Thanks to Jim Burton for his historic logs, much appreciated
Much has been written about the final year of steam power on the Waterloo-Bournmeuth services. Generally this has been to put a positive spin on performances as crews, with locos in far from pristine condition, sought to give enthusiasts something by which to remember the Bullied Pacifics. The first run here proves that this was NOT always successful!! Before launching into details a story……overheard on Southampton Centra platform as 35012 hove into view with the “Bournemouth Belle”….a broad American female accent exclaimed….”Oh,Gee isn’t it cute. It’s like something out of Victorian times”!! As 35012 staggered up to Roundwood………
DATE :- Saturday, July 23, 1966
TRAIN :- 1625 Bournemouth West-Waterloo – “BOURNEMOUTH BELLE”
LOCOMOTIVE : 35012 UNITED STATES LINE (70G)
CLASS :- Merchant Navy (rebuilt) 4-6-2 – Bullied
LOAD :- 11 PULLMANS, 450 tons tare (approx)
DEPART SOUTHAMPTON CENTRAL :- 6 minutes late
ARRIVE WATERLOO :- 13.5 minutes late
0.00. Southampton Central 0 0. 00 –
1.04. Northam Junction 4 3. 44 *15
2.12. St. Denys 5. 48 38
3.52. Swaythling 7. 57. 40/42
4.41. Southampton Airport 9. 06 44/45
SIGNAL STOP
10. 15) *0
11 50)
5.78. Eastleigh 11 14. 06 34
9.61. Shawford 20 17 37.5/40
12.73. Winchester 24. 38. 44
14.88. Winchester Junction 27 20 48/48
17.45. Wallers Ash 30. 45 46
21.16. Micheldever 35. 08 49/52
23.01. Roundwood 37. 27 47
26.73. Wooton 41. 28 53/58
28.88. Worting Junction 40.5 43. 46 58
31.47 Basingstoke 46. 07. 61/64
37.03. Hook 50. 54 69
39.41. Winchfield 53. 17 63/*44
SIGNALS. *32
42.75. Fleet 58. 16 43/55
46.00. Farnborough 61. 36 64
48.22. Milepost 31 63. 30. 69
51.22. Brookwood 66. 19. 69
SIGNALS *53
54 46. Woking Junction 65.5 69. 37 60
54.88. Woking 70. 03 62
57.56. West Byfleet 72. 32. 70
SIGNALS. *26
60.11. Weybridge 76. 41 40
62.17. Walton-on-Thames 79. 33 43
63.35. Hersham 80. 57 53/57
65.92 Hampton Court 79.5 83. 28 63
Junction
67.21. Surbiton 84. 50. 58
SIGNALS *24
68.30. Berrylands 86. 33. 28
70.58. Raynes Park 90. 47 41
71.98. Wimbledon 92. 32 49/55
73.68. Earlsfield 94. 12. 63
75.30. Clapham Junction 89.5 96. 41 54/*42
77.89. Vauxhall 100. 13 36
79.19. Waterloo 96.5 104. 04 –
One might have thought that as the “Belle” was a fairly important service that attention would have been given to its path…..but seemingly not…in March 1967, I endured a run behind 34047 CALLINGTON….a return FOOTEX had inexplicably been scheduled 10 minutes ahead of the “Belle” from Southampton. This was powered by a Standard 5 73092 which was obviously not in the best of health. Eventually we passed it at Basingstoke be which time the “Belle” had taken 57 minutes 33 seconds since leaving Southampton Central!!!!
We turn now to an example of a substitute loco on services from Exeter St.David’s.
It was a “run of two halves” – the first section from Basingstoke to Woking was about as good as you could imagine from a 33.0. In from Woking, there at first glance, appears to be less of an effort. However, the concluding signal stop leads to another answer – that we were running under “double-yellows” since, at least, New Malden!!
DATE :- Thursday, August 05,1982
TRAIN :- 1014 1220 Exeter St. David’s-Waterloo
LOCOMOTIVE :- 33017 (EH)
LOAD :- 7 vehicles, 229 tons tare
TIMING LOAD :- D350
DEPART BASINGSTOKE :-10.5 minutes late
ARRIVE WOKING :- 10 minutes late
DEPART WOKING :- 9.5 minutes late
ARRIVE WATERLOO :- 12.75 minutes late.
0.00. Basingstoke 0 0. 00 –
0.91. Barton Mill 1. 46 45
59.5/65.5/66
5.56 Hook 5. 42 72/74/76.5/77
7.96. Winchfield 7 27 80/82/82/86
11.28. Fleet 9. 44 87.5/86/88
14.53. Farnborough 12. 36 86/82/83.5
16.75. Milepost 31 13. 43 83.5/83.5
19.62. Brookwood 15. 49 86/85/83.5
80/78/70.5
23.42. Woking 19.5 19. 05 55/-
0.00 0 0. 00 –
PWS *20 26.5/49/54.5
2.68. West Byfleet 4. 20 43/*24
3.91. Byfleet and New Haw 6. 34 38.5/51.5
5.18. Weybridge 7. 59 56/63.5/66
7.24. Walton-on-Thames 9. 40 72/75
8.42. Hersham 10. 31 77/80
9.96. Esher 11. 41 80/80/84
10.99. Hampton Court Junction. 10 12. 28 83.5/85
12.28. Surbiton 13. 24 85/81.5
13 37. Berrylands 14. 11 82/80
14.54. New Malden 15. 06 73.5
15.68. Raynes Park 16. 04 70.5
17.08. Wimbledon 17. 19. 65.5
18.76. Earlsfield 18. 52 61.5/66/66
20.38 Clapham Junction 19 20. 42 *40
SIGNAL STOP
22.97 Vauxhall 24. 14) *0
25. 21)
24.27 Waterloo 25.5 28. 47 33/20/-
Next to a route not known for loco haulage – that from Portsmouth Harbour and Waterloo. In the late 1980s, however, there was one service booked for 50 haulage throughout. The run involved here also produced my record in from Woking!!
