Contents Introduction3 SomenewlightontheJointLSWR/LBSCR andLSWRSteamRailmotors5 TheSouthernfromtheAir34 andspeakingofcoal……42 AccidentatEastbourne–Bufferstopcollision44 23May1930 StephenTownroe’sColourArchive52 DavidMcKenna.ChairmanandGeneralManager, SouthernRegion1963–196864 Offthebeatentrack:SouthernPacificsatBirmingham SnowHill68 Fromthearchives–photofeature–EMUs70 GuildfordandWaterloo via MainLine A Passenger’sDescriptionoftheFirstElectricJourneys76 CopnorLevelcrossing190877 TreasuresfromtheBluebellRailwayMuseum78 FromtheFootplate…80 SOUTHERN TIMES
10replacingNo8onBordonbranchduties, AndoverhavingNo11togetherwithH2No2, whilstWadebridgewasallocatedNos13and 4.BournemouthtookNo15.
Anexampleofhowthenewvehicleswere receivedmaybegivenfromtheAndoverunits whichwereoriginallyintendedtolimittheir operationbetweenWhitchurch,Hurstbourne andFullertonfrom1June1906.Popularity howeverwassuchthatintheupdirectionone journeywasextendedtoBasingstokewiththe correspondingdownworkingrunningdirect fromBasingstoketoAndoverJunction,where Bradleycomments,‘…areversalwas necessarytoreachthe(Andover)Town station’.Byimplication thismeansthe services wereactually;AndoverJunction–Andover Town,thencesouthtoFullerton–reverse–HurstbourneandWhitchurch.Aswasalsothe caseintheLondonareainvolvingjointcarNo 2,fromAndoveratnightthespareunitwas usedforstaffjourneys;conveyingrelief
signalmen,permanentwaymenaswellas coalandwatersuppliedtooutlyinglocations. Thismightsoundslightlystrangeinthe21st centurybutitmustberememberedthatmany oftheseintermediatelocationswereindeed isolatedanddeliveriesbyrailwerereliedupon.
OnthesamedatethattheWhitchurch–Fullertonservicecommenced,1June1906,so inthewestNos13and4commencedduty westfromWadebridgetoPadstowandeast fromWadebridgetoBodmin.No15alsoran trialsfromBereAlstontoCallington. Unfortunatelythecontoursofthisroute,allied tothe factthat sandingwas notfitted, defeated theattempt.
Bradleyalsorecountsanamusingepisode fromcontemporaryhistorywheninOctober 1906thevicaratBodminunsuccessfully approachedtheLSWRtohavecarNo13 renumbered.Hedidnotsucceed.
Interiorheatingappearsnottohavebeenprovidedandtherewerenotoilets.Passengersmightthuspreferaconventional trainbutrailmotorserviceswereoftenaffordedacheaperticketasrunningcostswerecheaperandthiswaspassedonto thepublictoencouragepatronage.ThelackofamenitieswouldnothavebeenanissuewiththejointcarsontheSouthsea branchwherethesamebasicpassengerfacilitieswerecommonbetweentherailwayandthestreettrams–therewereno toiletsandnoheatingwhetherthisbebyhorsedrawnorelectrictractiontram.InadditionjourneystoSouthseaorFratton wereshort.Notalwaysthecaseonsomeoftheotherroutesworked.Mighteventhepopularityofthevehiclesinthe Andoverareahavebeendueasmuchtonoveltyvalue?CarNo10isseenhereatBishop’sWalthamwiththeseemingly superfluouscorridorconnection.LefttorightarelongservingbranchGuardGeorgePadwick,PostmanEdgarAdams, PorterSignalmanSteveGoulding,FiremanFrankWillis,andDriverPerkins. JohnBosworthcollection
TheornatestationbuildingassociatedwithTunbridgeWellsWestisoutofshotinthisaerialviewofthewestendofthe site.Insteadwehavethelocomotivefacilitiesandpartofthegoodsyardcompletewithitslargegoodsshed.Originally enginefacilitieshadbeenatatwo-roadshedandturntableattheoppositeendofthesite.Toprightisatimberyard,once servedbyitsownprivatesiding,coalisagainapparentandindeedappearstobethedominantnon-passengertraffic. Althoughundated,identificationoftheenginebottomrightshowsthistobeaBRStandardClass4andsowemay thereforedatetheviewas1950satleast.OutsidetheshedwealsohaveanSRmogulandwhatisalmostcertainlyaC2x; identifiedbythedoubledomes.Ontheoppositesideoftherunninglines,another0-6-0tenderengineisengagedinaspot ofshunting.TunbridgeWellsWestlocomotiveshedwasbombedinNovember1940andtheroofhereisthereplacement. Thestationsufferedbymainlyservingcrosscountryratherthanmainroutesyetdespitethisasalocationitremained extremelybusywiththetimetableshowing70passengerandfivegoodsworkingsdailyin1956.Unfortunatelythe Beechingreportandcommensurateclosureoftheroutesithadserved,EastGrinsteadtoLewes(the‘Bluebellline’), EridgetoPolegate(the‘Cuckooline’),ThreeBridgestoGroombridge,andfinallythatfromLewesnorthtoUckfield,meant acontinualdropoffintrafficalliedtowhichwaslittleifanyinvestmentovertheyearssaveforbasicmaintenance.
