The third-rail-powered Southern Region slam-door trains had been operational in one form or another since the 1930s. This book focuses on their final few years of operation during the early 2000s. Southwest Trains was the first operator to replace its entire fleet of slam-door trains at the end of May 2005. Those operated by South Eastern and Southern were replaced in November 2005. After that, a pair of modified units survived until mid-2010, working exclusively on the Lymington branch line in Hampshire. Serving without glamour, these units worked day in, day out, going about their business almost unnoticed until the final years. A few vehicles/units have been preserved and, at the time of writing, one unit, 3417 Gordon Pettitt, will hopefully be back on the main line in the not-too-distant future. Featuring more than 200 images, this book will bring back memories for those people who used the slammers to make their morning and evening commutes to and from London.
