The Railway Dog

Category: Swanage Railway

  • Yoshi Sees Green

    The sun sets on the final CrossCountry scheduled HST passenger service with Class 43 No. 43008 leading 1E73 1627 Plymouth to Leeds (No. 43007 was at the rear) on the approach to Foal Mead Viaduct – 18/09/2023

    September 13th 2023 to September 19th 2023

    Wednesday 13th September 2023 saw what I believe to be the final steam hauled excursion of the year to pass through our neck of the woods. Once again LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 46995 ‘Bahamas’ headed a Railway Touring Company railtour, this time travelling from London Victoria through to the heritage Swanage Railway. We saw the outward bound leg as the train passed Poole Storage Sidings. As yet, there are no facilities to turn a steam locomotive on the Swanage Railway and on the return the tour was diesel hauled as far as Southampton Central by West Coast Railways Class 47 No. 47746  ‘Chris Fudge’. The loco was named after Chris Fudge who passed away following a long battle with a brain tumour in 2010. Chris garnered an interest in trains from an early age and went on to work for the railways, his final role being a timetable planning manager for Arriva trains. 

    LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 ‘Bahamas’ works “The Swanage Belle” 1Z91 0815 London Victoria to Swanage out of Poole – 13/09/2023
    LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 ‘Bahamas’ heading 1Z91 0815 London Victoria to Swanage passes South Western Railway Class 444 EMU No. 444001 at Poole Storage Sidings – 13/09/2023

    We watched the late afternoon return at Hamworthy (and still home for dinner!) 

    West Coast Railways Class 47 No. 47746  ‘Chris Fudge’ works the return “Swanage Belle” 1Z92 1555 Swanage to London Victoria on the approach to Hamworthy – 13/09/2023
    LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 ‘Bahamas’ at the rear of 1Z92 1555 Swanage to London Victoria passes through Hamworthy – 13/09/2023
    LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 ‘Bahamas’ on “The Swanage Belle” – 13/09/2023

    Wednesday night, I set out for Poole as the second Permanent Way (PW) train of the week was timetabled to pass through the station just after midnight and reverse at Poole Storage Sidings to drop lengths of new rail at Parkstone in readiness for engineering work over the weekends of 16/17th and 23/24th September. The earlier run, reported on in last weeks blog entry, was operated by DB Cargo whereas the Thursday run was in the hands of Colas Rail who sent Class 66 No.’s 66847 ‘Terry Baker’ and 66850 working as 6C17 2240 Eastleigh East Yard to Parkstone (Dorset). Unlike previously, the engineers train did not stop as booked in Poole station and I had to be content with taking photographs of South Western Railway Desiro’s. The associated return working of the PW train ran as 6C17 0507 Bournemouth to Eastleigh East Yard when I was tucked up in bed!

    Class 450 No. 450084 at Poole having arrived with the 2B73 2316 Brockenhurst to Poole service – 13/09/2023
    Colas Class 66 No.’s 66847 ‘Terry Baker’ and 66850 working 6C17 2240 Eastleigh East Yard to Parkstone (Dorset)- 14/09/2023

    On Friday we took the opportunity provided by Heritage Open Days to visit Morgan Carey Architects in Wareham who restored the former Goods Shed for use as their offices.  Originally constructed in red brick with a hipped slate roof in circa 1847 for the Southampton and Dorchester Railway, Morgan Carey have completed a stunning and sensitive restoration using as much original materials as possible. We very much enjoyed our visit and thanks to Mark for showing us around.

    The former Goods Shed at Wareham – 15/09/2023
    A length of track marks the course of the rail line into the former Goods Shed at Wareham which is now the entrance to Morgan Carey Architects – 15/09/2023
    The new roof of the former Goods Shed in Wareham, the original roof having been destroyed by fire prior to the conversion work – 15/09/2023
    Rear of the former Goods Shed at Wareham showing what would have been access to the platform level – 15/09/2023

    As mentioned above, the past weekend saw a number of engineering trains visit the Poole area as work necessitated the closure of the railway line between Bournemouth and Wareham. Buses ran between these two points, connecting passengers with trains running a revised service for onward journeys. Yoshi and I spent most of Saturday shuttling between Christchurch and Hamworthy in our attempts to see and document the work as a section of the down line west of Branksome was relayed. Track lifting started at a point near milepost 111 and extended under St. Osmunds and Sandecotes Road bridges down Parkstone Bank towards the station. The somewhat heavy rain on Sunday morning curtailed our observations and we refrained from going out to see the return workings of the engineers trains. Maybe we’ll do that next Sunday! I hope the following images capture a flavour of the activities being carried out.

    GBRf Class 66 No. 66796 ‘The Green Progressor’ arrives at Bournemouth working 6G13 0709 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth – 16/09/2023
    Colas Rail DR73931 Track Maintenance Tamper in the siding at Bournemouth – 16/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66176 at Christchurch at the head of 6N01 0809 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth – 16/09/2023
    GBRf Class 66 No. 66707 ‘Sir Sam Fay Great Central Railway’ west of Branksome railway station – 16/09/2023
    Yoshi was pleased to tick off seeing GBRf Class 66 No. 66796 ‘The Green Progressor’ at Branksome – 16/09/2023
    Colas Class 66 No.66847 ‘Terry Baker’ passes through Poole with a train load of lifted track panels – 16/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66200 6N02 1048 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth – 16/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66200 in the distance with its train of new ballast at the Parkstone worksite as work continues – 16/09/2023
    GBRf Class 66 No. 66707 ‘Sir Sam Fay Great Central Railway’ at Parkstone prior to running down through Poole and spending the night near Hamworthy – 16/09/2023
    6C04 1348 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth hauled by Colas Rail 66849 ‘Wylam Dilly’ passing Pokesdown – 16/09/2023
    With a train of wagons being filled with old ballast, DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66176 at the western extreme of the worksite – 16/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66176 on Parkstone Bank – 16/09/2023
    Colas Class 70 No. 70803 speeds through Christchurch at the head of 6C05 1653 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth – 16/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66007 having worked 6N03 2154 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth – 17/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66199 at Branksome with a train of fresh ballast – 17/09/2023
    Another view of DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66199 at Branksome – 17/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66007 at the work site – 17/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66106 on Parkstone bank – 17/09/2023
    Colas Class 70 No. 70803 adjacent to Poole Storage Sidings in heavy rain. Plastic tents can be seen covering point work beyond where work was being carried out – 17/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66199 and Colas Rail DR73931 Tamper at Parkstone – 17/09/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66007 stands in Poole station – 17/09/2023
    Colas Rail Class 70 No. 70803 seen from Sterte Road Bridge – 17/09/2023

    For the record, the incoming Permanent Way trains began to leave Eastleigh East Yard late on Friday 15th September with the majority arriving in Dorset on the Saturday.

    As each train fulfilled its need, collecting old track panels, empty wagons for the collection of old ballast or wagons full of new stone, most then passed through Poole and were stacked across Holes Bay awaiting their return to Eastleigh which commenced on Sunday evening. 

    Trains were stacked across the Holes Bay causeway while not in use. An early morning view of Colas Class 66 No. 66849 ‘Wylam Dilly’ and DB Cargo No. 66200- 17/09/2023
    The view across Holes Bay – 17/09/2023
    GBRf Class 66 No. 66707 ‘Sir Sam Fay Great Central Railway’ seen amidst the trees of Upton Park – 17/09/2023
    Colas Class 66 No.66847 ‘Terry Baker’ sits above Blandford Road, Hamworthy – 17/09/2023

    The workings and the associated motive power were:

    6C03 2355 Eastleigh East Yard to Branksome – Colas Rail No. 66847 ‘Terry Baker’

    6G12 0315 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth – GB Railfreight No. 66707 ‘Sir Sam Fay Great Central Railway’

    6G13 0709 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth  GB Railfreight No. 66796 ‘The Green Progressor’

    6N01 0809 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth  DB Cargo No. 66176

    6N02 1048 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth  DB Cargo No. 66200

    6C04 1348 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth  Colas Rail No. 66849 ‘Wylam Dilly’

    6C05 1653 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth  Colas Rail No. 70803

    6N03 2154 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth  DB Cargo No. 66007

    6N04 2352 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth  DB Cargo No.’s 66199 and 66106

    Video of Dorset Permanent Way trains over the weekend of 16/17th September 2023

    As an aside, North Dorset also saw engineering work take place on Sunday 17 September 2023 when the West of England main line was closed between Templecombe and Gillingham. As far as I’m aware there were no PW trains allocated to this work.

    Monday 18th September 2023 saw the final chapter for CrossCountry HST’s in use for scheduled passenger trains across the UK network. I was in two minds if to head out and see the last working heading from Plymouth to Leeds as the weather wasn’t particularly good on the day. However, with a few hours respite from the rain forecast and the XC trains on divert via Castle Cary and Westbury because of engineering work in the Worle area, I set off towards Langport as I was hopeful of photographing the train at Foal Mead Viaduct. Located just outside the small town of Langport, the structure consists of two half through girder spans, a truss span and two masonry arch spans. It’s a lovely spot where the main line between Cogload Junction and Castle Cary crosses the River Parrett and I was inspired to seek the location out after seeing recent photos taken by Robin Procter.

    To find out about the recent renovation work on the viaduct carried out by Taziker and the challenges this presented, look here.

    InterCity Swallow liveried CrossCountry HST Class 43 power car No. 43008 leading 1E73 1627 Plymouth to Leeds crossing Foal Mead Viaduct – 18/09/2023
    The final full length timetabled HST CrossCountry working crosses the River Parrett. The iron lattice girder railway bridge built in 1853, was recently totally refurbished as part of a major works to re-stabilise the earth embankment close to its approaches – 18/09/2023
    CrossCountry HST Class 43 power car No. 43007 in retro British Rail livery at the rear of 1E73 1627 Plymouth to Leeds crossing Foal Mead Viaduct, also know as Langport Viaduct or Pool Mead Viaduct, constructed 1900-1906 in RBE brick with 10 spans – 18/09/2023

    Two tours are planned to celebrate the XC farewell to the HST, the first being a public tour between Leeds, Swanage and Bournemouth on the 26th September, followed by a staff jolly between Plymouth and Blackpool North on the 29th.

    A Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) running a rail head treatment working ran from Totton Yard to Swanage on Monday 18th September 2023. I wasn’t able to go and see the Network rail machine on heritage rails, but with the magic of the Swanage Railway webcam, I was able to watch some of its activities.

    Network Rail MPV DB98920 + DB98970 arrives at Corfe Castle as 6Z21 0935 Totton Yard to Swanage – 18/09/2023
    Rail Head Treatment Train Network Rail MPV DB98920 + DB98970 6Z21 0935 Totton Yard to Swanage passes Class 33 No. 33111 at Swanage – 18/09/2023

    Hamworthy Branch Update: Along with the already reported Network Rail work for a bridge inspection which sees the closure of Lake Road from its junctions with Normandy Way/Lake Drive to its junction with Coles Avenue on 21st November 2023 at 2100 until 0500 the following morning,  there is a further planned closure in January 2024. This time the road will be closed for what are described as “Works for Rail Purposes” from 2200 on the 8th January 2024 until 0600 on the 12th January 2024.

    We asked Network Rail for an update on the Hamworthy Branch and they responded: “we are still looking to acquire funding for the Poole Harbour Port works to provide the infrastructure for freight traffic to start, this traffic being largely aggregates traffic. Over the last 6 months or so, the branch line has been put in a state of readiness by our  maintenance teams, this is an ongoing process and includes the bridge inspections that you have referred to.

    We remain hopeful we will see freight traffic return to Poole via the Hamworthy Branch and would predict 2025 for this if everything falls into place although this as you can imagine is always subject to change.”

    Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council are reviewing its strategic transport priorities and welcome our input. Recommendations for potential transport improvement schemes have been grouped into five clusters and relate to locations within the BCP Boundary, including local railway stations, Poole Port Expansion and the reopening of the Hamworthy Branch along with two further clusters with wider scope where one of these includes the South West Main Line.

    For more information go here.

    Thanks for reading. It was good to meet up with fellow enthusiasts at the weekend as we all took the opportunity to watch the toing and froing of the engineering works. Be seeing you!

  • Yoshi visits Burnham On Sea

    Swanage resident Class 33 No. 33111 tows Adams T3 4-4-0 No. 563 from Norden to Swanage – 30/08/2023

    August 30th 2023 to September 5th 2023

    Wednesday August 30th was a busy day for local rail activity in our part of Dorset with a Class 458/5 unit drag scheduled from Bournemouth depot and the return of a Victorian era “Top Link” engine in the form of London & South Western Railway (LSWR) Adams T3 4-4-0 No. 563 to the Swanage Railway following her six year overhaul. And with both these things scheduled to happen 17 miles apart at relatively the same time it was time for a plan! 

    It was my intention to pop over to Branksome railway station around half four to see the arrival of GBRf Class 57 No. 57305 and Class 47 No. 47749 ‘City Of Truro’ arriving with barrier wagons working 5Z72 1548 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D in preparation for another Class 458/5 electric multiple unit move to Widnes Transport Tech where the units are being modified and refurbished for future use by South Western Railway (SWR). Following this, it would be a half hour drive to Norden where T3 No. 563 would be waiting to be towed down to Swanage. Once again, Jamie very kindly provided transport and good company with Yoshi sitting this adventure out at home. 

    On arrival at Branksome we followed the progress of 5Z72 via Real Time Trains (RTT) and Open Train Times (OTT) which showed the train getting progressively later. This meant that is was likely to arrive at platform 2 the same time as a passenger service was scheduled on platform 1. So careful consideration had to be made in order for the GBRf working to not be blocked from view if I opted for the wrong platform from which to see the train. I played it safe and wandered off to the London end of platform 2 in time to see the Class 57 round the corner just as the service train crept up behind me on the adjacent track. I wasn’t to be so lucky on the return working however! 

    GBRf Class 57 No. 57305 climbs into Branksome working 5Z72 1548 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth T&RSMD – 30/08/2023

    It’s been approximately 20 years since the most recent Class 57 conversions from Class 47’s were out-shopped by Brush Traction at Loughborough and 32 of the 33 rebuilds during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s are still in existence following the scrapping of No. 57004 in July 2023, this being the first and to date, only Class 57 to be broken up.

