TRAINS of thought

摘要

In this issue of Steam Days magazine Dave Wilson, a former footplateman, recalls working the Waterloo to Bournemouth line in 1964/65 when the Bulleid Pacifies worked many of the express trains over this route as the end of steam on the Southern Region approached in 1967. Although as a young spotter I, with my parents, spent many holidays in the Bournemouth area, in the days of 'King Arthurs' and 'Lord Nelsons' at Bournemouth, I never returned to the area until after joining the Worcester Locomotive Society in October 1966. The first of my shed visit trips with them was to Southern England on 2 October that year - a very long day for my eight-year-old son and me from around 5am to gone midnight - a trip that also incorporated Swindon Works. This was the swansong of those impressive Southern Pacifies, one of the main attractions being those that had not been rebuilt and were still carrying their air-smoothed casings. Four of the 'West Country/Battle of Britain' classes were seen on Salisbury shed that day, seven on Eastleigh, five on Bournemouth shed, plus one 'Merchant Navy' class engine, No 35008 Orient Line, and there were six more on Weymouth shed - three Light Pacifies and three of the 'Merchant Navy' class - all, by now, looking a little worse for wear in their twilight years. On our journey from Bournemouth to Weymouth our coach was held at the level crossing at Wool in Dorset where we witnessed No 34001 Exeter racing through towards Waterloo with an express.