I have a soft spot for ex-SR locomotives. I’m not sure why, but it may have something to do with having to sit quietly in an unfamiliar room somewhere as a very small boy, and being given a Southern photo album to look at. My initial thoughts were of contempt, and ‘couldn’t you have found one on Kings Cross?’, but the old SR magic began to weave its spell and I became fascinated by the rural branch scenes with quaint old locos.
The transparency notes say R1 0-6-0T is at Folkestone, but I can’t quite fit the background. Is that Castle Hill? Could it be Dover? This 1st June 1958, and one year later 31010 was moved to Nine Elms, when 57xx pannier tanks took over the harbour branch, and withdrawal soon followed.
This a view of the approaches to Bournemouth shed in June 1958. In charge of loco coal wagons is B4 0-4-0T 30084 (extreme left). It was withdrawn 6 months after this photo when replaced by a diesel shunter. The M7 0-4-4T is 30107 which, despite it’s 1905 vintage, survived another 6 years until withdrawal in May 1964.
These three T9 4-4-0s are already withdrawn, in this photo taken at Eastleigh on 5th March 1961. They are 30300 30288 and 30707. They were all cut up over the following couple of months.
32408 is an E6 0-6-2T built in 1904, and seen here on Feltham shed in 1961. The bunker of 30495 can be seen to the left. This is a a 4-8-0T loco built for shunting Feltham yards which occupied a large area to the east of Feltham station. Although a small proportion has become a business park, most of the site has been left as a (now) wooded area.
Another veteran; 2-4-0WT 30585 hails from 1874, but is seen here awaiting its fate at Eastleigh in September 1962 complete with royal train lamp-code. Fortunately, the loco was saved for preservation and can be found at Quainton.
This is Stewarts Lane shed on 24th February 1962, and King Arthur 4-6-0 ‘Sir Brian’ appears to be in very good external condition. A Bournemouth (71B) loco at this time, it shares the low winter sun with a local (73A) resident 2-6-0 no. 31411.
4-6-0 S15 30839 is a Feltham based loco at this time, but is seen here at Weymouth shed on the 28th February 1965. Only 6 months operational life left; and did not quite manage 30 years in service.
West Country pacific 34047 ‘Callington’ is seen departing Clapham Junction towards the end of steam on the Southern Region in late 1966. She was a 70F Bournemouth engine at the time.
I make no apology for this image being a little imperfect, because I rescued it from oblivion and initially it was in a far worse state than this; but gentle cleaning with 99% distilled alcohol can remove quite a lot of marks and tiny fungal growth on some negatives. Here are 34005 ‘Barnstaple’ (left) and 34108 ‘Wincanton’ (right) at Bournemouth Central circa 1965.
A view down the line near St Mary Cray in 1959. Schools 4-4-0 30930 ‘Radley’ heads a fast train of 9 varying styled coaching stock.
Trainspotting data from 1947 until 1980 