Thursday 22nd December to Tuesday 3rd January 2023
Empty trains parked up on Christmas Day at Weymouth railway station – 25/12/2022
The UK rail network wound down for the Christmas break early on 24th December in 2022 because of industrial action. Several South Western Railway (SWR) Class 444 Electric Multiple Units and a Great Western Railway (GWR) Class 165 diesel multiple unit spent Christmas parked up at Weymouth railway station awaiting the restart on the 27th December 2022.
SWR Class 444 EMU No. 444038 in Weymouth – 25/12/2022
Following the Christmas close down of the railways, the first train to run on the Bournemouth to Weymouth route was the seasonal Snow & Ice Treatment Train (SITT) which set off from Eastleigh mid-morning to ensure rails were free of ice before passenger services started after mid-day.
GBRf Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66753 ‘EMD Roberts Road’ and 66745 top and tail 3Y88 1000 Eastleigh East Yard to Totton Yard SITT through Hamworthy on the outward run to Weymouth – 27/12/2022GBRf Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66745 and 66753 ‘EMD Roberts Road’ top and tail 3Y88 1000 Eastleigh East Yard to Totton Yard SITT across the Holes Bay causeway on the return run from Weymouth. No. 66722 replaced No. 66753 two days later, although this combination has yet to venture West to Bournemouth or Weymouth as SITT runs have been working East from Totton Yard – 27/12/2022
GBRf Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66753 ‘EMD Roberts Road’ and 66745 top and tail 3Y88 1000 Eastleigh East Yard to Totton Yard SITT – 27/12/2022. Additional video courtesy of @dabuckley967
1st January 2023 marks 100 years since the formation of the ‘Big Four’, the term coined by “The Railway Magazine” for the grouping of 120 individual railway companies into just four: Great Western Railway (GWR), Southern Railway (SR), London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The grouping was outlined in the 1921 Railways Act which strived to stem losses and regulate what were seen as inefficient, diverse and, in some cases, overlapping operations which had been struggling following the Great War. The act eliminated competition, as each group now had a regional monopoly. It also established standard fares and charges for particular services. 75 years ago on 1st January 1948, as a result of the Transport Act of 1947, the Big Four companies were nationalised to form British Railways.
LSWR T9 Class No. 30120, seen here with SR U Class No. 31806, is a surviving locomotive from the pre-Big Four grouping period having been built in 1899 and has been stored at Swanage following the expiry of her boiler certificate in August 2020 – 12/02/2022
New Years Day 2023 saw Yoshi’s Mum and I heading to London to take in the conveniently extended “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature” exhibition at the V&A and Matthew Bourne’s “Sleeping Beauty” at Sadler’s Wells. We had intended to take the train, but South Western Railways timetabling around the RMT industrial action meant we would not be able to get everything done and home on the day with our last train leaving London Waterloo at 1830. So instead, we took to the roads and parked up at Kew Gardens and travelled into Town using the London Underground District Line from there.
I like Kew, it has a lovely village feel and Kew Gardens railway station is a fine Grade II listed example of mid-Victorian architecture and one of the last remaining 19th Century stations on the North London Line having been opened in 1869 by the London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) who were, prior to the formation of ‘The Big Four’, custodians of the Bournemouth to Dorchester line. Current services calling at Kew Gardens are operated by London Underground (LU) and National Rail London Overground utilising LU S7 stock and British Rail Class 378’s respectively. The Class 378 EMU’s replaced the Class 313’s operated by Silverlink and were introduced in 2008. Kew Gardens is also the only station on the London Underground network I know of which has a pub attached to it. The pub once had a door which gave access to platform one, but this is no longer in use. The pub is currently called ‘The Tap on the Line’ but was formerly known as ‘The Railway’.
The footbridge over the tracks at the southern end of the station buildings is Grade II listed in its own right and is a rare surviving example of a reinforced concrete structure built by French engineer Francois Hennebique (1842-1921). The bridge, restored in 2004, has high sides which protected users from the smoke emitted from steam locomotives passing below when originally installed.
Kew Gardens railway station exterior on the “Up” side – 01/01/2023Kew Gardens railway station – 30/07/2016Kew Gardens railway station, platform side – 01/01/2023Class 378 Capitalstar Electric Multiple Unit No. 378208 operated by London Overground arrives at Kew Gardens with 2N05 1010 Richmond NII to Stratford while London Underground S7 Stock Fleet No.21403 with driving coach No. 21404 at the rear of 2O51 Upminster LT to Upminster LT via Richmond awaits departure – 01/01/2023London Underground S7 Stock Fleet No. 21377 with driving coach No. 21378 leading arrives at Kew Gardens working 2O16 Upminster LT to Upminster LT via Richmond. The footbridge can be seen in the background – 01/01/2023
I very much enjoyed the V&A’s exhibition celebrating the life and work of Beatrix Potter. One railway themed item was this illustrated letter Beatrix sent to Marjorie Moore, the daughter of her last governess, detailing an eventful train journey when a farmer’s collie exited the carriage by jumping through a window:
Letter from Beatrix Potter to Marjorie Moore written on 23rd August 1898Beatrix had many animals during her lifetime. Kep, who is shown here was immortalised as Jemima Puddle-Duck’s hero when he rescued her from a ‘sandy whiskered gentleman’
Following our visit to the V&A (and a fabulous lunch – mustn’t forget the lunch!) we headed off to Islington via Old St. Pancras Churchyard so we could see ‘The Hardy Tree’ which had recently succumbed to a fungal infection and had fallen. During the 1860’s the Midland Railway line was being built over part of the original St. Pancras Churchyard. Arthur Blomfield, a Covent Garden based architect, was commissioned by the Bishop of London to supervise the proper exhumation of human remains and the dismantling of tombs. He passed this unenviable task onto his protégé Thomas Hardy in 1865. Hardy (1840-1928) is best known as a Dorset author and poet with his novels set in rural ‘Wessex’, however before turning to writing full time he studied architecture in London from 1862-67.
Hardy would have spent many hours in Old St. Pancras Churchyard during the construction of the railway, overseeing the careful removal of bodies and tombs from the land on which the tracks were being laid. Legend has it that Hardy stacked displaced headstones in a circle around an ash tree with the stones becoming embedded in the tree over time.
A few years before Hardy’s involvement, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) makes reference to Old St. Pancras Churchyard in “A Tale of Two Cities” (1859), as the churchyard in which Roger Cly was buried and where Jerry Cruncher was known to ‘fish’ – a 19th Century term for tomb robbery and body snatching!
The sad sight of the fallen Hardy Tree, St. Pancras Old Churchyard – 01/01/2023
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year! This blog entry was brought to you by Halls Soothers. Until next time, we’ll leave you with this; Thomas Hardy, inspired by a visit to Upwey, wrote a poem “At the Railway Station, Upway”, about waiting for a train at a country station:
“There is not much that I can do, For I’ve no money that’s quite my own!” Spoke up the pitying child – A little boy with a violin At the station before the train came in, – “But I can play my fiddle to you, And a nice one ’tis, and good in tone!”
The man in the handcuffs smiled; The constable looked, and he smiled, too, As the fiddle began to twang; And the man in the handcuffs suddenly sang Uproariously: “This life so free Is the thing for me!” And the constable smiled, and said no word, As if unconscious of what he heard; And so they went on till the train came in – The convict, and boy with the violin.
Colas Rail Class 37 No. 37099 working a test train through Upwey – 27/04/2017
Wednesday 14th December to Wednesday 21st December 2022
Seaton Tramway’s Polar Express – 15/12/2022
This week Yoshi’s mum and I took a trip on the Seaton Tramway’s Polar Express. We enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies and received the first gift of Christmas from the big man himself. Unfortunately, doggos were not allowed on the festive trams, but Yoshi had fun at his cousins’ for a few hours, as did we in the company of the conductor, chefs and elves on our journey to the North Pole.
In 2018 a new £3m station building was opened suitable for operation all-year round, and which acts as a venue for a range of tramway and community based events including The Polar Express – 15/12/2022
Established in 1970, the Seaton Tramway is a 2ft 9in narrow gauge electric tramway located in Devon and runs for approximately 3 miles along the Axe Estuary and the River Coly between Seaton on the coast and Colyton and operates over part of the trackbed of the former Seaton branch line railway which closed in March 1966. The tramway was established by Claude Lane, founder of Modern Electric Tramways Ltd, which had previously operated in Eastbourne between 1954 and 1969.
Fourteen trams, all based on classic British designs and varying in size from half-scale to two thirds-scale, run on the tramway, which sees over 100,000 visitors per year. Most of the trams were built from scratch by Claude Lane or his successor Allan Gardner, however three were rebuilt from full-size tramcars which originally ran in London, Bournemouth and Exeter.
TRAM 19 – 1906 – EX-EXETER TRAMWAY CAR Built in 1906. An Exeter Corporation Tramways 3ft 6in gauge open topper, 1906 – 1931. Rebuilt at Seaton, 1994-1998. The only Exeter tram in preservation. Enclosed tram for wet weather – 15/12/2022Tram 19 at Colyton – 15/12/2022TRAM 15 – 1988 Built in 1988 at Seaton. Previously Car 17 and based on the Manx Electric Railway “toast-rack” cars. Rebuilt at Seaton in 2016 and transformed into an all-weather, enclosed single-deck tramcar – 15/12/2022TRAM 14 – 1904 – EX-METROPOLITAN TRAMWAY CAR Built in 1904, the oldest tram in the fleet. A metropolitan Tramways “type A” originally numbered car 94 (Standard Gauge), rebuilt at Eastbourne and Seaton between 1962 and 1984. Enclosed tram for wet weather – 15/12/2022TRAM 16 –1921 – EX-BOURNEMOUTH TRAMWAY CAR Formerly Bournemouth car No. 106, built as a 3ft 6in gauge open-top double-decker in 1921 and withdrawn on the closure of the Bournemouth system in 1936. The body was subsequently discovered in use on a Dorset farm, acquired by the Bournemouth Transport Preservation Group and then donated to Seaton Tramway in 1974 where the body was narrowed, and then rebuilt in its current form. Launched in to service in 1992 – 15/12/2022
Video of the Seaton Tramway from 1996:
The recent cold spell saw the Snow & Ice Treatment Train make its second run this winter along the Bournemouth to Weymouth line with a daylight outing on 15th December.
GBRf Class 66 no.’s 66753 ‘EMD Roberts Road’ and 66745 top and tailing 3Y88 0908 Totton Yard to Totton Yard via Weymouth though Hamworthy – 15/12/2022
3Y88 0908 Totton Yard to Totton Yard via Weymouth – additional video by kind permission of @dabuckley967 – 15/12/2022
For The Record
The final two scheduled test trains of 2022 failed to materialise with Monday evenings 1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard being cancelled at source due to ‘a problem with the train’ and Wednesday 21st December’s visit of the New Measurement Train operated by Colas Class 43 HST power car No.’s 43272 and 43257 via the West running as 1Q18 0754 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road was turned around at Yeovil Pen Mill because of late running.
