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.
A while back, I bought some b/w negatives of Eastleigh yard and surrounding area. I have either been too ill or too busy to get around and scan them until this week. I find they are good quality, and will post some on this page. Here is Std 9F 2-10-0 92206 simmering in the yard on June 4th 1965.
Std class 5 4-6-0 73037 is amongst the locomotives on shed. Originally a Shrewsbury engine when new in September 1953, the move to 71A had only been 2 months prior to this photograph. Someone has cleaned the number panel on the cabside, but the rest of the livery appears to be “filthy”.
Guildford’s U class 2-6-0 31619 arrives at Eastleigh; also on June 4th. The sky doesn’t look as if the weather is too inviting for a June day. Rain on the way, perhaps?
Bulleid pacific 34076 “41 Squadron” leaves Eastleigh with a train for Waterloo on June 4th. 41 Squadron flew Spitfires during WW2 and took part in the Battle of Britain and the D-Day landings. The squadron still exists today, and is now based in Lincolnshire.
I believe the rarity value of this image outweighs the poor quality. These two locomotives are Bulleid Leader 0-6-6-0T nos 36002 and 36003 in store at New Cross in 1950. I am not sure whether these two were actually in working order, but they were officially withdrawn in 1951. (Photo: Colin Major. His spotting colleague leans out of the windowless cab).
Merchant Navy pacific 4-6-2 35005 ‘Canadian Pacific’ appears to be reversing off the Bournemouth shed turntable on September 7th 1950. A Nine Elms locomotive at that time, but did spend a few years allocated to Bournemouth in the early 1960s.
Drummond designed C14 0-4-0T 30589 is resting inside Eastleigh shed, in this photo from April 1954.
Lord Nelson class 4-6-0 ‘Lord Rodney’ 30863 on September 7th 1950 at Bournemouth shed yard.
Drummond T14 4-6-0 30461 is at Nine Elms on May 7th 1949. Withdrawal came two years later.
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 