The Wessex Electrics have always been one of my favourite trains, I think it's because their image instantly brings back memories of childhood day trips. Plus, they're big, sturdy trains, and their scream of a horn always sounded so exciting before one blazed through Wimbledon.
My first ride on a Wessex was in 1999, I was 4 years old and my Dad took me to Poole to visit a friend of his. I don't remember much about the journey accept it taking forever and having a meltdown when we got to Bournemouth and my Dad telling me we still had a few more stops to go. On the way back, I remember seeing the train pull into the station, and asking my dad if I could have some Mini Cheddars from the trolley, but he said no on the account I had just had a packet of Malteasers!
When I was six I had a day trip to Bournemouth with my mum and Aunt on a Wessex. This seems to be where my memories of the Wessex properly begin because, whilst I went to work with my dad every now and then on SWT 4VEPs and 4CEPs, the Wessex definitely had a more "going a long way" kind of feel. I remember the sounds of the doors between the saloons and vestibules, the smell of the carpet as you got on the train and the orange SWT seats - all very exciting at the time. Around the same time, my Dad took me to the Farnborough Airshow, and I remember he took me to the buffet car to buy a hot chocolate, but told me to hurry up and drink it because we'd be at Waterloo soon, even though we were passing Wimbledon as I recall, which for some reason I found astonishing.
Then, sometime in 2005, I was going to work with my Dad and remembered we had to change trains at Woking. For some reason, we had a choice of getting a 450 or a Wessex to our destination, and he asked me which one I wanted to get. I said the Desiro on account they were new, but little did I know I'd be getting them to school everyday the year after and I'd miss my last journey on a Wessex until 2010!
When they came over to GE, I had many journeys on them up and down the Brighton line. Usually shuttling between East Croydon and Clapham Junction. One of the most vivid memory I have was coming back from Brighton in 2016 from visiting a friend, and having an entire carriage to myself in the late afternoon as we raced towards London. Non-stop to East Croydon, accept one stop at Hassocks for some reason. The sound of the chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga of the air compressors as one stood at East Croydon or as you walked down the platform at Victoria to board one will forever be in my memory, as would the screams from the traction motors as they echoed throughout the streets, which could be heard as far away from the Brighton Mainline as Clapham.
They were great units, I was very sad to hear the other day SWR wouldn't be bringing them back. Still, I had some good runs on them. I found their rides smooth and quiet. And their bulky, 'analouge' feel always made them interesting trains to look at. The 444s are nowhere near a worthy replacement-will miss them.