That brings us to the end of another blog entry, and indeed, our final Railway Dog of 2022. All things being equal, we’ll be back in January 2023 – thank you for reading and all your comments, corrections and contributions over the last 12 months. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Wednesday 7th December 2022 to Tuesday 13th December 2022
LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ at Worting Junction working The Railway Touring Company’s “The Bath & Bristol Christmas Market” 1Z82 0847 London Victoria to Bristol Temple Meads – 10/12/2022
This week, Yoshi and I took a trip along the Southern Railway West Coastway route to witness the final days of the Class 313 electric multiple units (EMU), saw LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ storming past Worting Junction and took in some Great Western Castle Class HST’s in frosty conditions.
Class 313
In preparation of spending a day on the Western Coastway route to see Class 313 emu’s, we had pre-booked our Southern Daysave ticket well in advance, and paid extra for next day delivery to avoid the postal strikes. It was a good job we did, as the ticket still took four days to arrive. So, on Friday 9th December we set off on a South Western Railway (SWR) service for Southampton (where we saw a couple of passing Class 66 hauled freight workings) to pick up a Southampton to London Victoria train which would take us to Barnham where we changed platforms to get a Class 313 operated shuttle to Bognor Regis. These are the last days of the Class 313’s and we hoped to record some of the units still in service.
The three-car Class 313’s were the first production, second generation, EMU’s built as a direct result of trials in 1972 with the PEP prototypes on British Rail Southern Region. I remember seeing at least one of the PEP units at Wimbledon on my first train journey to London in the early 1970’s. I may not have been an avid rail enthusiast at the time, but I’d clearly read about the new trains being introduced by British Rail. None of the prototypes survive and they were all cut up by 1990.
PEP Unit No. 4002 in the sidings at Wimbledon – 27/08/1982
The production-run classes which are most visibly similar to the PEP Stock are the dual voltage 750 V DC third rail / 25 kV AC overhead power collection Class 313, the 25 kV AC Classes 314 and 315, and the 750 V DC Classes 507 and 508. We covered the 507’s and 508’s earlier in the year when we visited Stockport. You can read about that adventure here.
A fleet of 64 three car sets were built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) in York in 1976/1977 and were intended for the then newly modernised and electrified Great Northern inner suburban lines. The front end doors were designed for evacuation in an emergency in a single bore tunnel and the fleet were constructed to take in the slightly restricted loading gauge between Drayton Park and Moorgate.
Class 313 No. 313008 at Finsbury Park with a service to Moorgate – 30/10/1980
Upon privatisation, the 313’s were operated by Silverlink Railways and West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) and later, in 2007, the class were transferred to London Overground who ran them until September 2010.
19 Class 313’s were modified for DC pick up only at Wolverton works and transferred to Southern to operate on the Coastway services out of Brighton from May 2010. These were deliveries into GTR Southern green and white with pictogram route branding. The remaining Great Northern members of the class were all withdrawn from service and scrapped by the end of 2019.
Yoshi gets up close to Class 313 No. 313207 at Bognor Regis having worked in with the 2P26 1053 service from Littlehampton – 09/12/2022When the Class 313’s were transferred to GTR Southern from May 2010 the sets were overhauled and the interiors refurbished with new seating in low-density 2+2 style using high backed seating – 09/12/2022Southern Class 313 onboard diagram – 09/12/2022Faded branding detail applied the intermediate coach of Coastway Class 313 No. 313207 (and other members of the class) on transfer to GTR Southern promoting the route Portsmouth, Chichester, Bognor, Littlehampton, Worthing, Brighton, Lewes, Seaford and Eastbourne – 09/12/2022In 2017 No. 313201, the first of the class to be built and therefore the oldest operational EMU in use in the UK, was repainted into as near as possible the BR blue/grey livery and it is believed the unit is destined for the National Collection. Because of disability reasons, the unit has contrasting colour doors and is seen here at Barnham – 09/12/2022On transfer to GTR Southern, the fleet was repainted in GTR Southern white and green. Class 313 No. 313210 at Brighton having arrived with Not being used on the day of our visit, Class 313 No. 313216 in the sidings at Brighton – 09/12/2022Class 313 No. 313206 at Brighton having arrived with the 1453 service from Seaford – 09/12/2022Class 313 No. 313203 has a short rest at Brighton prior to working the 1511 Brighton to Seaford service – 09/12/2022
Coastway Class 313’s – 09/12/2022Class 313 No. 313121 transferred to Network Rail in 2013 for use as a dynamic test vehicle for the development of the European Traffic Control System (ETCS). The set is based at Eastleigh Arlington where it is seen here – 30/01/2022 Development set 313 No. 313121 at Arlington Works, Eastleigh – 02/07/2022
Sherwood Forester
While on our Class 313 mission, we spent an hour at Chichester to coincide with the arrival of the steam hauled “Chichester For Carols” rail tour operated by Steam Dreams. Arriving just over half an hour late and with some confusion as to which platform the train was going to arrive on, LMS Black Five No. 45231 ‘Sherwood Forester’ hove into view.
LMS Stanier Class Five 4-6-0 No. 45231 ‘Sherwood Forester’ sits at Chichester having brought in Steam Dreams “Chichester for Carols” rail tour 1Z45 0649 Shoeburyness to Chichester – 09/12/2022Class 47 No. D1935 (47805) ‘Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013’ at the rear of Steam Dreams “Chichester for Carols” rail tour 1Z45 0649 Shoeburyness to Chichester – 09/12/2022
1Z45 0649 Shoeburyness to Chichester – 09/12/2022
Duchess
Saturday saw us heading towards London in order to capture LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ which was heading the Railway Touring Company “The Bath & Bristol Christmas Market” excursion. Having elected to see the tour at Worting Junction we were greeted by bright sunshine on a beautiful frosty day. Yoshi didn’t much care for the approaching steam locomotive and made his concerns known.
Worting Junction and LMS Coronation Pacific No. 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ – 10/12/2022
Following our view of the Duchess we headed towards London in the hope of seeing a second steam excursion originating from London Victoria, but in the event the promised steam locomotive had been replaced by a Class 67 diesel (again). Our view of the Belmond Pullman train was obscured by the parallel running of a Southern service into the London terminus. You win some, you lose some!
London Victoria – 10/12/2022
Bristol Temple Meads
Sunday and we were in Bristol in the hope of capturing the Lilly’s Pet Food Christmas liveried IET No. 802106 which had been allocated to work the 1300 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington service. We were disappointed when this colourful unit did not materialise. However, we had a lovely few hours meeting new friends, downing festive coffee and getting photos of trains in wintery conditions.
5 car CrossCountry Voyager No. 221135 arrives at a snowy Bristol Temple Meads working 1S45 0927 Plymouth to Dundee – 11/12/2022
Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed that it intends to withdraw its fleet of Castle Class HST sets with the December 2023 timetable change with IET’s taking over their duties.
GWR Castle HST Class 43 Power Car No. 43155 ‘Rougemont Castle’ at Bristol Temple Meads forming 2E42 1338 service to Worcester Foregate Street – 11/12/2022What should have been the special Lilly’s Christmas liveried IETNo. 802106 was disappointingly plain old No. 802103 instead working 1A18 1300 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington – 11/12/2022CrossCountry Class 43 HST Power Car No. 43378 at Bristol Temple Meads working 1V48 0811 Leeds to Plymouth – 11/12/2022Yoshi with a snowman he made at Bristol Temple Meads – 11/12/2022
For The Record
The seasonal locomotive hauled Snow & Ice Treatment Trains (SITT) began running on 11th December 2022, with the first instance of the consist traversing the Bournemouth to Weymouth line in the early hours of 12th December. GBRf Class 66 locomotives No.’s 66745 and 66704 have been stationed at Totton Yard alongside the usual Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV). Although running @25 minutes late, I remained tucked up in my warm bed and didn’t venture out in freezing temperatures to record the SITT pass. The Network Rail SITT scrapes any build up of ice from the Third Rail (the conductor rail from which electric traction pick up their power) using metal brushes and spraying anti-icing fluid to prevent further ice from forming. Without this process occurring, depending on the volume of ice, electric trains can struggle to pick up power and in really exceptional instances will be unable to move, which is what appears to have happened on Sunday 11th December when icy conditions between Weymouth and Brockenhurst meant all services were stopped. Engineering works taking place east of Brockenhurst prevented the SITT from running to Weymouth to rectify the situation. Limited services were later resumed, although South Western Railway (SWR) requested only essential journeys should be made. During the suspension of train services, passengers could source taxis between Brockenhurst and Weymouth and claim the cost back from SWR providing evidence of a train ticket and taxi receipt for the associated journey.
Throwback to December 2019 and GBRf Class 66 No. 66717 ‘Good Old Boy’ at the head of the SITT waiting departure from Weymouth to Totton Yard – 17/12/2019
The start of the new timetable on Sunday December 11th 2022 saw the inclusion of a weekday path along the Hamworthy Branch originating from Westbury Tarmac and terminating at Hamworthy BCI. It came as no surprise that the service did not run.
Many thanks for stopping by. This weeks blog is slightly curtailed owing to the fact somewhere along the line I have picked up a cold. Or more likely an extreme case of man-flu! Anyway, you have been saved my witterings on Brighton Railway Station, Class 701’s at Clapham Junction, video from Bristol and more about the Coastway Route.
Postscript
As a codicil to the Class 313 feature above, there was a period when I spent a great deal of time in North London. My local railway services were provided by Class 315 emu’s which were introduced in 1980 and was the last variant of five to have their design based on the PEP prototype units. The Class 315’s were set to end over 40 years of service on 9th December 2022. One unit, No. 315856 which took part in a farewell tour of the class organised by the Class 315 Preservation Society and the Branch Line Society, has been saved for preservation. The Class 315 Preservation Society has acquired the unit from Eversholt Rail Group and is destined for the Dean Forest Railway where it will be restored to original BR condition.
Class 315 No. 315830 arrives at Highams Park with a Chingford to London Liverpool Street service – 18/09/2020Class 315 No. 315801 arrives at Highams Park with a London Liverpool Street to Chingford service – 23/03/2020Class 315 No. 315807 passes the signal box at Highams Park with a London Liverpool Street to Chingford service – 19/04/2020Class 315 No. 315812 crosses the A406 rail bridge with a Chingford to London Liverpool Street service – 11/06/2020
Yoshi at the top of the Fusee Steps at The Nothe, Weymouth – 04/12/2022Fusee Steps, The Nothe Weymouth – 04/12/2022Broad gauge rail attached to Fusee Steps, The Nothe Weymouth – 04/12/2022
On Sunday we had a wander around the Nothe in Weymouth where we had a close look at these rails fixed to walls either side of Fusee Steps and wondered what their origin was. Historic England dates the steps and inclined tramway as circa 1860 and describes them as “Three flights of steps with low flanking walls of rendered brick, on which are placed wrought-iron plate rails, forming an inclined tramway for trolleys with double-flange wheels. It was constructed for hauling trolleys transporting ammunition, spares and stores from the quay to Nothe Fort.” We asked the Nothe Fort for any information about the rails, and although there is some dispute about the age and purpose of the them it is believed the tracks themselves are Great Western Railway broad gauge rail, of which large amounts became redundant in the late 19th Century when the GWR converted to standard gauge and much of the track was recycled for use in engineering projects. Many thanks to Geoff Culver from the Nothe Fort Curatorial Team for responding to our questions.
