ST12 - Full

SOUTHERN • TIMES •

The history periodical for students of the SR BR(S) and pre-group constituents Issue No 12: Autumn / Winter 2025

An alternative to preservation – BR’s plans to electrify all or part of the Bluebell Railway – plus some notes on Arthur Earle Edwards ISSUE 12 Lawrence’, Fr

Contents Introduction 3 Westinghouse brake trials - 1938 5 COR’s galore

11

St Cross explained

16

Images by Ian Shawyer, notes by

Graham Bowring

The Mid-Sussex line track diagrams

17

Two Southern Centenaries

23

Jeremy Clarke

The ‘Cunarder’ at Southampton Docks

37

Q1 pictorial

43

The Bordon branch

49

The Brighton Overhead a century or more ago

54

Stephen Townroe’s colour archive: Some more derailments

56

Pull-Push postcript

Jeffrey Grayer

67

Treasures from the Bluebell Railway Museum and Archive

Tony Hillman

72

Ken Wightman’s non steam images, Part 1

75

From the Footplate

79

The next issue of Southern Times, No 13, will contain: To close a railway - the Ilfracombe line Gosport Part 1 The E1/R tank engines Godalming old station Extracts from the SR Magazine Recently found b/w images Ken Wightman Part 2 Electric locomotives and units More Treasures from the Bluebell Railway Museum and Archive SC Townroe on the S&D at Templecombe and Bath From the Footplate etc etc.

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SOUTHERN TIMES

Front Cover: A reformed unit running as 6Cor set No 3044 working a Victoria - Ramsgate via Herne Hill and Chatham service passing Southdowns Bridge. Ken Wightman / Transport Treasury Above: No 34003 Plymouth catches the evening sun near Shortlands with what may well, from the number of vans at the head, be an up boat train. This is similarly likely confirmed by the presence of the solitary Pullman vehicle towards the rear. These were the days when colour and variety was part of the everyday scene, trains both in uniform and mixed liveries and of course when standing at the line side there was every chance a non-timetabled ‘special working’ such as was likely the case seen, would appear. Ken Wightman / Transport Treasury Rear Cover: The sidings from where there was rarely a return. Around the rear of Eastleigh shed, No 30917 slightly surprisingly still with its smokebox plate but minus its once proud Ardingly nameplate. Ahead it what appears to be a ‘K’ class 2-6-0, this sad ensemble being inspected by a small group of visitors. Alongside USA 0-6-0T No 30070 was also doomed all the engines referred to withdrawn by the end of 1962 and now awaiting their fate. Ken Wightman / Transport Treasury

Copies of many of the images within SOUTHERN TIMES are available for purchase/download.

In addition the Transport Treasury Archive contains tens of thousands of other UK, Irish and some European railway photographs. © Kevin Robertson. Images (unless credited otherwise) and design The Transport Treasury 2025 ISBN 978-1-915281-15-9 First Published in 2025 by Transport Treasury Publishing Ltd., 16 Highworth Close, High Wycombe HP13 7PJ www.ttpublishing.co.uk or for editorial issues and contributions email to southerntimes@email.com Printed in the Malta by the Gutenberg Press.

The copyright holders hereby give notice that all rights to this work are reserved.

Aside from brief passages for the purpose of review, no part of this work may be reproduced, copied by electronic or other means, or otherwise stored in any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the Publisher.

This includes the illustrations herein which shall remain the copyright of the respective copyright holder.

2

INTRODUCTION

M

agazine / journal editorials may be made up of various topics and themes. Perhaps an introduction to the publication itself describing the contents, which I personally feel is almost like a repetition of the contents page but then I tread carefully as I have been guilty of this myself on the odd occasion. Another theme may be a particular perspective or opinion of the editor, basically something he wishes to get off his chest or steer the reader towards his particular interest or viewpoint. In the former respect there is little difference to the way a politician might behave prior to an election; all smiles and promises but with little real substance. I suspect age has made me somewhat cynical in that perspective.

The final content on an editorial is when the magazine owner insists the text follows his particular ideology; be assured I have never been pressurised by Transport Treasury to adopt such a course.

ISSUE 12

to have a Merchant Navy working a train on say the Basingstoke & Alton Light Railway in 1920. Historically totally impossible of course but to the untrained eye would they know the difference? Be assured we never have done anything like that for ST and I can also speak with 100% honesty when is say I have never done it with any other book I have been involved with either as author or in an editorial capacity. Where is this going well simply that I fear sometimes the marketing gurus manipulate history for their own purposes. I will not give the actual name but this will be clear enough when I say a current ‘new-build’ project is being heavily marketed on the basis that a certain engine type only ran at night and therefore had the such and such nickname.

If we want to be true to our railway history then we must be honest as well. It may well be that 21st century materials, technology has to be used in restoration not a bad idea if I am travelling in a Victorian era coach where I would rather the brakes work instead of being 100% true to history and have the original chain type fitted! Similarly if the current recreation of the ‘Brighton Belle’ means compromise then that again is fine as long as the changes are recorded and the past is not ignored for the sake of the present. There is some wonderful re-creative work going on all over the place by dedicated individuals, not just those who physically get their hands dirty but also by those who visit the museums and archives to obtain the detailed plans and information others may then work with. I am humbled by your work.

What I am going to do this time is lean a little towards one of the themes I have already mentioned in so far it is a subject I have been wishing to raise for some time and that is the outward perspective of preservation this from one who has no affiliation to any particular heritage railway. With those words alone we might well evoke comment, a steam railway used to be called a ‘preserved line’ now it is a ‘heritage railway’. Does that matter? Not really, instead what I find slightly sad it where it is now considered necessary to turn a preserved / heritage line into what is in effect a railway theme park.

Now before the general managers of the, whatever railway, write in to tell me I don’t know what I am talking about, I would say I probably don’t. Instead I would attempt to mollify their angst with the comment that I do understand the need to raise income by almost any means possible. So if that means painting an engine (or carriage) that has only ever carried black or green in its service life blue and pink with purple spots fine, as long as we do not loose track of its true parentage.

I have said before being editor does give me the chance to get my soap box out every so often and this has been one of those occasions. Hence again the invitation, if you would like to be responsible for ‘Page 3’ in the future, please let me know. Away from politics, opinion and the like, I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue of ST12. As before if you would like to contribute we would be delighted to hear from you and if you disagree with or would like to add ‘comment to our content’ again we would ask you get in touch.

Sadly anno-domini and all that mean the number of individuals who truly remember steam or the genuine Southern electrics is fast dwindling. That also means those who can honestly comment on historic photographs is likewise reducing on a daily basis. Technology available to us now means I could for example arrange to manipulate an image so as

As ever thanks also go to Andrew Royle and Dennis Troughton.

Kevin Robertson

Finally a note that it is regret we have had to raise the cover price of this and subsequent issues in the ‘Times’ series to £13.50. You do not need us to tell you how much prices have risen in recent years. Our 55p increase since the launch of this series in February 2002 represents less than 1p per page and although it will not cover all our increased overheads, ‘every little helps’. We thank you for your continued support.

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SOUTHERN TIMES

4

Westinghouse brake trials - 1938

T

hink of the Westinghouse Brake & Signal Company Limited, and add the year 1938 and it is likely the immediate comment will be July 3 1938 and the record run of the A4 Mallard when the world record of 126 mph was reached - and this involved brake trials as well.

ISSUE 12

is immediately destroyed and the now loose portion would come to a shuddering halt. Digressing slightly, the GWR alone operated their vacuum system on 25ins of mercury, the other companies at 21 inches. This meant that if say an SR engine took over from a GWR engine at Oxford the Southern engine would not be able to create the required 25inches and in consequence the engine would only be able to start the train slowly if at all from stationary, as the brake shoes still would still be pressing on the wheels. In this case the remedy was to ‘pull the strings’ on the vacuum cylinder of each vehicle. This would equalise the pressure on both sides of the piston in the respective vacuum cylinder.

So were the Southern making a similar attempt at a speed record later in the same year? On this we can be certain of the answer a definite, ‘No’, for instead this was a trial with a new design of quick service application valve on a train of ordinary stock.

On the Southern and indeed on most main line services operating on the LNER, LMS, GWR, braking was by means of the vacuum system, (for the sake of this article please discount the air brake systems operating on the Southern electric stock and air-brake systems elsewhere such as the steam hauled LNER suburban workings on the GE lines out of Liverpool Street).

A safety feature built into the rules was that before starting off, the guard must also carry out a brake test This also applied if a replacement engine was attached.

The brake test by the guard who would, whilst the train was stationary, deliberately apply the brakes from his compartment and so destroy the vacuum, this would then be restored by the driver who opon seeing the gauge drop to zero would open the large ejector, which in turn would recreate the vacuum in the train. A passenger pulling the emergency cord would similarly destroy the vacuum (the ‘tell-tale’ at the end of each coach indicating on which vehicle the cord had been pulled with the actual compartment indicated by a drooping chain). However, if the cord were pulled in a tunnel or a viaduct, the driver might deliberately open the large ejector to counteract the loss of vacuum and do his best to pull the train clear before stopping. The risks of stopping a train in a tunnel or on a viaduct, in the case of the latter passengers potentially getting out and falling off the parapet were things to consider, but of course each emergency situation is unique.

A continuous brake on passenger trains had been a requirement of the Regulation of Railways Act of 30 August 1889. In addition to the matter of continuous brakes, the Act also made mandatory other aspects of operation that we now take for granted, interlocking and block working. (It also introduced a penalty scheme for passengers travelling without a ticket.)

The Regulation of Railways Act had come about as the Government through the Board of Trade, had lost patience with some railway companies to introduce basic safeguards, the matter coming to a head with the tragic Armagh collision of June 1889 when part of an excursion train ran back down an incline and collided with a following train. The runaway was not fitted with an automatic brakes and 80 persons died. Considering the short time frame between the tragedy and the Act this was Parliament pulling out all the stops.

In normal running the driver might have the small ejector in continuous operation which would counter the effect of small leaks in the vacuum system caused by an ill fitting seal perhaps in the vacuum hose connections between vehicles or on the last vehicle where the vacuum hose may not be seated exactly on its mount. It was responsibility of the engine crew to ensure the front vacuum hose was correctly seated before setting off. Some SR and LMS and most GWR

The principal of the automatic vacuum brake is simple, a vacuum is created which holds the brake shoes off the wheels of the vehicle. If that vacuum is destroyed then the brakes are applied. Hence in normal circumstances the driver would deliberately destroy part of the vacuum to slow the train, the more he destroys the greater the retardation. In the event of a break-away, the vacuum

N0 768 Sir Balin at the head of its test train at Ashford, No 768 was the engine used on both sets of tests. The tests supposedly took place on 24 and 30 November although this image refers to 23 November 1938. Likely then a simple slip of the pen or perhaps even a sudden last minute cancellation. Clearly waiting for the ‘off’ the bowler-hatted gentlemen will be a locomotive inspector. Unrelated to the trials but nevertehless of interest is the post for the starting signal. Clearly made of concrete, it is likely the post had been in need of replacement but timber was in short supply at the time, so probably pointing to the WW1 period.

(Other railways had used concrete for some signals, notably the M&GN and the GWR, the latter especially with mixed results. The photograher H M Hoather was the Assistant Brake Engineer employed by the Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. H M Hoather SJH / Transport Treasury

5

SOUTHERN TIMES Stock

Co. Bke.

Third

Third

Third

Third

Third

Third

Third

Third

Third

Third

Co. Bke.

Nos.

6507

1149

1157

1189

810

1890

1292

1346

1436

1892

1855

4438

Length

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

61’ 7”

Total 739’ 0”

Tare

32.T

32.T

32.T

32.T

32.T

33.T

33.T

33.T

33.T

33.T

33.T

31.T

Total 369 tons

engines incorporated a vacuum pump driven from the crosshead when the engine was in motion and which served the same purpose.

So far as 30 November 1938 is concerned, the trials took place with a 12 coach express train (vehicle running numbers are given in the table at the top of this page) between Victoria and Ashford and from the detail provided it was almost certainly a special working. To start we are provided with certain initial criteria:

Digressing slightly, we might mention the special requirements as existed when slip coach operation took place. Here the whole slip coach practice appears to go immediately against the 1889 Act with for a short time at least a break in the continuous brake in the train and two trains in the same block section. Fortunately instances of accident involving slip coach working were rare but could occur if the seal on the vacuum of the new last coach did not work correctly resulting in the front portion (the main train) slowing and the slip portion instead of dropping back now colliding with it.

Possibly the worst example of this was at Woodford (LNER) on 19 December 1935 when exactly the situation described occurred due to a faulty valve.

Eleven passengers and two guards were injured, the LNER permanently suspending slip coach operation on all but one of its services soon after.

Locomotive No 768 Sir Balin Weight of locomotive 80 tons 19 cwts loaded Weight of tender 57 tons 11 cwts loaded (this would have varied en-route as coal and water were consumed) Length of locomotive and tender 66’ 5” Twelve coaches Total length 739’.

Tare weight of train 389 tons Brake force on train 73.98% at 18” vacuum, calculated without allowance for rigging efficiency.

Cast iron unflanged brake blocks.

Number of brake cylinders Twenty four 22” cylinders. One upper chamber reservoir 18” x 48” for each cylinder.

