David A Stocks wrote:
I would try and find a "not gatwick express" version of the all-zone
travelcard, and use Southern from Victoria. This shouldn't cost much (if
anything) more that the "FCC only" travelcard, and they will avoid ending up
on the truly abysmal FCC rolling stock.

Sadly, there isn't one.

Not sure what your problem is with the Thameslink-route 319s though.
Obviously there aren't enough of them, making the peak horrid, and the
pantograph cars are a bit bleak and claustrophobic - but otherwise I'd
rate them as perfectly OK trains.

I guess I'm used to 1967TS (Victoria line), 313s (Silverlink Metro and
eastern FCC) and 317s (eastern FCC)... compared to that little set,
cattle-trucks would rate as perfectly OK trains...

East Croydon is a busy station, and they're likely to have to change
platforms (long ramps, dodging a lot of people coming the other way) between
Southern and FCC services. The change between the underground and main-line
at Victoria is quite a long walk, but at least it's fairly level.

Not *that* likely to have to change platforms at EC, and not an
especially level interchange at Victoria either. I'd definitely
recommend the former to anyone with luggage.

I'm thinking the chances are no-one would notice as the ticket
machines at Gatwick wouldn't be able to tell what train they came in on,
leaving the only potential for a fine being if a ticket inspector noticed
they weren't on an FCC train between East Croydon and Gatwick, but
presumably they can excercise a bit of discretion in these matters?

Gatwick is an open station with no ticket gates and minimal ticket checks.

There is a good chance of having tickets checked (FCC or Southern) between
East Croydon and Gatwick (especially on off-peak trains) and I would *not*
assume the inspectors would exercise discretion - they're on commission ...

Agreed.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org