Yoshi previously visited the Nothe Fort for a silent disco around Luke Jerram’s “Museum of the Moon” – 13/07/2019
Wednesday 24th November 2022 and it was time for the appearance of the regular 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road via Weymouth test train. This month the train was once again in the charge of two Class 37 locomotives, and we chose to see the train at Maiden Newton as it worked its way down to Weymouth running around eleven minutes late at this point.
Class 37 No. 37612 approaching Maiden Newton leading 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road – 30/11/2022Class 37 No. 37610 having departed Maiden Newton at the rear of 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road – 30/11/2022
30/11/2022 1Z22 0644 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road via Weymouth – many thanks for additional video from G E Barrett and @da_buckley967
We saw both of these locomotives, which are on hire from the Harry Needle Railroad Company at Barrow road earlier in the year:
Class 37 No. 37612 on static display at Barrow Hill 150+2 – 28/08/2022Class 37 No. 37610 Barrow Hill – 28/08/2022
The same pair of locomotives worked the equivalent test train in December 2020 which originated at that time from Tyseley LMD – 02/12/2020Class 37 No. 37610 at Weymouth having worked the 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 22/05/2019Class 37 No. 37521 assisted 37610 on this run of the 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding test train, seen here at Weymouth – 22/05/2019
With Christmas fast approaching, it’s the time of year when many UK heritage railways run steam and lights trains, and the Swanage Railway is no exception. Thursday 1st December 2022 saw festive light adorned Southern Railway (SR) U Class 2-6-0 No. 31806 and SR Bulleid West Country Pacific 4-6-2 No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ top and tailing a trial run for staff and volunteers. The previous evening saw the train operated empty with resident Class 33 diesel locomotives as the final Christamassy tweaks were made to the service.
SR U Class 2-6-0 No. 31806 prepares to depart Swanage with a special outing pre-season opener for the 2022 Steam and Lights train for staff and volunteers – 01/12/2022
Video of the pre-season steam hauled lights train – 01/12/2022
The Railway Touring Company ran a steam hauled excursion from London Victoria to Yeovil, stopping to drop off passengers at Sherborne for a Christmas carol service held at Sherborne Abbey on Tuesday 6th April 2022. The rail tour, top and tailed by London Midland & Scottish (LMS) Stanier Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 and West Coast Railway Company Class 47 No. 47813, continued on to Yeovil Junction for servicing before heading back to Sherborne to pick up passengers for the return to London.
Ian Riley’s LMS Stanier Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 approaches Sherborne working 1Z82 0830 London Victoria to Yeovil JN DN Main Platform – 06/12/2022WCRC Class 47 No. 47813 pauses at Sherborne at the rear of “The Sherborne Christmas Carol” 1Z82 0830 London Victoria to Yeovil JN DN Main Platform – 06/12/2022
“The Sherborne Christmas Carol” rail tour at Sherborne – 06/12/2022 with additional video kindly provided by Caroline SmithWhile we were in Sherborne, we visited the Castle Garden Centre where Yoshi enjoyed watching the trains on the festive themed model railway – 06/12/2022
While waiting for the Class 37 test train at Maiden Newton last Wednesday, I remembered that previously the equivalent test train in recent years was often top and tailed by Colas Class 67 locomotives. During this period, the test train was often turned around at Dorchester and missed out the section to Weymouth, very frustrating for those of us waiting at the seaside terminus. The two Colas Class 67 locomotives which were repeatedly turned out for the Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding via Weymouth test train were No.’s 67023 ‘Stella’ and 67027 ‘Charlotte’. Formerly part of the DB Cargo fleet, in January 2017 these two Class 67’s were sold to Colas Rail and they were repainted into Colas orange and black at Toton Traction Maintenance Depot for use on Network Rail (NR) infrastructure monitoring trains. They received their nameplates in June 2017. In December 2018, the pair were included in a sale of 67 France and UK based locomotives to Beacon Rail Leasing. They were subsequently leased back to Colas Rail. More recently they have been acquired by GBRf for use on operations including charter, passenger and stock moves including hauling the Highland section of the Caledonian Sleeper.
The Bo-Bo Class 67 diesel-electric locomotives were built for DB Cargo forerunner English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) between 1999 and 2000 by Alstom at Meinfesa in Valencia, Spain with the engine, generator and traction motors provided by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. The locomotives are able to supply Electric Train Supply for passenger train heating and air-conditioning. They were at first primarily utilised for mail trains, but with diminishing traffic, the contract finally ceased in March 2004.
High speed running tests were undertaken with No. 67002 at Alstom’s facility at La Sagra, Toledo, Spain and running on the standard gauge Madrid-Toledo high-speed rail line where a top speed of 143 miles per hour was realised.
Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’, Weymouth working 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 22/04/2020Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’ arrives at Weymouth heading 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 19/06/2019Nameplate detail for Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’, Weymouth – 19/06/2019Nameplate detail for Colas Class 67 No. 67027 ‘Charlotte’, Weymouth – 19/06/2019Colas Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’ at the buffer stops at Weymouth having arrived with 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 15/07/2020Colas Class 67 No. 67027 ‘Charlotte’ ready to depart Weymouth with 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 15/07/2020A dirty Colas Class 67 No. 67027 ‘Charlotte’ at Weymouth working 0820 Tyseley TMD to Bristol High Level Siding – 19/06/2019
Various visits to Weymouth by Colas Freight Class 67 locomotives all mashed up
Another blog entry draws to a close. Thank you for reading and for your comments, corrections and contributions. We’ll leave you with this thought; “Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, filling an emptiness we don’t even know we have.” – Thom Jones (1945-2016)
Yoshi with SR Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34070 ‘Manston’ at Corfe Castle railway station on the Swanage Railway – 17/11/2022
We first posted in Yoshi’s blog on 22nd November 2021 so I, for one, am very pleased we have completed a year of entries. Thank you for joining us if this is your first time or your 58th time. We really do appreciate everyone who has taken time out to read our words, look at our pictures or watch our video clips. Thank you for your comments, updates, suggestions and corrections over the past year.
This last week began with a Thursday lunchtime trip to Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway to see SR Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34070 ‘Manston’ which was out on test running light engine. The locomotive has only recently been returned to traffic and later in the day she also hauled two carriages in a loaded test run from Swanage.
SR Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34070 ‘Manston’ departs Corfe Castle during a running in test run – 17/11/2022SR Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34070 ‘Manston’ at Corfe Castle during a running in test run – 17/11/2022Nameplate and crest detail of SR Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34070 ‘Manston’ – 17/11/2022Yoshi takes a closer look at SR Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34070 ‘Manston’ while at Corfe Castle – 17/11/2022
In the evening we went along to the Dorset Museum’s “Museum after Hours” event in Dorchester. It was the first time I had visited the museum since its £16.4m refurbishment and May 2021 re-opening. The new museum galleries are spacious, the displays well thought out with a child friendly leaning. The railways of Dorset are covered by one display panel and a Brio style model track circle as part of the Trade and Industry section within the “People’s Dorset” gallery on the first floor.
Dorset Museum celebrates the railways in Dorset – 17/11/2022
I very much enjoyed seeing a number of sculptures from Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930 – 1993) who I have very fond memories of meeting at the museum many years ago while on a school visit. The “Artists’ Dorset” gallery was perhaps my favourite of what is currently on offer at the museum.
Leonardo’s Dog (Bronze, edition of 6, 1990) – on a visit to the Loire, Dame Elisabeth Frink came across a stone dog at the entrance to Leonardo Da Vinci’s house that inspired her to create this work. Frink admired the traits of loyalty and dignity which she felt were often lacking in humans – 17/11/2022In August 1996 Dame Elisabeth was one of five ‘Women of Achievement’ selected for a set of British stamps
In 2016/17, the Dorset County Museum (as we called it then) held an excellent exhibition of railway posters and station roundels called “Speed to the West” curated by “Antiques Roadshow” expert Paul Atterbury and collector Richard Furness. I was, of course, particularly pleased that some Terrence Cuneo posters were included and I’d be very pleased if the museum did a repeat showing!
Dorset County Museum’s “Speed to the West” curated by Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury and collector Richard Furness – 19/03/2016Dorset County Museum’s “Speed to the West” curated by Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury and collector Richard Furness – 19/03/2016Dorset County Museum’s “Speed to the West” curated by Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury and collector Richard Furness – 19/03/2016
Friday morning was the start of a long weekend with a return trip to the Naval Dockyards at Portsmouth. Our intention this time was to see the Submarine Museum which we didn’t have time for on our previous visit in the summer, but with the special boat which is used to ferry visitors across to Gosport not running, we elected instead to postpone clambering around the submarines and instead visited the ships on show in Portsmouth.
There are still a few remains of the once extensive Portsmouth dockyard railway system still in evidence:
Began in 1843 within the walls of the dockyard, the railway was connected to the national network in 1846 via the “Admiralty Line” between Unicorn Gate and Portsmouth Town station (now Portsmouth & Southsea). By 1952, at its peak, there were around 27 miles of track within the docks used for transporting goods, equipment and personnel. In the 1970’s the railway declined and the link to the main line was closed in 1977 with the dockyard railway closing entirely a year later.
HMS M.33 built in 1915 is not only the sole remaining British veteran of the bloody Dardanelles Campaign of 1915-1916, but also of the Russian Civil War which followed. The ship is one of just three British warships from World War I still in existence. Behind the ship you can see two railway wagons which remain in evidence – 18/11/2022According to a list of crew on board HMS M.33 in 1915, there were two ship’s dogs. Squab belonged to the captain, Preston-Thomas and Nell belonged to the crew. There was also a ship’s cat, Miss Muggins and the wheelhouse had a cat flap – 18/11/2022
I didn’t video many trains on this Portsmouth outing – but this video clip includes DB Class 66 No. 66013 working 4021 0915 Trafford Park Euro Terminal to Southampton Western Docks Berth 109, GWR Class 166 No. 166215 working 1F26 1623 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central, GWR Class 165 No. 165129 with Class 166 No. 166203 working 1F24 1523 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central, Southern Class 377 No. 377158 working 1S24 1400 Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour and an RHTT configured MPV working 3S82 0611 Totton Yard to Totton Yard – 18/11/2022
Saturday evening saw Yoshi’s mum and myself in West Bay for dinner at the Station Kitchen which is situated at the former West Bay railway station. Originally called Bridport Harbour, the name was changed by the Great Western Railway to make it sound a more desirable holiday destination. Passenger services between Bridport and West Bay ended in 1930 with goods traffic remaining until closure in 1962. The restaurant comprises the dog-friendly 1884 station building and two railway carriages which have been transported to the site. The first carriage, which we dined in, GWR No. 2370 named ‘Brunel’ is a toplight brake corridor coach built in 1911 and purchased for use by the Station Kitchen in 2015. The carriage has quite a history having been used as a makeshift hospital in France during World War I and a tool coach in Worcester in the 1950’s before its restoration in Oswestry.