    GBRf Class 47 No. 47749 ‘City of Truro’ awaits permission to reverse 5Z72 1548 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth T&RSMD into the depot – 30/08/2023

    Cameras safely stowed away we drove off through Poole and Wareham, where we were stuck behind slow moving motorhomes and bus services. Narrowly avoiding being further delayed by a herd of cows crossing the road at Stoborough, we arrived at Norden well before Class 33 No. 33111 arrived from Swanage towing a brake van to collect No. 563. The Victorian 4-4-0 looked amazing, even from a distance, as we observed the locomotive from the road bridge looking across to Arne Road siding. The final Diesel Multiple Unit service of the day from Wareham to Corfe castle was waiting clearance at the road crossing into Norden station and once this had passed through the area, we didn’t have too long to wait until the Crompton arrived. In fact the whole operation of reversing into the siding and coupling up to the T3 was done ahead of the proposed timings and once the consist pulled away we moved on to our next vantage point. We had plenty of time as it was planned for the diesel locomotive to run around the T3 and brake van in Norden station so the Class 33 was leading for the onward journey to Swanage. With top speed a sedate 15mph for the 33 and T3 pairing, we took a position overlooking the Grade II listed viaduct in the shadow of Corfe Castle. We didn’t know if we’d be in for a long wait as things were, at that time, around an hour ahead of schedule. As luck would have it, we didn’t have long before the locomotives came into view. 

    Looking stunning in her restored Drummond passenger green livery, Adams T9 4-4-0 No. 563 has been reunited with her tender and awaits the arrival of the train to tow her to Swanage – 30/08/2023
    Class 33 No. 33111 slowly draws T3 No. 563 slowly out of Arne Road Siding – 30/08/2023
    Adams T9 4-4-0 No. 563 being moved from Norden to Swanage – 30/08/2023
    Adams T9 4-4-0 No. 563 is towed across the Grade II listed viaduct at Corfe Castle by Class 33 No. 33111 – 30/08/2023

    T3 No.563 was completed in March 1893 and was allocated new to Nine Elms shed, with moves to Guildford and Eastleigh over the following years.  After an overhaul in 1935, she was transferred to Salisbury where she was looked after by shed staff, performing as station pilot or working slow trains to Bournemouth until being reallocated to Eastleigh in February 1938. She was withdrawn in March 1939 following her failure whilst working a Fawley goods train. However, with the onset of World War II she was reinstated into traffic being allocated to both Basingstoke and Eastleigh before being withdrawn again in 1945 following cessation of hostilities in Europe. She was resurrected yet again three years later in 1948 as an exhibit at London Waterloo’s centenary celebrations where she represented the LSWR. There then followed periods of storage in the electric carriage shed at Farnham, and at Tweedmouth before being restored at Eastleigh prior to moving to the Clapham transport museum in 1961 as part of the National Collection. From 1975, she was subsequently displayed at York and Shildon and took part in theatre productions of “The Railway Children” in London and Toronto before being disposed of by the National Railway Museum in 2017, when following a series of negotiations it was agreed to transfer ownership of No. 563 to the Swanage Railway Trust.

    No. 563 has been extensively restored at the Flour Mill near Lydney in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire with the tender being restored separately at Herston Works, Swanage.  Restoration started in November 2017, at the cost of £650,000. Having passed her boiler exam in July 2023 and moving under her own power for the first time in 75 years, No. 563 was transported by road to Purbeck arriving early morning on Wednesday August 30th.  Resplendent in lined-out 1890’s Drummond passenger green livery, the T3 was reunited with her tender prior to making the journey by rail from Arne Road Siding at Norden in the company of “Crompton” Class 33 No. 33111. She will undergo inspections and testing prior to entering operational service. Unfortunately while the locomotive was being moved at low speed to Swanage, both coupling rods started to run warm. Before testing can resume, precautionary checks will be required and the re-machining of the coupling rods bushes. Commissioning work will continue at Herston while this is being done.  It is hoped that No. 563 will haul her first passenger train in 75 years on the Swanage Railway to mark the centenary of the Southern Railway and the 185th anniversary of the formation of the London and South Western Railway in 2023, but no date has yet been confirmed.

    No. 563 fills a gap in the Swanage Railway fleet as the class hauled trains from London to Swanage from the 1890’s through to the 1930’s and represents an image of what the railways would have been like during the industrial and social development of Dorset during the 19th Century. 

    Adams T3 4-4-0 No. 563, Swanage Railway – 30/08/2023

    As things had happened smoothly and well ahead of schedule, following a quick consult of Google Maps, we decided we had enough time to head back to Branksome and see the Class 458/5 drag departing Bournemouth depot. On our return to Branksome, we checked RTT and OTT once again, but it was to be a good 17 minutes after the allotted time that Class 57 No. 57305 rolled back into the station working as 5Q72 1926 Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D to Wembley Receptions 1-7. Although diagrammed to reverse at platform 2, the train in fact arrived on platform 1. Again decisions had to be made on where to stand in order to get a shot of the GBRf locos and SWR EMU. All went well until departure time when, having returned to the London end of platform 2, a Class 444 working a service train arrived just as the Class 47, now leading the train out, powered up and departed. You win some, you lose some! 

    GBRf Class 57 no. 57305 emerges from Bournemouth depot working 5Q72 1926 Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D to Wembley Receptions 1-7 – 30/08/2023
    Class 458/5 No. 458525, part of 5Q72 1926 Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D to Wembley Receptions 1-7, stands in the platform at Branksome on the way to Widnes Transport Tech for conversion and refurbishment – 30/08/2023
    Class 458 EMU move from Bournemouth T&RSMD – 30/08/2023

    On Sunday September 3rd, we took the opportunity to go and bark at some CrossCountry HST’s in Somerset. With only a few weeks remaining of scheduled XC High Speed Train workings we drove over to Highbridge and met up with @smithy.377 (check out his excellent Instagram account!).

    Once an important centre on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR) accommodating their locomotive works, Highbridge survives today as a top on the Bristol to Taunton Main Line operated by Great Western Railway (GWR). The original station opened on 14th June 1841, when the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) opened its broad gauge line to Bridgwater. The B&ER was later amalgamated into the Great Western Railway (GWR) on 1st January 1876.

    The Somerset Central Railway (later absorbed into the S&DJR) opened to Glastonbury on 28th August 1854 but was worked by the B&ER for the first few years as it was also originally built to Brunel’s broad gauge. Separate platforms were provided for each railway and a connection between the was two situated in the goods yard. The layout eventually consisted of two terminal platforms and two through platforms to service an extension line that continued via Highbridge Wharf (where most of the S&DJR goods traffic was also handled) and onwards to Burnham On Sea extending the line two or three miles westwards which opened on 3rd May 1858.

    To reach the extension, the S&DJR line crossed the B&ER main line on the level just north of the road bridge, by means of a special ‘diamond crossing’ over the main line and a gated level-crossing over the A38. The Burnham line was a key element in the original planning for the Somerset and Dorset line and was built with the expectation of picking up passengers from paddle-steamer ferries from South Wales and transporting them to the south coast of England with Burnham On Sea railway station, essentially a terminus, also including a through platform allowing services to travel on to a 900ft S&DJR built stone pier on the River Severn/River Parrett estuary from where the steamers would sail. Railway operations onto the pier ceased in 1888 although the pier continued in use for shipping until the 1950’s.

    Burnham On Sea effectively closed when regular passenger services were curtailed at Highbridge on 28th October 1951. Excursion traffic continued until 1962, and the goods depot remained open until 1963 with all rail traffic ceasing in 1966. The station building, main platform and goods shed were all subsequently demolished. The excursion platform remained on the derelict site for over a decade, until the former track bed eastwards was developed into Marine Drive, a road which has helped ease traffic flowing into the town.

    The location of the station itself was on the junction of Old Station Approach and Abingdon Street, and the former goods yard is now a small car park. An adjacent pub on the High Street was renamed the “Somerset & Dorset”. The local RNLI station and yard occupy land to the south and east of the former main station building, adjacent to the site of the former excursion platform. A B&M store occupies the seaward-west side. To remember its railway past, there are various features which have been installed by the local railway Heritage Group, notably a replica semaphore signal on Old Station Approach near the entrance to the High Street Car Park, a buffer stop on the corner of South Esplanade and Pier Street located very near to the site of original railway terminus, a station signboard and replica signal box which stands on what was known as the excursion platform, and a locomotive shaped weathervane on the town green. The original signal box which once stood alongside the platforms has been restored and is now based at Washford on the West Somerset Railway.

    Burnham On Sea station sign marking the site of the former excursion platform – 03/09/2023
    Yoshi enjoys the shade provided by the replica signal box at Burnham On Sea – 30/08/2023
    Plaque explaining the replica signal box at Burnham On Sea – 30/08/2023

    Returning to Highbridge the S&DJR locomotive works closed in 1930 after the motive power of the line was taken over by the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), whilst its joint-venture owning partner the Southern Railway (SR) took over civil engineering and line operations. a small engine shed remained open until the Somerset & Dorset line and platforms finally shut in 1966. All of the original B&ER/GWR and S&DJR station buildings have all since been demolished, replaced on current platforms by metal and glass shelters. There is also no trace of the former S&DJR trackbed, platforms, engine shed or works, all of which are now beneath new housing to the east of platform 1. A couple of old wagon wheels sit on a short length of track on a plinth marking the past history of the site.

    Wheel sets mark the area where the S&DJR yard and works once stood at Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    Old rail at Highbridge – 30/08/2023

    To see film of Highbridge and Burnham in the early 1960’s follow this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03495yn/lets-imagine-a-branch-line-railway-with-john-betjeman. First transmitted in 1963, John Betjeman looks at the Evercreech Junction to Burnham On Sea railway line, providing a unique profile of a working steam branch line railway as he travels along the original part of the Somerset Central Railway. Examining towns and stations along the way, Betjeman laments the tragic decline of steam railways. The journey culminates with a stroll around Highbridge Wharf.

    Twenty odd years ago I visited Burnham On Sea regularly for work based at Highbridge Radio Station (Portishead Radio). The radio station, which operated the world’s largest and busiest maritime radio service, closed in April 2000, having initially operated from a site near Devizes in 1920. At its peak, in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, over 300 staff were employed at the Highbridge site. The station buildings were demolished in 2007 and the Mulholland Park housing estate was built on the site.

    Motive power through Highbridge is currently provided by GWR Intercity Express Trains (IET) and soon to be retired HST Castle Sets with one stopping train in each direction each hour. Passing CrossCountry Voyager sets will continue after the retirement of the XC HST’s.

    CrossCountry Class 43 HST power car No. 43007 leads 1V48 0811 Leeds to Plymouth through Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Class 43 HST power car No. 43378 at the head of 1S53 1327 Plymouth to Edinburgh approaches Highbridge railway station – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Class 43 HST power car No. 43321 at the rear of 1S53 1327 Plymouth to Edinburgh speeds through Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    Celebrity BR liveried CrossCountry Class 43 HST power car No. 43008 working 1S55 1427 Plymouth to Leeds on the approach to Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    GWR Castle Class HST No. 43155 with the stopping 2U20 1050 Penzance to Cardiff Central service approaches Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    GWR Castle Class HST No. 43155 at the rear of 2U20 1050 Penzance to Cardiff Central awaiting departure from Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    GWR Castle Class HST No. 43189 working 2C79 1400 Cardiff Central to Penzance passes under the road bridge on the approach to Highbridge from the Bristol direction – 03/09/2023
    GWR Castle Class HST No. 43016 2C79 1400 Cardiff Central to Penzance sits at the platform in Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    GWR InterCity Express Train (IET) No. 800004 at Highbridge working 2C77 1300 Cardiff Central to Penzance – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Voyager Class 220 DMU No. 220003 approaches Highbridge with 1S47 1027 Plymouth to Edinburgh – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Voyager Class 220 DMU No. 220003 1S47 1027 Plymouth to Edinburgh passing through Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Voyager Class 220 DMU No. 220006 1M45 1049 Paignton to Manchester Piccadilly at Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Voyager Class 220 DMU No. 220021 1V56 1101 Leeds to Plymouth powers through Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    With the leaves on the trees starting to display autumnal colours, CrossCountry Voyager Class 220 DMU No. 220012 forming 1V54 0935 York to Plymouth passes Highbridge – 03/09/2023
    GWR IET No. 800304 forming 1C22 1630 London Paddington to Plymouth at Taunton East Junction – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Class 43 HST power car No. 43357 1V62 1105 Edinburgh to Plymouth catches the last rays of sun at Taunton East Junction – 03/09/2023
    CrossCountry Class 43 HST power car No. 43303 at the rear of 1V62 1105 Edinburgh to Plymouth approaching Taunton – 03/09/2023
    XC HST’s in Somerset – 03/09/2023

    As I was in the Poole area on Monday I took the opportunity of getting a glimpse of one of the Class 701 units; No. 701021, on its latest mileage accumulation run, working as 5Q51 1115 London Waterloo to Staines Up Loop. This service runs to Poole Storage Sidings where the train reverses. The 701’s are still to enter revenue earning service with South Western Railway.

    Class 701 No. 701021 stands at Poole working 5Q51 1115 London Waterloo to Staines Up Loop – 04/09/2023
    Video of Class 701 No. 701021 at Parkstone and Poole working 5Q51 1115 London Waterloo to Staines Up Loop – 04/09/2023

    Tuesday evening saw the return of the GBRf pairing of Class 57 No. 57305 and Class 47 No. 47749 ‘City Of Truro’ with another Class 458 EMU drag from Widnes Transport Tech to Bournemouth depot. This time, I elected to see the train passing Bournemouth instead of my usual spot at Branksome. After a coffee from the Pumpkin buffet on platform 2, I walked through the car park which was once the site of Bournemouth steam shed and up to Beechey Road bridge which gives a view back towards the railway station. While I was in Bournemouth, I took the opportunity of photographing regular train movements, including South Western Railway (SWR) Class 444’s, Class 450’s and CrossCountry Voyager DMU’s.

