Class 442 Wessex Electric “The Record Maker” - 14/04/1988

Class 442 Wessex Electric “The Record Maker” - 14/04/1988 A high speed charity trip originating at London Waterloo and running to Weymouth took place on the 14th April 1988 using Class 442 “Wessex Electric” EMU’s No.’s 2401 & 2403. This was the first public use of these trains. A time of 1hr 59mins 24 sec was achieved for the journey with a maximum speed recorded of 109mph. Passengers were conveyed in unit No. 2401 only as the fitting out of No. 2403 was incomplete. No. 2401 had previously been exhibited at the “Stewarts Lane 125” Open Day a few days earlier on 10th April 1988. This run has been claimed as the fastest for a third rail train in the world. This archive video also includes shots of Class 33/1 and 4-TC stock running local services and a Class 47 heading a freight from Furzebrook through Wareham - 14/04/1988