The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 19/11/2022Station building interior – The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 19/11/2022‘Brunel’ – The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 19/11/2022‘Brunel’ interior – The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 19/11/2022‘Brunel’ interior – The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 19/11/2022
The second coach at West Bay is BR MK1 corridor second No. 25646 built in Gloucester in 1958 and was being used as a mess coach at Toddington when it was purchased for its new life at West Bay. This carriage has been named ‘Beeching’.
‘Beeching’ – The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 19/11/2022‘Beeching’ interior – The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 19/11/2022
The food was amazing, with perhaps the best cheesecake I’ve tasted. The staff were friendly, professional and attentive. If Yoshi had joined us, he would not have hesitated in giving the Station Kitchen five barks out of five.
Yoshi visited The Station Kitchen, West Bay in April – 15/04/2022The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 15/04/2022The Station Kitchen, West Bay before the addition of the carriages – 31/03/2016The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 31/03/2016The Station Kitchen, West Bay – 31/03/2016
On our Sunday morning walk, Yoshi and I went along to Lake Road in Hamworthy to see work being carried out on the railway bridge. Rotten timbers on which the railway line is carried were replaced and the area re-ballasted involving a team from Sonic Rail Services, who specialise in bridge strengthening and Network Rail. We await news of the first train to make it down the restored Hamworthy Branch with anticipation!
Lake Road bridge works – 20/11/2022 Lake Road bridge works – 20/11/2022The crossing at Ashmore Road looking towards Poole Port was managed by Network Rail staff – 20/11/2022A Network Rail Mercedes-Benz lorry reverses into the compound where the original Poole station was located. This later became Hamworthy Goods. The lorry, from Eastleigh, had arrived to collect the old timbers which had been removed from Lake Road bridge – 20/11/2022
Bridge works at Lake Road – 20/11/2022
Finally, Monday evening once again saw the regular Class 73 hauled track inspection test train heading to Weymouth. We elected to see the train pass through Poole on its outward journey working as 1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard in the capable charge of GBRf No.’s 73965 ‘Des O’Brien’ and 73961 ‘Alison’.
1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard – 21/11/2022
That’s it for another week! This entry was brought to you accompanied by the sounds of rainbow frog biscuit, Zeph, Ron Grainer & Delia Derbyshire (happy 59th birthday Doctor Who!). Until next time, remember; “The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog” – Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1914 or thereabouts).
Yoshi visits Tonbridge and barks at all the GBRf Class 69 locomotives introduced to traffic so far – 12/11/2022
On Saturday, Yoshi’s mum was off to London for the weekend to meet up with a friend who had travelled down on the Caledonian sleeper – of which, I was extremely jealous! Travelling on a sleeper train has long been an item on my bucket list. As there are no sleeper services from sleepy Dorset to the big smoke, and as Yoshi’s mum isn’t keen on rail replacement bus services, I volunteered to drive up and drop her off in Greenwich. With this offer accepted, my mind began to formulate a number of plans of things Yoshi and I could do on our way back.
My initial thought was to drive home via Brighton and try and catch Class 313 No. 313201 in its heritage British Rail livery before this particular Class of electric multiple units is withdrawn from service, but planned engineering works meaning no trains running in the area put paid to that idea.
Next up, I thought I could spend the afternoon somewhere on the East Coast Main Line as I was certain London North Eastern Railway (LNER) would roster “celebrity” Class 91 No. 91111 ‘For The Fallen’ in Remembrance Day livery created to mark the contribution of, and the lives lost by regiments along the East Coast route during the First World War. First unveiled in 2014, the special livery depicts soldiers, artefacts, poppies and tributes in honour of those who lost their lives in service to their country. The locomotive had been running turns between London Kings Cross and the North all week, and I was confident it would run over the Remembrance weekend. But on checking the allocations via Real Time Trains on Saturday morning, it was clear that No. 91111 was being rested. It obviously returned to duty the following day.
One locomotive named in commemoration of Remembrance I have managed to capture is DB Class 66 No. 66100 ‘Armistice 100 1918 – 2018’ which I saw at Didcot on 2nd June 2022. In the images below, the loco has one of its wheel sets placed in a wheel skate and had been marooned at Didcot since the middle of May 2022, eventually leaving on the back of an Allelys low loader for repairs at Toton weeks later.
DB Class 66 No. 66100 ‘Armistice 100 1918 – 2018’ at Didcot – 02/06/2022Nameplate detail of DB Class 66 No. 66100 ‘Armistice 100 1918 – 2018’ at Didcot – 02/06/2022DB Class 66 No. 66100 ‘Armistice 100 1918 – 2018’ at Didcot. The wheel skate can be seen clearly – 02/06/2022
Returning to last Saturday and plan number three which involved heading towards Tonbridge to see SR Unrebuilt West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ in action heading up Bellmond British Pullman’s “Golden Arrow 50th Anniversary” rail tour running from London Victoria to Canterbury and return, commemorating the final run of this iconic named train which occurred on 30th September 1972. ‘Tangmere’ was deputising for SR Rebuilt Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35028 ‘Clan Line’ but, unbeknownst to me (because I had failed to check) the positioning run which would have taken ‘Tangmere’ south from Carnforth to Southall was cancelled on Friday 11th November 2022 which resulted in the steam traction being substituted by top and tailed Class 67 locomotives.
This is ‘Tangmere’ when she made it south a few years ago:
SR Unrebuilt West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ rests in the EMU compound at Weymouth having worked Railway Touring Company organised “The Royal Wessex”. It was reported that the locomotive hit the buffer stops at Weymouth station – 05/09/2015SR Unrebuilt West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ puts on quite a display as she nears Dorchester South with “The Dorset Coast Express” – 09/09/2015SR Unrebuilt West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ climbs Bincombe Bank with the return “Weymouth Seaside Express” – 31/07/2011The wonderful exterior of Greenwich railway station on 12/11/2022 where we deposited Yoshi’s mum. The station was opened in 1840, and the original building still stands, making it one of the oldest surviving station structures in the world. The line that serves Greenwich, the London and Greenwich Railway as it was known when it was built in 1836, was the first steam railway in London and the first to be built specifically for passengers. It began at Tooley Street (now London Bridge) and ran via Deptford to Greenwich on a viaduct of 878 brick arches. It was the first elevated railway in the world. DB Class 67 No. 67007 in Platinum Jubilee livery passing Pluckley hauling Belmond British Pullman’s “Golden Arrow 50th Anniversary” rail tour. The Class 67’s were deputising for SR Unrebuilt West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ which would have been the first time a Bullied ‘Spam Cam’ had hauled a Pullman train since August 2007 – 12/11/2022DB Class 67 No. 67021 in Belmond Pullman livery at the rear of the “Golden Arrow 50th Anniversary” rail tour. Named in 1929, the “Golden Arrow” was the Southern Railway’s premier connection with Paris, the equivalent train on the French side was “La Flèche d’Or”. The “Golden Arrow” was mainly routed via Dover for the Channel Crossing, although for a number of years the return leg started at Folkestone Harbour – 12/11/2022GBRf Class 69 No. 69004 in traditional RHTT livery passes Tonbridge with No. 69005 ‘Eastleigh’ at the rear working 3W74 0605 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf – 12/11/2022GBRf Class 69 No. 69005 ‘Eastleigh’ at the rear of 3W74 0605 Tonbridge West Yard GBRf to Tonbridge West Yard GBRf. As was pointed out to me by our North Dorset correspondent, there are no tail lights in evidence – 12/11/2022GBRf Class 69 No.’s 69003 ‘The Railway Observer’ / 69002 ‘Bob Tiller CM&REE’ and Class 73 No. 73119 ‘Borough of Eastleigh’ at Tonbridge West Yard – 12/11/2022GBRf Class 69 No. 69003 ‘The Railway Observer’ Tonbridge West Yard – 12/11/2022GBRf Class 69 No. 69001 ‘Mayflower’ with 69006 at the rear at Tonbridge West Yard – 12/11/2022GBRf Class 73 No. 73119 ‘Borough of Eastleigh’ at Tonbridge West Yard – 12/11/2022GBRf Class 73 No. 73964 ‘Jeanette’ rests having worked 1Q85 2356 Tonbridge West Yard to Tonbridge West Yard earlier in the day. Classmate 73962 was on the other end of the test train – 12/11/2022
Our video from 12th November 2022, bark along!
On Sunday 13th November, I visited The Tank Museum at Bovington, near Wool. Unfortunately the museum is not dog friendly, so Yoshi sat this one out. As would be expected, the museum follows the development of the tank from World War One to the modern day and has numerous examples on display. There are a few railway references in the museum:
A display showing how railway’s moved troops about the country for embarkation to Europe – The Tank Museum 13/11/2022Checking supplies arriving by train and the injured awaiting repatriation at a railway station diorama – The Tank Museum 13/11/2022Unlike modern armoured vehicles, the first tanks did not have turrets to carry the main gun. Their weapons were instead mounted in special side units known as “sponsons.” An example of a sponson from a Mark II tank is shown on the trolley in the above image. Specially designed trolleys were used in 1916 to move the sponsons around when taken off the tank. This was necessary because tanks would otherwise not be able to travel by rail. The sponsons jutted out and made the tank too wide to fit through tunnels – they may have also knocked down signal posts or injured passengers on platforms. The solution was to unbolt them which took the crew about fifteen minutes and then load them onto the trolleys to be carried separately. With the appearance of the new Mark IV tank in 1917, the trolley became redundant. Its sponsons were smaller and could slide into the hull to allow the whole tank to travel by rail – The Tank Museum 13/11/2022A Mark IV Tank(Male), built in 1917 by William Foster & Co Ltd as part of a batch of 101 tanks numbered from 2300 to 2400. This is one of seven survivors from the 1,220 Mark IV tanks built and is preserved in operational condition, although it is not run to avoid damage from wear and tear – The Tank Museum 13/11/2022A branch line from Wool to Bovington was built . This image courtesy of The Tank Museum shows Mark IV tanks with sponsons pushed inside to meet railway gauge limitations are being shunted towards Bovington. The branch cost an estimated £2,776 which was met by the War department. At just over 2 miles in length, the single track branch line was constructed by the Royal Engineers assisted by German prisoners of war between October 1918 and August 1919Remains of the Bovington Branch railway in 2022; an embankment near Woolbridge – 13/11/2022We’ve looked at the railway element of The Tank Museum, and now a dog feature: Rifleman Khan was a German Shepherd who won the Dickin medal during the Second World War. He was awarded the medal for saving the life of his handler, Lance Corporal Jimmy Muldoon. Khan was volunteered for Army service by the Railton family and given the number 147. After training as a mine detection dog, he was assigned to Jimmy Muldoon, 6th Battalion, The Cameronians. Khan spent the rest of the war in Europe with Jimmy Muldoon. Due to the bond they had developed, Jimmy appealed to the Railton family to keep him. They initially refused, but after a parade organised by ‘The Star’ newspaper in 1947, the family saw them together and allowed Khan to stay with Jimmy, saying, “He is yours, take him home with you!” Jess Lucas, a sculpture student at Arts University Bournemouth, produced the model of Rifleman Khan seen in the image above for her final year project.There are all sorts of tanks on display at the Tank Museum. Sometimes mutated alien creatures encased in tank like bonded polycarbide armour visit for team build events such as this group in 2015 posing for photographs with their creator Davros – 25/07/2015
In other news, at some “point” during the past week, the Hamworthy Branch has been reconnected to the main line. Hurrah! The track work crossing Lake Road bridge is scheduled to receive attention w/c 21/11/2022
SWR Class 444 No.444038 having departed Hamworthy with 1W64 1420 Weymouth to London Waterloo passes the newly restored point work leading to the Hamworthy Branch – 16/11/2022Closer view of the new point work – 16/11/2022The ‘stop’ sign is still in situ on the Hamworthy Branch – 16/11/2022Maybe a sight we’ll see again? DB Class 60 No. 60054 heads off the Hamworthy Branch – 17/02/2017
If you’ve made it this far dear reader, you have our thanks and gratitude. We really appreciate your comments, observations and corrections. We’ve almost managed a whole year of posts at therailwaydog.co.uk, join us next week for the blogs’ first birthday, There will be cake. Possibly. This week’s post was created to the sounds of Dizzy, John Rutter and Odanata (thanks Milly & Saffy!).
