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From the Argus -
It was like saying goodbye to an old friend.
The final journey of the last slam-door train to run in Sussex was a nostalgic trip for passengers and rail enthusiasts.
Tinged with sadness, some had travelled from all over the country to be on the 9.19 am Brighton to Victoria service.
They felt they had to be part of rail history as the train pulled away from platform 4 at Brighton station on a crisp Saturday morning.
With a plaque on the front of the 12-car train saying "farewell old faithful" and a wreath in the guard's van reading simply "goodbye", the train trundled on its last journey to the capital.
It might be the end of an era but some things never change.
Because of engineering works, the train was diverted via Lewes for its final journey to and from Victoria.
With a double toot on the horn, it clattered over the points outside Brighton station, with the wheels screeching as it negotiated the tight curve towards the London Road viaduct.
For 50 years the Mark I stock has served Sussex and the South well. But the Health and Safety Executive ruled the slam doors were dangerous and had to go by the end of November.
Over the years people have been killed stepping out of the wrong side of trains, jumping on moving trains and hands have been caught in doors.
Before bars were put across windows there were deaths as the result of people leaning out and being hit by tunnel walls, passing trains and trackside obstacles.
The current Mark 1 stock was criticised for crumbling too easily at the Clapham rail disaster in 1988, in which 35 people died.
But slam-door trains have served Sussex and South London well. It is estimated each of the current Mark I carriages has travelled the equivalent of five journeys to the moon and back.
Many passengers are sorry to see the back of them, pointing out they had more toilets than the new Electrostar stock.
It was said they were so comfortable staff would sometimes find amorous couples in compromising situations on the soft upholstery in the single compartments.
Commuters fondly remember staggering off the trains, having consumed too much in the buffet car.
Now the new efficient Electrostar trains with their clinical feel, computerised equipment but, arguably, less character are the trains for the 21st Century. Their sliding doors are controlled by a satellite system.
There were once about 1,600 slam-door carriages operating on lines in South London and to and from the Sussex Coast.
Finally, there were just 12 carriages, still in the old colours of Connex, the previous company running the franchise before South Central and then Southern took over.
When the train completed its return journey back to Brighton as the 11.06am from Victoria, it was taken out of service and put in sidings, ready to be taken to the scrapyard.
The driver of the last slam-door train was Anthony Williams, 44, from Brighton.
As he prepared for the final journey he said: "This a bit of history but you have to move on in the name of progress.
"The Mark I slam-door trains are less complicated to drive.
Electrostar trains have all the computerised safety devices.
"It is like comparing an old Morris Oxford car with a Jaguar XK."
Train driver Kevin Gibson, 25, had travelled from Merstham, south London, to be part of rail history.
He also drives the new Electrostar trains now.
As he waited to board with his camera to record the journey, he said: "I felt I had to be here.
"It is sad to see the slammers go.
"They are more comfortable because you can sink into the seats.
"You have to really drive the Mark I stock, whereas on Electrostars more is done for you.
"There is no way anyone would have won the franchise pledging to keep slam-door stock."
Andy Oliver, 37, a television engineer from Croydon, was filming the final journey. He said: "It is quite historical.
"All my life there have been slam-door trains and their passing is the end of an era."
Henry Harris, 78, was travelling to London from Brighton to buy lobsters for a dinner party.
He did not realise the significance of his journey until he got on the train.
He said: "I wondered why people were taking photographs of the train and thought it a bit odd.
"These slam-door trains have been around since I was a child.
"They are dangerous as people catch their fingers in the door but they are quite comfortable.
"As long as trains get me to London I am not particularly bothered what type they are."
The strong smell of disinfectant wafted through the carriages as I walked down the train stepping between the carriages with the greying strips of plastic hanging between the concertina black carriage links.
I remembered 17 years of daily commuting on slam-door trains.
There was a musty smell in each carriage and you could hardly see out the windows due to scratches from years of trying to rid windows of graffiti.
Notices warning people not to lean out of the window or open the door while the train was moving were above each door.
As the train clattered towards East Croydon after reversing at Lewes, passengers began to talk about their memories of slam-door trains.
Store manager Sue Rudwick, 31, was glad to see them go.
She said: "I know this is a nostalgic journey, but slam-door trains are noisy and draughty, especially if you sit by a door."
Alan Lake, 43, from Brighton, who works as rail timetabler for Southern, said: "They have been very reliable because there is a lot less to go wrong but they are not good in the leaf fall period. We are all sorry to see them go."
Richard Davies, 40, a maintenance engineer from Polegate, was travelling to Victoria to repair one of the new Electrostar trains, broken down in a platform.
He said: "There is so much to go wrong on the new trains but it keeps me in work.
As the train returned to Brighton, passengers forgot about the significance of the journey and began to get on with their daily lives.
Alan Lake quickly jumped off to meet friends in the pub before going on to see Albion's home game against Derby.
Station staff slammed the last carriage door and waved the empty train off to the scrapyard, shutting the door on a piece of rail history.
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Old friend ? I will miss those old wrecks like toothache. No more being delayed by some twat triing to jump on a moving train (an East Croydon speciality). That and the new trains are cleaner, smoother and quicker.
