
The interior of these slam-door units was characterised by wooden panelling and soft seats. [Click for larger images]

An artist's impression of a Cl 455/8 to promotoe the NSE livery

The Cl 455 EMUs were built in three batches (455/8, 455/7 and 455/9). All were formed as four car sets with two driving trailer coaches, an intermediate trailer and a non-driving motor coach which carried all the traction equipment (four 250hp motors reclaimed from 4-SUB units). The body shell was a shortened version of the Mk.3 coach body.

The Cl 455/8 were the first batch, delivered in 1982 to the Central and South Western divisions of BR network.

During the late 1980s, Network SouthEast gradually phased out the EPBs on the branch and replaced them with Cl 455/8 multiple units.

Since 1988, the Cl 455/8 EMU works by far the largest part of all services running onto the branch, and the long reign of the Cl 455 on the Epsom Downs Branch is reflected by the variety of liveries seen on members of this multiple unit.

In July 1987, a British Rail Blue & Grey liveried unit makes its way across Banstead Downs en route from Belmont to Banstead.

[Click for larger image]

The Network South East era is long gone by August 2000, but a Cl 455/8 glides into Banstead station still wearing NSE "toothpaste" livery.

[Click for larger image]

Cl 455 820 is about to depart from Banstead on for the last lap of its journey in April 2001, wearing the Connex SouthCentral White & Yellow livery.

[Click for larger image]

The advent of the Southern not only brought about a new livery, but also also kicked off an extensive refurbishing programme in 2004 for its fleet of Class 455 EMU units which - after some two decades of stalwart service - were in need not only of a substantial overhaul but also of some corrections to a number of interior design deficiencies regarding e.g. seating layout or passenger information and safety installations.

Refurbisment was undertaken at Eastleigh, with the most noticeable exterior difference being the removal of the end gangways, now plated over with a central window. Unit numbers are now displayed in full TOPS form in two groups of three digits (e.g. 455 840), replacing the traditional four digit unit designation (e.g. 5840). Furthermore, a black box recorder and improved train performance diagnostics are fitted. The first refurbished unit, 455 828 entered service in March 2004, the programme is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2005.

Cl 456 EMUs (built in 1990-91) started to venture onto the line in the mid-1990s, and these units are now appearing more and more often on the branch.

Cl 456 024 stands at Banstead with an off-peak London Victoria service on 25 September 2005

Cl 456 arriving at Banstead in April 1995 (left) and departing Banstead with a Victoria service in March 2002 (right, Robert Oakes). [Click for larger images]

Since electrification of the line in 1928, locomotive hauled trains became a rarity on the branch. In modern days, traction has appeared on the odd occasion only, mostly in conjunction with maintenance duties, such as the annual "water canon train" (usually to appear on the line in November) used for washing away the accumulations of fallen leaves.

A very rare and exceptional occasion was the "Buffer Puffer" railtour, which ventured onto the line on January 9th 2000 with D6593 (Class 33) heading and Electroc-Diesel Class 73 129 City of Winchester trailing a rake of BR MkI blue and grey liveried passenger coaches.

Left: D6593 (Cl 33) crosses Drift Bridge at the head of the "Buffer Puffer" railtour into Epsom Downs on January 9th 2000
Right: Leaving Epsom Downs again, Electro-Diesel Cl 73 129 "City of Winchester" (the last Cl 73 to retain NSE livery) is about to cross Drift Bridge with the "Buffer Puffer's" rake of BR blue and grey MkI coaching stock
Both pictures (c) Mark Shipman, used with kind permission [click for larger images]