    SWR Class 444 No. 444025 awaiting departure from Bournemouth working 1W28 1703 Weymouth to London Waterloo as Class 450 No. 450088 passes as 1B45 1535 London Waterloo to Poole – 05/09/2023
    Occupying bay platform 1, SWR Class 450 No. 450063 prepares for departure with 1B68 1802 Bournemouth to Basingstoke – 05/09/2023
    SWR Class 444 No. 444003 on the approach to Bournemouth with the 1W70 1720 Weymouth to London Waterloo service – 05/09/2023
    SWR Class 444 No. 444039 works 1W72 1820 Weymouth to London Waterloo at Bournemouth – 05/09/2023
    SWR Class 444 No. 444045 at Bournemouth Middle Sidings – 05/09/2023
    Having arrived from Manchester Piccadilly, CrossCountry Voyager Class 221 No. 221133 worked 5022 1919 Bournemouth to Bournemouth Middle Sidings before forming the 1M78 1945 departure from Bournemouth to Birmingham New Street – 05/09/2023
    GBRf Class 57 No. 57305 hauling refurbished SWR Class 458 No. 458405 with Class 47 No. 47749 ‘City Of Truro’ at the rear passes through Bournemouth as 5X65 1435 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Bournemouth T&RSMD. The locomotives and barrier coaches retuned to Eastleigh later that evening – 05/09/2023
    X65 1435 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Bournemouth T&RSMD.- 05/09/2023

    Britain’s busiest railway stations have been identified following the analysis of data for 2,616 locations, and Bournemouth came top in the Dorset with 5616 passengers per day and the 190th station in the UK. Bournemouth has a performance ranking of 1908.  The analysis of National Rail data, collated by On Time Trains Stations, is ranked by a performance score, calculated based on service punctuality and cancellation frequency.

    Further afield, it has been announced that TransPennine Express (TPE) will withdraw their troubled Nova 3 Class 68 hauled trains with effect from the December 2023 timetable change. We mention this, as back in 2016 prior to the TPE contract being awarded to FirstGroup, it was widely reported that the Department for Transport (DaFT) was eager to utilise de-motored Class 442 “Wessex Electric” electric multiple units hauled by Class 68 locomotives on Trans Pennine services. This plan, however, developed into an order for 66 new MK 5a carriages. The “Wessex Electrics” were introduced when the Bournemouth to Weymouth route was electrified and imho are amongst the best electric multiple units ever built. All this gives me an excuse to share some images of TPE liveried Class 68’s along with a few local photos of Class 442 EMU’s in South West Trains days.

    68027 ‘Splendid’ at York – 18/06/2021
    68024 ‘Centaur’ at York -30/08/2020
    68025 ‘Superb’ at York- 30/08/2020
    68019 ‘Brutus’ at York – 18/06/2021
    68032 ‘Destroyer’, York – 17/06/2021
    68032 ‘Destroyer’ at York – 18/06/2021
    South West Trains Class 442 No. 442415 at Weymouth. FM Rail owned Class 31 No. 31128 ‘Charybdis’ waits to depart with a “John Lewis Partnership” private charter back to London Victoria – 29/07/2006
    South West Trains Class 442 No. 442418 at Bournemouth – 28/12/2006
    De-branded Class 442 No. 442416 at Branksome – 03/05/2007

    Yoshi has been ship spotting at Poole Quay this week as two steamships, both originally from Glasgow, namely SS Shieldhall and PS Waverley, visited.

    SS Shieldhall is a preserved steamship that operates from Southampton. She is one of the last reciprocating steam engined ships built, using technology that dated back to the last quarter of the 19th century and which was obsolete at the time of her construction. She spent her working life as one of the “Clyde sludge boats”, making regular trips from Glasgow to dump treated sewage sludge at sea – 04/09/2023 
    PS Waverley is the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1946, she sailed from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long until 1973 – 04/09/2023

    Thanks for making it this far! I often say I ignore the Voyager units, but think I’ve more than made up for it this time around. Comments and corrections gratefully received. Be seeing you!

  • Swanage Diesel Gala 2023

    With Corfe Castle on the horizon Class 40 No. D345 (40145) catches the evening light as she works an evening Norden to Swanage service in connection with the Beer Festival being held at Corfe – 13/05/2023

    Last week proved to be very much the lull before the storm as this week we have enjoyed many rare visitors along our patch of railway line, mostly associated with the 2023 Swanage Diesel Gala which proved to be a resounding success judging by the numbers of enthusiasts who turned out to travel and photograph the trains during the special event weekend. 

    But before any special movements to Swanage took place, another rare locomotive here these days, in the form of GBRf Class 47 No. 47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle,’ turned up on Wednesday 10th May heading for Bournemouth Traction & Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot where it was rostered to collect a Class 701 Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) which was being stored at the depot and move it to Eastleigh Traction TRSMD prior to an onward working taking it to Worksop Down Yard for storage the following day.

    47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ works light engine 0Z47 0814 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth T&RSMD approaching Branksome – 10/05/2023
    47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ rests briefly in Branksome station while the crew change ends to take the locomotive into the depot – 10/05/2023
    47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ runs light into Bournemouth T&RSMD to collect an SWR Class 701 EMU – 10/05/2023

    None of the Class 701 units have yet to turn a wheel in revenue earning service , but they continue to run mileage accumulation and test runs between Eastleigh, London Waterloo, Staines and Poole. It’s believed that SWR are moving any units in store from their facilities until they have accepted the 701’s into service. Despite the rain, I opted to see the Class 47 and 701 drag at Poole as this was the first location I ever saw one of the ubiquitous Brush type 4 locomotives way back in 1977 or thereabouts. 

    Class 47 No. 47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ arrives at Poole Storage Sidings with Class 701 No. 701041 in tow forming 5Q47 1240 Bournemouth T&RSMD to Eastleigh TRSMD- 10/05/2023
    47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ pauses at Poole Storage Sidings in heavy rain – 10/05/2023
    47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ has detached from 701041 prior to the locomotive running around the EMU for onward transit to Eastleigh – 10/05/2023
    47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ runs out of Poole Storage Sidings to the main line in order to run round the empty coaching stock formed of a Class 701 unit – 10/05/2023
    SWR Class 701 No. 701041 wait for 47727 to run round and re-attach on the London end of the unit – 10/05/2023
    Having re-attached to her charge, 47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ leads 701041 through Poole station working 5Q47 1240 Bournemouth T&RSMD to Eastleigh TRSMD- 10/05/2023
    Video of Class 47 No. 47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ working 0Z47 0814 Eastleigh East Yard to Bournemouth T&RSMD / 5Q47 1240 Bournemouth T&RSMD to Eastleigh TRSMD – 10/05/2023

    Later on Wednesday the first of the visiting locomotives destined for the Swanage Diesel Gala arriving via the main line worked through to the branch in the form of GBRf Class 73 Electro-Diesels No.’s 73107 ‘Tracy’ and 73201 ‘Broadlands’. As we reported last week, Clayton Class 17 No. D8568 arrived on the Swanage Railway via road transport in readiness for the Diesel gala being held over the weekend of 12-14th May 2023. The Clayton was also involved in a warm-up day on Thursday 11th and was to scheduled to remain after the gala for driver experience runs before a returning to the Severn Valley Railway, again by road, on 16th May.

    GBRf Class 73 Electro-Diesels No.’s 73107 ‘Tracy’ and 73201 ‘Broadlands’ work 0Y68 Eastleigh East Yard to Swanage through Poole – 10/05/2023
    GBRf Class 73 Electro-Diesels No.’s 73107 ‘Tracy’ and 73201 ‘Broadlands’ work 0Y68 Eastleigh East Yard to Swanage through Poole – 10/05/2023
    GBRf Class 73 Electro-Diesels No.’s 73107 ‘Tracy’ and 73201 ‘Broadlands’ work 0Y68 Eastleigh East Yard to Swanage through Hamworthy – 10/05/2023
    GBRf Class 73 Electro-Diesels No.’s 73107 ‘Tracy’ and 73201 ‘Broadlands’ work 0Y68 Eastleigh East Yard to Swanage through Hamworthy – 10/05/2023

    The 73’s arrival was followed by Swanage resident Class 33/0 No. D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ travelling light engine away from Swanage on her way to Eastleigh in order to collect the London Underground Class 438 4TC unit. Originally this combination was to have formed the Branch Line Society organised rail tour “The Jurassic Crompton” which had been designed to take the following pathing on Thursday 11th May: Eastleigh P3 (PU 11.12) – Fareham – Havant P2 – Haslemere P3 – Guildford P8 (PU 12.42) – Wokingham – Reading P14 (PU 13.22) – Dn Feeder Relief – Basingstoke P4 (PU 13.58) – Wallers Ash DPL – Shawford Jn – Dn Slow – Eastleigh – Southampton Central P4 (PU 15.07) – Up Fast – Church Lane Jn – Dn Main – Brockenhurst P1 (photo stop) – Bournemouth P4 (photo stop) – Poole P2 – Wareham – Norden – Swanage (SD 18:41). In the event paperwork associated with the rail tour and the 4TC’s ability to carry passengers on the main line was apparently submitted late and the special train cancelled, although the 33/0 and 4TC still ran to Swanage via the same convoluted route, only without fare paying passengers! 

    Showing as cancelled on Real Time Trains (RTT) but actually running as evidenced by this image, Class 33 No. D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ runs light engine through Hamworthy as 0Z12 1750 Norden to Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) – 10/05/2023

    The final special working of the day included a surprise visitor in the form of “Dave”, or to give the correct identification; Class 50 No. 50021 ‘Rodney’, which although previously announced as a visitor to the Swanage Gala had been withdrawn from the guest list as the loco was not going to be ready in time. After some tremendous effort by the team behind ‘Rodders’ the locomotive made the cut and was included in the convoy which was headed by English Electric Class 40 No. D345 (40145) and included Peak Class 45 No. 45108 and another Class 50 No. 50026 ‘Indomitable’. 

    Convoy! In failing light, Class 40 No. D345 (40145) leads 50021, 50026 and 45108 through Holton Heath working as 0Z42 1848 Eastleigh Arlington to Swanage – 10/05/2023

    With two more guests due to arrive on Thursday 11th May it was a busy half hour as I waited at Hamworthy station for Class 33/0 No. D6515 on her return journey to Swanage having collected the LU 4TC unit forming 5Z34 1112 Eastleigh to Swanage closely followed by light engine Freightliner Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ working as 0Z47 1635 Southampton Maritime Container Terminal to Swanage. Both these were signal checked at Hamworthy as they were running behind stopping service trains.  

    Class 33 No. D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ coming to a stop in Hamworthy station due to a signal check working 1Z33 1112 Eastleigh to Swanage bringing the London Underground 4TC unit for use at the Swanage Diesel Gala – 11/05/2023
    Class 33 No. D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ pulls away from Hamworthy with the LU 4TC in tow – 11/05/2023
    Freightliner contributed their last remaining Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ to the Swanage celebrations. The locomotive is seen at Hamworthy working light engine with 0Z47 1635 Southampton MCT to Swanage – 11/05/2023
    Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ preparing to stop due to a red signal ahead at Hamworthy – 11/05/2023
    Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ pulls away from the signal check just outside of Hamworthy railway station working 0Z47 1635 Southampton MCT to Swanage – 11/05/2023
    Swanage guest locomotives on their way to the Purbeck based railway for the May 2023 Diesel Gala. Visiting Class 17 No. D8568 arrived and departed by road transport.

    Yoshi and I spent Friday at the Swanage gala, with a couple of brief visits to the railway on the Saturday.

    Class 40 No. D345 (40145) powers up near Cats Eye Crossing working 1R02 Swanage to River Frome Viaduct – 12/05/2023
    Class 40 No. D345 (40145) arrives at Swanage with a service from River Frome Viaduct – 12/05/2023
    Class 40 No. D345 (40145) at Afflington working evening Beerex train 2N37 1920 Norden to Swanage – 13/05/2023
    Class 40 No. D345 (40145) crosses Corfe Viaduct on the approach to Norden working 2N40 Swanage to Norden – 13/05/2023
    Class 45 No. 45108 arrives at Swanage – 12/05/2023
    Class 45 No. 45108 at Swanage – 12/05/2023
    Class 50 No. 50026 ‘Indomitable’ approaches Cats Eye Crossing with 1R03 1032 River Frome Viaduct to Swanage service. This loco was deputising for sister No. 50021 as a fault was being rectified – 12/05/2023
    Class 50 No. 50026 ‘Indomitable’ at Harman’s Cross – 12/05/2023
    Class 50 No.’s 50026 ‘Indomitable’ and 50021 ‘Rodney’ prepare to drop off their train at Swanage and move to the turntable area – 12/05/2023
    Class 50 No.’s 50026 ‘Indomitable’ and 50021 ‘Rodney’ at rest on the Swanage turntable – 12/05/2023
    Leading her first solo working, Class 50 No. 50021 ‘Rodney’ on the approach to Furzebrook at the head of 1R15 1632 River Frome Viaduct to Swanage – 12/05/2023
    Another view of Class 50 No. 50021 ‘Rodney’ on approaching Furzebrook working 1R15 1632 River Frome Viaduct to Swanage – 12/05/2023
    Class 50 No. 50021 ‘Rodney’ catches the sun as she crosses Corfe Common hauling 1R03 1032 River Frome Viaduct to Swanage – 13/05/2023
    Class 50 No. 50021 ‘Rodney’ awaits her next service in the sidings at Swanage with Class 73’s and sister Class 50 behind – 13/05/2023
    Resident Class 33 No. 33111 passes the pair of Class 50’s and stabled resident locomotives as she is reunited with a 4TC unit. Once a common sight own the Bournemouth to Weymouth line – 12/05/2023
    Class 33 No. 33111 with train formed of the LU 4TC in the bay platform at Swanage – 12/05/2023
    Class 33 No. 33111 runs to the sidings at Swanage – 12/05/2023
    The visiting London Transport liveried 4TC is propelled into Swanage passing a coach from the Swanage based 4TC which is being restored at the railway – 12/05/2023
    Freightliner Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ arrives at Harman’s Cross with a shuttle service to Corfe Castle – 12/05/2023
    Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ rests in the bay at Swanage station – 12/05/2023
    Class 17 No. D8568 makes a spirited departure from Harman’s Cross bound for Swanage – 12/05/2023
    GBRf owned Class 73 No. 73107 ‘Tracy’ approaches Harman’s Cross – 12/05/2023
    Class 73 No. 73107 ‘Tracy’ at the rear of a River Frome Viaduct bound train at Swanage – 12/05/2023
    Class 73 No. 73107 ‘Tracy’ was the only visiting member of the class in use on the Friday and is seen here at Swanage – 12/05/2023
    Both GBRf Class 73’s appeared in service on Saturday. No.’s 73107 ‘Tracy’ and 73201 ‘Broadlands’ hauling the 4TC set approach Townsend Overbridge with 2C04 1015 Swanage to Corfe Castle – 13/05/2023
    Class 73’s No. 73201 ‘Broadlands’ and 73107 ‘Tracy’ await their next turn in the sidings at Swanage – 13/05/2023
    Class 73’s No. 73201 ‘Broadlands’ and 73107 ‘Tracy’ at Swanage – 13/05/2023
    Our record of Swanage Diesel Gala 2023

    Sunday saw guest attractions moving away from Swanage, the first working being the two GBRf Class 73’s which headed off with the LU Class 4TC for a night being berthed at platform 5 of Southampton Central before onward movement the following day. But for the late paperwork, the 4TC would again have been intended to carry passengers as “The Return Of The Jurassic Crompton” rail tour which would have involved D6515 (33012) and the two GBRf Class 73’s traversing the following route: Swanage (PU 15.30) – Norden – Wareham – Poole – Bournemouth – Brockenhurst – Southampton Central (SD 17.30) – Redbridge – Laverstock Curve – Andover – Basingstoke (SD 18.55) – Woking – Wimbledon – London Waterloo (SD 20.00 / RM) – Wimbeldon – Woking – Basingstoke (SD 20.55) – Andover – Laverstock Curve – Romsey – Southampton Central (PU 22.20) – Eastleigh (SD 22.40).