Yoshi following his footplate visit to LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ – 06/11/2022
Wednesday 2nd November to Tuesday 8th November 2022
Hello faithful reader, here we are, back again for another railway dog blog entry. Settle down – quiet at the back there – and let me regale you with this weeks tales. Or should that be tails?
Saturday November 5th was scheduled to be a rail strike day, so I had arranged a day out to Weston-super-Mare to visit See Monster, a retired offshore platform which once stood in the North Sea and has now been transformed into one of the largest public art installations in the UK. Located on Weston’s seafront within The Tropicana, the former 1937 lido which once contained an outdoor swimming pool, there is a waterfall, kinetic wind sculptures with a cascade of silvery scales wrapping around the structure. In previous times, the lido has hosted Hollywood legends Laurel and Hardy and more recently- in 2015 – street artist Banksy’s DismalLand, which was the last time I visited Weston-suoer-Mare.
See Monster at Weston-super-Mare – 05/11/2022
The planned rail strike was, of course, called off at the eleventh hour on Friday November 4th, but this was too late for the railways to gear up and run anything like a full timetable. However, one movement which did catch my eye was a Rail Head Treatment Train (RHTT) from Swindon Transfer Yard which was running a circuit taking in Bristol, Bath and Westbury top and tailed by Class 56 diesel locomotives. In fact Swindon was playing host to two pairs of Class 56’s at the weekend, but only one set was timed to cross my path on Saturday. Returning from Weston-Super-Mare we kept tabs on the how the train was running via Real Time Trains and decided that Trowbridge would be a safe bet to see the train as it was due to pass twice on its way to and from Westbury. We arrived at Trowbridge railway station just in time to see the consist running through on its first pass. Undeterred by the wait we positioned ourselves on the southbound platform and awaited the RHTT’s return. We were rewarded with the fine sight of Colas Class 56 No. 56105 with No. 56096 at the rear working 3S32 1002 Swindon Transfer Yard to Swindon Transfer Yard.
Colas Class 56 No. 56105 with 56096 at the rear working 3S32 1002 Swindon Transfer Yard to Swindon Transfer Yard RHTT through Trowbridge – 05/11/2022Colas Class 56 No. 56096 at the rear of 3S32 1002 Swindon Transfer Yard to Swindon Transfer Yard RHTT passes Trowbridge with No. 56105 at the front – 05/11/2022
Trowbridge, like Bradford on Avon which we visited a couple of weeks ago, is another station which was originally opened by the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway in 1848 as part of their Thingley Junction to Westbury line. It gained a link to Bath and Bristol nine years later thanks to the Great Western Railway which is now the main line, as the original route to Chippenham has been singled and reduced to secondary status. The original station buildings have been replaced with a bland brick structure containing a ticket office on the northbound platform.
Trowbridge railway station – 05/11/2022
Trowbridge, Wiltshire – additional footage courtesy of @dabuckley967 – 05/11/2022
We were spoilt with ‘heritage’ diesel traction on the Bristol to Weymouth line this past week when no less than three Colas Rail Freight operated Class 37 diesels visited the Dorset seaside with test trains.
In glorious sunshine, I headed to Upwey on Thursday 3rd November to see 3Q14 1037 Westbury Down TC to Westbury Down TC via Weymouth hauled by Class 37 No. 37175 in the distinctive orange, yellow and black Colas livery. Because of generous timings in the schedule, I had a bit of a wait at Upwey, but enjoyed watching the passing South Western Railway and Great Western trains.
Class 37 No. 37175 nears Upwey in the afternoon sun working 3Q14 1037 Westbury Down TC to Westbury Down TC via Weymouth test train – 03/11/2022
The weather on the previous day, Wednesday 2nd, had been a different story altogether when top and tailed class 37’s No.’s 37421 and 37254 worked the regular Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road via Weymouth New Measurement Train (NMT), which for most of the year has been powered by Class 43 High Speed Train power cars. As heavy rain showers were forecast, I decided to head to Dorchester West where I would be able to take shelter from the elements if need be in order to see the train pass.
Colas Class 37 No. 37421 heads up 1Z22 0644 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingland Road as it eases through Dorchester West – 03/11/2022Colas Class 37 No. 37254 at the rear of 1Z22 0644 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingland Road powers away from Dorchester West – 03/11/2022
Dorset Class 37 test trains – additional footage courtesy of @dabuckley967 – November 2022Earlier in 2022 the New Measurement Train was in the hands of HST Class 43 power car No.’s 43257 and 43251 working as 1Z22 0747 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingland Road seen here at Monkton near Dorchester – 15/06/2022Class 67 No. 67023 ‘Stella’ in Colas Rail Freight livery tops the NMT as it arrives at Weymouth. Thirty General Motors Class 67 locomotives were built in Valencia, Spain in 2000 for English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS), now DB Cargo – 19/06/2019Class 67 No. 67027 ‘Charlotte’ at the rear of the NMT seen at Weymouth. Both No. 67027 and 67023 are now part of the GBRf fleet having previously been sold by DB Cargo to Colas Rail in 2017 – 19/06/2019Class 43 No. 43062 ‘John Armitt’ having arrived at Weymouth with the New Measurement Train in July 2012. The all over yellow livery gave the train the nickname “The Flying Banana”. No. 43062 was built in 1977 at BREL Crewe works and formed part of HST set No. 254004 for use on East Coast Main Line services. Following the East Coast electrification No. 43062 moved to CrossCountry duties in July 1991. In February 2003 No.’s 43013/014 and 062 were all allocated to Network Rail, based at Derby, for use on the then new High Speed National Measurement Train (NMT). No.’s 43013/014 were selected as they were due major exams and could therefore receive all the specialist work whilst being overhauled. No. 43062 was selected as it had been ‘blacked’ by Virgin Trains drivers due to constant vibrations in the cab after a derailment at Coventry. As part of the overhaul she was fitted with a completely new cab and the vibration problem was eliminated. In the summer of 2009 No. 43062 was sent to Brush at Loughborough to be re-engineered and had the original Paxman Valenta engine replaced by an MTU unit, re-entering service with Network Rail in October 2009 and remains active in 2022 as part of the Network Rail Class 43 pool code QCAR – 26/07/2012Nameplate detail Class 43 No. 43062 ‘John Armitt’ – 26/07/2012Weymouth was host to the 2012 Olympic Sailing events and temporary station information boards pointed passengers arriving at the station in the direction of Portland Harbour – 26/07/2012Debranded Network Rail Class 43 No. 43014 prepares to depart Weymouth after the crew have changed ends – 26/07/2012Class 43 No. 43014 powers towards Upwey at the head of Network Rail’s NMT – 17/06/2010
Sunday 6th November dodging the rain once again, we visited the footplate of LNER Gresley A3 Pacific No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ at Swanage. It was good to see a large turn out on the last day the locomotive was publicly accessable, although this did mean that our visit to the footplate felt a little rushed.
LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ in light steam at Swanage – 06/11/2022The tender corridor through which we gained access to the footplate of ‘Flying Scotsman’. This enabled crew changes to take place without the train stopping. Water could be replenished at water troughs set in the railway tracks via a scoop under the locomotives tender – 06/11/2022The firebox and some of the controls on the footplate of ‘Flying Scotsman’ – 06/11/2022Yoshi and I in the driving seat of ‘Flying Scotsman’ (Photo G E Barrett) – 06/11/2022I think everyone was surprised by how small the window through which the driver of ‘Flying Scotsman’ had to view the track ahead at speeds of up to 100mph – photo courtesy of Scott LewisThe drivers seat in the cab of ‘Flying Scotsman’ – photo courtesy of Scott LewisThe view looking out along the locomotive from the cab side – photo courtesy of Scott Lewis
A couple of days later and it was time for No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ to leave Dorset and head north to Bury. I was up early to witness the 0705 departure from Swanage on a blustery and wet Tuesday 8th November.
With Remembrance Sunday 2022 only a few days away, the following images are from our November 2021 visit to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas (near Lichfield) in East Staffordshire and is the UK’s national site of remembrance. It was inspired by a visit to the Arlington Cemetery in the USA.
The Railway Industry Memorial was unveiled on 22nd May 2012 is situated within sight of the Derby to Birmingham railway line and celebrates the achievements of the railway family, who gave their lives in times of both conflict and peace.
Sumatra Railway WW2 Memorial is formed of a replica section of the Sumatra railway, including wooden sleepers and railway track, set on an embankment and commemorates the c700 Allied Far East Prisoners of War who died in its construction.
The Burma Railway Memorial was created to remember those who were forced to construct the infamous ‘Railway of Death’ during the Second World War. The memorial is constructed from 30 metres of the original track. During the construction of the 258-mile railway over 16,000 Prisoners of War and 100,000 labourers died – one life for every sleeper laid.
In August 1943, Louis Mountbatten became Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command and oversaw the recapture of Burma and Singapore from the Japanese by the end of 1945. For his service during the war, in 1946 Mountbatten was made a Knight of the Garter and created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma and in 1947 Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Two BR Southern Region Class 33’s were named in connection with Mountbatten and Burma.
