Although in its 'heyday' the Southern Region fleet of DEMUs was quite substantial, for many years there was insufficient stock to operate all services required. For this reason, at the time of this photograph, it was necessary for three locomotive hauled 8-car 'Oxted sets' to be used on peak-hour Uckfield and East Grinstead trains. These sets typically consisted of seven Mk1 vehicles and an early Mk2 corridor first.
It is a sad reflection on the standard of rolling stock used on the Uckfield line that these latter vehicles, dating from 1964, were the most modern vehicles to have served it before the advent of the Turbostars in December 2003.
The train seen here in this view taken on
12 May 1983, is the 17.20 Uckfield service, hauled by 33 012.
This service was the first of three evening peak services, the
others being to East Grinstead at 17.34 and 17.52. The shunting
required was kept to a minimum: the empty stock for this train
arrived from the sidings at New Cross Gate with a locomotive at
each end. Once the 17.20 had left, the locomotive which had brought
it in then became the train engine for the 17.34 and so on.