    73107 ‘Tracy’ tops the 4TC unit through Hamworthy forming 5Z36 1515 Swanage to Southampton Central – 14/05/2023
    Class 73’s No. 73201 ‘Broadlands’ tails the LU 4TC working 5Z36 1515 Swanage to Southampton Central – 14/05/2023

    Later on Sunday the Freightliner Class 47 made her escape heading back to Southampton MCT. 

    The turn of Freightliner Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ to head home, seen here climbing Parkstone Bank with 0Z48 1900 Swanage to Southampton MCT – 14/05/2023
    Class 47 No. 47830 ‘Beeching’s Legacy’ passing Parkstone with 0Z48 1900 Swanage to Southampton MCT – 14/05/2023

    The remainder of the visiting locomotives (with the exception of the Class 17 of course) formed a mini convoy on the morning of Tuesday 16th May and made a fine sight as they passed through Hamworthy in full sun where I was able to see them. I would have liked to have found a straight length of track to photograph the four departees, but time constraints meant Hamworthy was far more convenient. I did however, manage to mess up the video settings on my phone. Oh well! 

    In brilliant sunshine, Class 40 No. D345 (40145) leads 45108,50021 and 50026 through Hamworthy as 0Z50 0834 Swanage to Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) where the Class 50’s would be dropped off before the Whistler and Peak worked onwards. I messed up part of the video shot of this, so make the most of this image – 16/05/2023
    Class 50 No. 50026 ‘Indomitable’ at the rear of the returning convoy having passed through Hamworthy – 16/05/2023
    Swanage Diesel Gala visitors work home

    After all the Swanage associated activity, the week was not yet done as on the evening of Tuesday 16th May 2023 there was one last special working as Colas operated an engineers train from Eastleigh to Dorchester West. We went to Wareham to see the train as it was booked to stop here for fifteen minutes. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t stop. I thought maybe I should have travelled to Dorchester after all as Class 66 No’s 66850 ‘David Maidment OBE’ and 66848 sped through the station working 6C15 1946 Eastleigh East Yard to Dorchester West.

    Colas Class 66 No’s 66850 ‘David Maidment OBE’ passes Wareham heading up engineers train 6C15 1946 Eastleigh East Yard to Dorchester West – 16/05/2023

    Looking at RTT this train was to enter engineering possession and work up through Yeovil overnight and arrive at Castle Cary before onward working to Westbury. In fact, the train appears to have reversed via Dorchester Junction and worked back up the South.

    Engineering train 6C15 1946 Eastleigh East Yard to Dorchester West passes Wareham – 16/05/2023

    Time to catch our breath! We’ll be back properly in two weeks, although please check in next week as we’ll hopefully have a petit quelque chose for you. Thank you so much for reading and for your comments and corrections.

    Yoshi wondering just how long we are having to wait until something comes along to bark at whilst at Corfe Castle – 13/05/2023

  • A Brief Ingress

    It’s been a quiet week on the rails here, with only one special rail movement to report on the Bournemouth to Weymouth line. We’ve also been entertaining friends for an extended Coronation weekend, although I was fully behind the suggestion from Yoshi’s Mama of exploring Corfe Castle and Swanage on the Tuesday. I had hoped to see the Class 17 Clayton Type 1 diesel-electric locomotive arrive at Norden on a low loader in the afternoon but I was informed by the Norden crossing signalman that it wasn’t going to arrive that afternoon. I’ve since heard it did – so big sighs all round!

    Instead of watching an old diesel locomotive being unloaded off the back of a lorry, Yoshi enjoyed zoomies in Corfe Castle – 09/05/2023

    On Sunday we took a walk down Poole Quay in order to celebrate the sights, sounds and smells of the age of steam with visiting mini steam traction engines, all lovingly built and maintained by their owners and representing many hours of hard work. The traction engines are recreated from original Victorian drawings or old photographs. It was lovely relaxing on a sunny afternoon with a drink in one of the many pubs along Poole Quay as the smell of steam wafted in through the doors. Yoshi was initially quite happy to see the steam engines but later decided to bark at each one individually. Just like he would their full size cousins.

    Before Yoshi took a dislike to the mini steam traction engines, he happily posed with this example – 07/05/2023
    Mini Steam On The Quay at Poole – 07/05/2023
    Mini Steam On The Quay at Poole – 07/05/2023
    Mini Steam On The Quay at Poole – 07/05/2023
    Mini Steam On The Quay at Poole – 07/05/2023
    Mini Steam On The Quay at Poole – 07/05/2023
    Mini Steam On The Quay at Poole – 07/05/2023
    Mini Steam On The Quay at Poole – 07/05/2023

    The monthly Class 73 Electro-Diesel top and tailed Colas Test Train ran on Monday evening, passing through Hamworthy in a shower of rain on its outward journey to Weymouth. The weather put me off going back out to see the ensemble on the return journey as it headed to Eastleigh East Yard and journeys end. The locomotives utilised on the 1Q51 1115 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Eastleigh East Yard working this time were GBRf Class 73 No’s 73964 ‘Jeanette’ and 73965 ‘Des O’Brien’. 

    1Q51 1115 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Eastleigh East Yard – 08/05/2023

    Thanks for reading. As always, thank you for your comments and corrections. With the 2023 Swanage Diesel Gala just days away as I write this, I’ll leave you with some images taken from the 2016 event.

    Class 20 No’s. 20205 and 20142 pass Class 50 No. 50035 ‘Ark Royal’ at Corfe Castle – 07/05/2016
    Swanage resident Class 33 No’s 33012 (D6515) ‘Lt. Jenny Lewis RN’ and 33111 head to Norden – 07/05/2016
    BR Blue liveried Class 31 No. D5580 (31162), owned by A1A Locomotive Limited runs round her train at Swanage – 07/05/2016
    Class 40 No.D213 ‘Andania’ (40013) having departed Corfe Castle. A total of 200 Class 40 locomotives were built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962. Seven examples are preserved – 07/05/2016
    Warship No. D832 ‘Onslaught’, the first member of the class to visit the Swanage Railway, on the approach to Corfe Castle – 07/05/2016
    Class 31 No. D5580 (31162) recreating a Kings Cross service with head code 1N08 – 07/05/2016
    Peak Class 46 No. D182 (46045) catches the sun crossing Corfe Common on her way to Swanage – 07/05/2016
    Class 50 No. 50035 ‘Ark Royal’ heads towards Corfe. The Hoover was a late substitute for 50049 ‘Defiance’ which was unavailable to attend – 07/05/2016
    Class 33 No’s 33012 (D6515) ‘Lt. Jenny Lewis RN’ and 33111 between Harmans Cross and Corfe Castle – 07/05/2016
    Another view of Swanage based Class 33 No’s 33012 (D6515) ‘Lt. Jenny Lewis RN’ and 33111 – 07/05/2016
    Class 40 No.D213 (40013) ‘Andania’ leads Class 46 No. D182 (46045) out of Norden towards Corfe Castle – 07/05/2016
    Unusually coupled cab to cab, English Electric Class 20 No. 20205 leading No. 20142 which was acting as a translator as 205 is air-brake only and the coaching stock is vacuum brake, crossing Corfe viaduct – 07/05/2016
    Hastings gauge “Slim Jim” Class 33 No. 33202 with a Swanage bound train 07/05/2016
    Warship No. D832 ‘Onslaught’ makes a fine sight and sound powering out of Corfe Castle on her way to Norden – 07/05/2016

  • Crewe Heritage Centre

    The Inter City APT-P (Advanced Passenger Train Prototype) was donated to the Crewe Heritage Centre by British Rail in 1988, this would become the only APT-P to be preserved and is the first thing visitors see on arrival – 01/04/2023

    On Saturday April 1st, Yoshi’s mama had a weekend away planned with friends in Oxford. Organised before the announcement of rail strikes, I had a cunning plan for an adventure of my own when Mick Lynch of the RMT declared “everyone out!” By the time the April strike day was suspended, I’d already committed myself to an overnight stay in Derby. So after a stop at the Oxford Park & Ride, my chum @da_buckley967 and myself headed North to Crewe as we had booked a visit to the Freightliner depot at Crewe Basford Hall. Yoshi was still on his hols with his cousins as obviously he wasn’t going to be allowed to wander around a working railway yard. Our visit was scheduled to last for approximately one hour and kicked off at midday. Looking for some other things to do in the area, a visit to The Crewe Heritage Centre was an obvious choice. I was under the misunderstanding that dogs were not allowed on site, but I am happy to report that dogs are very much welcomed, and indeed, they enjoy free admission and doggy watering stations are spotted about the museum to help keep them hydrated. Owners are catered for in the cafe where tea, coffee, cold drinks and snacks are available.

    The former Crewe North Junction Signal Box now contains a cafe, viewing point, model railway and signalling equipment. Constructed in 1938 by the London Midland & Scottish (LMS) Railway Company and built to an ‘ARP’ (Air Raid Precautions) design, with 38cm thick reinforced concrete walls and a 45cm thick concrete roof. The new ‘electric’ Signal Box was constructed directly in front of the previous 1906 building; this was partially demolished in 1940 with only the ground floor being retained and converted into a Linesmans’ hut. In 1985 as part of the Crewe Station remodelling project this Signal Box was closed with control being handed over to the new Signalling Centre on the opposite side of the Crewe to Chester Line.

    The Crewe Heritage Centre is nestled between the Crewe to Chester line and West Coast Mainline on part of the site of the original Crewe Locomotive Works. The Heritage Centre was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, on 24th July 1987 to mark the 150th anniversary of the first train to arrive at Crewe Railway Station in 1837. Originally forming part of the Crewe Heritage Festival which was an eight week long event with activities and celebrations taking place all over the town of Crewe, members of the public were also invited to visit the historic Locomotive Works and see first hand how railway locomotives were constructed and maintained by British Rail.

    Following a really successful festival, Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council decided to open the Heritage Centre again in 1988, and in 1989 the council handed the running of the museum over to the newly formed Crewe Heritage Trust who continue to operate the museum to this day. We really enjoyed our visit and I hope to return with Yoshi in tow one day soon!

    Crewe Station ‘A’ Signal Box with Exeter West Signal Box behind – 01/04/2023
    In 1991, the dismantled sections of Exeter West Signal Box are transported to the Heritage Centre from storage and the complex task of reconstructing the Signal Box begins in May, construction continued into 1992 with the Signal Box opening as part of the museum on May Day 1993 – 01/04/2023
    An example of a Crewe Eagle, four of which were mounted on a bridge crossing the Crewe to Chester railway line – 01/04/2023
    The No. 2 end cab of Class 86 No. 86247 was restored at the Heritage Centre and currently displays the Anglia Railways livery, which whilst in service, the locomotive never actually carried. The locomotive was scrapped in 2015 with both cabs being saved. The No. 1 end cab can be seen at The Cab Yard Project in Bridgend – 01/04/2023
    One of two Class 86/6 locomotives to be given the Freightliner Powerhaul green and yellow livery No. 86622 is on long term loan at the Heritage Centre – 01/04/2023
    Through an agreement between the Crewe Heritage Trust and Europhoenix British Rail Class 91 No. 91120 arrived at the Heritage Centre in 2022 – 01/04/2023
    Released from English Electric Vulcan Foundry in January 1963 – Works Number EE/VF3237/D762 1962 – and originally numbered No. D6808, Class 37 No. 37108 was moved to the Heritage Centre from Carnforth by road in 2010 – 01/04/2023
    Class 37 No. 37108 alongside Class 03 No. 03073 – 01/04/2023
    With the kind support of British Rail, the Heritage Centre was able to acquire Doncaster built Class 03 Diesel Shunter No. 03073 in 1990, this would be the first shunting locomotive to be preserved by the Heritage Centre – 01/04/2023
    Thanks to a generous donation by Porterbrook the Heritage Centre secured the High Speed Train (HST) Power Car No. 43081, the 8,000th locomotive to be constructed in Crewe Work – 01/04/2023
    Crewe built HST Power Car No. 43018 on static exhibition was acquired by the Heritage Centre in 2020 – 01/04/2023
    Visitors to the Heritage Centre can visit the cab of one of the driving trailers from set 370003 – 01/04/2023
    The very 1970’s high tech cab arrangement of APT-P – 01/04/2023
    Standard Class (probably still called second class in the 1980’s) seating in APT-P – 01/04/2023
    The “fully stocked bar” in the buffet car of APT-P – 01/04/2023
    First class seating on board APT-P – 01/04/2023
    The view from the cab window of the APT-P driving car – 01/04/2023

    In the November 1980 edition of Railnews, the industry newspaper, there was pullout special souvenir all about the Advanced Passenger Train:

    Proof I saw APT-P on the mainline! An unidentified APT at Crewe – 13/08/1978
    Driving trailer of APT-P set No. 370007 at Old Oak Common. The APT was apparently a late addition to the Open Day at Old Oak Common after lots of discussions over route clearance – 20/09/1981

    We’ll tell you more about our weekend next time. I would have included more this week, but I have episodes of “Married At First Sight Australia” to catch up on.

    Closer to home, Yoshi, his mama and I made the trip on Swanage Railway’s trial diesel multiple unit (DMU) service which we discussed in our previous blog entry. The trains were well used on Saturday 8th April, the day of our trip, which was good to see. This was despite widespread criticism of the ticket prices.

    Swanage Railway’s three car Class 117 DMU stands at Wareham Platform 2 with the 1109 arrival from Swanage – 08/04/2023

    Yoshi had a good view out of the window along the route to Corfe Castle aboard the heritage Class 117 DMU – 08/04/2023
    Having arrived back in Wareham, Yoshi took a closer look at the Class 117 DMU – 08/04/2023

    On Tuesday 11th April, the Swanage Railway said good-bye to British Railways Standard Class 7 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ as she returned to her base at Locomotive Services Limited in Crewe. We caught her crossing the Holes Bay causeway in Poole. During her stay in The Purbeck’s the Brit was star guest at the Swanage Steam Gala and was utilised on sell out driver training events.

