23rd October 2019 · Classic Southern Electric in Colour

Presenter: David Brown

The October meeting of Chichester Branch was entitled Classic Southern Electric in Colour, presented by David Brown, one of our own members, who also sits on the Branch Committee. From his opening shot of the Brighton Belle (designation 5 BEL) hurrying through Hassocks, we were treated to an array of wonderful shots of numerous Southern Railway electric units and locomotives in full colour, with many of the photographs displayed being very rare ones. The ‘Classic’ title David applied to those Southern EMUs introduced in the 1930s. He had gathered these from various sources but still managed to give authoritative and in-depth details of where taken, etc. Some of these lasted long enough to receive small, and a few, large yellow warning panels and some even an overall blue livery, which did not suit any of the units as well as SR green. Such was the SR’s obsession with toilets, that many of the class designations were derived from just how many toilets were available within a unit, not that you could be guaranteed access if sat in the wrong part. Yes, the subject was as stated but the meeting notes should really have included the phrase “another Classic David Brown presentation” which indeed this was.