DATE:- Wednesday, March 30, 1988
TRAIN :- 1P28 1530 SX Portsmouth Harbour-Waterloo
LOCOMOTIVE :- 50050 Fearless (LA)
LOAD :- 9 vehicles 288 tons tare
TIMING LOAD :- D315
DEPART PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR :- TIME
ARRIVE PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA :- 0.25 minutes late
DEPART PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA :- 0.50 minutes late
ARRIVE HAVANT :- TIME
DEPART HAVANT :- 1 minute late
ARRIVE GUILDFORD :- 3.75 minuts late
DEPART GUILDFORD :- 4.5 minutes late
ARRIVE WOKING :- 4 minutes late
DEPART WOKING :- 4 minutes late
ARRIVE WATERLOO :- 0.25 minutes late.
0.00. Portsmouth Harbour 0 0. 00 –
0.80. Portsmouth & Southsea. 3 3. 13. –
0.00 0 0. 00 –
0.81 Fratton 2. 43 21.5/26
34.5/47
3.10. Hilsea 5. 31. 54.5/61.5/65.5
3.59. Portcreek Junction 6 6. 05. *50
57.5/65.6
6.46. Bedhampton 8. 54 66/69/*42
7.21. Havant 10.5 10. 13 36/-
0.00 0 0. 00. –
3.21. Rowlands Castle 4. 39 41.5/56/59.5/52
49.5/56/58.5/60/
8.86. Buriton Tunnel 10. 10. 60.5/60.5/61.5/59
11.53. Petersfield 14 12. 49. 58/70/78/60.5*60
12.53. Sheet Crossing 13. 33 60.5/60.5
14.97. Liss 15. 38 72/78/80/81.5
19.60. Liphook 19. 18. 80/73.5/70.5/77
78/81.5/86
SIGNALS
23.44. Haslemere 24 22. 30 86/65.5 *36.5
27.49. Witley 26. 30. 54/67.5/74/81.5
30.16. Milford 28. 15 80/83.5
SIGNALS
31.98. Godalming 30. 51 *33
SIGNALS
32.89. Farncombe 33. 51 36/31.5
34.90. Shalford Junction 34.5 36. 39. 33/54.5/72
36.10. Guildford 36 38. 43 67.5/39/-
0.00 0 0. 00
23.5/50/54.5/ –
3.50 Worplesdon 4. 11 66/74.5/79
82/76.5/84/
5.78. Woking 7.5 7. 05 49/-
0.00 0 0. 00 –
2.68. West Byfleet 2. 21 22.5/47/57.5/66/73.5
3.91. Byfleet and New Haw 3. 17 78/82
5.18. Weybridge 4. 12 88
7.24. Walton-on-Thames 5. 34 86/90/92/93.5
8.42. Hersham 6. 16. 95/97.5
9.96. Esher 7. 15 95/103
10.99. Hampton Court Junction 7. 48 100
12.28. Surbiton 11 8. 39 100/96
13.39. Berrylands 9. 21 95/95
14.54. New Malden 10. 07 92/80
15.68. Raynes Park 10. 59 78/80
19.08. Wimbledon 12. 03 80/78.5/75
18.74. Earlsfield 13. 33 62/66.5/70.5
20.38. Clapham Junction 18.5 15. 03 74.5/56/*49
21.41. Queenstown Road 16. 01 51.5/64
22.97. Vauxhall 17. 29. 66/51.5
24.27. Waterloo 25 21. 12 43/41/5/-
Class 50 and crew in top form!!!
Can’t resist ending this section with a little gem from steam days!!!!
DATE :- Wednesday April 07. 1965
TRAIN :- 1515 Salisbury-Waterloo
LOCOMOTIVE :- 34005 BARNSTAPLE
CLASS :- West Countrry 4-6-2 (rebuilt) – Bullied
LOAD :- 10 vehicles, approx 320 tons tare
DEPART WOKING :- 3 minutes late
ARRIVE SURBITON :- 0.75 munites late
0.00. Woking 0 0. 00 –
2.68. West Byfleet 3. 47 63
5.18. Weybridge 6. 01 66/69
7.24. Walton-on-Thames 7 46. 68/72
8.42. Hersham 8 40 75
10.99. Hampton Court Junction 12 10. 33 80/82
12.28. Surbiton 15 12. 52 62/-
Who said steam locomotives lacked the power of acceleration?????
Regrettably the run from Surbiton was ruined by signal checks from Wimbledon into Waterloo.
Thanks again to Jim Burton for the historic logs
end