    British Railways Standard Class 7 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ crosses Holes Bay working 5Z72 0720 Swanage to Crewe H.S. – 11/04/2023
    Video of ‘Britannia’ at Holes Bay – 11/04/2023

    Easter Monday saw the monthly GBRf Class 73 hauled test train originating from Derby Railway Technical Centre visit Weymouth. Because of engineering work in the Basingstoke / Winchester area, this working was diverted via Guildford. Which was a shame as I was visiting friends in Basingstoke. However, I was back in Dorset just in time to see the early running ensemble pass through Poole on the return run from Weymouth heading to Eastleigh East Yard.

    GBRf Class 73 No.’s 73965 ‘Des O’Brien’ and 73963 ‘Janice’ working 1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard pass Poole – 10/04/2023
    CrossCountry Voyager Class 220 No. 220007 at Bournemouth – 28/07/2021

    CrossCountry train services from Bournemouth to the North as well as freight from Southampton have been affected by the closure of the Nuneham Viaduct near Abingdon in Oxfordshire. Network Rail have been carrying out stabilisation works on the viaduct in recent weeks and monitoring equipment detected significant movement over the weekend of 1st/2nd April with the result that the bridge was temporarily closed on 4th April along with the railway between Didcot Parkway and Oxford to ensure the safety of passengers.

    Network Rail advised CrossCountry passengers; “Trains will be revised to run in two portions; between Bournemouth and Didcot Parkway and between Oxford and Manchester Piccadilly. Limited replacement road transport is in operation between Didcot Parkway and Oxford. Customers travelling between Bournemouth/Reading and Banbury/Birmingham/Manchester are advised to travel via London stations or Bristol stations. This is due to limited availability of road transport at Didcot Parkway.”

    Network Rail are working around the clock to install a temporary structure to stabilise Nuneham Viaduct, so trains can safely run again by Saturday 10 June. Place your bets….

    That’s all we have time for this week. Thanks agin for joining us. We’ve been busy catching up with friends and eating chocolate over the Easter weekend just gone. Mmmhhh, chocolate.

  • Mostly Britannia

    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ on the turntable at the Yeovil Railway Centre – 22/03/2023

    Hello there – after a week away, we are back with a lot to catch up on. We hope you found last times Beeching blog of interest – it’s certainly a period in railway history which incites discussion and reflection. This time we are concentrating on more recent events concerning the Swanage Railway including our visit to their excellent March 2023 Steam Gala – which featured British Rail Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ – and the first diesel multiple unit train departing Wareham connecting the Purbeck heritage railway to the main line. 

    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ approaches Yeovil Junction working 5Z70 Crewe HS to Swanage having used the connecting curve from Yeovil Pen Mill – 22/03/2023

    On Wednesday 22nd March 2023, we headed over to Yeovil to see No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ arrive at Yeovil Junction in readiness for her being turned on Yeovil Railway Centre’s turntable. I always enjoy watching locomotives on the turntable, and despite a few initial barks form Yoshi, he mostly watched on with quiet fascination.

    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ is turned on the Yeovil Railway Centre turntable – 22/03/2023
    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ after being turned at the Yeovil Railway Centre – 22/03/2023

    Following her spin on the turntable, ‘Britannia’ backed out onto the main line at Junction station and we drove down to Yeovil Pen Mill so that we could capture a pair of Class 37 diesel locomotives working test train 1Z22 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road via Weymouth which was scheduled to pass through at around 1500, 20 minutes or so before ‘Britannia’ was due to arrive at Pen Mill prior to a tender first run down to Weymouth. The test train, however, top and tailed by Colas No.’s 37116 and 37254 arrived at Pen Mill almost thirty minutes late and by this time ‘Britannia’ had already made the run down from Junction with her support coach. We were also able to see a Great Western Railway (GWR) Class 800 IET pass through on a divert as engineering work was taking place on the Taunton line and services to Exeter were taking the West of England route. 

    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ having turned at Yeovil Junction nears Yeovil Pen Mill where she will run round her support coach before proceeding to Weymouth – 22/03/2023
    Colas Class 37 No. 37116 arrives at Yeovil Pen Mill with 1Z22 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road. British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ stands in the sidings waiting to run round her support coach before proceeding to run tender first to Weymouth – 22/03/2022
    Colas Class 37 No’s. 37116 and 37254 depart Yeovil Pen Mill top and tailing 1Z22 Derby Railway Technical Centre to Bristol Kingsland Road as No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ waits to reverse out of the station and back on to her support coach – 22/03/2023
    Great Western Railway Class 800 IET No. 802102 works the diverted 1C84 1404 London Paddington to Plymouth service through Yeovil Pen Mill – 22/03/2023
    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ prepares to reverse out of Yeovil Pen Mill and run back in to couple up with her support coach – 22/03/2023
    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ at Weymouth here she again ran around her support coach in preparation for the journey to Poole, where she again changes ends on the coach, before working back down to Swanage (Image courtesy of Scott Lewis) – 22/03/2023
    Video from Yeovil, Dorchester, Upwey and Hamworthy as British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ makes her way to Dorset having departed Crewe earlier in the day as working 5Z70 Crewe HS to Swanage (additional video courtesy of G E Barrett and Scott Lewis – 22/03/2023

    I had an idea that I would pop over to Yeovil Pen Mill at 2am some point during the week to see the Penzance sleeper services cross via the diversionary route, but decided to wait until warmer weather later in the year should the diversions take place again. However, our North Dorset Correspondent was far more intrepid and caught the following exchange as No. 57604 ‘Pendennis Castle’ passed No. 57602 ‘Restormel Castle’:

    GWR Sleeper trains on divert pass at Yeovil Pen Mill. Video courtesy of Scott Lewis – 24/03/2023

    Over the final March weekend, the Swanage Railway ran their popular Spring Steam Gala which featured ‘Britannia’ and BR Standard Class 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084 as guest locomotives alongside home fleet Southern Railway U Class No. 31806 and Southern Railway Bulleid Pacifics No. 34070 ‘Manston’ and No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’. I headed down to join in the fun on the Saturday leaving Yoshi with his mama. I had planned on seeing the first train of the day which was scheduled to be double headed – but I also needed to pop into Wareham and visit the Post Office – so my arrival at the National Trust car park at Corfe Castle was delayed and I just missed the ensemble pass. To make things worse, the National Trust tea room at the car park was closed, so no breakfast for me as I had left home with the idea of catching refreshment between trains. However, luckily for me, Jamie came to my rescue and very kindly shared his packed lunch so I didn’t waste away through the lack of nourishment. 

    A video snap shot of the 2023 Swanage Steam Gala – 25/03/2023
    Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class Bulleid Pacific No. 34070 ‘Manston’ between Norden and Corfe Castle – 25/03/2023
    Rebuilt West Country Class Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ nears Cat’s Eye Crossing with a train bound fro the River Frome boundary – 25/03/2023
    Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ approaching Cat’s Eye Crossing – 25/03/2023
    BR Standard Class 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084 nears Cat’s Eye Crossing – 25/03/2025
    BR Standard Class 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084 approaching Cat’s Eye Crossing – 25/03/2023
    Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ approaches Holme Lane Bridge on the Swanage Railway – 25/03/2023
    Bulleid Pacific No. 34070 ‘Manston’ hauls a train away from the River Frome boundary – 25/03/2023
    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ with a train heading towards the River Frome boundary passing under Cat’s Eye Bridge – 25/03/2023
    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ nears Cat’s Eye Crossing – 25/03/2023

    Undoubtably the star of the gala; No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ was built at Crewe Works to a new design and entered servive in January 1951. She was the first British Railways Standard locomotive to be constructed and was the initial locomotive in the Britannia Class which went on to number 55 examples. The design of the ‘Britannias’ was based on best practice from the pre-nationalisation “Big Four” railway companies. The new classes were designed by Ernest Stewart Cox, under Robert Riddles who had previously designed the War Department Austerity 2-8-0 and 2-10-0  locomotives for use during World War 2. No. 70000 was named ‘Britannia’ during a ceremony held at Marylebone station by Minister for Transport Alfred Barnes on the 30th January 1951. ‘Britannia’ had the honour of hauling the funeral train of King George VI from King’s Lynn to London in February 1952, for which she had her cab roof painted white as was the custom for royal locomotives. No. 70000 was withdrawn after only 15 years of service in May 1966 and was initially destined for the National Collection, but was passed over for sister locomotive No. 70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’. She was saved from the cutter’s torch by the Britannia Locomotive Company Ltd. She is currently operated by Locomotive Services Limited (LSL). One of most memorable main line steam locomotives when I used to enjoy the chase in the mid 1990’s, a video with footage of ‘Britannia’ from this period is below:

    No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ also visited the Swanage Railway in 2015 and I’ve dug out a few images of that time to share:

    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ heads a Swanage bound service with Corfe Castle in the background – 18/04/2015
    British Railways Standard Class 4 2-6-4 No. 80104 double heads with BR Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ having just left Norden – 18/04/2015
    British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ works a demonstration freight nears Corfe Castle – 18/04/2015
    Another view of British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ working the Swanage Railway demonstration freight – 18/04/2015

    The Swanage Railway has also been in the news following their launch of a trial train service from main line Wareham through to the heritage branch line. Operating from April to September 2023, tickets for the service will also be available from South Western Railway (SWR) from late April so passengers can add tickets for Corfe Castle and Swanage to their main line tickets. This is the first time in 51 years that through ticketing to Corfe and Swanage has been possible. The last day of British Rail passenger services between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage was on Saturday 1st January 1972 when the branch was closed. The eleven mile service, one mile of which running from Worgret Junction into Wareham station will be over main line Network Rail metals, will utilise restored and upgraded 1950’s Class 117 and Class 121 heritage diesel multiple units. The trial service will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 4th April to 10th September 2023, with the first train departing Wareham at 1119 and the last train leaving Swanage for Wareham at 1620 giving visitors the opportunity to spend four hours in Swanage or Corfe Castle. The timetable is subject to change on special event days. We popped over to Wareham to see the first service arrive and depart from Wareham.

    Swanage Railways Class 117 DMU leads into Wareham with the first trail service onto the main line – 04/04/2023
    South Western Railway staff pose at Wareham with an actual sized ticket to promote through ticketing to Corfe Castle and Swanage – 18/04/2023
    Dignitaries pose in front of the single car Class 121 DMU at Wareham ahead of the first departure to Swanage – 04/04/2023

    A surprise run to Winfrith occurred on March 23rd 2023, timings only appearing on Real Time Trains late the previous day. Two new to Dorset Direct Rail Services (DRS) Class 68 locomotives top and tailed the train which interestingly returned empty to Crewe. It is thought that the high winds in evidence on the day meant it was unsafe to use the crane at Winfrith employed to load the low level nuclear waste onto the wagons.

    DRS Class 68 No. 68003 ‘Astute’ heads up 6Z62 0100 Crewe Coal Sidings DRS to Wool Winfrith Sidings with classmate No. 68009 ‘Titan’ behind passing through Hamworthy – 23/03/2023
    DRS Class 68 No. No. 68009 ‘Titan’ trails No. 68003 ‘Astute’ having passed through Hamworthy working 6Z62 0100 Crewe Coal Sidings DRS to Wool Winfrith Sidings – 23/03/2023
    DRS Class 68 No. 68003 ‘Astute’ at Dorchester South working 6Z95 1554 Wool Winfrith Sidings to Crewe Coal Sidings DRS (image courtesy of G E Barrett) – 23/03/2023
    DRS Class 68 No. No. 68009 ‘Titan’ prepares to lead 6Z95 1554 Wool Winfrith Sidings to Crewe Coal Sidings DRS away from Dorchester South (image courtesy of G E Barrett) – 23/03/2023
    Video of the DRS Class 68 No.’s 68003 ‘Astute’ and 68009 ‘Titan’ working a Winfrith train. Additional video courtesy of G E Barrett – 23/03/2023

    South Western Railway (SWR) have unveiled Class 444 Electric Multiple Unit No. 444019 in a new version of their ‘Pride’ livery. The unit was wrapped at Bournemouth Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance depot on 25th/26th March 2023 and displays the LGBTQIA+ flag on the driving ends.

    SWR Class 444 No. 444019 displays the new ‘Pride’ livery at London Waterloo before working IP65 2000 London Waterloo to Portsmouth & Southsea – 30/03/2023
    SWR Class 444 No. 444019 awaits departure from Poole with the 2W56 1100 service to London Waterloo – 31/03/2023
    SWR Class 444 No. 444019 in an earlier ‘Pride’ livery stands at the buffer stops in London Waterloo – 05/03/2022
    How Class 444 No. 444019 used to look, seen at Weymouth – 12/10/2019

    That’s it for this week, thanks for joining us! We’ll be back in seven days or so when we have a look at the Crewe Heritage Centre amongst other things.

    Yoshi watches on as British Railways Standard Class 7 4-6-2 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ turns on the Yeovil Steam Centre turntable – 22/03/2023

  • Gotcha Week!

    Wednesday 15th March 2023 to Tuesday 21st March 2023

    Gotcha Day!

    On Thursday we celebrated the annual ‘Gotcha Day’ when Yoshi first decided to adopt me as his hooman. He really was a tiny little pup with razor sharp baby teeth. We’ve both got bigger since then and I can hardly believe it’s been four years!

    Colas Class 66 No. 66850 ‘David Maidment’ at the head of a rake of autoballasters pauses at Poole to pick up a crew member just after midnight working 6C15 2303 Eastleigh East Yard to Worgret Junction – 15/03/2023

    This week I was a bit of a night owl on three consecutive occasions as I stayed up past my bedtime to see three engineers trains and a test train visit our patch, all operated by Colas Rail.

