SOUTHERN TIMES
Contents
Introduction3
StainestoWokinghamandBeyond,Part1,JeremyClarke5
FromtheArchives:illustrationscollatedbyRogerSimmonds14
SojusthowmanyBulleidengineswerebuilt…?15
Guildford,8November1952,withthankstoNormanHamshere16
London,Brighton&SouthCoastRailwayMotorTrains21
JohnDavenport.Alifelongrailwayinterest:
Part2BritishRailwaysdays25
1923–acenturyon33
Didyougetitright?
TheanswerstoourlittlecartoonquizinIssue434
StephenTownroe’scolourselection:35
AdamsandDrummondPart2
TwoLevelCrossings47
HollandParkHalt49
WilliamAdams‘135’class4-4-0.Nos135to14651
SouthernRegionpeople57
Guildford(anditsenvirons)Part2ColinMartin60
ColinTuttle–fourthgenerationrailwayman62
NineElmscoalingplant–fromthe
SouthernRailwayMagazine,February192463
ElectrificationtoPortsmouth1937;theminutiabehindthescene64
Variety(orthelackofit)in1966.IllustrationsbyTonyHarris70
TreasuresformtheBluebellRailwayMuseum74
Justforamusement…77
FromtheFootplate78
4 SOUTHERNTIMES
terminatedclosetothenorthernendoftheroad bridgeovertheThames,thestationbuildingbeing aconvertedGeorgianhousetothesouthofthe Windsorline.Therewasnodirectconnection betweenthetwothoughbothhadaccesstothe StainesLinoleumCompany’sfactoryopenedin 1864.However,in1940alinkwasconstructedfrom southoftheGWR’sYeoveneyHalttoprovidean alternativerouteviaStainesfornorth/southtrains shouldthemainsuchroutesthroughLondon becomeimpassable.Itwastakenoutofusein1947 butremainedinsituuntil1959.
TheWesternRegionwithdrewbranchpassenger servicesinMarch1965thoughfreightcontinuedto run,particularlytoanoilterminalthathadbeen establishedinStainesWestgoodsyardintheearly 1960s.Butfollowingthecompleteclosureofthe branchsouthofColnbrookin1981,oiltrafficarrived attheSouthern‘sStainesstationandshuntedinto theterminalthroughanewlinknorthofit.This trafficcontinueduntil1991whentheterminal closed.Muchofthetrack,includingtheconnection, remainsinplacethoughlongunused.
Three-quartersofamilebeyondStainestheline crossestheWyrardisburyRiver,whichalsomarks
thepointwheretheGWRbranchturnedtowards thenorthandbridgedtheWindsorroute.Three quartersofamilefurtherstill,theM25bridgesthe lineandat21½milesthetrackcrossestheColne BrookandcomestoWraysbury.Thisstation openedwiththelinethoughitwasmovedfromthe northtothesouthsideoftheCoppermillRoad overbridgein1860.TheverytypicalSouthWestern brickstationbuildingwasontheupside,itsplace nowhavingbeentakenbyanondescriptflat-roofed brickbuildingwithticketingfacilitiesintheopen alongsideit.Thegoodsyard,ontheupsideatthe Londonendofthestation,consistedofthree sidingswithagoodsshed,weighingmachineanda crane.Thesignalboxwaslocatedrightbythe pointswherethesidingsmergedintotheupline.It closedinmid-1964,traffichavingbeenwithdrawn fromtheyardtwoyearsbeforehand.
Thestationstoodand,indeed,stillstandsonthe easternfringeofthevillagethoughtherehavebeen subsequentribbondevelopmentsalongCoppermill RoadtowardsHortonintheshadowofthemassive 1970-openedWraysburyReservoir.(Ithasa capacityof34,000,000,000litres/7,490,000,000 gallons.)Amillhadfirstbeenestablishedonthe ColneBrookupstreamofthesiteoftherailway
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Onthesamedayandatthesamelocation,No33023wasrecordedwithaGuildfordtoReadingSouthpassengerworking. TransportTreasuryF7817
FromtheArchive; IllustrationscollatedbyRogerSimmonds
Wearegratefultoourlongterm friendandcontributorRoger Simmondsforsubmittingfourmore imagesgoingback–wellafew years....