Returning to the Southern Railway in 1938, the object of the trials was to test a new type of quick service application valve which would allow the train brakes to be applied faster and so reduce the stopping distance / time. The document available also makes reference to other similar tests carried out but details of these have not come to light.

Note: Westinghouse Q.S.A. valves, Part No C.71322/2 were used for the tests on 30 November. The van valves were rendered non-operative on these tests by having the choke opened out to 5/16” diameter.

Brake force on locomotive 35.3% of loaded weight at 20” vacuum without allowing for rigging efficiency.

Running in board at Dunton Green photographed on 21 October 1961. For eighty years this was indeed the junction for the Westerham branch but despite a vigorous opposition the branch had but a week to live and was closed on 28 October. This was the location of Test No 1. James Harrold JH3400 / Transport Treasury

6

ISSUE 12

Paddock Wood looking east. An unidentified H class tank engine is arriving with a local working from Maidstone to Tonbridge. In the background is the famed signal box which straddled the line to Hawkhurst. The tall signals are to give advance warning for approaching trains on the main line. On test No 6 (see right hand column below) it was here that an emergency stop was made in the Up direction from 32¼mph with the train stopping in just over half its length. Prof. H P White HW323 / Transport Treasury

Brake force on tender 35.1% of loaded weight at 20” vacuum without allowing for rigging efficiency.

that obtained on 24 November 1938 when testing at the same place. In that test the efficiency was 7.36%.

Locomotive Equipment The Locomotive is fitted with a ‘Dreadnought’ ejector, having a large and small jet. It is also fitted with a crosshead pump, but this pump was isolated for all tests. (The object being to assess the efficiency of braking not recovery from.)

Description of tests.

Test No 3. Passenger communication at Staplehurst.

The passenger communication cord was pulled on the seventh coach from the locomotive. The large jet of the ejector was used and the curves show that the vacuum was being very slowly regained. The valve was held open for one minute and 48 seconds. The initial speed was 58½mph.

Four tests were made in the Down direction and three on the Up. To achive this the engine at least, but more likely the complete trains would have been turned. As per the image at the start of this article, this is likely to have been at Ashford on both the 24 and 30 November.

Test No 4. Service stop at Pluckley. Owing to a failure in the signalling circuits to the instruments no reliable information was obtained on this test. (Note, does this infer the Southern were also testing a form of automatic train control?)

Test No 1. Signal check at Dunton Green. The ejector handle was held in the application position for five seconds and then moved to the running position. This test was made at a speed of 63mph and the result was similar to that obtained on 24 November. (Note: clearly there had been an earlier test on 24 November but details of this have not been located.)

Test No 5. Service stop at Marden. This stop was made by holding the trigger on the ejector fully open; the port below the trigger valve had been bushed to reduce it to a ⅝” diameter hole. This resulted in the vacuum dropping to 6½” at the front of the train and 7” at the rear. The stopping distance 3,054ft.

Test No 6. Emergency stop at Paddock Wood. An emergency application was made at 32¼ mph, the stopping distance was 417ft. (Note this was only just slightly over half the length of the train and locomotive.)

Test No 2. Emergency application at Weald distant signal. An emergency application was made at a speed of 65mph, the stopping distance being 1,824ft. The brake efficiency was 7.75% being slightly higher than 7

SOUTHERN TIMES Test No 7. Passenger communication stop at Chelsfield.

The passenger communication cord was pulled at a speed of 45mph and the train was allowed to stop. The small jet of the ejector was working during this test. The stopping distance was 3,396ft.

the retardation curves as it was not possible to read the quarter mile posts on some parts of the track.

Operation. The electrically operated pens on the two trainographs and the Accelerometer were connected in series with a switch on the locomotive footplate.

This switch was pressed at the moment the brake was applied and released when the train stopped. Warning signals were given before the test by signal lamps connected to a switch on the locomotive footplate.

Methods of Testing.

The rates of retardation during the tests were measured on a recording Wimperia Accelerometer, Instrument No 312938.

Unfortunately what we do not know are any conclusions that were drawn. The papers, perhaps unusually, not commenting on the advanatges - or otherwise - of the valves used. There is also no mention of the tests or indeed any modifications to No 768 in either of the standard reference works on the class, ‘The book of the King Arthur class’ (Irwell Press), or the’RCTS’ series by Bradley. Similarly the ‘Southern Railway Magazine’ and contemporary technical journals appear not to feature the runs. As a result we can only report on the known facts and perhaps comment that if the Westinghouse company had successfully been involved with the recent high speed brake trials on the LNER they saw this as an opposrtuity to promote similar equipment on the Southern.

Vacuum in brake cylinders. The degree of vacuum in the upper and lower chambers of the first and last brake cylinder on the train was recorded on recording Trainographs Nos. 155621 and 155622. The upper chamber at the Ashford end of the train was also measured on a mercury column.

Vacuum in brake pipe. This was measured by means of a mercury ‘U’ tube attached to the brake pipe at the Ashford end of the train.

Speed. The speed of the train was measured by means of stop watch times from the quarter mile posts. In some of the tests the speed had to be calculated from

No 768 Sir Balin, the engine used on both sets of tests. This image was taken at Ashford again supposedly on 23 November although, might the engine be being prepared for the following day or perhaps even for a ‘pre-test’ run? There does not appear to any obvious external modifications visible. The nearside route disc also carries the legend ‘SPL’ for ‘Special’. H M Hoather SJH / Transport Treasury

8

ISSUE 12 ISSUE 12 Down Journey Test No.1

Test No. 2

Site of Test

Dunton Green

Weald distant signal

Type of application

Signal check

Speed MPH

Up Journey

Test No. 3

Test No. 4

Test No. 5

Staplehurst

Pluckley

Marden

Paddock Wood

Chelsfield

Emergency

Passenger communication

Service

Signal check

Emergency

Passenger communication

63

65

58½

55½

75

32¼

45

Time of stop.

Seconds

-

33

Valve open for 1 minute 48 seconds

-

52

15

64

Distance.

Feet.

-

1824

-

-

3054

417

3396

Gradient

1 in 150 down

1 in 122 down

1 in 395 down

1 in 410 down

1 in 259 up

1 in 578 down

1 in 120 down

Vacuum in Brake Pipe before application

20.15”

20.05”

-

20.05”

19.95”

20.25”

20.15”

Vacuum in Brake Pipe after application

-

0

-

-

-

0

11½”

Vacuum in Upper Chamber before application

20”

19.5”

-

19.7”

19.5”

19.5”

19.4”

Vacuum in Upper Chamber after application

-

18.1”

-

18.2”

17.9”

17.9”

17.9”

Weather and state of rail

Wet rail.

Bar. 29.41

Wet rail.

Bar. 29.41

Wet rail.

Bar. 29.41

Wet rail.

Bar. 29.41

Wet rail.

Bar. 29.41

Wet rail.

Bar. 29.41

Wet rail.

Bar. 29.41

Brake efficiency not corrected for grade

-

7.75

-

-

-

8.35

-

Brake efficiency corrected for grade

-

8.57

-

-

-

8.52

-

Retardation V/T-

1.97

-

-

1.44

2.15

.705

Time to reduce Vacuum to 2” Front.

-

6½

-

-

-

6½

-

Time to reduce vacuum to 2” rear

-

9

-

-

-

10

-

99

Test No. 6

Test No. 7

SOUTHERN TIMES

Two final views of No 768 at Ashford; with and without train. The bowler-hatted individuals are again inspectors. Any trial of this type would be some time in the preparation. The route and times carefully selected so the results were most likely to be consistant with what was required, the locomotive and stock assembled with the necessary modifications and connections made, and finally the crew selected; reliable men provided with a steed in good order and good coal. One final point to note in the top image is the vacuum pump underneath the crosshead. This was isolated for the tests. H M Hoather SJH / Transport Treasury

10

COR’s galore

A

fter steam there is definite need to redress the balance with some images of what are a favourite of many, the 4Cor (and variant) sets albeit in their final (blue) days. Livery is of course a subjective point but I don’t think any of us could not hanker back to the comfort provided in these units, externally perhaps displaying the then current livery but internally without doubt still resembling the originals of three decades before.

ISSUE 12

The images that are featured come from a recent acquisition by Transport Treasury but unfortunately without dates or locations, although of course some of the latter are obvious.(You are permitted to sway gently in your chair for what follows.)

4-COR unit 3112 at the head of a 12 coach formation leaving Guildford. Displaying the ‘81’ headcode and running on the Up fast line, this is a Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo (fast) running via Woking and probably recorded in the last full year of operation for the trains, 1971. No 3112 was one of five 4-COR sets (the others were Nos 3109/25/27/40) which had the yellow end wrap around the bodyside. The set was withdrawn on 1 January 1972 and two days later was at Selhurst for stripping of usable parts.

On 28 March 1972 it was transferred to Micheldever for storage until sold for scrapping to F T W Ward Ltd at Briton Ferry on 17 July 1972. Alan collection / Transport Treasury Note: detail information on the individual sets comes from the excellent ‘blood and custard’ website, also the SEMG website reference headcodes. https://sremg.org.uk

11

SOUTHERN TIMES

12

ISSUE 12

Opposite top: We know where it is of course, Purley Oaks but not the working. Instead we may concentrate on the set; to service on 3 April 1937 but having a life of just over three years as all four vehicles in the set were destroyed by enemy action at Portsmouth Harbour on 10 January 1941. (Set 3112 on page 11 had also suffered damage in the Portsmouth area but not total and in June 1941.) No 3119 was officially withdrawn on 26 March 1941 although the underframes of three of the cars were salvaged and were used as flat wagons for a short time, the last until June 1951.A replacement 3119 was built in 1946 but this new unit was again damaged in a sidelong collision with a steam train just outside Waterloo on 3 June 1960. One motor coach was badly damaged but after repairs and overhaul the complete set was back in operation in February 1961. Stored out of use at Barnham at the end of 1972 it was withdrawn in May 1972 and then moved around to differing storage sites before arriving at Selhurst for stripping and eventually Micheldever. In May 1963 it took its final journey to G Cohen Ltd at Morriston for scrapping. Alan collection / Transport Treasury .

Opposite bottom: This time we know the unit, No 3143, but not the location! Set No 3143 was new in March 1938 and lasted until 14 October 1972. It was scrapped in February 1973 by W T W Ward Ltd of Beighton. According to SEMG the headcode ‘5’ refers to another Waterloo -Portsmouth service, this time via Cobham although it is noted this headcode whilst in use in 1961 was not in use in 1971. Alan collection / Transport Treasury .

Above: A somewhat tarnished looking set No 3144 with another Portsmouth service, seen on the approaches to Guildford. The lines here come in three pairs. Left to right from Ash where there is a further split for services from Farnham or Wokingham, centre the main line from Woking via Worplesdon, and right the ‘new line’ from Esher via Clandon. This was another 1938 built set badly damaged in WW2 and not reformed/rebuilt as a new 3144 until 1946. It lasted until 9 October 1971 and after the usual formalities was scrapped by the Bird group at Long Marston in late February 1972.

1972. Alan collection / Transport Treasury .

13

SOUTHERN TIMES Unit No 3159 was one of ten reformed 4-Cor(N) sets and numbered as such in 1965/66. This set took three vehicles from the former No 3068 and one from No 3018. It survived until August 1972 but the motor coaches remained basically intact, apart from stripping for parts, until sold for scrap to T W Ward at Beighton in September 1973. One of the intermediate vehicles, TCK No 11773 was initially preserved and moved to the then Ashford steam centre and subsequently the Nene Valley railway. It later had spells at the Swindon & Cricklade line and also on the Swanage railway where in very poor condition it was scrapped in May 1997. Some major components, notably the bogies and also the buffers were salvaged as spares for the preserved unit No 3142. Alan collection / Transport Treasury .

No 3167 is another reformed 4-Cor(N). Assembled in June 1966 with three vehicles from No 3069 and one from No 3001 it lasted in service until the 1 January 1972 and was reported as sold to Messrs Ward at Briton Ferry in July 1972 but was noted as still present in Margam Yard two months later. The set is seen here as part of a 12-car formation (three four-car sets) leaving London Bridge. Alan collection / Transport Treasury .

14

ISSUE 12 An unidentified 4COR unit seen arriving atGuildford with the characteristic red line at cantrail level indicating a buffet (or grill or restaurant) vehicle. Alan collection / Transport Treasury .

4-Buf unit No 3075 at Purley Oaks with ‘17’; a service on the Mid-Sussex line. This was completed at Eastleigh in May 1938 and for the first four weeks ran as a three-car unit, the buffet car not being ready. It was again reduced to a three-car set from May 1942 with the buffet removed ‘for the duration’ before once again reverting a four-car set in May 1945. It survived in service until May 1971 after which it was initially stored at Wimbledon south sidings until the usual progression of visiting Selhurst and then store at Micheldever. It met its end at A King of Wymondham around September 1971. Alan collection / Transport Treasury .

15

SOUTHERN TIMES

St Cross explained Images courtesy of Ian Shawyer, notes by Graham Bowring

16

ISSUE 12 Opposite and right: We referred to Graham Bowring’s new and excellent book ‘Signalling along the South Western’ in the previous issue. In his book Graham sets a poser in relation to the gate box at St Cross which Ian Shawyer is now able to answer in photographic terms.