Anindicationofthisrundownmaybegaugedwithfactssuchastherebeing25steamenginesallocatedtothedepotin 1956,butby1963therewerenone.
Thesignalboxoppositetheshedthroatwasoriginally‘TunbridgeWellsWest’ butlatersimplifiedto‘TunbridgeWellsA’. ‘East’or‘B’boxwasattheoppositeendofthestationnearthetunnelwhichformedaspurleadingtotheHastingslineand soconnectingwiththeCentralstationinthetown.
PartofthesitehassincebeenredevelopedbutmoreappropriateisthatTunbridgeWellsWestnowformstheheadquarters oftheSpaValleyRailwaywhooperateoverfivemilesoflinethroughGroombridgetoEridgewherethereareinterchange facilitieswiththenationalnetwork.
StephenTownroe’s ColourArchive
We are delighted to be able to continue withA committedsteamman,hewasalsoan thecolourarchivesofthelateStephen Townroeandwith thethemeof mainlinetrains andtheLondonTermini.
Shouldanyonenotbefamiliarwiththeworkof S.C.Townroe,sufficetosayhewasa professionalrailwaymanwhoworkedforthe SouthernRailwayandsubsequentlyBritish RailwaysSouthernRegion,risingthroughthe rankstobeDistrictMotivePower SuperintendentatEastleighinthedaysof steam.
enthusiast,relishingthechancetotravelon thefootplatewhenhecouldaswellastaking severalhundredqualityimagesoftherailway scenebothon‘hispatch’andbeyond.His colourphotographycommencedpriortoWW2 andalthoughunderstandablylimitedatthis timeitalsoprovidesforararerecord.We intendtofeatureexamplesoftheseinalater issue.Fornowsomeimages onthemainlines outofLondon.
SCT206Oneoftheadvantagesofworkingontherailwaywastheaccessitgave.Inhisprofessionalrolehewouldhave travelledaroundforofficialmeetingsandvisitsbutwhichalsogavetheopportunitytofindnewvantagepointsfor photography.Hereisatypicalexample,justwestoftheflyoveratDurnsfordRoad,asT9No30724approachesonthe downfastlinewiththe12.54pmWaterlootoBasingstokeservice.ThedateisSeptember1954althoughmissingisthe actualdayandasnodiariessurvivewecannotbeclearifthismightevenhavebeenanofficialvisit,perhapstoWokingor indeedtheelectriccarsheds.InthefarbackgroundistheSR’sDurnsfordRoadpowerstationandtheelectricdepot.The linesontheextremeleftofDurnsfordRoadarethoseoftheDistrictLinetoEarlsCourt.Theflyoverhereiswheretheup slowlinecrossesovertheupanddownfastlinessoastosplitthefastandslowlinesintotwoparallelpairsfromthis pointonthroughEarlsfield,ClaphamJunctionandontoWaterloo.No30724wasaBasingstokeengineatthistime, spendingsevenyearsworkingtrainsfromthedepotherefrom1952to1959.ItwouldmovetoGuildfordinMarch1959and waswithdrawnfromtherejusttwomonthslater.(CopiesofthisandotherS.C.Townroecolourimagesareavailablefor privateorcommercialuse.PleasecontacttheEditordirectattheemailaddressshownatthefrontofthisissue.)