Thecrossingkeeper’scottageat CrampmoorCrossingbetween ChandlersFordandRomseyonthe linefromEastleigh.Thisviewdates fromc1880andshowsthethen crossingkeeperFannyNoyce.
Acautiousapproachthroughflood wateratWalkfordbetweenNew MiltonandChristchurch,12 December1907.Theengineisan Adams0-4-2.(Contemporary recordsindicatetherainfallforthe autumnof1907hadbeen consideredexceptional.)
Ararebeast,thestationatGosport RoadontheshortbranchtoStokes BaywhichclosedinWW1.Oneday perhapsaqualityimageofatrainon thelinetoStokesBaymay materialise....
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Opposite:On27December1961,alandslipinvolvingsome10,000tonsofearthoccurredalongsidetheDownslowline westofHookstation.Theslowlineitselfwassuspendedovera40feetdropoveradistanceof50yards,Inadditionthe slidingearthsmashedthearchesofaculvertcarryingastreamovertheline.Damnedwaterfloodednearbymeadowsand atrenchhadtobecuttoallowthewatertodrainintoanearbyriver.Limitedserviceswereabletoproceedbydaywith bothUpandDownservicesusingtheUpslowlineonwhicha10mphrestrictionwasprovided.(Althoughnotconfirmedit isalmostcertaintemporaryconnectionswereprovidedandPilotmanworkinginvolved.)Anumberoftrainswerediverted viatheMidHantsandPortsmouthdirectroutesalthoughweightrestrictionsprohibitedthe‘MerchantNavy’classfromthe Netleyline.JohnrecordedthesetwoimagesshowingNo34018Axminstercautiouslythreadingitswaypasttheslip working‘wrongroad’withaDownboattrain.HealsorecordedNos35012 UnitedStatesLine andNo 34063229Squadron atHookawaitingtheirturntoproceedwest.Thelineofopenwagonstotherightmaywellbebeingusedtobringashand otherhardcoretotheworksite.Afullservicewasnotreinstatedforapproximatelyfourweeks.(January1961wasnota goodmonthfortheSouthernRegionasonthe22ofthemonthanearthslipalsooccurredbetweenKentHouseandPenge EastmeaningUptrainsfromOrpingtontoVictoriahadofnecessitytobedivertedviatheCatfordloop.) Ed-Writingthisat theendofFebruary2023,therailwaybetweenHookandBasingstokehasonlyjustbeenfullyre-openedafterasimilar earthslip.
mph.That,fortunately,wastheendofthedullbitof theday.ByOakleyspeedwasUpto66mph. WortingJunctionwaspassedat70mphin39
minutes5second;theschedulewas39minutes. Whatfollowedisbestshownintableform:
SOUTHERNTIMES 28
Above:DriverCharhamonNo30864 SirMartinFrobisher.
DistancefromSalisburyScheduleActualMPH 35.9Basingstoke41.0676 41.5Hook45.3378 43.9WInchfield47.3373 47.3Fleet50.2169 50.5Farnborough53.0968 55.7Brookwood57.4078 57.1WokingJunction62min.60.0780 62.4WestByfleet62.3079
Opposite:OurfinalviewofNo30119again,this timepristineattherearofEastleighin1949and withanN15Xbehind.Proofoftheimportanceof thisparticularmachinemaybegleanedfromthe polishedsmokeboxdoorclampsandcoupling. (Yes,thewheelsaregreenonthisengine.)
Pseudo-SouthernliverybutwithBRletteringand yetthefrontnumberispaintedonthebuffer beamratherthanidentifiedwithacastplate. Theemergencycoalstockalongsideisperhaps bestdescribedasbeingofdubiousquality,hence stackinghasnotbeenpossible.