    Class 66 No. 66848 at Hamworthy on the rear of the 6C17 2356 Eastleigh East Yard to Hamworthy autoballaster working – 16/03/2023
    Colas Trains in Poole and Hamworthy – March 2023

    Colas Rail is a subsidiary of Bouygues, a French industrial group headquartered in Paris. Originally a railway construction and maintenance company named Seco Rail, they became a freight operator in the UK market during 2006 acquiring their first locomotives in 2007 after a successful period using leased rolling stock. In 2008, Seco Rail merged with AMEC-Spie and Carillion Rail under the Colas Rail banner and today they are one of the five largest contractors working for Network Rail. Colas Rail were involved with major improvement works at London Waterloo railway station. The current fleet of locomotives include Class 37, Class 43 (HST Power Cars), Class 56, Class 66 and Class 70 as well as a mixed fleet of on-track plant, such as tampers, for maintenance operations which by 2016, was reportedly the largest of its type in the UK. Previously they counted ten Class 60 locomotives amongst their fleet, and for a short while Class 86 No. 86701 which gained the Colas Rail yellow and orange livery in October 2012. The locomotive was withdrawn from mainline use in January 2013 and subsequently transferred to Europhoenix and exported to Bulgaria where she is still in use running as No. 85001.

    I quite like the bright Colas Rail livery, and I’ve added some photos from recent years showing some examples:

    Class 37 No. 37175 pauses at Dorchester West – 16/07/2015
    Class 37 No. 37099 speeds through Upwey on a test train – 27/04/2017
    Class 37 No. 37099 shelters from the rain at Weymouth – 31/10/2020
    Class 37 No. 37116 at Weymouth – 24/01/2018
    Class 37 No. 37219 on track data recording duties (with extra, technical equipment mounted on its ends) reverses at Weymouth – 06/05/2020
    Class 37 No. 37219 on track data recording duties (with extra, technical equipment mounted on its ends) at Weymouth  – 06/05/2020
    Class 37 No. 37421 makes a nocturnal visit to Weymouth on a test train – 03/08/2020
    Class 47 No. 47749 ‘Demelza’ on the Weymouth Quay branch siding – 24/02/2012
    Close up detail for Class 47 No. 47749 ‘Demelza’ – 24/02/2012
    Nameplate for Class 47 No. 47749 ‘Demelza’ – 24/02/2012
    43274 about to depart from Maiden Newton having picked up the token to traverse the single line section to Dorchester West. Dorset Council is currently in talks with the Railway Heritage Trust over renovation plans for Maiden Newton – 23/03/2022
    Class 43 HST power cars No.’s 43274 and 43251 about to enter Bincombe Tunnel between Weymouth and Dorchester working the New Measurement Train 1Z23 0747 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road – 26/01/2022
    Class 56 No. 56105 works through Cardiff Central on a train of logs – 07/05/2013
    Class 56 No. 56049 at Westbury – 03/09/2022
    Class 56 No. 56096 hauling a Class 701 delivery through Eastleigh –
    Class 66 No. 66847 on the Weymouth Quay branch siding – 24/12/2012
    Class 66 No. 66849 at Weymouth on an engineers train during rail replacement work – 15/12/2015
    Class 66 No. 66848 on an engineers train at Monkton, Dorchester – 24/04/2016
    Class 67 No. 67027 working the New Measurement Train at Weymouth – 19/06/2019
    Class 67 No. 67023 at the platform in Weymouth – 15/07/2020
    Class 70 No. 70805 at the head of an engineers train at Weymouth – 11/04/2015
    Class 70 No. 70809 on the approach to Dorchester South – 11/04/2015
    Class 70 No. 70806 in Weymouth – 15/12/2015
    Class 70 No. 70807 sits in Weymouth station – 11/04/2015

    South Western Railway (SWR) Class 444 EMU No. 444023 has been named ‘The Alex Wardle Foundation’ to celebrate a partnership between SWR and the Alex Wardle Foundation to help raise awareness of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), when someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest, particularly young, apparently healthy, people. The railway company is investing more than half a million pounds installing publicly accessible automated external defibrillators at its 154 staffed stations it operates across South West London, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Wilshire, Somerset, and Devon. The installation of the lifesaving defibrillators comes as part of the rail operators’ commitment to support safety and serve local communities. Located in protective cabinets as close as possible to the front of stations, the defibrillators will be available for use day and night in the instance of cardiac issues in the surrounding area.

    South Western Railway (SWR) Class 444 EMU No. 444023 ‘The Alex Wardle Foundation’ arrives at Hamworthy working 1W23 0855 London Waterloo to Weymouth – 19/03/2023

    The charity was set up in memory of Alex Wardle, a medical student and son of an SWR operations trainer. Alex passed away from SADS in March 2016. His father, Steve Wardle, has worked for SWR for 38 years and, along with other members of Alex’s close family and friends, he set up the charity to help further understanding of SADS and prevent deaths from the condition.  The Class 444 was named ‘The Alex Wardle Foundation’ on 15th March 2023. Unit number 23 was chosen as this was Alex’s age when he passed away.

    BR Standard Class 4MT No. 76084 having been unloaded at Norden – 17/03/2023

    On Friday I slipped out to Norden as visiting British Railways (BR) Standard Class 4MT No. 76084 was delivered by road on the back of two lorries; one for the locomotive and one for the tender.  No. 76084 is spending time on the Purbeck Heritage line for the Swanage Railway Spring Steam Gala running between 24th and 26th March 2023. The Gala will also feature BR Standard Class 7 No. 70000 ‘Britannia’, scheduled to arrive at the heritage line on 22nd March.  Resident Class 33 diesel locos No.’s 33111 and D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ were scheduled to assist the BR Standard down to Swanage once it had been unloaded onto the tracks at Norden. The locomotive was already sitting in the sidings when I arrived and, unfortunately, issues with a wagon meant that her departure was delayed and I was unable to wait for the consist to be formed and depart as Yoshi had an appointment with the dog groomer. I was, however, able to capture some images via the Swanage Railway webcams.

    Class 33 diesel locos No.’s D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ and 33111 as seen on the Swanage Railway Webcam passing through Corfe Castle – 17/03/2023
    Class 33 diesel locos No.’s D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ and 33111 top and tail BR Standard Class 4MT No. 76084 as seen on the Swanage Railway Webcam passing through Corfe Castle as Jamie Smith Going Loco leans out of the cab door to collect the token giving permission for the consist to move on to Harmans Cross – 17/03/2023
    Class 33 diesel locos No.’s 33111 and D6515 (33012) ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ top and tail BR Standard Class 4MT No. 76084 as seen on the Swanage Railway Webcam arriving into Swanage – 17/03/2023
    Yoshi post groom and sporting his Easter Bandana – 17/03/2023

    Congratulations to Derby which has been chosen as the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR HQ), beating five other short listed locations, none of which were in the West Country. There followed lots of bluster about the government going “full steam ahead” with reforms for the railways and promotion for Rolls-Royce.

    RMT members working for Network Rail voted to accept the company’s pay offer; 12,047 voted yes and 3,709 voted no which brings to an end to their campaign of strike action. Disputes with 14 rail companies, represented by the Rail Delivery Group – including SWR and Great Western Railway (GWR) – are ongoing with further walk outs planned for 30th March and 1st April.

    SWR is investing over £400,000 on improving waiting rooms at ten of its stations, including locations on the London Waterloo to Weymouth line including Basingstoke, Brockenhurst, Southampton Central and Totton. There are no stations on the list to be found in Dorset.

    That’s it for another week – thank you for joining us. Please keep your comments and corrections coming, we really appreciate you having taken the time to read our little page.

  • Sprat & Winkle Week

    Wednesday 8th March 2023 to Tuesday 14th March 2023

    GBRf Class 66 No.’s 66789 ‘British Rail 1948-1997’ and 66750 ‘Bristol Panel Signal Box’ working 3Y88 0905 Totton Yard to Totton Yard passes South Western Railway Class 444 No. 444018 at Poole – 10/03/2022

    The Network Rail Snow & Ice Treatment Train (SITT) graced us with its presence twice this week – firstly on Wednesday and then again on Friday. Both visits were top and tailed by the same pair of GBRf Class 66 locomotives which have also made it to Weymouth in the previous week or so on other SITT runs. Large logo retro British Rail liveried Class 66 No.’s 66789 ‘British Rail 1948-1997’ is a favourite amongst enthusiasts because of its special livery. Here’s a video showing the SITT workings at Hamworthy and Poole:

    GBRf Class 66 No.’s 66750 ‘Bristol Panel Signal Box’ and 66789 ‘British Rail 1948-1997’ having passed through Poole working 3Y88 0900 Totton Yard to Totton Yard – 10/03/2023
    GBRf Class 66 No.’s 66789 ‘British Rail 1948-1997’ and 66750 ‘Bristol Panel Signal Box’ at Hamworthy working 3Y88 0900 Totton Yard to Totton Yard – 08/03/2022
    GBRf Class 66 No.’s 66750 ‘Bristol Panel Signal Box’ at the rear of 3Y88 0905 Totton Yard to Totton Yard with 66789 ‘British Rail 1948-1997’ leading exit Hamworthy – 08/03/2022

    Monday evening the monthly 1Q51 test train made it to Dorset, this time back in the hands of GBRf Class 73 Electro-Diesel locomotives No.’s 73964 ‘Jeanette’ and 73963 ‘Janice’. We popped up to Hamworthy to see this heading towards Weymouth. Although I was planning to head out and see the return pass up to Eastleigh East Yard, the train ran 25 minutes ahead of its timings and I was otherwise avidly engaged in watching “Married At first Sight Australia”.

    Yoshi takes a breather on our visit to National Trust Mottisfont – 12/03/2023

    On Sunday, we went spent an afternoon at National Trust Mottisfont, an 18th-century house with a medieval priory at its heart, which was transformed into a Neo-classical home in the 1930’s.  Understandably Yoshi was not allowed in the house or the on the formal lawns in front and behind of the house, but there was still plenty to see and we had an enjoyable riverside walk. On our way to the National Trust property we drove past Mottisfont & Dunbridge railway station which is the nearest station to Mottisfont. This station opened in March 1847 as Dunbridge but was renamed in 2006 to reflect its close proximity to Mottisfiont and is apparently the second least frequently used station in Hampshire, with Beaulieu Road taking the wooden spoon by having fewer passengers. We could hear the sounds of Class 158 diesel multiple units (DMU’s) passing by on the Wessex main line as we wandered around the grounds at Mottisfont. The station is served by stopping trains run by South Western Railway (SWR) which run from Romsey to Salisbury via Southampton Central. Great Western Railway (GWR) run services which pass through the station but no longer stop. As we left Mottisfont we drove through the village and found ourselves driving down Station Road. This gave away the fact Mottisfont once had a station of its own. Investigations revealed this station had been situated on the now closed ‘Sprat and Winkle Line’ which ran between Andover and Redbridge.

    Yoshi takes shelter in a shepherds caravan at Mottisfont and wonders what it would like to be a sheepdog – 12/03/2023

    It’s not clear how the line earned the ‘Sprat and Winkle’ name. Various suggestions have been put forward; principally that the southernmost part of the line brushes the mudflats of the River Test where winkles might sometimes be found, although there are doubts that the sprat would also be found there.

    The January 1910 edition of “The Railway Magazine” included an article on the origins of the line written by John Moreton. The railway is unique in that it is built over the course of an earlier canal; The Andover and Redbridge which originates from 1792. The London & South Western Railway (LSWR) had been the first to promote a route along the canal in 1847 in an attempt to steal an advance over the Great Western Railway (GWR) and had already agreed to give those behind a Manchester and Southampton railway running powers over the line. Parliamentary assent was given to the Andover and Redbridge, but the LSWR failed to act on this and their proposal came to nothing. Ten years later, in 1858, the GWR were asked to construct a broad gauge line between Andover and Redbridge, again by means of converting the canal. With the addition of a 14 mile stretch of track between Pewsey and Andover, a broad gauge route between Southampton and Bristol / South Wales was proposed. A new terminus at Southampton along the western shore mudflats was going to be built with the broad gauge line crossing over the LSWR line to Dorchester at Redbridge. There followed a “Battle of the Gauges” with the LSWR opposed to the project attempting to secure a clause in the new Parliamentary bill that the line be built to 4ft 8.5 inch gauge. When this failed they moved to ensure the railway would be built to mixed gauge. 

    The first sod on the new railway was cut by Lord Palmerston at Ashfield Bridge, very close to his Broadlands residence near Romsey, on 28th September 1859 accompanied with the sound of a 14 gun salute. Over the next few years, there followed many changes and alterations to the scheme and in a June 1863 Act of Parliament the Andover and Redbridge Railway was amalgamated with the LSWR which meant the line would in fact be built to what we now call standard gauge, finally opening on 6th March 1865. As originally built following the route of the canal and to avoid the cost of building bridges over the rivers Test and Avon, the railway had many tight curves. In his 1910 RM article, John Moreton recalled, “many journeys on the line where sticking to one’s seat was a matter of considerable difficulty, and the luggage placed on the racks frequently provided a minute bombardment to those seated beneath before the end of the journey was reached.” The curves would eventually be straightened out by the LSWR, the exercise being completed by November 1885 and with the opening of the Midland & South Western Junction Railway linking Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham with Southampton via Cheltenham and Swindon, crossing the Cotswolds and the Wiltshire Downs, the original idea of a railway providing direct passage between the North and the Solent was practically realised.  The railway was an important link during the 1st and 2nd World Wars, carrying troops from Salisbury Plain for embarkation to France via Southampton. 

    The final British Rail timetable issued for the period 15th June to 6th September 1964 shows a more or less hourly weekday service along the line between 0640 and 2200 with Sunday working also maintaining a similar level of service between the hours of 0855 and 2101. Trains would have been worked by Eastleigh built Diesel-Electric Multiple Units (DEMU) ‘Hampshire Units’ first introduced in 1957. Despite this level of service, the Beeching report of 1963 declared that fewer than 5000 passengers used the trains each week and services were therefore withdrawn on 7th September 1964.

    Map of the ‘Sprat and Winkle’ Line from ‘The Railway Magazine’ January 1910

    The closed Mottisfont station is now a private house called, appropriately enough, “The Old Station House”. The old platforms have been incorporated into a garden feature. We didn’t stop to peer over the garden gate, as that would have been rude. Further up the line, and one for our bucket list, is Horsebridge station which boasts the best preserved remaining station building on the former line. It has, at least pre-Covid,  been used as a tea rooms and wedding venue. There is a Southern Railway carriage acquired from Bournemouth which can be rented for holiday accommodation.

    The next station heading North is Stockbridge, which has some resonance to me as two of my uncles worked on the railway here. George Downton was a signalman and Gus Robertson a platelayer. Sadly Gus died from injuries he sustained during the Great War and my mum, at the age of 8 or 9, was asked to spend her summer holiday in Stockbridge with his widow, my Aunty Gertrude, in the early 1940’s to keep her company. This was extended after the holidays and mum eventually ended up attending Stockbridge school. My mother recalls George’s wife, Aunty Bess, preparing a cooked meal for George on Fridays and asking mum to take it up to him in the signal box, a place she was not really allowed to visit. Mum doesn’t recall why this happened most Friday’s but she does remember Chipperfield’s Circus temporarily keeping their animals in the station sidings when their headquarters were at nearby Down Farm and helping to feed the tigers. I’m pleased we no longer allow wild animals to be exploited for a travelling circus.  