Class 33 No. 33027 ‘Earl Mountbatten of Burma’ on display at Eastleigh T&RSMD open day on 29/05/1983. This locomotive was one of only five Class 33’s which carried names at the time this photograph was taken. No. 33027 along with No. 33056 ‘Burma Star’ received their respective nameplates at London Waterloo on 02/09/1980 having been chosen to carry names after working Lord Mountbatten’s funeral train from London Waterloo to Romsey the previous year on 05/09/1979. Always immaculately turned out by the home depot, No.33027 is seen sporting an “Eastleigh Railway Preservation Society” headboard and the buffers are still wrapped in plastic to keep them clean prior to a charity “tug of war” involving the locomotive being pulled along a siding. No. 33027 was introduced into traffic in 1961 and withdrawn in 1991 before being cut up at Eastleigh East Yard the following yearClass 33 No. 33056 nears Dorchester South on 26/09/1981. No. 33056 was built in 1961 and withdrawn and scrapped in 1991. The Burma Star is a military campaign medal awarded to British and Commonwealth forces who served in the 1941 to 1945 Burma Campaign during World War II
That’s all we have time for this time. All being well, we’ll be back next week with more. Until then, take care and thank you for your comments, suggestions and updates!
Wednesday October 19th to Tuesday October 25th2022
Yoshi meets Penny Peglar, daughter of Alan Peglar who rescued ‘Flying Scotsman’ from the scrapyard in 1963 – 22/10/2022
Hello Dear Reader – Yoshi and I had a lovely family day out on the Swanage Railway on Saturday 22nd October when we took a ride in lovingly restored 1933 Maunsell open third carriage No. 1346 behind visiting LNER Gresley A3 Pacific No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’. Having survived a German bomb at Clapham in 1940, the coach ran in traffic until 1961 when it was withdrawn and converted for use as a mobile office and later a classroom. Sold into preservation in 1982 and initially based on the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR), the coach was purchased privately in 2002 for use on the Swanage Railway. Still awaiting the refitting of tables the restoration has been carried out to the highest standard and it really was a delight to see and travel in.
1933 Maunsell open third carriage No. 1346Yoshi and I explore 1933 Maunsell open third carriage No. 1346 (Image courtesy of Caroline Smith)Vestibule of 1933 Maunsell open third carriage No. 1346LNER Gresley A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ prepares to back on to the seven coach train employed during running days at the Swanage Railway – 22/10/2022LNER Gresley A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ passes Herston Halt – 25/10/2022LNER Gresley A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ passes Southern Railway rebuilt West Country Class Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ at Harmans Cross – 22/10/2022 (Image courtesy of Caroline Smith)LNER Gresley A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ passes Corfe Castle – 25/10/2022LNER Gresley A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ crosses Corfe viaduct in the shadow of Corfe Castle – 25/10/2022LNER Gresley A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ arrives at Norden with the 1X06 1325 service from Swanage – 24/10/2022 Yoshi welcomes a fuss from Penny Pegler, daughter of ‘Flying Scotsman’ saviour Alan Pegler, who visited the Swanage Railway from her home in Portugal and traveled on the 1145 departure on Saturday 22nd October 2022. Penny’s late father purchased ‘Flying Scotsman’ from British Railways in 1963 at the cost of £3,000 – 22/10/20221940’s Pullman “Devon Belle” observation coach Car 14 which accompanied ‘Flying Scotsman’ on tours of Canada and the United States to promote British exports was part of the consist of at Swanage this week. Volunteers with the Swanage Railway Trust carefully restored the wooden carriage after it was rescued from San Francisco where it was in use as a static bar. Norden – 24/10/2022SR U Class 2-6-0 No. 31806 assisted with the shunting of stock during the ‘Flying Scotsman’ running days at Swanage – 25/10/2022Yoshi keeps watch on SR U Class 2-6-0 No. 31806 as she backs onto the empty coaching stock in preparation for shunting – 25/10/2022
Video of Yoshi’s visit to the Swanage Railway and his trip behind ‘Flying Scotsman’. Playing the bagpipes as our train departed Swanage was 15 year old Frederick Sills from Wareham who is a member of Swanage Railway’s Sygnets youth group and a member of the Weymouth Sea Cadets. He did a wonderful job!
‘Flying Scotsman’ will be on static display at Swanage Railway station until the 6th November 2022.
Although there is still no date for their introduction into revenue earning service, South Western Railway (SWR) Class 701 Electric Multiple Units (EMU) continue testing and mileage accumulation runs taking in Poole where they reverse. On Thursday 20th October it was the turn of No. 701038 to have a run out, and we saw the unit passing through Poole:
SWR Class 701 No. 701038 working 5Q51 1115 London Waterloo to Staines Up Loop passing through Poole – 20/10/2022SWR Class 701 No. 701038 working 5Q51 1115 London Waterloo to Staines Up Loop crosses over the Up Line to reach Poole Storage Sidings where the service reverses – 20/10/2022Having reversed in Poole Storage Sidings, SWR Class 701 No. 701038 working 5Q51 1115 London Waterloo to Staines Up Loop passes Class 444 No. 444035 which formed 1W65 1205 London Waterloo to Weymouth at Poole – 20/10/2022
The railways in the UK are well into Rail Head Treatment Train (RHTT) season as the trees shed their leaves which are scattered across the nations railway tracks. This can cause problems for the track circuits and reduce a trans ability to grip to the rails when starting from stations, accelerating, climbing hills or stopping. In our neck of the woods we see regular Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) movements spreading adhesion modifier; a mixture of suspension gel (so it can be pumped), sand (to help train wheels grip the rail), and steel or iron shot that is pushed through contamination (compressed leaves and debris).
Multi Purpose Vehicle No. DR98915 at Yeovil Junction – 25/10/2022 (Courtesy of Scott Lewis)An unidentified MPV crosses Holes Bay, Poole working 3S81 0551 Totton Yard to Totton Yard – 25/10/2022
On the 28th October 2021, Direct Rail Services Class 37 No.’s 37218 and 37558 (37424) ‘Avro Vulcan XH558′ (named after a preserved Vulcan bomber) could be found working RHTT 310X 0900 Stowmarket DGI to Stowmarket DGI. The pair are seen passing through Ipswich.Yoshi taking a well earned rest on the lattice footbridge which crosses over Tonbridge West Yard with an RHTT behind. The Southern Railway commissioned the yard in 1941 to help cope with heavy wartime freight traffic – 21/11/2021Class 73 No. 73141, 73109 ‘Battle of Britain – 80th Anniversary’ and an unidentified class member (possibly No. 73119 ‘Borough of Eastleigh’ if a certain kind reader could confirm please?) with Class 66 No. 66770 at Tonbridge West Yard – 21/11/2021From left to right; Class 66 No. 66731 ‘Capt. Tom Moore’, Class 69 No. 69001 ‘Mayflower’ and Class 66 No. 66722 ‘Sir Edward Watkin’ at Tonbridge West Yard – 22/11/2021
Video of Rail Head Treatment Trains at Tonbridge West Yard – 22/11/2021
Network Rail’s website reveals there are 32 MPV and 29 locomotive-hauled RHTT’s which deliver the autumn rail head treatment programme. At the weekend, I was tipped off that a Class 37 diesel loco had been hired in by Colas for the Swindon area locomotive hauled RHTT replacing a Class 66 (No. 66846 which required repairs).
On hire to colas for Rail Head Treatment Train (RHTT) workings, West Coast Rail Class 37 No. 37668 spent the weekend partnering Class 66 No. 66850 ‘David Maidment’ on Swindon based runs. The pair are seen nearing Bradford on Avon in the rain working 3S59 1554 Swindon Transfer Sidings to Moreton on Lugg – 23/10/2022
So on Sunday afternoon we found ourselves in Bradford on Avon clinking delicate bone china tea cups and enjoying lunch at The Bridge Tearooms, a former blacksmith’s cottage dating from 1502.
The Bridge Tea Rooms at Bradford on Avon does an excellent Welsh rarebit – 23/10/2022
After a walk taking in the ancient Tithe Barn and the Kennet & Avon Canal, I headed to Bradford on Avon railway station while Yoshi and his mum took shelter from the rain in a pub.
Bradford on Avon railway station exterior – 23/10/2022Bradford on Avon railway station plaque – 23/10/2022Bradford on Avon railway station platform 2 – 23/10/2022Bradford on Avon railway station platform 1 – 23/10/2022
Grade 2 listed Bradford on Avon station, originally planned by The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway, is situated 15 km south east of Bath between Avoncliff and Trowbridge and is a stop on Weymouth to Bristol services. In the event the station was not opened until 1857 when the line was in the control of The Great Western Railway
(GWR). The station is of a standard Brunel design but utilises local Bath stone rather than the usual bricks and mortar. Originally trains would have been of the seven-foot broad gauge variety, but the track was converted to standard gauge in 1874. Present day services are operated by Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western and no relation to the old GWR), South Western Railway having withdrawn their direct services to Bristol. Trains are typically operated using Class 165 and Class 166 Networker Turbo trains and Class 158 diesel multiple units. The line is sometimes used as a diversionary route and sees GWR main line and CrossCountry trains, usually at weekends.
The goods yard located on the ‘up’ side of the line was closed to traffic in 1965 and is now home to a car park and health centre. The signal box was demolished in 1966. There is a campaign to reinstate the canopy on the 1899 footbridge, removed in 1964, and which I would have found very useful during my visit in the rain! The Bradford on Avon Footbridge Canopy Project were awarded a £22,000 grant from the Community Rail Development Fund (CDRF) in September 2022.
Class 158 No. 158798 pauses at Bradford on Avon working 2C96 1640 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads. The canopy devoid footbridge can be seen above the rear of the train – 23/10/2022Class 166 No. 166204 ‘Norman Topsom MBE’ and Class 165 No. 165133 arrive at Bradford on Avon working 1F25 1526 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour which was terminated at Fratton due to an obstruction on the line – 23/10/2022Class 66 No. 66850 ‘David Maidment’ on the rear of 3S59 1554 Swindon Transfer Sidings to Moreton on Lugg RHTT passing Bradford on Avon – 23/10/2022
Video from Bradford on Avon – 23/10/2022
Our North Dorset Correspondent has been out and about in Yeovil over the last few days and has sent Yoshi the video and still images below:
First up are the GWR Sleeper trains crossing at Yeovil Pen Mill while on route diversion during the early hours of Monday 23rd October 2022. The up service 1A50 2115 Penzance to Paddington hauled by Class 57 No. 57602 ‘Restormel Castle’ was running just over an hour late and because of the single track to Castle Cary, was held at Yeovil Pen Mill to allow 57604 ‘Pendennis Castle’ on the down 1C50 2350 London Paddington to Penzance to enter the station. I have been muttering about heading to Yeovil to see the sleepers on diverts for a while now, and as far as I am aware, this is most likely the final opportunity for 2022, so many thanks to Scott for braving the inclement weather!
GWR Sleeper divers at Yeovil Pen Mill 24/10/2022 – courtesy of Scott Lewis
The following day, Scott was back in Yeovil, this time at Yeovil Junction as Colas Class 37 No. 37099 arrived from Exeter Riverside and was engaged in shunting two damaged Network Rail test train coaches into position for recovery by low loader. After loading, there was a problem with one of the escort vehicles so the departure by road was delayed.