Graham comments, ‘St Cross was a minor level crossing about one mile south of Winchester, and this shows the gatekeeper’s hut probably around 1895, before the signal box was built in 1898. It was an ancient byway although by the time of the railway, a private road; a block of two railway cottages was built in 1859; installation of signal to protect the crossing was approved in 1865, and the gate hut was probably provided at the same time. This is one of a pair of postcard photos, the other showing two men taking a photo of a train. Another photograher has recorded the action but of poorer quality with the train rather blurred; which suggests this other individual was not used to taking photos of moving trains. Neither has a date or caption on the back. There is no sign of the signal box in either photo although it is possible it was there but well out of view but that seems very unlikely as they would have included it in a photo. The signal box, a wooden version of the standard LSW Type 4, was built as part of a programme of improvements to provide extra block sections for running specials to Southampton Docks and other destinations. This shows the gate hut in use; it would have housed bells or indicators to advise of the approach of a train and it looks like there are two signal wires near the track on the left. Sadly the notice on the door is impossible to read and the interior of the hut is very dark. But is that a crutch on the right against the fence used by the older man? The cans and funnel on the left are probably for topping up oil in signal lamps. A super photo but if only we could see the interior of the hut. Perhaps it was taken because the gatekeeper, the man standing inside the hut, was about to retire or knew that he would be replaced by the signal box about to be built.’

The Mid Sussex line track diagrams

I

n ST10 we included an article on the Mid-Sussex line with a promise a set of line diagrams would follow.

As referred in ST11, these arrived just too late for inclusion in that issue so now with grateful thanks to Colin Peters the promised contemporary line detail follows. No date is quoted other than ‘Southern Railway’.

A map key (‘Table of References’) is provided on page 22.

17

SOUTHERN SOUTHERN TIMES TIMES

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ISSUE ISSUE 12 12

19 19

SOUTHERN SOUTHERN TIMES TIMES

20 20

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SOUTHERN TIMES Right: The Southern Railway Magazine for August 1925 published a short piece and three images on the opening of the new line; these are reproduced opposite.

(Left hand column Marchwood, right hand column Hythe followed by Fawley.)

No such feature appears to have been included re the North Devon & Cornwall Junction light Railway.

The Southern Railway would open four further new lines between 1925 and 1939 all in the London area. Between 1925 and 1939 there were also 17 line closures.

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ISSUE 12

Two Southern Centenaries Jeremy Clarke

J

uly 2025 marks the centenary of two Southernworked railways sited about 150 miles apart and opening within a week of each other, though they both had had a long gestation period.

The branch to Fawley – The Totton, Hythe & Fawley Light Railway – was the older in service by a week. An Order for the line had been confirmed by the Board of Trade on 10 November 1903 under the terms of the Light Railways Act 1896 but there had been moves much earlier than this to get a line to Fawley.

Back in the late nineteenth century the LSWR was keen to ensure the independent Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway, with its dependence on cooperation by the GWR, could not carry out the advertised threat to get into Southampton for which it had sought Parliamentary approval in 1882. This threat was in part the reason for the South Western’s acquisition of the dock company in 1892. On the other hand the original object of the southern portion of the MSWJR, the Swindon, Marlborough & Andover Railway, had been to get to Fawley, the addendum to its title, ‘& New Forest Railway’, indicative of a line extending down the west bank of Southampton Water. The LSWR was also well aware the MSWJ was subject to threats by the Great Western and potentially had insufficient resources to maintain its independence should it become more than a threat.

Despite approval by the BoT there were still no signs of the route’s construction when the Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies Oil Company established a refinery in 1921 on a 660 acre site at Fawley, on the west side of Southampton Water, almost opposite the estuary of the River Hamble. One of the benefits of the site was its proximity to Southampton, much of the refinery’s production going to fuel the liners berthing at the docks.

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SOUTHERN TIMES British-Mexican Petroleum purchased A, G & WI in 1923 and that company in turn was taken over by the Anglo-American Oil Company, the British affiliate of Esso, in 1926. It was the coming of B-MP and the promise of much increased output and thus transport of oil products that spurred on the construction of the railway. Sir Robert McAlpine & Co Ltd were awarded the contract, work beginning in the spring of 1923

following transfer of powers to the Southern: the line opened on 20 July 1925.

Totton sits at the head of Southampton Water and its station is 82½ miles from Waterloo. Just west of Totton lies the junction with the Eling Tramway – Eling Junction being Totton’s original name until 1859 - which provided an outlet to the main line for a number of

Left: South Hampshire railway location map.

Below: The first intermediate station at Marchwood in basically original condition and just a single platform. This was extended in 1960 with a passing loop to allow for bi-directional running and the necessary additional semaphore signals. In this view we are looking south towards Hythe and Fawley. Lens of Sutton / Denis Cullum collection Opposite top: the revised Marchwood and this time north towards Totton. The signals clearly indicate bi-directional working but it will be noted only a single passenger platform remains. The controlling signal box was located within the station building and may be identified by the protruding brickwork and end window, PY10053M

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industrial complexes on the Test marshes and a wharf on the river itself. Several sidings a little further west of the junction are fed off a loop whose western end is controlled by a ground frame at a near ½-mile on from Totton. It is here that the Fawley branch begins, running parallel to the main line for a quarter mile or so before curving away to take up a south easterly heading. The line was single throughout its length, single-line working being controlled by key tokens.

There are no fewer than six level crossings before arrival at the first station, Marchwood, the gate box for the sixth one, 86m10ch from Waterloo, being behind the platform which is on the down side. A goods loop a little further south also provided access to a short siding and a loading dock on the opposite side of the forecourt from the station building.

The Marchwood ground frame was upgraded to a signal box on 28 November 1943 when a War Department Military Port came into use, eighteen closely-spaced sidings springing from a lead from the downside passing loop immediately south of the station. Others beyond these led to a large site on which a traverser moved various manufactured components of, among other things, the Mulberry Harbours. A rail-equipped jetty lay at the extremity of the site though the siding to

it was rather older. Post war the MoD site continued to be used by the military, mainly as a base for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary but by 2022, although the Services retained a small presence, the area was otherwise sold for conversion to civilian use.

Four more crossings intervene before the line comes to Hythe, 7m 51ch from Totton. A passing loop south of the station features here too as do two ground frames about a half-mile apart. East Frame controlled a down side siding to a loading dock just beyond the station, West Frame – which is South East of East Frame! – the loop points. The loop was quite short but it sprouted a long siding leading into a two-siding Lower Goods The route here is quite close to the shores of Southampton Water – hence the branch’s name as the Waterside Line - School Lane, the last of the four crossings, pointing directly towards the water and, in particular, the 700-yards long Hythe Pier. This pier dates from 1881 though the first Act for its construction was attained in 1871: however, it had required a further Act to be passed in 1878 before work could begin.

The original tramway on the pier was authorised in the 1878 Act but not constructed until 1909. The present 2’ gauge railway, electrified at 250V dc, opened in 1922 on the opposite side of the pier from the original whose vehicles were hand-propelled. The line is worked by 25

SOUTHERN TIMES Top: Intermediate station at Hythe. All three stopping places were of similar style with pebble-dash render.

Notwithstanding the Southern Railway’s use of concrete it will be noted the lamp posts are of the cast-iron barley-twist type. This rather run-down view was taken on 25 March 1961. PY10130HB Middle; Warm day at Fawley. Parcels of varying sizes are being dealt with whilst a train of former LSWR coaches awaits the return to Fawley and Southampton; red livery perhaps? perhaps? TG470-1 / Transport Treasury Bottom: A rare colour view of the exterior and again similar to that at Marchwood and Hythe. An attempt has been made at making the exterior attractive with the four sections of brick above the entrance but it has to be said the whole is not particularly appealing. Some little way behind the camera Fawley was the only one of the stations on the branch to boast a goods shed and that was second-hand from either Privett or West Meon on the Meon Valley line.

The cars date the view to the 1960s, possibly one of the days an enthusiasts special arrived. TY002294

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ISSUE 12 two 4-wheel tractors built by Brush in 1917. Originally battery-powered they were altered to take 3rd rail pick up on arrival at Hythe after the First World War, the batteries being removed.

A regular ferry service still runs between the pierhead and Southampton’s Town Quay, a service that has its origins in the Middle Ages. The pier trains connect with the ferries whose crossing takes about ten minutes.

Frost Lane crossing is a half-mile beyond Hythe. From here the line ran through an area of woodland but this was later industrialised. Union Carbide’s factory is served by a trailing siding on the up side controlled by a ground frame. This was operative from May 1959.

South of this, a mile or so before reaching Fawley, the private Hardley Halt, provided for the workers at the local industries, was opened on the up side on 5 April 1958. Its presence was not advertised in timetables and it closed seven years later, on 5 April 1965.

The International Synthetic Rubber Company plant lay behind the halt, two sidings being provided from a trailing connection. These were in place by June 1957.

Cadlands Quay crossing is in the approaches to Fawley. A ground frame at thirty-seven chains from the end of the line – which is 92m 12ch from Waterloo – governs access to two downside loops that run parallel to the line as far as Fawley signal box which was on the up side and at the north end of the platform and ten chains from the line’s end. A run-round loop facing the platform is a continuation of one of the two loops and it was from this that the line into the refinery site turned away to the east. Much of the mileage within the refinery’s bounds were either paralleled or fed by a comprehensive narrow gauge system.

Fawley’s goods yard on the up side at the north end of the forecourt consisted of two sidings with a goods shed, the latter second hand from either Privett or West Meon on the Meon Valley line, and a loading dock.

A crane was also provided. Wartime naturally saw facilities here augmented, an Air Ministry fuel reserve depot being installed for use from 24 October 1940.

The sidings were on the west side of the forecourt at an angle to the goods sidings and sprang from the headshunt.

As will be gathered, the line’s principal activity was the transport of oil and its several products from the refinery which, postwar, was considered too small to be competitive. (It had simply been used for storage during the war years.) An additional 3,000 acres west of the railway were acquired in 1949 by Anglo-American: full

production there had started by mid-1951. At its height in the mid-1970s the site was refining approximately 400,000 barrels of oil per day. The crude supply came in tankers, in the region of 2,000 movements per year: they berthed at the mile-long marine terminal lying parallel to the shore opposite the mouth of the Hamble.

Passenger traffic on the line was formed predominantly by workers at the refinery and the industrial units, the service being tailored to accommodate it. At most it consisted of three trains daily with a long gap during the working hours, even in wartime. The 1943 timetable for example shows a departure from Southampton Central at 6.43am and another from Southampton Terminus at 5.33pm. A 4.15pm (SX) departure from Totton seems to be worked simply to provide stock for the 5.19pm departure from Fawley to Southampton Central, though its timing is matched by a 3.59pm (SO) from Southampton. Other Up workings from Fawley are at 11.50 am (SX) to Totton, 12.14pm (SO) and 6.43pm to Southampton Terminus.

Things have changed little in the 1953 Summer Timetable. The 6.57am (SX) from Southampton Central still runs with its Fawley arrival at Fawley at 7.43 giving ample time for the return departing Fawley at 8.6am (SX) for Southampton Terminus. On Saturdays a down train left Southampton Central at 4.14pm (4.5pm in 1943) (5 minutes later 25 July-29 August) arriving at Fawley at 4.55pm. The two other Up workings left at 5.16pm (cf 5.19 in 1943) - on Saturdays this went through to Southampton Terminus - and a repeat of the 6.43pm though this is SX now. There was no Sunday service.

Passenger traffic was the domain of tank engines provided by Eastleigh shed, ‘O2’s being early in the field with the inimitable ‘M7’ 0-4-4T becoming prominent. LMR class 2 2-6-2Ts took over in later days and there is photographic evidence of Standard class ‘3’ 2-6-2Ts making the occasional appearance.

Steam power-hauled tanker traffic ended in May 1962 with replacement of the ‘W’ class 2-6-4T, whose tenure had lasted about ten months, by class 33 diesels. (The ‘H16’ class 4-6-2Ts which preceded the ‘W’s had been deemed locally as the ideal power unit.). The ‘33’s had a long period of use on the line before being largely superseded from the 1980s by such classes as 37, 47 and 56, while the class 66 appeared from early in the present century.

Diesel power for passenger use followed introduction of the Hampshire ‘2H’, later class 205, two-coach sets in 1957 but the passenger service was withdrawn on 14 February 1966. (An official BR notice announced 27

SOUTHERN TIMES

Standard Class 2 No 82012 shunting at Fawley on 23 May 1961. The concrete milepost indicates we are 92 miles from Waterloo.

The single disc headcode was that use for all trains on the branch. NF176-15

improved diesel services in Hampshire starting 18 June 1962. It mentions six routes ranging from Salisbury and Reading in the west to Portsmouth in the east with Southampton naturally at the centre. There was there is no mention of Fawley.)

important line to the Midlands was commissioned in 1987, this marked the death of the heavy oil traffic to Bromford Bridge. Though the refinery continues to produce a wide range of oil-based products only about 5% is carried by rail and road, pipelines now accounting for 70% of its products’ transport. The remainder goes by sea.

