We moved to Redhill from Camberwell in 1986, and in those days Redhill station was a far more interesting place than it is now.  These pictures were taken in 1990, when I would take the train-mad Michael (age 4) to the station on Saturday morning for an hour or so to watch the trains go by.

Even the Gatwick to Reading DMU’s were fairly interesting!

The best spot of any visit was a 47 in Mainline Intercity livery.  These ran round their train when operating the Brighton to (I think) Newcastle service.  I think this is what is happening here, but with the loco named ‘Royal Mail’, it may be a mail or parcels train!  I always thought that this livery suited the 47’s very well indeed.

Other liveries were available.   A Railfreight Distribution 47 distributing a single wagon southwards.

Another good spot was a handsome red Rail Express Systems loco.

A plain blue 47 shunts parcel stock into the sidings now removed for ‘Platform 0’.

Class 33’s were also regulars.  One is seen above and below in the rather unflattering general grey livery.  Even Network SouthEast toothpaste looked better than this!

Also common were Class 73 electro-diesels.  Here are two again in general grey.  Somewhere I must have pictures of them in their pomp – in Gatwick Express livery.  In the background is a rake of oil tankers, pulled out of the oil distribution depot siding to the south between Earlswood and Redhill.  This facility is now long gone, but the pipework for unloading tankers can still be seen by the track.

Looking at these pictures, apart from the buildings having changed in the background, the big difference is the lack of buddleia and trees that now block this view from the car park. 

Also missing from these pictures (I’m sure I’ve got some shots somewhere) are Class 37’s on the weekly coal train and placing tankers in the siding south of the station.  Plus the interesting selection of EMU’s, including the excellent ‘Jaffa cake’ livery, and MLV’s in Jaffa and also Post Office red running into the mail siding at Redhill.