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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.

South Eastern Section
Plain H Cannon St - Hayes via Lewisham
Charing Cross - Hayes via Lewisham
Holborn Viaduct - Herne Hill
Orpington - Holborn Viaduct via Petts Wood and Herne Hill
Victoria - Herne Hill
Bar over H Bickley - Holborn or Blackfiars via Catford
Cannon St or Charing Cross - Hayes via Ladywell loop
Hayes - Charing Cross via Lewisham
Sevenoaks - Holborn via Petts Wood and Nunhead
Dot over H Hayes - Cannon St via Ladywell loop
2 dots over H Hayes - Charing Cross via Ladywell loop
Plain I Cannon St - Beckenham Junc (later New beckenham) via Lewisham
Grove Park - Bromley North
Sanderstead or Selsdon - Cannon St via Lweisham
Strood - Maidstone West
Bar over I Beckenham Junc (later New Beckenham) - Charing Cross via Lewisham
Charing Cross or Cannon St - Beckenham Junc (later New Beckenham) via Lewisham
Sanderstead or Selsdon - Charing Cross via Lewisham
Dot over I Beckenham Junc (later New Beckenham) - Cannon St via Ladywell loop
Charing Cross or Cannon St - Sanderstead or Selsdon via Lewisham
Sanderstead or Selsdon - Cannon St via Ladywell loop
2 dots over I Beckenham Junc (later New Beckenham) - Charing Cross via Ladywell loop
Charing Cross or Cannon St - Sanderstead or Selsdon via Ladywell loop
Plain J Gravesend or Dartford - Holborn Viaduct via Bexleyheath and Nunhead
Bar over J Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Gravesend via London Bridge and Bexleyheath ##
Dot over J Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Dartford via London Bridge and Bexleyheath
Gravesend or Dartford - Blackfriars via Bexleyheath and Nunhead
Orpington - Holborn Viaduct via London Bridge $$
2 dots over J Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Gravesend via Nunhead and Bexleyheath
Plain L Cannon St - Dartford via Sidcup (not via Lewisham)
Charing Cross - Dartford via Sidcup (not via Lewisham)
Gravesend- Cannon St via Sidcup
Gillingham - Cannon St via Dartford and Sidcup (not via Lewisham)
Holborn Viaduct - Bickley via Herne Hill
Victoria or Blackfriars - Bickley via Herne Hill
Sevenoaks - Holborn
Bar over L Blackfriars - Bickley via Catford
Cannon St - Gillingham via Sidcup (not Lewisham)
Cannon St - Gravesend via Sidcup (not Lewisham)
Charing Cross - Gillingham via Sidcup (not via Lewisham)
Charing Cross - Gravesend via Sidcup (not via Lewisham)
Datrford - Charing Cross via Sidcup (not via Lewisham)
Holborn Viaduct - Bickley via Catford
Sevenoaks - Blackfriars via Petts Wood and Herne Hill
Victoria - Bickley via Catford
Dot over L Gravesend - Maidstone West detached from Charing Cross via Sidcup train
Blackfriars - Holborn Viaduct - Dartford via London Bridge and Sidcup
Cannon St - Dartford via Lewisham and Sidcup
Charing Cross - Dartford via Lewisham and Sidcup
Gillingham - Cannon St via Sidcup and Lewisham
Maidstone West - Cannon St via Sidcup and Lewisham
2 dots over L Blackfriars - Gravesend via London Bridge, Lewisham and Sidcup
Cannon St - Gillingham via Lewisham and Sidcup
Cannon St - Maidstone West trains between Cannon St and Gravesend
Charing Cross - Gillingham via Lewisham and Sidcup
Charing Cross - Maidstone West trains between Charing Cross and Gravesend
Dartford - Charing Cross via Sidcup and Lewisham
Plain N Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Dartford via Nunhead and Blackheath
Gravesend - Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct via Charlton, Blackheath and Nunhead
Bar over N Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Gravesend via London Bridge, Blackheath and Charlton
Gillingham - Waterloo East via North Kent line special
Dot over N Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Dartford via London Bridge, Blackheath and Charlton
Sanderstead or Hayes - Waterloo East special
2 dots over N Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Gravesend via Nunhead and Blackheath
Gravesend - Blackfriars or Holborn via Blackheath and London Bridge
Plain O Charing Cross or Cannon St - Orpington via Chiselhurst (not via Lewisham)
Elmers End - Hayes
Orpington - Cannon St via Chiselhurst (not via Lewisham)
Strood - Gillingham
Bar over O Blackfriars - Sevenoaks via Nunhead and Orpington
Holborn Viaduct - Sevenoaks via Nunhead and Orpington
Orpington - Charing Cross via Chiselhurst (not Lewisham)
Dot over O Orpington - Cannon St via Chiselhurst and Lewisham
Victoria - Sevenoaks via Herne Hill and Orpington
2 dots over O Blackfriars - Sevenoaks via Herne Hill and Orpington
Cannon St - Orpington via Lewisham
Charing Cross - Orpington via Lewisham