Class 37 No. 37099 and Network Rail MK2 coaches at Yeovil Pen Mill – 25/10/2022 (with grateful thanks to Scott Lewis)
Monday 24th October 2022 also saw the regular Class 73 hauled test train visit the Bournemouth to Weymouth line with GBRf Class 73 electro-diesel locomotives No. 73961 ‘Alison’ and 73963 ‘Janice’ top and tailing 1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard and we popped into Hamworthy station to see it and have a good old bark as it passed by on its outward run.
1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard passing Hamworthy – 24/10/2022
Thanks for reading and as always, many thanks for your comments, observations and corrections. We’ll leave you with some video footage from the archive of ‘Flying Scotsman’ when she visited the Swanage Railway in 1994:
‘Flying Scotsman’ at Swanage 1994
Endpiece:
LNER Gresley A3 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ approaches Harmans Cross with her last turn of the day on Tuesday 25th October 2022
Wednesday October 12th to Tuesday October 18th2022
‘Flying Scotsman’, perhaps the most famous steam locomotive ever, kicked off a year of events to celebrate 100 years since she first emerged from Doncaster Works in February 1923. Costing £7,944 and originally numbered 1472 she was the first locomotive built for the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and in 1924 was chosen to be exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in London which aimed to celebrate the British Empire and its economic achievements and potential. It was at this time the locomotive was renumbered to 4472 and given the name ‘Flying Scotsman’ in honour of the prestigious daily 1000am London to Edinburgh passenger service. In 2022, now in British Railways livery and numbered 60103, ‘Flying Scotsman’ spent the weekend of 15th/ 16th October in light steam at the buffer stops of Kings Cross platform 8 allowing visitors to view this icon. The event also tied in with the 170th Anniversary of the opening of Kings Cross station in 1852.
Visitors to the station over the weekend were also able to take part in associated activities including a ‘Flying Scotsman’ driving simulator, where people could experience driving the engine out of The Cross, screens to watch live footage of ‘Flying Scotsman’ from the concourse and regular recorded announcements from Michael Portillo.
Kings Cross railway station exterior – 15/10/2022Blue plaque, Kings Cross – 15/10/2022Hornby Railways stand at Kings Cross. Hornby is lead sponsor of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ Centenary events. The steel structure engineered by Arup forming the roof seen in this image was added as part of a refurbishment programme completed in 2012 which included a new semi-circular departures concourse has been described as being “like some kind of reverse waterfall, a white steel grid that swoops up from the ground and cascades over your head” – 15/10/2022Hornby’s Marketing and Product Development Director, Simon Kohler – 15/10/2022The entrance to Platform 8 at Kings Cross – 15/10/2022‘Flying Scotsman’ Souvenir Platform Ticket LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ sits at Kings Cross platform 8 – 15/10/2022‘Flying Scotsman’ name plate LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ sits at Kings Cross platform 8 as a modern day LNER Azuma arrives at platform 10 – 15/10/2022The Gresley A3’s and A4’s gave way to diesel traction. Class 43 HST power car No. 43059 alongside Class 55 “Deltic” No. 55015 ‘Tulyar’ at Kings Cross – 18/10/1981Class 91 No. 91127 at the head of 1D19 1503 Kings Cross to Leeds – 15/10/2022LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ sits at Kings Cross platform 8 – 15/10/2022
For my Saturday October 25th visit to see No. 60103 at Kings Cross, Yoshi stayed at home with his mum as we thought things might be a little too crowded for our boy. For my part, it was great to be reacquainted with ‘Flying Scotsman’ once again and to hear her whistle echo around Kings Cross. Also a great joy was to witness the faces of passengers arriving at the station and unexpectedly coming across the peoples’ locomotive. It seems that everyone loves a steam engine, and none more so than Sir Nigel Gresley’s most famous A3.
Brief video of ‘Flying Scotsman’ at the buffer stops of platform 8 of London Kings Cross – 15/10/2022
Purchased by Alan Peglar from regular British Railways service for £3,000 in 1963 after covering 2,076,000 miles, ‘Flying Scotsman’ was later under the custodianship of Sir William McAlpine and then Tony Marchington before, in 2004, a campaign spearheaded by the National Railway Museum (NRM) to save the locomotive for the nation was supported by thousands of members of the public, confirming its status as a national treasure. A ten year £4.2 million restoration project funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and public donations followed.
There will be a calendar of mainline UK rail tours involving No. 60103 across the the next year. ‘Flying Scotsman’ is extremely well travelled as in addition to hauling enthusiast specials across England, Scotland and Wales, between 1969 and 1973 the locomotive toured extensively in the United States and Canada and from 1988 to 1989 she visited Australia where she set a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive of 422 miles on 8 August 1989. ‘Flying Scotsman’ actually set two world records for steam traction being the first steam locomotive to be officially recorded at reaching 100mph which happened on 30 November 1934.
The next of the planned Centenary events takes place on Yoshi’s doorstep as ‘Flying Scotsman’ visits the Swanage Railway for a three week visit until November 7th 2022. No. 60103 is on display at Swanage railway station for pre-booked visits to her footplate on 20th and 21st October 2022 as well as every day between 27th October to 6th November inclusive. ‘Flying Scotsman’ will be hauling passenger trains between Swanage and Norden from 22nd October to 26th October.
Making her way to the Isle of Purbeck, No. 60103 passed through East Dorset and we popped out to see her working tender first as she crossed the Holes Bay Causeway near Poole on the morning of 18th October 2022.
LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ having traversed Creekmoor Viaduct on the Holes Bay causeway working 5Z74 0452 Southall WCR to Swanage – 18/10/2022LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ crossing Upton Viaduct on the Holes Bay causeway working 5Z74 0452 Southall WCR to Swanage – 18/10/2022LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ nears Hamworthy after crossing Upton Viaduct on the Holes Bay causeway working 5Z74 0452 Southall WCR to Swanage – 18/10/2022
Video of LNER Gresley A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ crossing the Holes Bay causeway working 5Z74 0452 Southall WCR to Swanage – 18/10/2022
Another reason for my visit to London on Saturday was the opportunity to view the former Victorian St Pancras railway station water tower which was the subject of an open day. The water tower was built in 1872 and sat on the eastern side of St Pancras providing refreshment for steam locomotives using the station.
The St Pancras water tower was designed by the office of Sir George Gilbert Scott and features elaborate brickwork detailing around the edges of the overhang that supported the water tank – 15/10/2022
The water tower was nearly demolished as part of the 2001 Channel Tunnel rail link development at St Pancras. Thankfully a solution was sought to retain the building, and although now moved slightly from its original location, the water tower survives on land owned by the St Pancras Cruising Club. It was not an easy task relocating the structure as it was discovered that dismantling it brick by brick would be impossible given the hardness of the original mortar used in its construction. So instead, the tower was cut in half horizontally and moved in two pieces, the operation being completed by 2005.
Once I’d managed to find the entrance, which was gained by crossing canal lock gates, the tower’s elevated location and low lying surroundings contributed to stunning views across St Pancras and the Regent’s Canal.
Two SouthEastern Class 395 Javelin EMU’s, with No. 395011 ‘Katherine Grainger’ leading, form the 1F38 1425 St Pancras International to Rochester service – 15/10/2022Class 373/1 Eurostar set No. 373007 9031 1313 Paris Nord to St Pancras International on the approach to the London terminus – 15/10/2022The St Pancras water tower serves as a back drop to the Regent’s Canal – 15/10/2022
Trains viewed from the St. Pancras water tower – 15/10/2022
St Pancras railway station was designed by Midland Railway engineer William Barlow and his masterpiece train shed roof was built to span five tracks in one single arc with its cross ties buried under the floor in the form of horizontal girders. At 74 metres this was once the largest span in the world. Not content with this, the company turned to Sir George Gilbert Scott to design a hotel which would be the most luxurious on the planet. Scott’s building has an entrance wing facing Euston Road with a curved quadrant forecourt to reach Barlow’s existing entrance ramps to the station. The Midland Grand hotel closed in 1935 and was then used as office space.
The interior of St Pancras International with Eurostar trains in evidence – 21/06/2014
In the 1960’s British Railways driven by modernisation wanted to sweep it all away and concentrate rail services into neighbouring Kings Cross. However, unlike the corporate vandalism bestowed on London Euston, St Pancras had a flurry of supporters determined to save the building led by Sir John Betjeman and the newly formed Victorian Society. In 1967 the British Government acquiesced and St Pancras gained Grade I listed status and was saved the fate of the wrecking ball. Despite continued future use as BR offices and dormitories for rail staff the building fell into disrepair and was shut down in the 1980’s after failing fire safety checks. At a cost of £10 million, the exterior was restored and made structurally sound. But it was not until 2004 that planning permission was given for the building to be redeveloped into a new hotel.
Statue of Sir John Betjeman who led a campaign to save St Pancras Station from demolition in the 1960’s. In tribute to the famous poet and railway enthusiast a 2.10 metre high sculpture by Martin Jennings was unveiled in 2007 to celebrate the man and his poetry – 21/06/2014
The main public rooms of the former Midland Grand Hotel were restored, along with some of the bedrooms. The former driveway for taxis entering St Pancras station which passed under the main tower of the building was converted into a hotel lobby and a new wing constructed on the western side of the Barlow train shed. Although open to guests in March 2011, the formal Grand Opening of The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel was held on the 5th May the same year, 138 years to the day after the original hotel opened in 1873. St Pancras is, without doubt, my favourite building in London. One day I’ll have breakfast at the hotel, or stay a night – maybe even both.
St Pancras railway station and The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel viewed from Euston Road – 15/10/2022 St Pancras railway station and The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel – 21/06/2014“The Meeting Place” is a 9 metre high, 20 tonne bronze sculpture that stands at the south end of the upper level of St Pancras. Designed by the British artist Paul Day and unveiled in 2007, it is intended to evoke the romance of travel through the depiction of a couple locked in an embrace – 21/06/2014Class 45 No. 45112 and an unidentified classmate at St Pancras circa 1977Class 47 No. 47484 ‘Isambard Kingdom Brunel’ awaits departure at St Pancras – 11/07/1981Class 45 No.’s 45149 and 45117 at the buffer stops of St Pancras – 11/07/1981
Staying with buildings connected to Sir George Gilbert Scott, Grade II Battersea Power Station re-opened on 14th October, so as I was in London and hoping to find an inflatable pig tethered above it, I thought it would be remiss of me not to stick my nose in and see what had been done to the place. The construction is actually two near-identical power stations built to form a single structure balanced by four chimneys, one in each corner of the plan. Designed by a team of architects and engineers, and allowing me to seamlessly segue from railway water towers to power stations, the third son of Sir George; Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, was brought onboard in 1930 by the London Power Company as consulting architect. Working with the buildings designer and the company chief engineer, Leonard Pearce (not to be confused with Lennard Pearce who played Grandad in BBC sitcom “Only Fools and Horses”), Scott’s role was to enhance the external appearance of the structure. He remodelled the four corner chimneys so they mimicked classical columns and added detailing to the vast brick walls.