However, freight traffic, oil products in particular, continued to grow. Marchwood’s passing loop was extended, and another loop with a signalbox to control it had been added in 1960 south of the Frost Lane level crossing, a half mile beyond Hythe, though this was taken out of use only twenty years later. This had a knock-on effect in 1982 when the Falklands War created much additional traffic to MoD Marchwood and night-time movements had to be reintroduced as a result to cope with it. Before then the future of the line was already being questioned though development of nearby oilfields, particularly at Wych Farm on Purbeck, which had no local pipelines, provided a fresh source of rail traffic.

There had been several moves for the passenger service to be reintroduced before an announcement by the Association of Train Operation Companies on 16 June 2009 they could make a case for reinstatement as far as Hythe, with the former stations there and at Marchwood being reopened. Possible future reintroduction to Fawley depended upon agreement with Esso which now owned the land on which the closed Fawley station had been sited. The hourly service – half-hourly in Rush Hours - was proposed to continue on from Southampton Central to Romsey via Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford. Should use of the service justify it electrification was a possibility. An additional station named Totton West would be opened just west of the junction with the main line.

Local freight was withdrawn in 1962 and Fawley’s oil traffic had begun to decline on the introduction and extension of the pipeline network. Aviation spirit to Gatwick had already been piped and when the similar

A further report that came into the public domain in the 28

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Hampshire DEMU No 1117 arrived at Fawley and awaiting its return working. For a short time in the late 1950s / first months of 1960 when locomotive hauled passenger train still worked the branch, a short rake of three Western Region coaches was seen on an early afternoon working to Fawley the stock have come off a train from Didcot and which would otherwise have sat idle in Southampton terminus. (Saved wear and tear on Southern Region stock!) On the right is a Class 33, possibly a pair, waiting for departure with a bulk tanker train. NF176-15

autumn of 2013 stated the extension to Fawley would not occur for reasons of security, but a passing loop would be necessary at Totton West – now renamed Hounsdown – to accommodate the traffic. Upgrading the signalling would also be undertaken. There were, however, other factors to be taken into account, in particular from the view of Hampshire County Council, the proposals deemed to have an effect on the use of and therefore the subsidies it provided to the HytheSouthampton ferry and some local bus services. In the light of this, in January 2014 the Council decided against the scheme due to the business case not being made though it would consider its position if circumstances changed. They did, in late-2017 when planned housing development along the Waterside Line as well as within the Fawley site came to the fore. New proposals for re-opening were aired in August 2018, this time with an extension to Fawley being included. With this proposal made the Council removed its subsidy of the Hythe ferry though no work had been started still less a service run.

A little more than a year later the Department for Transport had included the Waterside Line – the vernacular name had now become the official one – among those to be investigated for reintroduction of passenger services under the ‘Restoring Your Railway’ scheme. As in earlier proposals Fawley would not be included but a new Hythe & Fawley Parkway station would be constructed on the site of Hardley Halt. To that end, in July 2020 SWR ran a train along the branch to establish its potential and the following February Hampshire County Council updated its business case.

This produced a very liberal set of propositions, not least a level of passenger service rarely if ever seen before that included hourly trains as far as Romsey and/or Salisbury and to London Victoria no less. (A thrice hourly Fawley-Southampton run was also noted though it is unclear if this was a reiteration of the hourly longer distance trains or in addition to them.)

Electrification was again proposed.

In March 2022, SWR having run a second fact-finding train ten months earlier, Network Rail was reported as 29

SOUTHERN TIMES taking up the scheme though it did not now include running south of Hythe. NR’s proposal was for a twicehourly Southampton Central-Hythe service worked by a two-coach class 158/9. It was hoped approval from the DoT would be received in time to start the service at the beginning of 2025, particularly as public consultations at the end of 2022 had shown 84% in favour of reinstatement. However, when it cancelled the Restoring Your Railway scheme in September 2024 the incoming Labour Government effectively ended any possibility of bringing passenger services back to the Waterside Line, for the immediate future anyway.

If development, residential in particular, continues along the west bank of Southampton Water there appears to be no reason why further consideration for reopening of the line should not arise in the future, especially as consultation proved its potential value to the local populace.

Above: The literal end of the line (passenger platform) at Fawley. 1220 Bottom; Main line at the junction station of Totton. The view is looking west with No 34043 Combe Martin passing through with an inter-regional working for the Western Region. (Such trains used the standard BR ‘Class A’ headcodes throughout.) The Fawley branch diverges just by the signal box in the left background. PY100371

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Abnormal load to Fawley In Issue 3 of Southern Times we featured the working notices and detail of the movement of an out-of-gauge on the Fawley branch on 22 January 1956.

Through good fortune three images of that special have now turned up and whilst we admit not of the best quality they are worth including as images of such working are rare.

Locations are not fully confirmed although the two smaller views are at Marchwood.

The consist was of diesel shunting locomotive, brake van (vacuum fitted), SR tool van DS252, brake van, transformer trolley No 901800, Tool van, brake van (seen in the views in reverse order).

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SOUTHERN TIMES North Devon & Cornwall Junction Light Railway

was gained on 1 February 1862. There, the South Western met the broad gauge Bristol & Exeter Railway which had got there on 1 May 1844. That company had taken a lease on the broad gauge Exeter & Crediton Railway at its opening in May 1851 from the junction with the B&E at Cowley Bridge, about 1¼ miles north of St Davids. The Act authorising the line between the two Exeter stations also permitted mixing the gauge on the B&ER between St Davids and Cowley Bridge Junction and over the length of the Exeter & Crediton.

In the manner of the Fawley line, the North Devon & Cornwall Junction Light Railway was also constructed for carriage of a specific traffic, ball clay. This rock is rare, found in relatively few places worldwide and is particularly valued in the production of high quality ceramics. It consists mainly of kaolin with mica and quartz predominant among other minerals, and in the light of its plastic qualities lends itself also to the production of adhesives and sealants.

Extension northward toward Barnstaple was made in the opposite direction by the Taw Valley Railway Extension & Dock Company, authorised in 1846 to build southward from Barnstaple to Crediton. It opened on 1 August 1854 though the BoT had held this up since completion three weeks earlier until their inspection of the signalling had been undertaken. The line was, incidentally, worked by the Bristol & Exeter only for the first year after the South Western’s arrival, that company being in charge thereafter.

The LSWR had made an early gain in Cornwall when, under the noses of the GWR, it purchased the remote Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway in 1847. At that time this railway, which had opened on 4 July 1834, was more than 100 miles from the nearest point of the LSWR: moreover the takeover had not received Parliamentary sanction.

The South Western’s ultimate connection to the B&WR and, indeed, to the coasts of North Devon and Cornwall turned out to be painfully slow. Exeter Queen Street was reached from Yeovil on 10 July 1860, six weeks after the Salisbury & Yeovil Railway finally completed its line on opening of the third stage, from Sherborne, and thus got the whole route to London open. Exeter St Davids

The next drive west started from the Taw Valley Railway at Coleford Junction, 4½ miles west of Crediton, with the opening on 1 November 1865 of the seven miles to North Tawton. There matters rested until Okehampton was reached in two stages, by 3 October 1871.

A rural railway in every sense.

This page; Yarde Halt looking south on 1 June 1960. The single coach train, typical for the line, is almost dwarfed by the advertising board on the platform. Amongst the display is the invitation, ‘It pays to take a cheap trip by train’. A sentiment that was no doubt correct but with limited opportunity from the stopping places on the line.

L R Freeman / Transport Treasury Opposite top: Petrockstow, where the staff have time to pose for the camera and there is a distinct lack of paying custom. The locomotive is No 41312 and it is 25 September 1962. R C Riley / Transport Treasury Opposite bottom: The same engine and train at Hatherliegh on the same day. The electrification warning flashes seem somewhat out of place here in rural Devon, indeed more than half a century later there is still no catenary on any of the surviving lines.

Notice the single headcode disc - identical to that for trains on the Fawley branch. R C Riley / Transport Treasury

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On the face of it busier times at Hole; excepting these were a gorup of enthusiasts visiting the line. Neville Stead / Transport Treasury

The line on to Devonport was another completed in two stages but it was from Meldon Junction on the first stage to Lydford (opened 12 October 1874) that the next move west towards Bude began. Holsworthy joined the South Western system on 20 January 1879 though it was to be another nineteen years before the line got to the coast. But with the completion of the route between Barnstable and Torrington on 18 July 1872 the stage was set for the transformation and extension of the rough 6-mile long 3’ gauge Torrington & Marland Tramway carrying the clay to the nearest railhead, if a long time coming to fruition.

Plans were in process again in 1919. Costs had risen sharply in the interim however, and outside financial support, both local and national, was required before construction could start with Col Stephens as engineer.

Herbert Walker took the view the South Western should be involved and an agreement signed on 7 April 1922 made the LSWR the working company at 75% of gross receipts after deduction of Government Duty, this subject to certain other financial conditions. A South Western nominee was also appointed to the ND&CJLR Board.

The first sod was cut in 1922 but progress was slow, mainly because the workforce was, in general, unused to the sort of labour construction of this nature demanded. Unrest among the men and, in 1925, the bankruptcy of the contractor required the Colonel to take on the construction on behalf of the company.

Opening - without ceremony - was thus delayed until 27 July 1925 with the Southern Railway working the railway as successors to the LSWR.

Transformation came about as a direct result of expanding demand for the clay though in the later 19th century there had been several proposals aired for a line to run south from Bideford or Torrington towards Okehampton. In 1909 the inimitable pro-Light Railway proponent Holman Fred Stephens suggested using parts of the tramway in a standard gauge ‘light’ railway between Torrington and Halwill Junction on the South Western’s Bude line. His suggestion was taken up and authorisation obtained in 1914 but war prevented construction proceeding.

In typical Stephens fashion the line was built as cheaply as possible, generally following the route of 34

ISSUE 12 the tramway before striking southward independently.

Curves and gradients were severe, the latter principally in the 1 in 45 to 1 in 60 range.

Passengers were carried from the outset, although traffic was light and simialr to the Fawley branch was preponderantly formed of workers at the clay pits. Clay dominated the freight scene, rather disappointing to the promoters who had anticipated much agricultural produce using the line. Paucity of such traffic should not have been a surprise given that Hatherleigh, the largest town en route, is only eight miles from Okehampton by road but was twenty miles by the railway.

The line took a meandering course from Halwill Junction which, typically for a small country station with lines going in all directions, saw a few minutes of hectic activity interspersing long hours where nothing happened. However, mileage count of the ND&CJLR started at the northern end, at Torrington, 225 miles and 50 chains from Waterloo so our journey will begin there.

The tramway had occupied a bay on the east side of the station but the railway made an end on junction with the SR route five chains further south and then curved to cross the River Torridge. Halts at Watergate and Yarde were passed before the line came to the station at Dunsbear, 5½ miles from Torrington. A 3’ gauge tramway of some two miles in length terminated here at the North Devon Clay Company’s Works exchange sidings on the down side south of the station.

Two and a quarter miles further on the line came to Petrockstow where there was a passing loop and small goods yard on the up side. Another loop on the up side 1¾ miles further south was formed by the sidings of the Meeth (North Devon) Clay Company, these being fed by a 2’ gauge tramway. Evidence of clay in the vicinity had attracted earlier attention but pits were not opened until 1920, then having been encouraged by the imminent arrival of the railway, good transport facilities being necessary for movement of the clay in quantity.

A mile further onward Meeth Halt was reached, at ten miles and forty-two chains from Torrington. A siding controlled by a ground frame lay behind the platform on the down side. Hatherleigh, with its passing loop and both up and down platforms as at Petrockstow, stood a few chains short of 12¾ miles from Torrington and had two goods sidings on the up side.

South of Hatherleigh the line turned away from its generally SSE direction to face west and came to Hole at 17½ miles into the journey. This was another station with a passing loop and up and down platforms as well

as a two-road yard, on the up side. Two miles further on a sweeping curve through almost ninety degrees turned the line to the south to make a junction at Halwill with the lines to Bude and Wadebridge at 209m 69ch from Waterloo and 20½ miles from Torrington.

Motive power would have been of relatively modest weight given the nature of the line. The Locoshed Book for end-1959 shows few of the remaining ex-LSWR engines in the vicinity, the ‘O2’s at Wadebridge probably being the nearest. Of suitable later stock, the versatile ex-LMR Class 2MT 2-6-2Ts are present at the sheds at Barnstable Junction and Exmouth Junction, and there is regular photographic evidence of them on the line, presumably working out of the respective sub sheds at Torrington and Bude. Barnstable also housed ‘M7’s at that time though these were probably too heavy for the route. Earlier photographs show members of the ‘E1R’ class 0-6-2T, usually with a single coach train, evidence of the restricted passenger demand.

The ND&CJLR retained its independence at Grouping but was absorbed into the Southern Region at Nationalisation in 1948. As at Fawley the passenger service was minimal. The 6.25am from Torrington terminated at Petrockstow at 7.49am, providing a service for workers at the pits, which were confined to the northern end of the line as shown by the extent of the original tramway. Return was at 7.55am. Other southbound services left Torrington at 8.52am, 3.55pm (SX) and 4.40pm (SO), matched by departures from Halwill Junction at 10.40am (SX), 10.52am (SO) and 6.40pm, though another ‘short‘ journey features here too for the benefit of the local workers, at 4.35pm (SX) from Petrockstow to Torrington.

