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Southern Railway EMU Alpha Headcodes

The early Southern Railway EMU stock used an alpha route indicator which was mounted on a single width fret and clipped to the illuminated middle panel on the front of the motor or trailer driving car. With the introduction in 1941 of the 4Sub units the alpha headcodes gave way to two-digit numeric headcodes although the older stock continued to use the alpha codes until withdrawal, in some cases lasting through to the 1960s.
The following are the alpha headcodes in use on the SR and BR(S) between July 1939 and the mid-1960s.

Central Section
Plain H London Bridge - Victoria via Tulse Hill and Streatham Hill
Tooting - Wimbledon - Mitcham - Bognor direct excursion
Victoria - Herne Hill
West Croydon - Dorking North
Bar over H Tooting - Wimbledon - Mithcam - Littlehampton excursion
Victoria - Crystal palace via Streatham Common, Selhurst and Norwood Junc
Dot over H Selhurst - West Croydon direct empties
Selhurst depot - West Croydon via Selhurst empties
Victoria - Wallington empties
Victoria - London Bridge via Streatham Hill and Tulse Hill
2 dots over H London Bridge - Caterham via Forest Hill
Victoria - Streatham Hill empties
Victoria - London Bridge via Streatham Hill and Tulse Hill
Plain I Victoria - Coulsdon North via Streatham Common
Bar over I Tattenham Cirner - Selhurst depot empties
Victoria - East Croydon via Selhurst
Victoria - Tattenham Corner via Selhurst
Dot over I London Bridge - Coulsdon North via Forest Hill
2 dots over I London Bridge - Coulsdon North via Peckham Rye and Crystal Palace
Victoria - Coulsdon North via Norbury empties
Plain J Specials between Central and Western sections
Special workings (passenger or empty)
Streatham or Tulse Hill - Brighton (Bank Holidays)
Bar over J Special workings (passenger or empty)
Dot over J South Bermondsey - Brighton (Bank Holidays)
2 dots over J Special workings (passenger or empties)
Victoria - Brighton via Quarry, stopping or semi-fast
Plain L Special workings (passenger or empties)
Bar over L Caterham - Purley empties
Victoria - Caterham via Streatham Common and Purley
Dot over L London Bridge - Billingshurst via Mitcham Junc and Horsham special
London Bridge - Horsham via Mitcham Junc and Dorking
2 dots over L London Bridge - Guildford via Mitcham Junc and Epsom
Plain N Crystal Palace - East Croydon special empties
East Croydon - London Bridge via Sydenham
Epsom Downs - Streatham Hill via Sutton, West Croydon and West Norwood (empties ex-race specials)
London Bridge - Wimbledon via Peckham Rye and Streatham empties
Streatham Hill - Brighton via Quarry
Bar over N Brighton - Eastbourne special empties
Hove - Portsmouth special passenger
London Bridge - Coulsdon North empties
London Bridge - Wimbledon empties
Selhurst - Epsom Downs via Sutton special empties
2 dots over N London Bridge, Streatham Hill or Crystal Palace - Brighton via Quarry (Bank Holidays)
Plain O London Bridge - Ore via Eastbourne
Victoria - Epsom Downs via Mitcham Junc
Bar over O Epsom Downs - Victoria via Mitcham Junc empties
London Bridge - Ore direct
London Bridge - Epsom Downs via Streatham, Mitcham Junc and Sutton empties
Dot over O London Bridge - Epsom Downs via Norwood Junc and West Croydon
Plain P Blackfriars - Crystal Palace High Level
Holborn Viaduct - Crystal Palace High Level
Nunhead - Crystal Palace High Level
Purley - Caterham
Victoria - Beckenham Junc via Streatham Hill and Crystal Palace
Victoria - Crystal Palace High Level
Bar over P Holborn Viaduct - West Croydon via Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, Wimbledon, St Helier and Sutton
Purley - Tattenham Corner empties (race special)
Victoria - Crystal palace Low Level empties
Dot over P London Bridge - London Bridge via Tulse Hill, Crystal Palace and Sydenham
Wimbledon - Blackfriars via Tulse Hill and Herne Hill
2 dots over P London Bridge - London Bridge via Tulse Hill, Crystal Palace and Sydenham
Plain S Victoria - Sutton via Streatham Common and West Croydon
Bar over S Victoria - Selhurst via Streatham Common (empties to carry 2 dots over inV)
Dot over S Victoria - Epsom Downs via Streatham Common and West Croydon
2 dots over S Crystal Palace High Level - Blackfriars
Victoria - Three Bridges via Redhill empties
Plain T Horsham - East Croydon or Victoria via Three Bridges
Tattenham Corner - Selhurst
Bar over T London Bridge - Holborn Viaduct via West Croydon and St Helier
Victoria - East Croydon via Streatham Hill and Crystal Palace
Dot over T Victoria (Eastern side) - Sutton via Herne Hill, Wimbledon and St Helier
2 dots over T London Bridge - Tattenham Corner via Forest Hill
Plain U Victoria - Epsom Downs via Selhurst empties
East Croydon - London Bridge via Selhurst and Tulse Hill (Christmas)
Bar over U Brighton - Seaford special empties
Eastbourne - Coulsdon North special
Dot over U Streatham Hill - Littlehampton via West Croydon and Sutton special
Plain V London Bridge - Selhurst via Forest Hill
Victoria - Guildford via Mitcham Junc and Epsom
Bar over V London Bridge - Selhurst via Tulse Hill
Streatham Hill - Bognor via Crystal Palace, West Croydon, Sutton, Horsham and Littlehampton special
Dot over V London Bridge - London Bridge via Forset Hill, Selhurst and Tulse Hill
2 dots over V Crystal Palace High Level - Victoria via Nunhead
London Bridge - London Bridge via Tulse Hill, Selhurst and Forest Hill
Plain inP East Croydon - Streatham Hill via Crystal Palace empties
Victoria - New Cross gate via Streatham Hill and Crystal Palace empties
Plain inV East Croydon - Brighton via Redhill special
East Croydon - Brighton special
Victoria - Horsham via Mitcham Junc
Bar over inV Victoria - London Bridge via Streatham Common and Norwood Junc (fish and parcels traffic in passenger trains)
Dot over inV London Bridge - Horsham via Forest Hill, West Croydon and Epsom
2 dots over inV Victoria - Selhurst via Streatham Common empties

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This page was last updated 3 December 2002