    These days, the trackbed between Westdown, near Fullerton, Stockbridge and Mottisfont forms part of the Test Way, a 44 mile footpath along the River Test.

    As we drove home from Mottisfont, I inadvertently turned left at Romsey and somehow found myself in Eastleigh. I took this, most unexpected, opportunity to photograph the first of the Southern Coastway Class 313 electric multiple units (EMU’s), No.’s 313203 313214 & 313217, which have been withdrawn from service and moved to Eastleigh Arlington to be scrapped. The units had arrived on Friday 10th March and indeed, I had been very tempted to pop over the county border to see them being delivered by Rail Operations Group (ROG) Class 37 No. 37800 on a working from Brighton Lovers Walk.

    Class 313 No. 313217 at the rear of fellow classmates 313203 and 313214 awaiting their fate at Eastleigh Arlington – 12/03/2023
    Class 313 No. 313217 at Eastleigh Arlington – 12/03/2023
    Direct Rail Services Class 37 No. 37602 in the yard at Eastleigh Arlington works – 12/03/2023
    Direct Rail Services Class 37 No. 37602 in the yard at Eastleigh Arlington works – 12/03/2023

    Also viewable on the works from the adjacent public road was London Underground’s (LU) 4-TC (Trailer Control) set which had arrived at Eastleigh Arlington in February following its visit to St Leonards for the fitting of retention toilet tanks. The 4-TC’s were unpowered fixed formations of 4 carriages with a driving position at each end of the set, converted by BR’s Colgate Road Carriage Works from locomotive hauled Mark 1 carriages in 1966-1967 and 1974 and were once the mainstay of the Weymouth to Bournemouth line coupled with Class 33/1 push-pull locomotives. At Bournemouth the 4-TC unit would be joined up with one or two 4-REP EMU’s for the onward journey to London Waterloo. Down trains to Weymouth would carry out the same operation in reverse.

    London Underground’s 4-TC set at Eastleigh – 12/03/2023
    Close up of London Underground’s 4-TC set at Eastleigh – 12/03/2023

    Two complete 4-TC units as well as other odd carriages have been preserved. The London Underground unit is notionally numbered 428 but contains coaches from other units making up its four car formation. Another set previously owned by LU and again made up of coaches from several units is being restored at The Swanage Railway and will be numbered 413. I am looking forward to seeing this project come to fruition and paired with a Class 33/1 will bring back memories of old.

    The Swanage Railway 4-TC which is undergoing restoration is seen at Swanage in February 2022 – 12/02/2022
    4-TC No. 405 heading a Weymouth to London Waterloo service stops at Dorchester South – 26/01/1982
    BR&CW Class 33/1 No. 33104 propels the 1533 Weymouth to London Waterloo service which consists of two 4-TC units having passed Syward Crossing, Dorchester – 15/04/1983
    In fading light Class 33/1 No. 33107 at Bournemouth has attached to the 4-TC Weymouth section of a service from London Waterloo – 27/02/1982

    For The Record

    Swanage Railway’s Class 117 DMU at Creech Bottom with a River Frome to Norden service during the February “Behind the Scenes” event – 12/02/2023

    The Swanage Railway have announced they are to operate a trial heritage diesel train service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from the main line at Wareham between 4th April and 10th September 2023. The first train departs Wareham at 1119 and the last train of the day will depart Swanage at 1620. The trains will be operated and staffed on behalf of Swanage Railway by West Coast Railways utilising restored and upgraded 1950’s Class 117 Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) with the option of adding a single car Class 121 DMU at busy times and is the result of working in partnership with the UK Government’s Coastal Communities Fund, the Department of Transport, the former Purbeck District Council, Dorset Council, British Petroleum, Perenco, Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR). Tickets for the service will also be available from SWR so passengers can add tickets for Corfe Castle and Swanage to their main line tickets. This will be the first time in 51 years – since the last day of British Rail passenger trains between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage on Saturday 1st January, 1972, before the branch line was controversially closed – that such a main line ticket facility for travel to Swanage has been possible. During the summer of 2017, the Swanage Railway operated a 60 selected day trial train service from Wareham using hired-in diesel locomotives and carriages again operated and staffed by West Coast Railways. Plans to operate a second year 90 selected day trial train service from Wareham during 2018 were delayed and then the Covid pandemic hit which caused further delays because of its practical and economic effects.

    If interested, you still have time to take part in Dorset Council’s survey on proposals to make the main route between the two Dorchester railway stations along Fairfield Road in Dorchester, which has no dedicated footway, safer for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users. The survey is open until 17th March 2023. Funding for any work will come from the Government’s Active Travel Fund which aims to improve walking, wheeling and cycling for all.

    Thanks for joining us, as always your visit is much appreciated! This weeks blog was put together listening to: ‘From Nothing To A Little Bit More’ by The Lathums, ‘Space Oddity’ by David Bowie and ‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd… “Mother should I trust the government?”

  • Shillingstone

    Shillingstone Railway Station built in the Dorset Central Railway style of red brick with cream decorative brickwork around windows and doors and featuring a Welsh slate roof – 11/02/2023

    Wednesday February 8th to Tuesday February 14th 2023

    South Western Railway Class 444 Electric Multiple Unit No. 444023 departs Weymouth – 07/01/2021

    On Friday, it was announced that South Western Railway had received a two-year extension on its existing contract from the Department of Transport. Scottish parent company FirstGroup PLC said their national rail contract would now run until May 2025. With no sense of irony Chief Executive Officer Graham Sutherland said, “We welcome the contract extension for South Western Railway, which enables us to build on the achievements of the first two years of the contract and continue improving the customer offering.” FTSE 250-listed FirstGroup operates another three rail franchises in the UK: Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway (GWR), and TransPennine Express (TPE), plus an open access passenger service, Hull Trains. It also has a bus division, which operates around a fifth of local bus services in the UK. 

    In other SWR related news, it is hoped that Network Rail will complete work on the landslip at Hook to allow the full restoration of normal timetabled train services from 24th February 2023.

    Yoshi takes a look at the short section of track representing the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway which is displayed in Railway Gardens, Sturminster Newton – 11/02/2023

    Saturday 11th February 2023, Yoshi, his mama and I headed to North Dorset to walk a section of the former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR) trackbed which is now part of the North Dorset Trailway. We decided to walk four miles from Sturminster Newton to beyond Shillingstone and back, so that we could visit the North Dorset Railway and enjoy a refreshing cup of tea and a slice of cake before retracing our footsteps back to our starting point. However, we wish we had asked our North Dorset Correspondent where we could have found a cup of tea on our arrival back in Sturminster!

    Yoshi amongst the snowdrops along the North Dorset Trailway – 11/02/2023
    Abandoned railway furniture on the North Dorset Trailway – 11/02/2023
    Lamb House Bridge, Shillingstone – 11/02/2023

    On arrival at Shillingstone we were able to watch some shunting manoeuvres which were taking place around the station site. The station which opened on the 31st August 1863 and is the last remaining building of the Dorset Central Railway which later formed part of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway running from Bournemouth West to Bath Green Park until falling victim to the Beeching cuts in March 1966.

    There are several posters from the age of steam as well as a museum packed with railway artefacts on view at Shillingstone railway station – 11/02/2023

    During World War I Shillingstone saw additional trains in the form of troop and supply workings. One such instance, in February 1915, saw the Naval Battalion based at Blandford Camp march en masse to Shillingstone to board a train bound for Avonmouth and ultimately to take part in the Gallipoli Campaign. Included in their number was the war poet Lt. Rupert Brooke who died of septicaemia en route off Skyros, Greece.

    A few years after the station at Shillingstone closed to rail traffic, the Dorset County Council purchased the trackbed for a proposed road which would by-pass the village. This plan never came to fruition and the council eventually decided to dispose of the station site. Following protracted negotiations, the North Dorset Railway Trust signed a lease in 2005.

    I loved this imaginary painting of what might have been and the S&DJR survived the Beeching cuts which hangs in the station tea rooms (Steve Hiscocks, 2012)

    The North Dorset Railway Trust aim to relay track in the direction of Sturminster Newton over Lamb House Bridge. Maybe one day we may even see a Class 9F or similar working part of the route once again.

    Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Diesel Loco Works No. D1186 ‘Ashdown’ passes Shillingstone signal box – 11/02/2023

    ‘Ashdown’ was built by Hudswell Clarke, Leeds in 1959 for use on the Manchester Ship Canal Railway (MSCR), numbered D1 and based at Partington coal basin she was the first of a small fleet of diesel locomotives working on the MSCR. She has had an illustrious career being sold on to Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds, who leased the locomotive to the National Coal Board (NCB) Crompton colliery in Lancashire, before returning to Hunslets as their works shunter. In 1986 she was subject to a re-build before moving to the NCB Gwent Coal Distribution centre in Newport, South Wales. She was renumbered No. 8526 and named ‘Pride of Gwent’ lasting up to 1991 when she entered preservation firstly at the Butetown Historic Railway Society in Cardiff until 1997 before moving to the Vale of Glamorgan Railway. In 2008, she was purchased by the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway. In July 2013, she was exchanged for a diesel locomotive located at Peak Rail in Derbyshire and reunited with the ‘Ashdown’ name. The North Dorset Railway purchased ‘Ashdown’ in 2020. She is of a unique design and therefore the only locomotive of this type preserved.

    Ruston & Hornsby Diesel Shunter No. RH305302 (DS1169) ‘Little Eva’, Shillingstone – 11/02/2023

    No. RH305302 (DS1169) ‘Little Eva’ was built by Ruston & Hornsby, at their Boultham Works, Lincoln in 1951, for the Ransome and Marles Bearing Co of Newark, where she was used to move steel casings around the factory site. She retired from service in 1978 and donated to the Market Overton Industrial Railway Trust before moving to the Statfold Barn Railway in Tamworth.  She was purchased in 2015 and moved to Shillingstone and underwent full restoration.

    Yoshi strikes a pose alongside Class 62 Yankee 0-6-0 Tank Locomotive No. 30076, Shillingstone – 11/02/2023

    The Class 62 “Yankee Tank” steam locomotives were built from the US Army Transportation Corps template of S100 Shunters of World War II designed in 1941 by Colonel Howard G Hill. The class was extremely successful, proving powerful, economical to operate and relatively easy to maintain. More than 400 of these locomotives were deployed across Europe after the war, with over 100 ending up in Yugoslavia earning the designation Class 62. A further 90 of the class were built in Yugoslavia by Djuro Djakovic of Slavonski Brod between 1952 and 1961. Four original US built locomotives are preserved in the UK, one at the Bluebell Railway, two at the Kent & Sussex Railway and one at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

    Here in the UK, 14 (plus one for spare parts) of the S100 Class were purchased by the Southern Railway (SR) from the United States Army Transportation Corps in 1946, mainly for shunting in Southampton Docks, between the end of World War II and the end of steam in the 1968. Other examples saw use as industrial locomotives with Austin Motors/BMC at Longbridge, the NCB and on the Longmoor Military Railway.

    There are two examples of these locomotives currently at Shillingstone. Firstly No. 30075, built in 1960 and acquired from Store Steel in Slovenia in 1990 after clocking up only 25,000 miles in service. She was transported to the Swanage Railway, where she was completely overhauled and returned to steam in late 1992. The locomotive suffered a major steam pipe failure in 1998 and was withdrawn from traffic. No. 30075 was then dismantled and moved to the East Somerset Railway in July 2002 and was returned to traffic in July 2004. August 2009 saw her being relocated to the Mid-Hants Railway and later visited the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, the Bristol Docks Railway, Yeovil Junction Steam Centre, the Churnet Valley Railway and the Dartmoor Railway. Following withdrawal due to leaks in the inner firebox, No. 30075 was eventually moved to Shillingstone for repairs in January 2016 where she is undergoing full restoration to operational service. On our visit, No. 30075 was under cover from the elements away from public view.

    The second “Yankee” No. 30076 was built in 1954 with factory No. 62-521. She was purchased by the P62 Group in 2006 from Mittal Steel Zenica in Bosnia & Herzegovina and arrived at Shillingstone in 2016 after spending many years in store at Allelys Heavy Haulage in Studley near Birmingham. She will be a spares donor for her sister locomotive and as such will be on static display.

    Yoshi enjoyed spending time on a sniffari during our walk along the former S&DJR track bed – 11/02/2023

    Over the weekend of 11th / 12th February 2023, the Swanage Railway held a special “Behind the Scenes” event with the aim of encouraging more volunteers to help out maintain and run the railway. Passengers were able to enjoy beautiful Purbeck countryside views not often enjoyed from a train thanks to a special heritage diesel train service employing the Class 117 DMU on the occasionally used four-mile line between Norden and the River Frome, within sight of Wareham. At Swanage railway station, SR West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ was available for footplate visits and Class 08 diesel shunter No. 08436 ‘Beighton’ was the focus of a “driver for a fiver” experience while SR Battle of Britain Class 4-6-2 No. 34070 ‘Manston’ ran passenger trains between Swanage and Norden.

    Class 08 No. 08436 waits patiently in the bay platform at Swanage – 12/02/2023
    Side detail of Class 08 No. 08436 – 12/02/2023

    I was joined by my brother and @da_buckley967 at Swanage railway station at 0930 on the Sunday morning as we had managed to book the first three available slots of this sell out escapade. Once the doors to the booking hall were unlocked, we made ourselves known and signed our lives away on a safety declaration. We then learned that the driver who was conducting the driver experience was marooned in Eastleigh because of transportation issues and an emergency relief driver had been called in to take their place, necessitating a thirty minute delay. This gave us the opportunity to grab a cuppa and take a look at ‘Eddystone’ parked up in the station and to watch ‘Manston’ depart with the first steam hauled train of the day while I constantly complained about not having any gloves with me because I was finding it cold. Diddums. At 1020 we were ushered over to No. 08436 and I was first to be allowed to climb onboard and take the controls.