Battersea Power Station was originally opened in 1933, but has been disused since 1982. It was always one of the buildings I would look out for on rail journeys into London Waterloo, but is now obscured by modern buildings. At the time of its opening, The Observer newspaper called it “one of the finest sights in London” and I, for one, am happy it survived the intervening years which saw numerous unfulfilled proposals put forward for its regeneration. From theme parks to football stadiums, what we have ended up with on the site is a shopping centre, offices (soon to accommodate Apple’s London HQ) and homes occupying the building which was once dubbed “The Cathedral of Power” at the cost of £9 billion. 1,600 luxury flats have been built with a further 2,400 planned. Despite its size and six million bricks, I felt the former Power Station was somewhat lost amongst these new developments which have sprung up around it.
The London Underground’s Northern Line was extended, branching off at Kennington, with two new stations; Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station opening on 20th September 2021. The construction cost £1.1 billion and the extension is 3 kilometres long.
A Northern Line train awaits departure from platform 2 at Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022Battersea Power Station roundel – 15/10/2022Exterior of Battersea Power Station tube – 15/10/2022Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022
Not everything is open yet or accessible, such as the lift in one of the chimneys which promises aerial views of London, and Control Room A which will be used as an event space by invitation only. You can, however, visit Control Room B which is now a bar of the same name where staff wear white boiler suits and punters sit alongside switches and dials which technicians once used to control one fifth of the capital’s electricity. There was a queue of people waiting for seats when I passed by. On a future visit, I will definitely be checking out chef Gordon Ramsey’s bottomless pizzas at “Gordon Ramsey Street Pizza”. Unfortunately my visit of the exterior area was curtailed because of rain, so my intention of checking out the view of the railway originating from London Victoria across Grosvenor Bridge will have to wait until next time.
Shopping centre West Entrance to Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022Battersea Power Station from alongside the River Thames – 15/10/2022North Entrance Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022Interior Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022Control Room B, Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022Control Room B, Battersea Power Station – 15/10/2022
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott has a Dorset connection having designed the Church of the Annunciation, a Roman Catholic Church in Bournemouth. But this isn’t a blog about churches. Or power stations for that matter. And anyway, Bournemouth was in Hampshire in 1905.
Returning to my recent London adventure, I did however set Battersea Power Station in my sights later in the day when on my way home, I alighted from my Victoria Line tube train to see Belmond Trains “Brighton Belle” British Pullman rail tour arrive at London Victoria.
Platinum Jubilee liveried DB Class 67 No. 67007 working the return Brighton Belle 1Z91 Hove to London Victoria passes Grosvenor Road Carriage Sheds with the newly re-opened Battersea Power station as backdrop – 15/10/2022Light locomotive Class 67 No. 67024 in British Pullman livery working 0Y83 Stewarts Lane T&R.S.M.D to London Victoria – 15/10/2022Class 67 No. 67024 in British Pullman livery departing Victoria station with 5O82 London Victoria to Stewarts Lane T&R.S.M.D
Comings and goings at London Victoria vowed from Ebury Road bridge – 15/10/2022
Thank you for stopping by, Yoshi and I will be back next week for more ‘Flying Scotsman’ related tales. Until then, take care!
Yoshi takes a break while in Ropley on Handyside Bridge which could previously be found spanning platforms 1 to 8 at London Kings Cross. The Grade I listed structure was built in 1892 by Andrew Handyside & Company and was dismantled and reconstructed at Ropley over a period of 18 months. The bridge featured in films “The Thirty Nine Steps”, “Elizabethan Express” and the “Harry Potter” series.
Hello! On Saturday 8th October, Yoshi and I found ourselves enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the Mid Hants Railway, or The Watercress Line if you prefer, who were holding their Autumn Steam Gala. I hadn’t intended on staying long (honest!) but the weather was so good and there were lots of things to see and people to chat to, we remained at the railway until long after it was our scheduled time to be heading for home. As usual, Yoshi received lots of fuss from other visitors to the event and he had the occasional bark at a passing steam locomotive.
The Mid Hants is a lovely railway, but country line side photographic locations are few as local farmers actively discourage anyone encroaching on their land. I recall back in the 1990’s an enterprising land owner who charged 50p per head for photographers to use his field as a vantage point.
The gala was a final opportunity for visitors to see and ride behind Southern Railway Schools Class 4-4-0 No. 30925 ‘Cheltenham’ before her boiler certificate expiration. The engine is at the MHR courtesy of the National Railway Museum. The Schools class were the most powerful 4-4-0 type locomotives to operate in this country and were a very successful design, used for passenger and freight duties. They were named after famous public schools within the area then served by the Southern Railway, a publicity masterstroke given the popularity of train spotting with schoolboys at the time!
Southern Railway Schools Class 4-4-0 No. 30925 ‘Cheltenham’ runs non-stop through RopleyPeckett & Sons Works No 1788 Kilmersdon 0-4-0ST gave shunting demonstrations in Ropley yardLMS Ivatt No. 41312 running as No. 41294 departs Ropley. No. 41312 was built in May 1952 at Crewe locomotive works and spent its entire working career on the Southern region. Introduced in 1946, the class were nicknamed “Mickey Mouse” tanks due to the placing of route indicator discs either side of the smokebox that then looked like ears. In 1964 she moved to Bournemouth were she worked over the Swanage and Lymington branches. 41312 performed the last steam service on the Lymington branch in April 1967. The last 3 months of her career were spent at Nine Elms acting as a station shunter for Waterloo. She was finally withdrawn from service on the 3rd July 1967.No. 53808 working a demonstration freight which included an opportunity for visitors to ride in the brake vansSomerset & Dorset Joint Railway 7F 2-8-0 No. 53808spent much of its working life as a local goods train. She was built in 1925 at the Darlington locomotive works of Robert Stephenson & Co. and is one of only two that survive from the original 11 constructed. The 2-8-0 spent the whole of its life based at one shed, Bath (Green Park). It mainly worked local goods trains between Bath and Evercreech Junction, which involved a stiff climb over the Mendip Hills in both directions, although in the post-war period it was also used to haul some of the many Summer Saturday holiday trains to and from the North, working between Bath and Bournemouth.
Unfortunately, No. 53808 had to be stopped for investigation and repair on the Saturday, and was substituted by Brush diesel electric locomotive Class 47 No. 47579 ‘James Nightall GC’, which to be fair was welcomed enthusiastically by many of the visiting enthusiasts despite the emphasis on the steam in “steam gala”.
Class 47 No. 47579 arriving at Ropley. The locomotive was named ‘James Nightall GC’ on 28th September 1981 to remember the brave actions of 22 year old Fireman James Nighthall, who was killed on 2nd June 1944 whilst splitting a burning ammunition train at Soham in Cambridgeshire. Having split the burning wagon from the rest of the train, they made a run for open countryside, but the wagons contents exploded as it passed through the station leaving a massive crater where the station had been and damaging some 800 houses in the town. James Nightall’s actions along with his Driver, Benjamin Gimbert, saved a far greater disaster, and as a result they were two of the very few railwaymen to be awarded the George Cross for their bravery. Sadly the Signalman at Soham, Frank Bridges, was also killed that night whilst assisting Gimbert and Nightall. He is remembered by a brass plaque on the Signalbox at Alresford. No. 506 takes turn on the freight consistLondon & South Western Railway Urie S15 4-6-0 No. 506, designed by Robert Urie for the London & South Western Railway purely as a fast freight engine, working the heavy night express goods trains between Exeter and Nine Elms, and from Southampton to Nine Elms. Built at Eastleigh Works No. 506 was completed in October 1920, and delivered to Nine Elms shed in Battersea.BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 No. 76017 – formerly based at Eastleigh Shed where she performed on freight, semi fast or all stopping turns to Southampton and Bournemouth. Nicknamed ‘Moguls’, these locomotives were based on an earlier Ivatt LMS design known as ‘flying pigs’. Over 115 of the Standard 4 Moguls were built between 1952 and 1957 at Horwich and Doncaster locomotive works.Class 20 No.’s D8059 (20059) & D8188 (20188) in the sidings at Ropley
Video of our visit to the MHR Autumn Steam Gala 2022
The Mid Hants line was originally promoted as the “Alton, Alresford & Winchester Railway” receiving its Act of Parliament in 1861. The first chairman of the railway was Edward Knight of Chawton, nephew of author Jane Austen. The line was intended to connect the existing lines at Alton and Winchester providing an alternative route between London and Southampton. A further Act in 1864 renamed the company the “Mid-Hants Railway” and the line opened in October 1865 with train services operated from the start by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). In 1880 the LSWR took a 999 year lease of the line and in 1884 purchased it outright. The line passed to the Southern Railway in 1923 and to British Railways Southern Region in 1948.
The Mid-Hants was extensively used as a diversionary route during electrification work on the London to Southampton main line in the 1960’s. Goods traffic ceased in June 1964 and the local passenger service became increasingly run down so much so that in December 1967 closure notices were published. Despite a major local campaign to save the line it eventually closed in February 1973.
The section between Alresford and Alton was subsequently purchased from British Rail by the Watercress Line with steam trains running once again from Alresford to Ropley on 30th April 1977. Services were extended to Medstead & Four Marks in May 1983 and to Alton in May 1985.
Over the weekend of 5th/6th February 1994 the Mid Hants Railway held a special event to celebrate 21 years since the line closed under BR. Our video from the Sunday is below:
Mid Hants Railway celebrate 21 years on from closure in BR daysYoshi inspects the refreshed Poole Park Railway’s hired in locomotive
Local news this week centres on the Poole Park Railway which has been in the media because the company, Track Systems UK, contracted to build and supply the electric locomotive for the re-opened tourist attraction has sadly ceased trading. The Poole Park Railway returned on September 2nd 2022 although within days it suffered a derailment after stones were believed to have been placed on the track. Currently a hired in locomotive is being employed to haul the 32-person capacity, wheelchair accessible and dog friendly railway carriages. An official launch of the service is scheduled to take place at 10am on Saturday, October 15, when the Mayor of Poole, Cllr Tony Trent will officially declare the railway open.
Yoshi gets comfortable in one of the dog friendly carriages Yoshi enjoying the view from the train in Poole Park
South Western Railway’s Island Line Grade II listed Victorian station at Shanklin, which Yoshi gave his bark of approval when we visited in March of this year, has won the Small Station Of The Year award at the prestigious 2022 National Rail Awards.
Yoshi visited Shanklin station in March 2022
The ‘Railway Oscars’ are organised by RAIL Magazine to reward excellence and achievement in the industry. This year’s ceremony took place on Monday 10th October at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, hosted by BBC presenter Huw Edwards and RAIL Magazine’s Managing Editor Nigel Harris. Congratulations to everyone involved at Shanklin.
You Tube Channel Of The Week: If you need more railway video action from the south, check out Jamie Smith’s most excellent Going Loco You Tube Channel which has some fabulous sequences from the Mid Hants, Swanage and other heritage lines as well as archive footage from the 90’s.
Many thanks to the Watercress Line webpage for facts and information about the locomotives engaged in their Autumn Steam Gala and to you, Dear Reader, for taking the time to visit The Railway Dog blog this week. We’ll be back in around seven days and we hope you’ll join us again.