Holborn Viaduct - Sevenoaks via Herne Hill and Orpington
Plain P Cannon St - Dartford via Blackheath and Charlton
Charing Cross - Dartford via Blackheath and Charlton
Gillingham - Cannon St via Charlton and Blackheath
Maidstone West - Cannon St via Charlton and Blackheath
Bar over P Cannon St - Gillingham via Blackheath and Charlton
Cannon St - Maidstone West via Blackheath and Charlton (to carry Dot over P between Gravesend and Maidstone West)
Charing Cross - Gillingham via Blackheath and Charlton
Charing Cross - Maidstone West via Blackheath and Charlton to carry Dot over P between Gravesend and Maidstone West)
Dartford - Charing Cross via Charlton and Blackheath
Dot over P Bromley North - Cannon St (not via Lewisham)
Gravesend - Maidstone West, detached from Blackheath train
2 dots over P Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Orpington via Nunhead, Lewisham and Beckenham Junc
Bromley North - Charing Cross (not via Lewisham)
Charing Cross or Cannon St - Bromley North (not via Lewisham)
Plain S Bickley - Blackfriars via Herne Hill
Cannon St - Dartford via Bexleyheath
Charing Cross - Dartford via Bexleyheath
Elmers End - Addiscombe
Gillingham - Cannon St via Bexleyheath
Maidstone West - Cannon St via Bexleyheath
Orpington - Blackfriars via Herne Hill
Bar over S Cannon St - Maidstone West via Bexleyheath (to carry Dot over S from Gravesend to Maidstone West)
Cannon St - Gillingham via Bexleyheath
Charing Cross - Gillingham via Bexleyheath
Charing Cross - Maidstone West via Bexleyheath
Dartford - Charing Cross via Bexleyheath
Sevenoaks - Blackfriars via Orpington and Nunhead
Dot over S Charing Cross or Cannon St - Caterham
Gravesend - Maidstone West on Bexleyheath line trains
2 dots over S Gillingham or Fawkham - Blackfriars via Nunhead
Plain T Cannon St - Addiscombe via Lewisham
Charing Cross - Addiscombe via Lewisham
Bar over T Addiscombe - Charing Cross via Lewisham
Cannon St - Addiscombe via Ladywell loop
Charing Cross - Addiscombe via Ladywell loop
Dot over T Addiscombe - Cannon St via Ladywell loop
2 dots over T Addiscombe - Charing Cross via Ladywell loop
Plain U Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Dartford via London Bridge and Sidcup
Dartford - Waterloo East via Sidcup special
Elmers End - Sanderstead
Gillingham - Brighton via London Bridge (reverse) and Forest Hill
Gravesend - Holborn Viaduct via Sidcup and Nunhead
Bar over U Gravesend or Dartford - Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct via Sidcup and London Bridge
Holborn or Blackriars - Gravesend via London Bridge and Sidcup
Dot over U Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Dartford via Nunhead and Sidcup
Gravesend - Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct via Sidcup and Nunhead
2 dots over U Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Gravesend via London Bridge and Sidcup
Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Gravesend via Nunhead and Sidcup
Plain V Bickley - Victoria via Herne Hill
Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Dartford via London Bridge and Greenwich
Cannon St - Dartford via Greenwich
Cannon St - Gillingham via Greenwich
Charing Cross - Dartford via Greenwich
Maidstone West - Cannon St via Greenwich
Sevenoaks - Victoria via Petts Wood and Herne Hill
Bar over V Cannon St - Gravesend via Greenwich
Bickley - Victoria via Catford
Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Gravesend via London Bridge and Greenwich
Charing Cross - Gravesend via Greenwich
Charing Cross - Gillingham via Greenwich
Dartford - Charing Cross via Greenwich
Maidstone West - Charing Cross or Cannon St
Sevenoaks - Victoria via Petts Wood and Nunhead
Dot over V Down trains Gravesend - maidstone West ex-Greenwich Line
2 dots over V Blackfriars or Holborn Viaduct - Bromley North via London Bridge
Gravesend - Balckfriars or Holborn Viaduct via Greenwich and London Bridge
2 dots over inP Orpington or Swanley - Victoria via Beckenham Junc and Crystal Palace empties (Bank Holidays)
Plain inV Cannon St - Sevenoaks via Petts Wood (not Lewisham)
Charing Cross - Sevenoaks via Petts Wood (not Lewisham)
Holborn Viaduct - Gillingham via Herne Hill
Victoria - Gillingham via Herne Hill
Bar over inV Sevenoaks - Charing Cross via Petts Wood (not Lewisham)
Holborn Viaduct - Fawkham via Catford
Dot over inV Sevenoaks - Cannon St via Petts Wood and Lewisham
2 dots over inV Charing Cross - Sevenoaks via Lewisham and Petts Wood
Cannon St - Sevenoaks via Lewisham and Petts Wood
Notes: ##No equivalent "up" code known
$$No equivalent "down" code known

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This page was last updated 3 December 2002