    It really was a fun and interesting ten minutes being supervised at the number 2 driver position. I think was a bit harsh on the brake, and I’m amazed at the poor visibility looking out of the windows down the nose of the Class 08 and drivers, past, present and future have my full admiration! Grateful thanks to The Swanage Railway for including the chance for a taste of driving the loco as one of the ‘open weekend’ attractions – you can share our experience in the video below:

    Driver for a Fiver! – 12/02/2023
    Swanage Railway’s Class 117 DMU at Creech Bottom with a River Frome to Norden service – 12/02/2023
    Swanage Railway’s Class 117 DMU on the Norden to the River Frome section, February 2023
    SR West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ on display in Swanage enabling visitors the opportunity to view the locomotive’s footplate – 12/02/2023

    Monday evening saw a Class 37 top and tailed test train actually find its way to Dorset in 2023 with 1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard via Weymouth. I decided to see Colas liveried Class 37 No. 37254 ‘Cardiff Canton’ and on hire No. 37610 pass through Poole on the outward run and couldn’t resist a second shot at Hamworthy as they returned on the final leg to Eastleigh East Yard. It was a foggy evening and the sound of the two English Electric built veterans could be heard from several miles away – pure bliss!

    Colas Class 37 No. 37254 ‘Cardiff Canton’ passing through Poole (video screen grab) – 13/02/2023
    Harry Needle Railroad Company owned Class 37 No. 37610 on hire to Colas Rail accelerates through Hamworthy (video screen grab) – 13/02/2023
    1Q51 1115 Derby RTC to Eastleigh East Yard – 11/02/2023

    Thank you, dear reader, for visiting and your comments and corrections which are very much appreciated! We’ll be back next week for a delve into our archives for video of ‘Flying Scotsman’ as we celebrate 100 years of the world’s most famous steam locomotive.

    Sturminster Newton – the start and end point of our walk this week – 11/02/2023

    The Night Journey 

    Rupert Brooke (1887-1915)

    Hands and lit faces eddy to a line;
        The dazed last minutes click; the clamour dies.
    Beyond the great-swung are o’ the roof, divine,
        Night, smoky-scarv’d, with thousand coloured eyes

    Glares the imperious mystery of the way.
        Thirsty for dark, you feel the long-limbed train
    Throb, stretch, thrill motion, slide, pull out and sway,
        Strain for the far, pause, draw to strength again. . . . 

    As a man, caught by some great hour, will rise,
        Slow-limbed, to meet the light or find his love;
    And, breathing long, with staring sightless eyes,
        Hands out, head back, agape and silent, move

    Sure as a flood, smooth as a vast wind blowing;
        And, gathering power and purpose as he goes,
    Unstumbling, unreluctant, strong, unknowing,
        Borne by a will not his, that lifts, that grows,

    Sweep out to darkness, triumphing in his goal,
        Out of the fire, out of the little room. . . .
    —There is an end appointed. O my soul!
        Crimson and green and signals burn; the gloom

    Is hung with steam’s far-blowing livid streamers.
        Lost into God, as lights in light, we fly,
    Grown one with will, end-drunken huddled dreamers.
        The white lights roar. The sounds of the world die.

    And lips and laughter are forgotten things.
        Speed sharpens; grows. Into the night, and on,
    The strength and splendor of our purpose swings.
        The lamps fade; and the stars. We are alone. 

  • Cirencester Adventure

    A view of Grosvenor Road Carriage Sidings and the approach lines to London Victoria as seen from Lift 109 aloft Battersea Power Station – 04/02/2023

    Wednesday February 1st to Tuesday February 7th 2023

    A very quiet period on our patch these last seven days with no test trains or unusual visitors to report or complain about not reaching Weymouth. I would have at least expected a run of the Snow & Ice Treatment Train to Dorchester with the frosts we have been experiencing. Maybe next week we’ll have something to update you on, dear reader!

    However, the Swanage Railway was able to provide some local interest when, on Friday, test runs using the restored mainline certified Class 117 Diesel Multiple Unit ran between Norden and the River Frome, within sight of Wareham, which does not normally see regular use. Hopefully the long planned rail service between Wareham and Swanage using the Class 117 will finally launch later this year. 

    Class 117 Diesel Multiple Unit consisting of power cars No.’s 51346, 51388, and trailer car 59486 working 1R91 River Frome to Corfe Castle approaching Furzebrook – 03/02/2023

    On Saturday while Yoshi was being well looked after, I joined Yoshi’s mama and @da_buckley967 on a train to London Waterloo. Through services have been partially restored following the recent landslip at Hook and our train which originated from Weymouth arrived at its destination only a couple of minutes late.

    South Western Railway trains at London Waterloo on Saturday morning – 04/02/2023

    The purpose of our trip to London was for an expedition to Battersea Power Station to sample the delights of Lift 109 which ascends 109 metres to the top of the north-west chimney providing 360 degree views across London.

    The Lift 109 experience starts in the Power Station’s Art Deco Turbine Hall A where, a collection of original information and media displays outline the history of the building while a lighting installation whirls and glows above as visitors interact with a giant multiplayer touchscreen to collectively ‘generate energy’ – 04/02/2023
    Looking up inside the chimney from Lift 109 – 04/02/2023
    Looking down upon Battersea Power Station from Lift 109 after it emerges from the chimney stack – 04/02/2023
    A view looking east along the River Thames – 04/02/2023

    One of the main attractions for me, with the purpose of this blog in mind, was the opportunity to look down over Grosvenor Bridge which carries eight railway tracks for the use of trains coming from, or approaching London Victoria.

    Grosvenor Bridge as viewed from Lift 109 – 04/02/2023

    The bridge, engineered by Sir John Fowler (1817-1898) was originally constructed between 1859 and 1860. Fowler was also engineer for the world’s first underground railway, London’s Metropolitan Railway which celebrated its 160th anniversary last month (and was discussed here: Birthday Week – The Railway Dog) as well as chief engineer on the Forth Bridge, which as everyone knows, is the best railway bridge in the world. Returning our attention to Grosvenor Bridge, or Victoria Railway Bridge as it was once known, as originally built it carried two tracks and was the first railway bridge across the Thames in London. Between 1865 and 1866 the bridge was widened to allow an additional four tracks by Sir Charles Fox working for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. This was still not enough for the LB&SCR which added another track in 1907 again increasing the width of the bridge. The Southern Region of British Rail carried out extensive work between 1963 and 1967 when they renewed the structure to a design by Freeman Fox & Partners leaving only the core of the original bridge piers in place, which were enlarged by concrete, reducing the span to 164 feet, but the arches and deck were entirely replaced. Each of the four river spans now comprises ten steel box-section arches. Supported between each pair of arches is a steel trough span, carrying ballast and track. The bridge could accommodate ten tracks, although currently carries nine. The land spans were replaced by welded steel girders. The design of the bridge allowed its reconstruction to be advanced progressively, resulting to minimal disruption to railway services.

    Southern Railway services on the approaches to London Victoria – 04/02/2023

    Lift 109 provides stunning views across London, and is well recommended should you have the opportunity to visit. I would have liked a little longer time to observe, take photographs across the City and to soak the vistas in. We conducted a debrief afterwards in Control Room B which is

    Control panels form a backdrop to the Control Room B bar – 04/02/2023
    Battersea Power Station’s Control Room B where you can buy the smallest bottle of Diet Coke for the princely sum of £4.50 – 04/02/2023

    After a trip along the Thames to Greenwich by Uber Boat from Thames Clippers we returned to Battersea to view the third light festival to be held at the Power Station which runs from January 19th to March 5th 2023.

    ‘Jupiter Clipper’ an Uber Boat from Thames Clippers approaches Battersea Power Station pier – 04/02/2023
    The view of Battersea Power Station from the pier – 04/02/2023

    There are 8 pieces of illuminated artwork curated in partnership with Light Art Collection on display. Three of my favourites were the following:

    “End Over End”, The Light Festival Battersea Power Station – 04/02/2023
    “Badstop, The Light Festival Battersea Power Station – 04/02/2023
    “Moonburn”, The Light Festival Battersea Power Station – 04/02/2023

    You can read about our previous visit to Battersea Power Station here

    On Sunday, Yoshi re-joined his mum and I as we headed off to meet up with lovely friends in Cirencester, Capital of the Cotswolds, and as we discovered, a beautiful market town.  

    St John Baptist towers over Cirencester and is one of the largest parish churches in England. During the 1880’s George Gilbert Scott lead a restoration team seeking to strengthen the building. Scott was the architect responsible for the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Railway Station in London and grandfather of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott known for being the architect responsible for the exterior of Battersea Power Station as well as the iconic K2 and K6 red telephone boxes – 05/02/2023
    Yoshi with “Pink Lady Dancing with Big Brown Dog” (Bronze 2020) on loan from the artist, Sophie Ryder, who is also a passionate dog breeder. Ryder has devoted herself throughout her career to the representation of part-human, part-animal beings as allegories of human characteristics, emotions and desires. One such hybrid is “Lady Hare”, a figure with a woman’s body and a hare’s head which Ryder developed at an early date into a central motif within her work. The hare can be found throughout art history as a symbol of fertility and lust, of resurrection, power and wisdom. Sophie Ryder inscribes these meanings into her female figures, which she frequently portrays in company with the mythical Minotaur as a male vehicle of expression, or with dogs as man’s trusty companion (Yeah, I pinched that bit from elsewhere) – 05/02/2023

    On our walk around Cirencester, punctuated by stops for cups of tea and the smallest halloumi filled brioche roll in the known universe (always upgrade to sourdough bread if you have the option), we happened upon the remnants of the 1841 Brunel designed Town Railway Station, one of three stations which used to grace the town (the others being Cirencester Watermoor and Chesterton Lane Halt). Cirencester lost its passenger rail service in 1964 with goods traffic surviving for another year. The town was connected to the mainline by means of a five mile, single track branch line from Kemble. In contrast to Grosvenor Bridge in central London, the Cirencester branch crossed the River Thames near its source and formed the highest rail crossing point on the river. 

    The 1841 Brunel Cirencester Town Railway Station buildings survived the closure of the branch line which terminated in the Cotswold Market Town – 05/02/2023

    The old station building now finds itself located in the middle of a car park, with a Waitrose supermarket occupying the site of the former goods yard. The building is currently owned by Cotswold District Council with its future under review, options being considered include its conversion into a cultural centre or being put up for sale. 

    Now within Old Station Car Park, the remains of Cirencester Town railway station – 05/02/2023

    The Cirencester Community Railway project has ambitions to restore the rail link to Kemble, although building work post closure, such as the ring road dating from the 1970’s, means that some of the former track bed has since been built upon and any new line will have to follow a different route on the final run into Cirencester. The project was accepted into the Department for Transport’s “Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund” in December 2020 and was offered £50,000 to develop a business case for the proposed Very light Railway Scheme utilising a single self-powered electric carriage with a battery powered propulsion system.

    The rather wonderful frontage of Kemble Railway Station – 05/02/2023

    On our way home we stopped all too briefly at Grade II listed Kemble railway station which was opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1882 and is situated on the railway line between Swindon and Gloucester. The truncated branch line to Cirencester can still be seen as a short length of track ending in a buffer stop alongside a curved platform which also survives as part of the Kemble station complex.

    The buffer stop which marks the end of the line for the former Cirencester branch. Now used for the occasional stabling of track machines, will the line to Cirencester return in the future? – 05/02/2023
    The truncated remains of the Cirencester branch is to the right of the picture with the main running lines to the left – 05/02/2023

    There was also another line which branched off at Kemble which in this case served Tetbury between 1889 and 1964. Despite being the test beds for a new railbus service employing four wheeled vehicles built by AC Cars Ltd, the branch lines to Cirencester and Tetbury were the first casualties of the Beeching closures in the Wessex region. The railbuses later transferred to Yeovil to work between Yeovil Junction, Yeovil Town and Yeovil Pen Mill, and Bodmin before they were withdrawn from service in 1968. Successive closures of branch lines during the 1960’s and 1970’s were often marked by protests and Cirencester was no exception when a lady who had hosted a drinks party on one of the last railbus services attempted to set fire to an effigy of the Transport Minister, Ernest Marples, replete with a 3-foot axe. She was restrained by police in front of a 200 strong crowd of locals. 

    A view from the platforms at Kemble looking North – 05/02/2023

    Kemble railway station is virtually complete as built and is in a good state of preservation. The toilets, we discovered, are currently out of use. Original track at Kemble and the branches would have been of Brunel’s broad gauge with this being changed to standard gauge in 1892. The stone station buildings are built in a Tudor style featuring arched doorways. A covered footbridge links the up and down platforms and a rectangular cast iron water tank, itself Grade II listed, stands on the down platform complete with pumping machinery below. Today, all services are operated by Great Western Railway with typically one train in either direction each hour linking London and Cheltenham using Class 800 bi-mode IET’s, and Class 158 and Class 166 DMU’s.

    GWR Class 158 DMU No. 158745 passes the water tank on departure from Kemble working 2G09 1530 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa – 05/02/2023

    As luck would have it, our route home to Dorset also conveniently passed through Westbury, so with fading light, but an impressive sunset, I spent twenty minutes or so busying myself by increasing my daily step count wandering up and down the station platforms taking in the locomotive shaped delights on offer. Our North Dorset Correspondent later informed me that I had missed a Colas Class 56 which had worked into Westbury that afternoon, but I’m not one to bear a grudge.

    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66075 stands adjacent to Westbury railway station – 05/02/2023
    Freightliner Duo: Class 66 No. 66618 ‘Railways Illustrated Annual Photographic Awards Alan Barnes’ and Class 59 No. 59002 ‘Alan J day’ sporting Aggregates Industries livery at Westbury – 05/02/2023
    Class 59 No. 59002 ‘Alan J day’ in Aggregates Industries livery at Westbury – 05/02/2023
    DB Cargo Class 66 No. 66172 ‘Paul Melleney’ prepares to leave Westbury working 6W05 1721 Westbury Down T.C. to Barry – 05/02/2023

    Also this past week, we took a quick look at the demolition work being carried out at Dorchester South where the canopy and postal office is being removed. It was dark at the time of our visit, but it was clear that much progress had been made (contrast and compare with the images posted last week )

    Work to remove the postal office and canopy at Dorchester South – 03/02/2023
    Freightliner Class 66 No. 66503 ‘The Railway Magazine’ stands adjacent the parcels office during engineering work being carried out at Dorchester South – 12/12/2020
    Nameplate detail of Class 66 No. 66503 ‘The Railway Magazine’ – 12/12/2020
    Engineering work relaying track at Dorchester South provides a view of the canopy being removed in 2023 – 24/10/2020

    That brings us to the end of another weeks blog entry. Thank you so much, as always for your comments and corrections. We hope you’ll join us again next time!