Withdrawal of passenger services dates from 1 March 1965, that of local freight traffic having occurred the previous September. The line south of Meeth was subsequently lifted though clay continued to be carried northward from the Marland Company’s sidings at Dunsbear until 1982.

Total closure came in March 1983, causing the rest of the line to be cleared and much of the route now being for the benefit of cyclists and walkers. Clay is still dug but moved by road transport.

And what of that isolated westerly outpost, the B&WR? Over a period of no less than sixteen years and by seven stages the line from Meldon Junction got to Wadebridge on 1 June 1895 though connection to the Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway itself was not made until 1 November. The Great Western meanwhile had opened its Bodmin General station on commissioning 35

SOUTHERN TIMES of the 3½-mile long branch from Bodmin Road (now Bodmin Parkway) on 27 May 1887. By virtue of this it managed to make a connection from its General station to the B&WR at Boscarne Junction, four miles and fifty chains from Wadebridge, on 3 September 1888, more than seven years before the owning company got there, something that probably did not go down too well at Waterloo.

‘Southern Rails Around Southampton’, Ian Drummond, Holne Publishing, 2011.

British Railways, Southern Region Passenger Timetable, 8’ June to 20th September 1953.

Ordnance Survey maps nos 180, 191 and 196.

Google Maps has also been used to track the Fawley route, regrettably a near impossibility in north Devon now.

I am a rather wary user of the Internet except perhaps where an entry might hint at other possible sources. However, two particular pages have proved most helpful especially in the matter of filling in detail. Ironically, the Cornwall Society’s entry has a plethora of photographs of the Fawley branch that, despite many being of recent exposure, provide a very clear picture (no pun intended) of its surviving infrastructure.

The ND&CJLR is well served by the very full entry concerning the line published by the Colonel Stephens Society. To both I am most grateful.

Bibliography ‘History of the Southern Railway’, C F Dendy Marshall, rev by R W Kidner, Ian Allan Ltd., 1982.

‘PSL Field Guide, Railways of the Southern Region’, Geoffrey Body, Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1989.

‘Sir Herbert Walker’s Southern Railway’, C F Klapper, Ian Allan Ltd., 1973.

Petrockstow, looking north on 1 June 1960. L R Freeman / Transport Treasury Opposite top: In the final week of Southern steam, July 1967, Neville Stead was on hand to record some of the last Ocean liner workings undertaken by steam. In this view we see No 34021 formerly carrying the anme Dartmoor outside the Ocean Terminal at Southampton. (Your editor took his driving test in one of the cars featured on the left... . )

A selection of other images from the line from Torrington to Halwill Junction appear in Southern Times Issue 9, pages 27-44, within the article ‘By Withered Arm from Barnstaple Junction to Halwill Junction via Torrington’.

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The ‘Cunarder’ at Southampton Docks.

ISSUE 12

Images Neville Stead / Transport Treasury

B

oat trains were a regular feature on all three divisions of the Southern and lasting through to the 1970s. On the eastern side there was the ‘Golden Arrow’, the central section had trains serving Newhaven Harbour, and on the South Western (excluding the former Plymouth services) the Southampton Ocean Liner workings were to be seen usually several times a week.

The arrival, or pending departure of a big liner could mean a number of departures from Waterloo, the most prestigious warranting Pullman cars, after which another train might consist of all First Class with the addition of perhaps two or three Pullman’s and so on down to the use of ordinary stock. Your editor well recalls some of the mixed First Class / Pullman workings, the occupants of the latter seeming to look so superior to us mere mortal waiting for our own service on a windy platform.

The photographer Neville Stead, visited Southampton Docks just once in the final week of steam operation

during July and where he was able to record No 34021, formerly carrying the name Dartmoor Dartmoor,, and also No 34089, formerly 602 Squadron and incidentally also the last steam engine to receive a repair at Eastleigh Works, both involved on boat trains duty; and of course what better to have the famed (but sadly now demolished) Ocean terminal building and the then flagship of the Cunard Line RMS Queen Mary in the background.

Above - Before revealing the results on the next pages, Neville also recorded No 30071, in steam and the solitary occupant of the steam shed at the Eastern (old) docks. Perhaps the fitter (or driver) is considering his future. He may very well be facing redundancy in a few days time. No 30071 too will be redundant from 9 July, making its final ‘in steam’ move to Salisbury on that fateful Sunday where the fire was dropped and a decision awaited as to its fate. Being one of the last it would not survive and was broken up at Cashmore’s yard in Newport in March 1968.

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That excellent record, Ian Simpson’s ‘Southern Steam Operation 1966-67, fortunately provides us with some detail on the likely workings recorded in the photographs and the reader is recommended to this volume for additional detail. Neville Stead also only refers to ‘the last week of Southern steam’ so this could be anytime between the 1 and 9 July. No 34021 was by this time allocated to Nine Elms although it was known to have still carried an Eastleigh shedplate. This same engine is known to have worked the very last Up steam hauled ocean liner train as late as 8 July. We also have to state we cannot confirm if these views, whilst certainly taken during the final week, were taken on the same day. The balance of probability being they were.

Opposite: In the view opposite, No 34021 appears to be waiting outside the terminal building, facing north so ready to take a train to Waterloo - we say ‘waiting’ as the man seen walking on the right has the distinctive garb of a fireman - Nine Elms men also often wore a knotted handkerchief around their heads. Headboards were not always fitted at this late stage; again your editor recalls peering into a grounded coach body outside the front of Eastleigh shed and seeing a heap of headboards.... . Notwithstanding the above comments the engine could well be slowly moving, from the steam on the ground but it is also worth noting that despite maintenance having been limited to say the least in the last weeks / months there are no obvious steam leaks in the area of the cylinders. The contemporary motor cars are also worth a second glance, the A40, the Mini - readers will no doubt have their own memories. To the right is a British Road Services AEC artic tractor unit; the rest as they say is history.

This page: No 34089 with steam to spare awaiting the arrival of the great liner. Access to the docks was then strictly controlled by policemen on every gate but it can be seen a number of cars have got through; they would have needed a pass indicating they were meeting a passenger off the liner. The fireman of No 34089 appears to have the injector in operation to stem the waste of steam from the valves. Quayside cranes and rail tracks, indicated by the presence of the wagons on the right, were commonplace at that time as indeed the Queen’s, alternating between the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth for a regular weekly service to New York. There were also the weekly Royal Mail Line ships to South Africa and of course sailings to South America and then the other liners SS France, France, United States etc. As steam bowed out so really did the era of the liners, replaced by the jet although of course there are still sailings between the places mentioned but these are predominantly containers dealt with at the neighbouring Western docks. Diesel power was sometimes seen on these special passenger trains in the form of Class 33 and Class 47 locomotives although it was said the Class 47’s were banned from the docks. Post-steam special trains were in the hands of the Class 73 and Class 74 electro diesels using ordinary locomotive hauled stock - the era of the Pullman had gone. Most special trains also included at least two sometimes three parcels vans to cater for cabin and larger trunks plus the proverbial army of porters within the terminal itself. A similar number would be required upon arrival at Waterloo. Scenes like this could never be repeated in 2025 for all that is seen in the views has been withdrawn, scrapped or demolished. That is not to say Southampton is still not busy with passenger sailings for now it caters for cruise ships with passengers arriving in their thousands, but by car at an outlying location after which they are coached to their respective berths to be followed by their days or weeks of luxury.

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RMS Queen Mary in the final months of he life; she would outlive steam by just three months being deemed uneconomical to operate. She was older than the steam engines she saw on this side of the Atlantic having been launched in 1936. Queen Mary left Southampton for the final time on 31 October 1967 and sailed to the city of Long Beach, California where she is permanently moored. In the lower view we see what is probably No 34089 again with a Hillman ‘Husky’ estate (the editor is showing his age again). Recycling is also present using old rail as a fence.

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Another superb portrait of No 34021 and the back end of Queen Mary behind (perhaps not her best side). Hard to believe that less than one week later No 34021 would lie cold and lifeless at Salisbury waiting her next move to South Wales and scrap. (No 34089 would suffer the same fate scrapped in May 1968.) The use of pallets for goods was then in its infancy and they may well be waiting to be loaded on to the lorries - max gross vehicle weight for the latter then 32 tons. Below we see No 34089 with its 12 coach train; 2 vans and 10 coaches, ready to leave. Did the appearance of a grimy steam engine and a rake of coaches in mixed colours really serve as a welcome to England, but then Waterloo at the time was little better.

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What more on the Q1’s? Well we cannot profess to add more to already published and known information but we can perhaps add a few more images and comments about this remarkable class of 40 engines, built of course by Mr Bulleid - who else! At a time when most were focusing their cameras on the more glamorous steam engines of the time, the Q1’s went about their business, we cannot truthfully say ‘quietly’ as no steam engine could realistically be given that accolade, instead we might say they took their place without undue fuss although perhaps not always to the satisfaction of the crews. Here at Nine Elms we see No 33009 at rest next to a green BR Standard Class 3 (painted green at Swindon), and also with the typical grime associated with a steam shed.

Below we see No 35017 Belgian Marine in part view behind. Note too the rail borne steam ash crane. Some attempt at homely comforts has been made with the corrugated sheets but it can hardly have been an enviable role collecting ashes when the wind was blowing. We might also wonder as to the reason the man was standing at the rear of the tender? Both Bloxham collection

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Q1 pictorial

M

r Bulleid’s Q1 class were built at both Ashford and Brighton, 40 engines entering service in 1942.

Intended to haul freight and other workings although to label them as ‘Austerity’ simply because they were constructed during WW2 is perhaps a little unfair. (Does this make the original ‘Merchant Navy class engines similarly ‘Austerity’?)

The Q1 design was the last and also the most powerful 0-6-0 tender engine built for a British railway and unlike Mr Bulleid’s other steam designs were simple and without frills. The lack of a running plate caused consternation among some crews who were fearful of a coupling rod breaking; that is until it was pointed out that the existing footplate/framing on a ‘conventional’ engine would provide little in the way of a deterrent.

A more cogent concern was the lack of braking ability, the engine’s pulling power not equal to its stopping, certainly not that is with a long train of unfitted goods stock. Vacuum fitted and it was another matter but then in some ways Mr Bulleid was again ahead of his time envisaging the day when all goods trains would have the continuous brake - so was he right to produce an engine with limited braking of this type in 1942 when the circumstances surrounding goods services were

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already widely known (and indeed would persist for almost three decades more)? On this the jury must remain out.

Even so the 40 engines of the class could well have been multiplied considerable - and Southern Railway locomotive history rewritten had some experiments with the class been considered successful. This started with a Traffic Department request for a modern tank engine design. Bullied considered a Q1, suitably modified, could fulfil this task and set about a series of experiments on the Eastern section with a Q1 running tender first at speed and also coupled to a substitute Light Pacific tender. What a pity no photographic evidence of these tests has so far come to light, some consideration of the seriousness of the time given that the Light Pacific tender was painted from green to black to match the Q1. Rearward visibility and more importantly duplication of controls to allow for tender first running from the left hand side of the engine was never satisfactorily achieved and instead Mr B went off to do something else - that something else being No 36001 of which enough has been spoken of for the present.

No 33012 at Brent sidings Cricklewood wth a train to or from the Southern Region. Referred to as ‘cross London’ traffic, freight duties such as these might originate from yards such as Feltham and Hither Green with a return journey occupying a whole shift such was the congestion around the London area. AS CS2

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Opposite top: Doyen of the class, No 33001 shunting on the Windsor side of Clapham junction is June 1962. This was the last year that all 40 engines would be on the books, as 13 engines were taken out of service in 1963 and a further 20 in 1964. A close look will see No 33001 has received electrification warning flashes. Note too the mechanical lubricator for the cylinders at the right of the front framing with its drive taken from the leading axle. A slightly unusual reversion compared with Bulleid’s other designs, was the use of clamps to hold the smokebox door closed compared with a dart and handle. Compared with the Pacifics, filling the sandboxes could be done from ground level. As with nearly all steam designs climbing on to the front framing was not the easiest especially in dark and wet conditions. A fall from only a few feet likely to result in injury especially if the engine was over a pit.

Notice too that here the centre and far platform lines do not have the ‘juice’ rail. No 33001 was taken out of service in May 1964 but unlike its sisters was retained for the National collection. It is also the only one of the 40 engines of the class to escape being cut up. Subsequently stored for some time, No 33001, or ‘C1’ to give it its original number under the Southern Railway, was restored to operating condition and worked on the Bluebell Railway in the early 1980s and then in the 1990s. It now stands ‘stuffed and mounted’ at the National Railway Museum, its unusual design often prompting the question did anything like this really exist - yes it did, 40 of them! L R Freeman / Transport Treasury Opposite bottom: R C Riley’s view of No 33016 near to Stewarts Lane on 10 May 1959. Aside from the items mentioned above notice the cylinders for the steam reverser above the centre driving wheel. The lines here were often referred to as being around the houses as they weaved between warehouses and other buildings for much of their route. Whilst the idea of a tender driven Q1 was not proceeded with on the lines out of Waterloo, the Q1 type was often seen on empty stock for the Bournemouth Belle and other prestige services to and from the carriage sidings at Clapham Junction. No 33016 was a 1963 casualty and here displays either a freshly painted or certainly a freshly cleaned cab. Worth noting, in a continuation of the text from page 43, is that Bulleid envisaged a streamlined Q1 had the tender experiments been successful. To this end a fully finished model of the air-smoothed ‘Q1’ in yellow lining, was produced at Brighton notwithstanding it looked ‘cheap and nasty’. Today such a relic would be almost priceless, indicating the proposed intent of something for which no drawings probably survive. Sadly it finished its life as a child’s toy, a time when many development models were sold to draughtsmen as simple children’s Christmas presents. R C Riley / Transport Treasury Above: No 33036, another 1964 casualty with an Up mixed freight at Tilehurst (Western Region). The engine will almost certainly take the train as far as Didcot, returning to its home region either via Reading or Newbury. Notice the steam heat hose on the front - we will display members of the class on passenger workings on page 47. Peter Pescod / Transport Treasury

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Above: Cab view of No 33016 under maintenance; at least one component has been removed from the left hand side. The regulator could be operated from either side - useful when shunting - but insufficient for proper either way working.

