Shepperton station

Image: © Dr Neil Clifton Taken: 20 Oct 1979

This is an interesting photograph because it shows a temporary platform that had been erected at Shepperton, not for the use of passengers, but for testing the first sliding-door stock that was to be introduced onto British Rail's Southern Region. The new train, known as a 4-PEP, was intensively tested on the branch before going into public service. Along the edge of the temporary platform can be seen iron weights, which were put onto the new train as required to simulate the weight of passengers the train would have to carry when in service. In the end, the new train was never put into large scale production, but it was the fore-runner of the Class 507 and 508 trains.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0