It was like saying goodbye to an old friend.
The final journey of the last slam-door train to run in Sussex was a nostalgic trip for passengers and rail enthusiasts.
Tinged with sadness, some had travelled from all over the country to be on the 9.19 am Brighton to Victoria service.
They felt they had to be part of rail history as the train pulled away from platform 4 at Brighton station on a crisp Saturday morning.
With a plaque on the front of the 12-car train saying "farewell old faithful" and a wreath in the guard's van reading simply "goodbye", the train trundled on its last journey to the capital.
It might be the end of an era but some things never change.
Because of engineering works, the train was diverted via Lewes for its final journey to and from Victoria.
With a double toot on the horn, it clattered over the points outside Brighton station, with the wheels screeching as it negotiated the tight curve towards the London Road viaduct.
For 50 years the Mark I stock has served Sussex and the South well. But the Health and Safety Executive ruled the slam doors were dangerous and had to go by the end of November.
Over the years people have been killed stepping out of the wrong side of trains, jumping on moving trains and hands have been caught in doors.
Before bars were put across windows there were deaths as the result of people leaning out and being hit by tunnel walls, passing trains and trackside obstacles.
The current Mark 1 stock was criticised for crumbling too easily at the Clapham rail disaster in 1988, in which 35 people died.
But slam-door trains have served Sussex and South London well. It is estimated each of the current Mark I carriages has travelled the equivalent of five journeys to the moon and back.
Many passengers are sorry to see the back of them, pointing out they had more toilets than the new Electrostar stock.
It was said they were so comfortable staff would sometimes find amorous couples in compromising situations on the soft upholstery in the single compartments.
Commuters fondly remember staggering off the trains, having consumed too much in the buffet car.
Now the new efficient Electrostar trains with their clinical feel, computerised equipment but, arguably, less character are the trains for the 21st Century. Their sliding doors are controlled by a satellite system.
There were once about 1,600 slam-door carriages operating on lines in South London and to and from the Sussex Coast.
Finally, there were just 12 carriages, still in the old colours of Connex, the previous company running the franchise before South Central and then Southern took over.
When the train completed its return journey back to Brighton as the 11.06am from Victoria, it was taken out of service and put in sidings, ready to be taken to the scrapyard.
The driver of the last slam-door train was Anthony Williams, 44, from Brighton.
As he prepared for the final journey he said: "This a bit of history but you have to move on in the name of progress.
"The Mark I slam-door trains are less complicated to drive.
Electrostar trains have all the computerised safety devices.
"It is like comparing an old Morris Oxford car with a Jaguar XK."
Train driver Kevin Gibson, 25, had travelled from Merstham, south London, to be part of rail history.
He also drives the new Electrostar trains now.
As he waited to board with his camera to record the journey, he said: "I felt I had to be here.
"It is sad to see the slammers go.
"They are more comfortable because you can sink into the seats.
"You have to really drive the Mark I stock, whereas on Electrostars more is done for you.
"There is no way anyone would have won the franchise pledging to keep slam-door stock."
Andy Oliver, 37, a television engineer from Croydon, was filming the final journey. He said: "It is quite historical.
"All my life there have been slam-door trains and their passing is the end of an era."
Henry Harris, 78, was travelling to London from Brighton to buy lobsters for a dinner party.
He did not realise the significance of his journey until he got on the train.
He said: "I wondered why people were taking photographs of the train and thought it a bit odd.
"These slam-door trains have been around since I was a child.
"They are dangerous as people catch their fingers in the door but they are quite comfortable.
"As long as trains get me to London I am not particularly bothered what type they are."
The strong smell of disinfectant wafted through the carriages as I walked down the train stepping between the carriages with the greying strips of plastic hanging between the concertina black carriage links.
I remembered 17 years of daily commuting on slam-door trains.
There was a musty smell in each carriage and you could hardly see out the windows due to scratches from years of trying to rid windows of graffiti.
Notices warning people not to lean out of the window or open the door while the train was moving were above each door.
As the train clattered towards East Croydon after reversing at Lewes, passengers began to talk about their memories of slam-door trains.
Store manager Sue Rudwick, 31, was glad to see them go.
She said: "I know this is a nostalgic journey, but slam-door trains are noisy and draughty, especially if you sit by a door."
Alan Lake, 43, from Brighton, who works as rail timetabler for Southern, said: "They have been very reliable because there is a lot less to go wrong but they are not good in the leaf fall period. We are all sorry to see them go."
Richard Davies, 40, a maintenance engineer from Polegate, was travelling to Victoria to repair one of the new Electrostar trains, broken down in a platform.
He said: "There is so much to go wrong on the new trains but it keeps me in work.
As the train returned to Brighton, passengers forgot about the significance of the journey and began to get on with their daily lives.
Alan Lake quickly jumped off to meet friends in the pub before going on to see Albion's home game against Derby.
Station staff slammed the last carriage door and waved the empty train off to the scrapyard, shutting the door on a piece of rail history.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Old friend ? I will miss those old wrecks like toothache. No more being delayed by some twat triing to jump on a moving train (an East Croydon speciality). That and the new trains are cleaner, smoother and quicker.