Opposite top: No 33017 on passenger service near Hildenborough in August 1951. Passenger work for the class was most common on the Central section and also between Guildford and Redhill.

Opposite bottom: The ‘Vectis Farewell’ railtour organised by the LCGB and run on 3 October 1965. Whilst commemorating the end of steam and impending closure of the Cowes line on the Isle of Wight, the tour also took in the Chichester - Lavant section of the former route to Midhurst, No 33020 responsible for the out and back workings over the branch. No 33020 was one of three of the class that lasted into 1966 and whilst officially withdrawn managed to work for a short time on local duties around Eastleigh. (The other two 1966 survivors were Nos 33006 and 33027. All - R E Vincent / Transport Treasury

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47

SOUTHERN TIMES R W Kidner in his1976 Oakwood Press paperback ‘Southern Branch lines in the 1930’s’, describes the Bordon branch thus, ‘....the spectacle of the Army playing trains with a weird assortment of engines and carriages from railways all over the country was bound to overshadow the M7 class tank which push and pulled its two coach set up and down - but not very often. In the early thirties the line had one of the weirdest public time-tables.

There were no weekday Down trains shown, but there were two early morning Up trains. On Sundays there were no Up trains, but there was an early morning Down. Hence, in theory if you took the 8.44am ex Bordon to Bentley on a Monday, you could not get back until next Sunday morning! If you got out at Kingsley Halt it was worse as you could not back at all for the Sunday train did not stop there. That was the theory, what the practice was who can tell. The branch was busy in WW2, engines noted (all WD owned) included ex LBSCR D1’s, various former LSWR 0-4-2 tender engines, and the two LBSCR 4-4-2T’s. By the 1950s there were still ten trains a day each way plus a daily freight; this reversed at Bordon and ran round the horse-show connection to the LMR. Incidentally the LSWR operated its steam rail motors on the line up to 1916’.

Typical Bordon branch service of later years, M7 No 30328 in the branch platform at Bordon on 12 September 1954 with set No 32 on a pull-push working, Note the spare coach in the bay. The main line (looking towards Alton) was electrified in connection with the 1937 ‘Portsmouth No 1’ programme. Note the branch uses the main line for a short distance before taking its own course.

R C Riley / Transport Treasury

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The Bordon branch

H

ampshire may rightly be thought of as a rural county, rolling hills to the north, farm land in its centre, the New Forest to the west and the ports of Portsmouth and Southampton on the coast. The importance of its coastal destinations meant that by the late 19th century it was well served by several important railway routes as well as having the LSWR West of England main line running east to west across the north of the county.

Further development might then seem unlikely and yet within the space of four years, three new lines had opened in north-east Hampshire commencing with the Basingstoke & Alton Light Railway in 1901. This was followed by the Meon Valley line in 1903 and finally the subject of this discourse, the Bentley to Bordon Light Railway on 11 October 1905. (A decade or so earlier Hampshire might even have been said to have had its own period of ‘railway mania’ between 1885 to 1894 when no less than four new lines were opened, Hurstbourne to Fullerton, the DNS south to Winchester [extended further in 1891], the East Southsea branch in 1885, and the Lee-on-the-Solent line in 1894. Still more would come in 1900: Netley Hospital, 1913: the Park Prewett Hospital (near Basingstoke) line, and in 1918: the Winchester camp line; later still would come Fawley described earlier in this issue.)

It is with the Bentley to Bordon Railway that we are now concerned, a 4½ mile line from the existing Farnham to Alton line at the one intermediate station of Bentley and running due south. There was but one intermediate stopping place at Kingsley Halt which opened in December 1906.

At this point we might well confuse the matter by referring to the terminus at Bordon as being the junction of two companies (railways would be more accurate) as by 1907 it was the meeting and interchange point of the LSWR Bordon branch and the Woolmer Instructional Railway (renamed the Longmoor Military Railway in 1935).

Neither had this been the first railway at Bordon as following the end of the Boer War, a number of military camps were established in the area to accommodate returning soldiers. Amongst these was a camp at Bordon and another at Longmoor Camp. The Longmoor camp consisted of corrugated huts laid on what had been soft agricultural land, in consequence no doubt damp and which led to complaints from the men. Accordingly it was decided to move the two battalions of men together with 68 huts the 4½ miles to Bordon for which purpose

a basic 18 inch railway was laid to Bordon to facilitate the move. ‘Temporary’ railway ‘No 1’ had arrived at the site. (From later comments it appears some men still remained at Longmoor.)

The increased military presence at Bordon coupled with to its close proximity to the national rail network at Bentley led to the LSWR to make an application for a Light Railway Order on 6 October 1902, this under the Light Railways Act 1896. The submission was granted with the Bentley and Bordon Light Railway Order 1902, authorising a standard gauge connection from Bentley to a point just west of Bordon village. The application also received the backing of the War Department which saw the railway as a means of easing troop movements and bringing supplies to both camps. For its part the LSWR also hoped that local communities along the line would also be able to make use of the new connection; hence the opening of Kingsley Halt described earlier.

The necessary land was acquired by the LSWR with the War Department’s assistance, and construction was completed within 18 months at a cost of £30,000, labour being a mix of war department and LSWR staff - but this might have meant some tasks were sub-contracted.

The work was overseen by Alfred W. Szlumper of the L&SWR. In total, 155 men using three locomotives, four tip wagons and three horses were involved. The line was officially opened on 11 December 1905 from a bay platform at Bentley station. Eight trains were run from Bentley to Bordon on weekdays, with seven return services (except for Saturday when there were eight).

Two trains ran each way on Sundays.

In the same year the line to Bordon opened, 1905, the War Department began the construction of the Woolmer Instructional Railway which would have a connection to the rest of the network at the LSWR Bordon terminus.

Longmoor Military Railway, a standard gauge line which would connect Longmoor Military Camp with the LSWR’s terminus at Bordon. This itself was linked to the main Waterloo-Portsmouth line at Liss in 1942.

It was thus possible for some to travel to Liss from Bordon via Oakhanger Halt on the Longmoor Railway.

For the majority of its life the pattern of services remained the same with peaks obviously during times of hostility and also at the start and end of weekend leave when railway staff were pushed to deal with booking tickets and checking same.

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The branch service seen here in the main Up platform at Bentley on 19 April 1957; passenger services would last for just a further five months. Running in to and departing from the main line would occur outside of peak hours. Norman Simmonds

The terminus at Bordon. Locomotive facilites were catered for to the left of the signal box - where the M7 is standing (probably some hand coaling taking place); the roofless engine shed will be noted. A large water tower was also provided. The view is looking towards Bentley - straight ahead. To the right was the connection to the LMR which also had a swathe of sdings out of camera shot to the right. Norman Simonds

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The George Pryer signalling diagram for Bordon courtesy of the SRS. On the approach side it is interesting to note there is a ‘marker light’ rather than the more usual fixed distant signal. Comparing signals 19 and 20 on the diagram with the actual posts on the ground - see lower image opposite - it will be seen No 19 is a lower quadrant dating from LSWR days and No 20 an SR rail built upper quadrant. The two platforms were signalled and locked so that passenger trains might arrive and depart from either No 1 or No 2 road.

Aside from crossing undulating land there were not many engineering features of note. The branch left Bentley from a single bay platform on the down side, the railway ran parallel with the Alton route for just short of a quarter of a mile immediately climbing towards Kingsley on a gradient of 1 in 156. After 1 mile 10 chains it reached Blacknest Road level crossing, an ungated crossing which was protected by cattle grids - light railway style. The route then gradually dropped towards Kingsley Halt (2 miles 57 chains from Bentley), proceeding over another ungated level crossing with Binstead Road and again with cattle grids. There were now a number of bridges, one being the Kingsley to East Worldham Road before climbing again at an easier 1 in 358 and then descending at 1 in 145. There was a further level crossing over Whiteshill Road crossing

(known locally as ‘Marsh’s Crossing’) before reaching Bordon 4 miles 58 chains from Bentley. .

So far as traffic was concerned this remained at a comfortable level and in consequence the railway remained safe until the 1950s, a time when road transport was gaining a foothold and similarly army traffic began to decline. Even so it lasted longer than the Basingstoke and Alton and Meon Valley lines only loosing its passenger service from 16 September 1957. Freight continued with the Bordon connection the preferred option for freight destined for Longmoor compared with the connection at Liss where the fast and frequent electric service on the Portsmouth Direct made interchange more difficult.

Bordon terminus on a typically quiet day. The train has arrived and the loco run forward so as to be able to run-round (on this day to visit the shed and servicing facilities; out of sight in this view but seen opposite. Unfortunately this leaves the train ‘part way to Bentley’ and with no weather protection for joining passengers on an inclement day. Norman Simmonds

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Top: Edward Griffith’s classic view of the Bordon branch represented by ‘C’ class 0-6-0 near to Kingsley Halt sometime in 1947.

The dominance of open / coal wagons is explained by the amount of this fuel burnt in the domestic market and no doubt around the complex of Army camps surrounding Longmoor. A E Bennett / Transport Treasury Top right: Pending closure and yet with a ‘Southern’ type totem. A E Bennett / Transport Treasury Bottom: The terminus at Bordon can only be described as akin to a Light Railway. Corrugated iron to the fore, as indeed had been the case at the intermediate stations on the Basingstoke & Alton line and yet there is a reasonably substantial platform canopy.

What may well be a coal merchant’s office and the goods shed are however a different matter! A E Bennett / Transport Treasury

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Top: Bentley awaiting departure, with the single disc applicable to Bordon trains. (The same code was used for Meon Valley line services to and from Alton.) A E Bennett / Transport Treasury Middle: Bordon departure viewed from the front of a pull-push coach. James Harrold / Transport Treasury Bottom: Included to give some impression of the expanse of sidings at Bordon. ‘L12’ No 30434 has arrived with a special working on 26 September 1953 and is seen in one of the yard platforms. The main Longmoor platform may be glimpsed in the background. This trip is thought to have involved a journey on the LMR behind their No 400 or 601. Lens of Sutton / Dennis Cullum No 1866

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54

A find from a most unlikely location and one I am unable to reveal. Rolled up in a damp warehouse was this solitary print from the days of the Brighton Overhead which demise is fast approaching 100 years ago. How the actual print has survived is remarkable, the sepia toning may be original - we have certainly not attempted any enhancement and although the temptation may have been to use computer technology to enhance and correct the colours we feel it is better to ‘conserve’ rather than ‘restore’. Yes I know we have sadly cut the driver in half but a view like this needs maximum exposure for the detail it reveals on the No 3 to Norwood Junction. Nothing was written on the reverse to assist in identifying a location or date.

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This page: We start this time with the newest date, 1970 and at an unconfirmed location - but with strong hint of the Gosport branch owing to the ‘Shand Kydd’ lorries behind which if my memory serves me right, said company had a factory in Gosport at this time. (I knew pounding the beat in Gosport around this time would be useful one day. Digressing, my old Sergeant said to me, ‘If you want to learn your way around lad find the railways and waterways there are so many of them’. Potential boredom disappeared at once - well 50% of the time. Don’t forget Alan Postlethwaite’s article on Gosport either, coming in Issue 12 of ‘Southern Times’ and continuing in Issue14.) The building behind could also be the shape and style of the former station at Fort Brockhurst. SCT took these views in 1970 with his only comment ‘inflatable air jack’, clearly an experiment in re-railing but whether a simple experiment or an attempt to use ‘new equipment’ on the occasion of a genuine derailment is not reported. The reason for the Land Rover is interesting, surmising a means to reach minor derailments quickly with the minimum of equipment.

Opposite: Eight years earlier in the early morning of 18 September 1962 a fire was noted in the first vehicle of what was a five coach newspaper train from Waterloo to Portsmouth. The train had left Waterloo, split in two at Basingstoke and then run normally up to its arrival at Eastleigh from where it was scheduled to depart at 4.38am;although on this occasion the time cannot be confirmed. It was whilst running between Eastleigh and Botley that a fire was noted in the front Mk1 BG and the train came to rest one and a half miles east of Botley. We are not told who found the fire but this was most likely the guard or perhaps a sorter who was being carried. Whatever, by the time the train had been brought to a halt the fire had taken hold with no hope of immediate help. The small extinguishers carried in the carriages would have been of little use. What we do know is that the first emergency call was not made until 5.33am meaning at worst the train would have been ablaze for perhaps almost an hour before assistance from the civilian fire brigade was summonsed. Meanwhile ‘on the ground’ the train crew had managed to separate the fifth van the train comprised five BG vehicles with the last van containing mails, pull forward slightly and then and also uncouple the first van from the middle three. They then pulled forward again and separated the engine from the first van. Exactly what state the train was in at this time can only be imagined whilst uncoupling with a potential inferno raging only a few feet above your head cannot be imagined. Unfortunately, as may be seen from the pictures that follow, the fire had already spread between the first and second vehicles before these were uncoupled, and it continued to spread to Nos 3 and 4 resulting in four vehicles being destroyed.