Opposite:SCT729WorkadaygrimeliveryforNo34006 Bude asitentersWeybridgewiththedown3.00pmWaterlooto Exetertrainin1955.ThiswasaNineElmsenginewhichalsoexplainstheexternalcondition–boyspreparedtoworkas cleanersasthefirststeptowardsafootplatecareernoteasytofindintheLondonareaatthistime.BRMk1coaching stockappearsdominantwhilstfromthesignalitisnotsurprisingatrainisalsodueonthedownslowline,suchwasthe intensityofserviceontheSouthernlinesformostoftheday.No34006wouldbedestinedtobeoneofthefinaloriginal BulleidPacificstosurvive,uniqueatthattimeinretainingitsextralongsmokedeflectors.ItwaswithdrawnininMarch 1967.
Above:SCT805DespiteitsplethoraofhomegrownPacifics,theSouthernalsoplayedhosttoafewexamplesofthenew BRStandardBritanniaclassintheearly1950s,includingNo70004 WilliamShakespeare.AfteraperiodatNineElmsthe enginemovedtoStewartsLanewhereittoowasaregularperformerontheprestigeGoldenArrow,seenherewiththe downtrainatSevenoaksinSeptember1954-whistlechiming.Whethertheseengineswereactuallyneededonthe Southernisamutepoint,notwithstandingtheunreliabilityoftheBulleidtype,thereweresomanyBulleidsthatfailuresin servicecouldusuallybecovered.Probablythereasonwastogiveasmanydepotsandcrewssomefamiliaritywiththe Standarddesigns,theClass5,Class4tendertypesandClass4,3and2tankdesignsdestinedtobeseenregularlyon Southernservicesfromtheearlytomid-1950sonwards.
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SCT838ThedownBournemouthBellePullmanatClaphamJunctionintheearly1950spassingClaphamA signalbox –theonethatcollapsedsomeyearslater.InchargeisNo35018 BritishIndiaLine inblueliveryanddestinedlaterto bethefirstmemberoftheclasstoberebuilt.Assumingthetraintoberunningtoschedule,thetimewouldbesoon after12.30pm,thelatterthedeparturetimefromWaterloo,whilstonboardstewardswouldbegoingaroundinviting passengerstopartakeoflunch–afterallwhatwasthepointoftravellingPullmanotherwise? Inset:SCT840Toconcludethisinstalmentofcolour,wehavenewlyrebuiltNo35020 BibbyLine passingBrookwood onadownWestofEnglandworkinginJune1956.Thistimethe‘bloodandcustard’ stockappeartobemostlyof Bulleiddesign,theprofileofwhichseemstomatchthecurvatureofthetender.Ontheupslowlineisasuburban EMU,probablyaSUBset,whilstabovetherailsaresomeoftheLSWRlowerquadrantpneumaticsignals. No35020 wasoneofseveraloftheclasswithdrawnin1965,thescaleofwithdrawalsatthattimeleavingtheSouthernRegion shortofsteamstockonoccasions.
Treasuresfromthe BluebellRailwayMuseum TonyHillman
SouthernRailwayMeritoriousService Medal
In1940theSouthernRailwaycreatedthe specialwarmedaltobeawardedtomembers ofstafffordeedsofoutstandingmerit performedinconnectionwiththewar.
Themedalsaremadeofsilverguiltandtake theformofalocomotivedrivingwheelwith laurelwreathsuperimposed.Thecrossisan earlyformoftheVictoriaCrosswiththeletters SRinthecentre.Theribbonlookslikea railwaytrackintheSouthernRailwaycolours ofgreenandgold.Theribbonattachment mimicsavehiclespring.
Eighteenofthesewerepresentedata ceremonyheldatWaterlooonAugust18th 1940.TheBluebellMuseumhasondisplaythe medalawardedtoDockGatemanEsmond Roote.Esmondandfourotherslauncheda boatwhena mineenteredFolkestone Harbour anddriftedtowardstheviaductandswing
bridge.Theythrewalineoverthemineand securedittoabuoy.
TheSouthernRailwayMagazinedevotedover threepagesoftheSeptember1940issueto detailsoftheawardsandrecipients.
TheSouthernRailwayfilesforthesemedals areattheNationalArchivesatKew.These recordsshowthatasecondbatchofmedals weretobepresented.However,thereisno detailsatthePROofthembeingpresented. Also,thereisnoreferenceintheSouthern RailwayMagazinetoasecondbatchbeing presented.
Towardsthe endof 2021an ex-railwaymangot intouchwiththeMuseumofferingtodonatea selectionof badges.One ofthe badgeswas, in fact,ameritoriousmedalforGeorgeHenry Leach.Also,thedonationincludedthe handwrittendedicationonspecial notepaper detailingtheheroicact..
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