Hastings line
Steam era (1845–1957)
### Steam era (1845–1957\)

[thumb\|[*Schools* Class 30936 *Cranleigh*](/wiki/SR_V_Schools_class "SR V Schools class") at  with a  to Hastings train in September 1948\.\|alt\=Photograph showing a Schools class locomotive hauling a Hastings\-bound passenger train. These locomotives were built in the 1930s to the Hastings line loading gauge.](/wiki/File:London_Bridge_with_Hastings_express_geograph-2975137-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg "London Bridge with Hastings express geograph-2975137-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg")
From the opening of the line, passenger stock consisted of 4\-wheel carriages. In 1845, there were eight passenger trains a day from Tunbridge Wells to London, with half that number on Sundays. On 23June 1849, the [Royal Train](/wiki/British_Royal_Train "British Royal Train") took Queen Victoria and [Prince Albert](/wiki/Albert%2C_Prince_Consort "Albert, Prince Consort") to Tunbridge Wells to visit [Queen Adelaide, the Queen Dowager](/wiki/Adelaide_of_Saxe-Meiningen "Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen"). The train, consisting of the Royal Saloon, two first class carriages and a [brake van](/wiki/Brake_van "Brake van") made the journey from [Bricklayers Arms](/wiki/Bricklayers_Arms_railway_station "Bricklayers Arms railway station") to Tunbridge Wells in 75 minutes. It was driven by [James Cudworth](/wiki/James_Cudworth_%28engineer%29 "James Cudworth (engineer)"), the Locomotive Superintendent of the SER. The return journey took 70 minutes. The Royal Train visited the line again on 18December 1849 conveying Queen Victoria and [Princess Alice](/wiki/Princess_Beatrice_of_the_United_Kingdom "Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom") from [Windsor](/wiki/Windsor_%26_Eton_Riverside_railway_station "Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station"), [Berkshire](/wiki/Berkshire "Berkshire") to Tunbridge Wells on a visit to [Princess Louise](/wiki/Princess_Louise%2C_Duchess_of_Argyll "Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll"). The journey via [Waterloo](/wiki/Waterloo_station "Waterloo station") took 100 minutes. The train was driven by [William Jacomb](/wiki/William_Jacomb "William Jacomb"), Resident Engineer of the LSWR, and [Edgar Verringer](/wiki/Edgar_Verringer "Edgar Verringer"), Superintendent of the LSWR. At Waterloo, driving of the train was taken over by John Shaw, General Manager of the SER and Mr. Cockburn, Superintendent of the SER. The return journey took 105 minutes.

With the opening of the extension to Robertsbridge, there were three trains a day, with two on Sundays. These were augmented by an additional train daily when the extension to Bopeep Junction opened. In 1860, there were seven up trains and six down trains daily; Hastings to London via  taking two hours. From 1861, Cudworth [2\-2\-2](/wiki/2-2-2 "2-2-2") "Little Mail" class locomotives were introduced. In 1876, the Sub\-Wealden Gypsum Co built a  long line from a junction south of Mountfield Tunnel to a [gypsum](/wiki/Gypsum "Gypsum") mine located in Great Wood, Mountfield. This line was still in operation as of 2007\. Bogie carriages entered service on the line in 1880\. In 1890, the winter service was eleven trains each way, of which five were fast. An additional two trains daily operated between Tunbridge Wells and Wadhurst. By 1910, this had increased to twenty trains each way, of which twelve were fast, plus the extra two Wadhurst services. Four trains ran on Sundays. The service was reduced during World War I, but Sunday services had increased to seven by 1922\.

By the 1930s the line was worked by [L](/wiki/SECR_L_class "SECR L class") and [L1 class](/wiki/SR_L1_class "SR L1 class") [4\-4\-0](/wiki/4-4-0 "4-4-0") locomotives. The [*Schools* class](/wiki/SR_V_Schools_class "SR V Schools class") 4\-4\-0s were introduced in 1930; the width of these was  measured across the cab, and  measured across the cylinders. The service was again reduced during World War II, with fourteen trains daily in 1942, of which four were fast; there were seven trains on Sundays. As built, it was envisaged that the [*West Country* and *Battle of Britain*](/wiki/SR_West_Country_and_Battle_of_Britain_classes "SR West Country and Battle of Britain classes") class locomotives would be able to work the line. Forty\-eight locomotives of the *West Country* and 22 of the *Battle of Britain* class were built with cabs that were  wide and paired with tenders of the same width. It was subsequently decided not to work these locomotives over the line. Locomotives from these two classes that were rebuilt gained a  cab. Unrebuilt locomotives retained their narrow cab.

By 1948, the service was sixteen trains, of which seven were fast. An additional three trains ran as far as Wadhurst. In 1957, the service was eighteen trains daily, of which nine were fast. There were nine trains on Sundays. The *Schools* Class locomotives worked the line until 1957 when steam was withdrawn on the Hastings line. [Diesel\-electric multiple units](/wiki/Diesel_multiple_unit "Diesel multiple unit") of what became [British Rail Class 201](/wiki/British_Rail_Class_201 "British Rail Class 201"), [202](/wiki/British_Rail_Class_202 "British Rail Class 202") and [203](/wiki/British_Rail_Class_203 "British Rail Class 203") (the "Hastings Diesels") took over working the route.

Under British Railways, classes [D1](/wiki/SECR_D_class%23D1_class "SECR D class#D1 class"), [E1](/wiki/SECR_E_class%23E1_class "SECR E class#E1 class"), [H](/wiki/SECR_H_class "SECR H class"), [N1](/wiki/SECR_N1_class "SECR N1 class"), [M7](/wiki/LSWR_M7_class "LSWR M7 class"), [Q](/wiki/SR_Q_class "SR Q class"), [Q1](/wiki/SR_Q1_class "SR Q1 class"), [Std 3](/wiki/BR_Standard_Class_3_2-6-2T "BR Standard Class 3 2-6-2T") [2\-6\-2T](/wiki/2-6-2T "2-6-2T"), [Std 4](/wiki/BR_Standard_Class_4_2-6-0 "BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0") [2\-6\-0](/wiki/2-6-0 "2-6-0") [Std 4](/wiki/BR_Standard_Class_4_2-6-4T "BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T") [2\-6\-4T](/wiki/2-6-4T "2-6-4T") and [U1](/wiki/SR_U1_class "SR U1 class") were permitted to work between Tonbridge and Grove junction. Freight trains from Tonbridge West Yard were not permitted to depart until the line was clear as far as Southborough Viaduct. Other classes of locomotive known to have worked over this section of line include [C](/wiki/SECR_C_class "SECR C class"), and [E4](/wiki/LB%26SCR_E4_class "LB&SCR E4 class").


How did the introduction of diesel-electric multiple units affect the schedule and frequency of trains?