Exactly where the alarm was raised from, Botley signal box perhaps assuming this was switched in at that time, might also have resulted in some confusion to the fire brigade as to the actual location. Indeed the place could not have been worse with no ready road access and as will be seen from the images that follow, the consequent time lag in being able to obtain, limited, assistance from the fire brigade, meant that four vehicles were completely burnt out and likely fit for nothing but scrap. SCT was on the scene later and recorded this sequence (see pages 58 and 59) with the heat having burnt the paintwork off the end of the what had been a Mk1 BG. At the time the image was taken the fire was also still burning whilst bundles of burnt and charred papers may be seen on the line side. Fortunately there were no injuries to the crew. Subsequent investigation failed to confirm the cause although suspicion fell in two areas, firstly the fact that when the train had separated at Basingstoke a blank had not been fitted to the corridor connection of the first BG and it was felt a spark from the engine may have lodged in this area. The alternative was a carelessly discarded cigarette which smouldered and eventually generated enough heat to set alight debris on the floor.

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Stephen Townroe’s Colour Archive Some more derailments

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As may be seen, the train had been hauled by No 30770 Sir Prianius whose crew and the guard of course had been successful in uncoupling some of the vehicles. Fire would be fate of No 30770 a short time later as it was withdrawn in November 1962 and cut up three months later.

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On 31 January 1956, H15 No 30477 was working the 11.30 pm freight to Eastleigh when it ran through the stop blocks at the end of the down shunting neck immediately prior to Fishbourne Crossing west of Chichester; the engine continuing on through a hedge to end up at a somewhat drunken angle within a private garden. The Fratton breakdown attended and after the drawbar between engine and tender had been disconnected, this latter item was successfully pulled back on to the rails. An initial attempt was made to recover No 30477 in similar fashion but the engine had literally ‘gone to ground’ and so proved rather more elusive.

An attempt was also made using experimental German made jacks but this was unsucessful. The position of No 30477 meant it also had to be first pulled upright which was achieved by placing metal strops around the boiler which it was then possible to push against with hydraulic rams. In this way the engine was levelled with sleepers underneath as supports. The angle of the engine was also adjusted where necessary so bull-head rails might be secured to the wheels; the flanges of the engine’s wheels placed into the rail flange to permit of pulling later. This work took two weeks after which the engine was recovered using Kelbus gear. As will be seen, a Mogul was used to firstly remove the tender and then to act as ‘anchor’ when the time came to effect the final pull (a number of other engines may also have been involved in the tow). Back on the rails, No 30477 was hauled away to Eastleigh for inspection and repair*. Back in service it would remain at work until 1959. The images on pages 60 and 61 were all taken on 1 February 1956 and show the rapid work undertaken on just one day. * Records indicate the engine was in Eastleigh Works from 24 February to 8 March 1956, although as indicated above, if the engine was recovered around 14 February it was clearly some days before it was officially accepted for repair.

The method of tying rails to the wheels allowing the wheels to later run in the rails had been used by SCT when ‘Lord Nelson’ No 30854 went down the bank at Shawford in 1952 - see ST9. His experience both then and here came to good use later in the derailment of the ‘Battle of Britain’ No 34066 Spitfire at Hither Green some years later. Worth noting is how the boiler handrails have been cut through on No 30477. (This method of re-railing with rails tied to the wheels of an overturned locomotive is believed to have been devised by SCT and was subsequently used throughout the BR system.)

Next time: SCT on the Somerset & Dorset Don’t forget, copies of the SCT colour images are available as downloads.

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In these views No 30477 is seen being cautiously pulled back to the end of the siding; no doubt the greenhouse is holding its breath! Around 80 tons of engine at such an angle was not to be trifled with and it would have been a very gentle operation.

Fishbourne Crossing signal box is in the background. In addition to the sleepers there are judicious amounts of packing materials to hand. In the lower view the engine appears almost upright with the chain from the front of Mogul to the Kelbus gear slack. Most of the men are from the Fratton breakdown gang.

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The 30 April 1958 was not a good day for the Southern Region. No 73111 (later named King Uther) was working a Bournemouth line service and left Southampton Central heading west as usual. The layout between Southampton Central as Millbrook consists of four tracks, a pair for each direction but it should be noted the ‘through’ lines were on the outside with the local lines the centre pair. This was because local trains were the ones that called at Millbrook and Millbrook station only had an island platform which thus served the centre pair. The below diagram is therefore incorrect in that it shows the through lines as being the centre pair. In addition the layout of points on the Southampton side of the station is also slightly different to how it was in 1958 but it is nevertheless included to give an indication of the layout. With several accidents it is commonplace to blame the driver or signalman. At Millbrook neither was to blame for as No 73111 approached and then passed over a facing turnout it literally moved beneath causing the immediate derailment of the engine and part of the train. The cause was a fault in the contact box controlling the point motor which ‘fired’ resulting in the point moving in front of the approaching train.

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Above: No 73111 at it’s embarrassing angle. To maintain traffic ‘wrong line’ working was established between Southampton and Millbrook; it may have caused delays but the priority then was to keep traffic moving.

Centre: Culprit time.

Bottom: The Eastleigh breakdown train in attendance with its new riding and packing vans. Here the crane has been separated from the train which itself has been shunted as close as possible to the incident as equipment will no doubt be needed from the vans.

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Top: Here the crane is poised to take the pressure off the engine-tender drawbar so the two may be separated. No 73111 looks to be out of steam so the crew would have been quick to dispose of the fire knowing they would not be going anywhere for some time. The sparkling condition of the crane is worth commenting upon being well cared for at Eastleigh.

Bottom: No 73111 is now being lifted for the first time. Built at Doncaster in 1955 it had but a short life ending its day at Eastleigh almost exactly a decade later and cut up at Newport in February 1966.

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SOUTHERN TIMES Left: With a few years of life still left, No 30021 is being coaled outside of Seaton engine shed on 17 July 1956. At the time of the photograph this engine was already 57 years old having been built at Nine Elms in February 1899. It would move west to Bournemouth by 1963 from where it was withdrawn the following year. The Seaton branch would see Western Region pannier tanks and auto coaches operating the service after the line came under the control of the WR. L R Freeman / Transport Treasury Bottom: Another engine to move east to Bournemouth was No 30025 seen here as station pilot at Exeter Central on 25 May 1961. The duties of the pilot engine would be to attach and detach vehicles from the main line services and on this occasion appears to be waiting its next move. If you were an inmate at Exeter Gaol and a railway enthusiast as well, perhaps ‘porridge’ might not have been so bad! Transport Treasury

66

Pull-Push Postcript Jeffery Grayer

W

ith the withdrawal of the last few remaining Drummond M7 tanks in May 1964 the long era of pull-push fitted locomotives on the SR came to an end as recalled by Jeffery Grayer.

No less than 105 of the famed Drummond 0-4-4T M7 Class were constructed in the period 1897-1911.

Remarkably, apart from the experimentally boilered No. 126 all the M7s entered BR service in 1948 although in that year No (30)672 fell down the lift shaft which provided rolling stock access to the Waterloo & City Line at Waterloo and was promptly cut up being beyond economic repair. The remainder survived until 1957 when withdrawals began. By the end of 1962 just 35 were left in service and by the start of 1964 they were down to just 13 examples based at Salisbury and Bournemouth.

As might be expected with locomotives having Victorian origins they were by now not in the best of condition after 60 odd years of active service and by the end complete failures and time lost became commonplace.

Indeed at the end of 1962 it was reported that even with the lightly loaded services on the Brockenhurst – Ringwood – Bournemouth West route these elderly tanks often struggled with shortage of steam which on many occasions resulted in delayed connections with mainline services at Brockenhurst. Problems were also being encountered on the Lymington and Swanage branches as on 14. December 1963 No. 30107 failed with reversing problems at Lymington Town resulting in the cancellation of two services. A diesel multiple unit was drafted in to cover until another M7 could be procured from Bournemouth.

Due to a shortage of serviceable Drummond tanks Standard Class 4 2-6-4Ts were brought in to work some services on the Swanage branch at the end of 1963 and in consequnece from 2 March 1964, two of the M7 pull-push duties at Bournemouth would be rerostered to more modern Standard Class 3 2-6-2Ts. These duties mainly covered Bournemouth West and Brockenhurst via Ringwood trains but the traditional preserve of the Drummonds, the branch lines to Swanage and Lymington remained largely in their hands. However, the M7s did continue to see service on the Ringwood line on occasions as some of their Lymington/Swanage rosters included trips over what was known as the ‘Old Road’. (The nickname given as this had been the original route to Bournemouth and Dorchester.)

ISSUE 12

The Ringwood line did not have much longer to live as it, along with the Fordingbridge route, closed on 2. May 1964. No. 30107 was noted on the Lymington line on both 21 and 28 March in very poor external condition and on 2 May No 30052, in better condition, was also noted on the branch. The station pilot at Salisbury continued to host Drummond tanks with No. 30025 being noted on this duty on 21 and 30. March and No. 30254 on May 2, both being non pull-push fitted engines.

Historically, after nationalisation M7s were to be found all over the former LSWR system and some even penetrated to former LBSCR territory on the Central Division of the Southern Region working as they did from Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Three Bridges motive power depots.

Subsequently their story of gradual contraction began in the far west with their replacement by Standard Class 3 2-6-2Ts. They were then displaced from ECS workings at Waterloo by WR pannier tanks. The decline continued with the introduction of Hampshire DMUs leaving just the rump of Swanage, Lymington and Ringwood duties remaining to them. By the middle of May 1964 no examples could be found in service and thus ended the long history of pull-push working on the Southern Region.

Whilst the last active members were seeing out their last days, examples previously withdrawn were being taken to various scrapyards as witness the journey of Nos 30035, 30249 and 30320 which were hauled from Feltham to Hither Green on 20 March having been purchased by Settle Speakman & Co. of Queenborough in Kent. They were observed in the yard at the beginning of April with their chimneys removed by which time they had been joined by classmate No 30032.

By the following month several examples of withdrawn M7s had reached Eastleigh including Nos 30029, 30053, 30107, 30108, 30480 and 30667. But it was not quite the end as on 28 June 1964 No 30053 ran light engine to Nine Elms to work the LCGB ‘Surrey Wanderer’ railtour on 5 July. The Drummond operated legs of this tour covering Waterloo to Shepperton, Caterham to Purley and Tattenham Corner then travelling via Kensington Olympia to terminate at Victoria. As is well known No 30053, dating from 1905 was initially kept in storage at both the shed and works yard at Eastleigh, but was to live on in preservation initially at Steamtown 67

SOUTHERN TIMES in Bellows Falls, Vermont in the USA but subsequently repatriated to the UK after 20 years in 1987. The other M7 to be preserved No 30245, dating from 1897 and which had been withdrawn back in November 1962, was stored at Fratton depot for almost a year and now forms part of the National Collection.

continued its journey to Newport courtesy of the 06:10 Eastleigh – Stoke Gifford freight. It was scrapped by Cashmore’s of Newport in February 1966. No 30133 had distinguished itself back in November 1962 when it was involved in an unusual derailment at Eastleigh. Having been set in motion by persons unknown it became derailed at the points at Eastleigh South Junction blocking the Portsmouth line and necessitating single line working over the down line between Eastleigh West and Botley for some 7 hours until it could be re-railed.

With the imminent end of scrapping at Eastleigh Works the withdrawn examples stored on Eastleigh shed in 1964 were gradually moved to the Briton Ferry scrapyard of Thomas Ward usually by way of the 03:20 Brighton – Salisbury freight which took them as far as Salisbury Fisherton. On 2. September No 30107 was hauled away with 30480 following on the 3 September, No 30029 on 9 September, No 30057 on 10 September, No 30108 on 11 September and No 30667 on the 15 September.

Today whilst the oldest surviving example of its type, at the time of selection for the National Collection, No. 30245 remains incarcerated in the NRM at York resplendent in LSWR livery, its classmate No. 30053 is back on its old stamping ground of the Swanage branch where it is owned by Drummond Locomotives Limited.

The story of its repatriation from the USA is told in the Society publication ‘From Nine Elms to Waterloo - The story of M7 Class 30053’. Having last steamed in 2017 it is currently withdrawn from service and at the grand old age of 120 years in under overhaul.

