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![]() photograph by David Smith
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When in 1964 the time came for the Southern Region to
replace steam hauled stock on the Reading to Tonbridge service the SR turned to
its tradition of recycling rolling stock. Three Hastings 6S (class 201) DEMU
units were disbanded releasing six motor brake second saloons and six trailer
open seconds which were then mated to adapted driving trailers from BR design
2EPB units to form six 3R (R for Reading/Redhill) class 206 DEMU units. The EPB
driving trailers had three compartments in their non driving end converted into
a luggage compartment.
Because of the visible difference between the narrow width of the ex-Hastings stock and the standard width of the ex-EPB trailer these units rapidly became nicknamed "Tadpoles", a name which stuck throughout their working life. The remaining passenger accommodation in the EPB trailer was usually locked out of use. In 1979 four Tadpoles units were disbanded. One 6S unit was reinstated and the EPB driving trailers were used to convert the remaining two car Hampshire DEMU units (2H) to three cars (3T/class 204) albeit with the intermediate driving cab out of use in their formation. "Heritage" DMUs from the Western region replaced the Tadpoles on Reading to Tonbridge services, and in turn they were eventually replaced by class 165/166 DMU units of Thames Trains. |
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This page was last updated 28 December 2008