Right:Andspeakingofcoal,thefiremanonNo 30479isattemptingtolevelhisloadofcoalwhilst precariouslybalancedonthenarrowframingand hangingonwithjustonehand.Modernday HealthandSafetywouldhaveafielddayandyet suchpracticesandfarworsewerecommonplace onthesteamrailway.Theviewwastakenat EastleighinJune1957andabitunusualinnot displayinganyBRemblemonthesidetank.
Bottom:ThesemiroundhousethatwasGuildfordshedandturntable,nodate.Guildfordwasalmostasteamoasiswithin theelectrifiednetworkalthoughsteamwasanessentialcomponentforservicestoHorsham,Redhill,Aldershotand Reading.VisibleareB4No30089,actingasshedpilot,0395No30578anda700which,accordingtoSCT’snotes,isjust comingontoshedafterhavingworkedalocalfreight.
Next�me:Visi�ngtheIsleofWight.
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ISSUE5
Undersheerlegsbutnolocationgiven.Openairmaintenancewasthenormwithlikelyahandoperated-albeitverylow geared-hoist.
Againonpaper,thelasttwoengines,Nos0307and 0310(theoriginalNos139and140),entered SouthernRailwayownership.Physicallybothwere alsoatEastleigh,No0310storedatthebackofthe shedandnotthoughttohavebeensteamedatall inSRdays.ItwasofficiallywithdrawninDecember 1924.No0307howeverwasstillatworkandagain accordingtoBradleyoncarriagepilotduties,
vacuumbraketestingofnewrollingstockandeven localservices.Ittoowaseventuallytakenoutof serviceinDecember1924.Becauseofitscontinual use,No0307(139)mayalsohaveachievedthe highestmileageforanynumberoftheclass,at 1,319,694.
Nexttime;abreakfromtheLSWR and alookattheLBSCR‘K’class2-6-0
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ReferenceBradley,Adamslocos.
SOUTHERNTIMES
Treasuresfromthe BluebellRailwayMuseum TonyHillman
InternalSouthernAccidentReports
AllreaderswillbeawareoftheOfficialReports producedbyHMSOafterarailwayaccident.What arenotsocommonaretheInternalAccident EnquiryReportsfollowingaccidentswhicharenot asseriousasthoseneedingafullEnquiry.
Sadly,manyofthesedetailaccidentstostaff,many fatal.Also,minorderailments,collisionsand breakawaysarecovered.Thereportsoftenrunto manypages,usuallyincludingasketchplanofthe areaconcerned.
Ofinteresttous,withitsBluebellconnections,isa collisionatWadebridge.TheEnquiryintroduction states:
‘Atapproximately7.23amonMonday,12August 1957,lightengine34023*,WestCountryClass (BlackmoorVale), movedfromtheMotivePower DepotoverNo2Sidingandhadreachedthe“OneWay”handoperatedspringpoints(trailinginthe
directionoftravel)leadingfromtheMotivePower SidingstotheLoopSidingwhenitcameinto collisionwith0298ClassTankEngineNo30587 whichwaspropellingthreeemptywagonsalongthe LoopSidingfromthedirectionofWadebridgeEast signalbox.
TherewasconsiderabledamagetotheTank Engineasaresultofthecollision,butfortunately therewerenoseriousinjuriessustainedbyany staffconcerned.’
*No34023isownedbytheBulleidSocietyand basedattheBluebellRailway
The10-pagereportrecordstheevidencefrom thoseinvolved,thedrivers,firemen,shunters, porterandsignalmanandaSummaryofEvidence writtenbyA.W.Johnston,DistrictMotivePower Superintendent,andW.G.Coward,Assistanttothe DistrictTrafficSuperintendent,ExeterCentral.This runstonearlythreepagesandendswiththeir conclusionwherefaultlies.
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SOUTHERNTIMESisthenewperiodicalforfollowersofthe SouthernRailway,BritishRailwaysSouthernRegion,aswellasthepregroupcompanies; SECR,LBSCR,andSECR
Threeissuesperyear,80pagespackedwitharticlesandimagesthatareSouthernrelated includingwherepossible,unseenviewsineveryissue.
Asubsumptionserviceisavailablethroughthepublisher;TheTransportTreasury.
£12.95
SO
IssueNo5Spring/Summer2023