In the following month another M7, which had been stored at Fratton, No. 30133 which was finally towed away to Eastleigh on 27. October 1965 as part of the 21:05 Fratton – Eastleigh freight. The following day it

A sight that may partly be recreated. No 30254 (left) and No 30667 (right), at Swanage in June 1963. Transport Treasury

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No 30254 off the end of one of the turntable roads at Bournemouth shed in early 1963, at the time this engine has just a year of service remaining. Alongside is a Standard, probably a 76xxx 2-6-0. Bournemouth had the famed sign on the boundary wall requesting enginemen to be quiet as on the other side of the wall was a residential area. Transport Treasury

WITHDRAWAL OF THE FINAL MEMBERS OF THE DRUMMOND M7 CLASS IN 1964 No

Allocation

Built

Withdrawn

Scrapyard

30021*

Bournemouth

1904

March 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30025

Bournemouth

1899

May 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30029*

Salisbury

1904

May 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30036

Salisbury

1898

January 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30048*

Salisbury

1905

January 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30052*

Salisbury

1905

May 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30053*

Salisbury

1905

May 1964

Preserved

30107*

Salisbury

1905

May 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30108*

Salisbury

1904

May 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30111*

Salisbury

1904

January 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30133

Bournemouth

1903

March 1964

Cashmore’s, Newport

30254

Bournemouth

1897

May 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

30667

Salisbury

1897/ 1905

May 1964

Ward’s, Briton Ferry

At the time of withdrawal, No 30667 was an amalgam of parts from both engines. Out of the 105 engines in the class the vast majority of the class met their end at Eastleigh Works. In total Messrs Ward’s of Briton Ferry took 12, whilst four met their end at Queenborough with one locomotive apiece being dealt with by Cashmore’s at Newport and one at Brighton Works.

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SOUTHERN TIMES

Comparison duties. Top, with a rebuilt Bulleid pacific alongside, we have No 30133 ready for an ECS duty from Waterloo probably to Clapham Junction - no date, and bottom, No 30048 entering Elsted on the branch from Petersfield to Midhurst on 6 November 1954. This line closed to all traffic in February 1955. At the time No 30048 was based at Horsham but after closure of the branch it went ‘a wandering’ and in 1959 spent a short time at Brighton before moving in the same year to Exmouth Junction before transferring to Bournemouth in 1963. F Herbert and R C Riley / Transport Treasury

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ISSUE 12

Ordinary and special trains. Top, No 30029 propelling the down Lymington motor out of Brockenhurst on 28 June 1957. As was normal for these workings, the engine has both the single disc route code and also a red tail lamp. Bottom, the Railway Enthusiasts Club ‘Rambling Rose’ special at Basingstoke GW station on 23 March 1963. This was an expansive all day tour organised by the REC starting and ending at Farnborough and taking in locations such as Thorneycroft Siding, Bulford Camp, Salisbury Fisherton, Eastleigh, Basingstoke GW, Reading Central Goods and Sturt Lane West curve. The planned itinerary included a trip over the Newbury lin from Shawford Junction to Newbury but this had to be cancelled due to a derailment at Burghclere. R C Riley and A E Bennett / Transport Treasury

71

SOUTHERN TIMESfrom the Bluebell Railway Museum and Archive Treasures Tony Hillman

The Bluebell Museum Display in connection with Railway 200.

To complement the Bluebell Railway’s activities in connection with Railway 200, the Museum is displaying artifacts and ephemera covering the 200 year period.

One or two artifacts from each decade are shown, starting with the period 1825 – 1839, then every ten years, until the last period 2020 – 2025.

Shown on these pages are the 20 display boards. To see the artifacts described you will need to visit the museum. The display will be on show until the end of October.

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ISSUE 12 ISSUE 12

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SOUTHERN TIMES SOUTHERN TIMES

Next time: The museum has recently put on display some new and rather different artifacts. These will be described in the next edition of Southern Times.

74 74

Ken Wightman’s non steam images: Part 1

ISSUE 12

I

n the summer of 2025 I was honoured when Transport Treasury published a colour album of images taken by the late Ken Wightman. Showing my ignorance, I had not been aware of Ken’s name until when in the year before Robin at TT excitedly told me to look in a particular box at which point I was immediately smitten.

consequence had to make the hard decision to leave out a number of views. As to what to leave out was a challenge in itself but in the end the choice was made to stick to steam. The non steam views, electric and diesel were also far fewer and so leant themselves to an article (or two) instead.

The subsequent result was the book spoken of but like most authors / compilers I ran out of room and in

In this first article we portray his diesel views; electric in the next issue.

Above: What may very well be brand new D6507 approaching Paddock Wood from the direction of Ashford possibly with an empty stock movement. The idea of a test train is likely discounted as there does not appear to be the usual gaggle of staff in the cab. According to Mike King, the stock looks like Bulleid 4-set 86 increased to nine coaches. The somewhat weed infested line immediately adjacent to the main lines is the Hawkhurst branch which closed in June 1961.

Right: One of the delights, or is it frustrations, of the Ken Wightman archive is the general lack of caption information (the book referred to above and described on the inside cover took some considerable time to compile as a result). Some locations though are fortunately identified such as Shortlands Junction where what would later be a Class 24, but for now is identified as D5004 heads towards London with a mixed set of vans including an LMR bogie parcels van and one Maunsell brake.

75

A pair of Type 2’s operating what we hope is a summer service out of Tonbridge heading for the Kent coast, unfortunately their individual identities are not known. We say ‘summer’ as these locomotives operated on the Southern Region initially without train heat boilers owing to weight constraints specified by the Chief Civil Engineer. The following train makes for an interesting formation with an odd Mk 1 brake, various Maunsell coaches, a three-coack Mk1 set and at least one further Maunsell vehicle.

SOUTHERN TIMES

76

ISSUE 12

Similar pairings in either direction at Shortlands. The rated power output of each locomotive was 1,160hp meaning a pair would easily exceed a steam locomotive unless it were one of the Bulleid types being worked hard. These two views show the type on passenger trains and using the steam locomotive head codes for London - Kent Coast workings. In the lower view the new Shortlands Junction signal box is in view.

77

SOUTHERN TIMES

Compared with his steam views, Ken took precious few diesel images - there are a few more electrics for next time. His diesel locations were also limited, the top view again at Shortlands, with D5010 and one other, and the lower view Downsbridge Road overbridge between Beckenham Junction and Shortlands. The engine is identified as D6584, ‘56’ referring to a Victoria Folkestone Harbour via Herne Hill and Orpington train. (Note there is no more at the bottom of the slide in the lower view.)

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ISSUE 12

From the Footplate

A

into a managerial position unlike Thompson and Peppercorn.’

Firstly back in ST9 we asked for readers views on ‘Leader’, which prompted this from Jim Gosden. ‘Having read all of Kevin Robertson’s in depth research into the Leader class locomotives, as a retired professional engineer and pragmatist I am of the opinion that Nos 36001 - 36005 should never been built or for that matter even designed

Usually in magazines, there is a rider along the lines that contributors comments are not necessarily those of the publisher / editor, but I am not sure I can really disagree with Jim at all. What I find strange is that at the same time just over the English Channel Andre Chapelon was doing wonderful things with steam - that worked. Was Bulleid simply too proud to recognise this? (We are pending a further comment from another reader - do please join in the debate if you wish.)

wonderful selection of views and comments (plus a few corrections) from readers.

‘The brief from Bullied’s employers - the Southern Railway - was to provide a replacement for the M7 0-44 T class which in its day had been very successful but was now old and expensive to maintain. That was the specification! Sir Nigel Gresley as a broad minded engineer was happy to build additional J.G Robinson’s Director class 4-4-0 ‘s when needed in Scotland. Had Bullied learned anything from his years with Gresley he would have contacted his brother in law - George Ivatt at the LMS and requested a set of drawings of his new 2-6-2T locomotives as a suitable replacement for the M7’s. I am sure that Ivatt would been have happy to do so and Eastleigh may have built them as received or slightly “southernised” them. They would have looked great in malachite green.

‘But no! Bullied being an egotist first produced some preliminary designs based on the Q1 class and some outlandish schemes based on the air smoothed concept before doing what he intended in trying to depart from the Stephenson original concept. In producing the Leader’s which were highly complicated to start with, were more in the power range of the King Arthur class, were heavy and were totally unsuited for branch line work, Bullied used his employer’s facilities and finance to produce a locomotive that he wanted but which his employers had not asked for.

Anyway, back to reality and so to earth with a bump.

Your editor apologises. From Roger Merry-Price re ST10. ‘I suspect I won’t be the first or last to point out that the top photograph on page 64 depicts Yeovil Pen Mill shed and not Yeovil Town which is correctly identified in the bottom photograph. Pen Mill shed was formerly GWR and Western Region but was transferred to the Southern Region following the regional boundary changes in February 1958. It adopted the code 71H (previously 82E), which had been originally the code for Templecombe but that, along with Bath, Highbridge and Radstock sheds all became WR in the same changes.

The Southern Region quickly closed Pen Mill shed, in January 1959, and the locomotives were transferred to Yeovil Town shed. In additional on page 68 there is a reference to the Fordingbridge line closing in 1966, that should be 1964.’ (Peter Swift from Guildford has also pointed out the error with dates.)

‘Had Sir Herbert Walker still been General Manager the Leaders would never have been designed let alone even started. In retrospect it is likely that in appointing Bullied as CME the Southern Railway possibly assumed that he would produce locomotives based on sound Gresley principles. HOW WRONG THEY WERE!

‘Moving to the Atlantic article and the photograph of 32421 South Foreland Foreland at Semley in April 1953 on page 5. The use of the H2 occurred twice, on 21 and 22 April 1953. According to ‘Main Line to the West – Part 2’ (John Nicholas and George Reeve, Irwell Press 2007), No 32421 was on loan to Fratton shed at the time and worked the 11.06 am ex Salisbury returning on the 4.05 pm ex Yeovil Town. The Bluebell Railway Museum Archive has in its collection four photographs of 32421 between Salisbury and Yeovil, all taken by the late Colin Saunders.’

‘Having said all that - Bullied was an absolutely brilliant mechanical engineering designer with a tremendous degree of original thought. But that didn’t make him a great CME. He was lacking in management ability.

He had been Gresley’s ideas man and that is what he remained. It is significant that Gresley never put him

Gerry Nichols continues the same theme re ST10. ‘I am sure others have pointed out page 64 top image is Yeovil Pen Mill shed with its usual resident 4575 tank used on the Yeovil to Taunton service. If I remember rightly the Weymouth line south of Castle Cary was maintained by Southern Region at this time although 79

SOUTHERN TIMES the motive power stayed WR. Certainly Sparkford station acquired an SR signal.’

floor awaiting attention. In the yard view the loco is No 80139 and the loco attached to the M7 is No 75070.

Now from Jeremy Clarke. ‘Hi Kevin, I’m a little puzzled by part of the article accompanying the photos of the demolition of Crystal Palace High Level station. “The station’s peak...... was short lived as after the Great Exhibition of 1851 there was little else to attract the public to the site”. ‘Puzzlement arises because the contributor appears to be unaware the palace was sited in Hyde Park for the six-month duration of the exhibition and did not move to Norwood/Crystal Palace until later. Despite opposition a consortium was formed to dismantle the palace and re-erect it elsewhere to continue as an exhibition centre and concert hall.

Apart from Joseph Paxton himself, one of the leading members was Samuel Laing, Chairman of the LBSCR, and a fellow director, Leo Schuster, who was persuaded to sell his estate, Penge Place, to the consortium. The Palace reopened, together with the palatial (Low Level) station and branch line to it from Sydenham on 10 June 1854.

Next from Tony Harris reference the ‘In and around Fratton’ article in ST9. ‘I can add some further information regarding my photos that may be of interest to your readers. On the left of the photo looking across the round house is the tender of No 76012 which was under repair on a road covered by a section of the roof still in place. The valve gear on the right-hand side of the loco had been removed and was laid out on the

Finally from Roger Macdonald re ST10. The upper illustration on page 4 is looking west towards Chichester, as the map on page 44 will confirm. Reference the Droxford article, in the lower illustration on page 10, the gentleman second from right is Henry Frampton-Jones, the owner of the Ruston diesel Spitfire Spitfire.. With reference to the bottom caption on page 14, the Terrier No 32646 did steam at Droxford and had a final steaming before it was transferred to the pub ‘The Hayling Billy’ on Hayling Island.’

Just in time before we ‘closed’ this issue Roger sent a further note with additinal detail. ‘As a follow up to my previous email regarding Droxford, I have unearthed the small 16-page booklet produced by Brickwoods Brewery called “Hayling Billy”, and issued for the opening of the pub. It recounts the life story of the locomotive, with pages 10-11 headed ‘Last Run in Steam!’ Brickwoods purchased No 32646 in May 1966 and on Friday 13 May she was steamed for the last time and Sir Rupert Brickwood opened the regulator for the last run. Departure from Droxford for loading at Wickham and onward transport to the new pub on Hayling Island was on Tuesday 17 May. The pub was opened on 16 June and Newington was formally ‘unveiled’.

Real atmosphere. The west end of Salisbury in mechanical days - but undated. To the right is the former GWR box and with it the usual forest of GWR signals (that nearest the camera is of course Southern), after all what was the Western motto ‘...if in doubt add a signal’, please, not intended to be critical but they did seem to have an awful lot. Just visible in the gloom is a Ruston diesel mechanical and on the left the water tower, almost certainly with its ‘LSWR WImbledon’ plate attached somewhere. So who could take such a masterly work? Only one, George Heiron of course.

80

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