West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The owner certainly isn't alone on that one! Any further developments will no doubt be reported promptly by our plc in due course. There's a few ducks to line up first mind.

I'm thinking of charging in guineas rather than shekels. Seems rather more appropriate.

There was some excellent colour footage of Lydia broadcast in Chris Tarrant's 'Railways That Built Britain' on Channel 5 recently. The occasion was Winston Churchill's funeral train departing Waterloo back in 1965. Pullman cars Carina and Isle of Thanet were also on film but Lydia stood out as the best presented car with her recently painted white roof.

Barrie

 

A copy of the attached document has recently come into my possession.

Robin

 

Also, for the lcoomen out there:

http://svsfilm.com/nineelms/wcf.htm

Tom

 

Dave's smile is nearly as big as mine will be when I see 9351 steaming again . I know it's been mentioned before but I didn't make a note of it but when is 9351 scheduled to be back in service , please ?

Paul . K

 

If only it was feasible for me , I'd be down like a shot .

Paul . K

 

The plan is at the end of this year, this of course hinges around the boiler coming back and volunteer help in the rebuild. As well as the frames/wheels as per my post the tender has had work done and has been cleaned prior to painting and currently sits outside of the shed at Minehead opposite the platform. Most of the thousand and one parts needed to go back on have already been completed, cleaned and painted so really the tough bits are done and its a case of bolting it all back together.

 

Thank you Andy .

 

I watched the Winston Churchill funeral train pass through Feltham Station on a cold Saturday afternoon. I was on my way to play Rugby, (against Roslyn Park I think.) I remember standing by the footbridge on the Up Feltham platform as an immaculate 34051 passed through on the Down. (I had seen the loco previously at the end of 1964 looking very much the worse for wear.)

In 1984 I became involved in the acquisition of the L*A Water Treatment Corporation in City of Industry, California, and later on overseeing the post acquisition strategy. Indeed my involvement with L*A continued for another nine years. I always stayed at the Sheraton Industry Hills Resort, The resort was built on effectively a reclaimed rubbish dump and featured two world class golf courses. At the highest point there was a railway platform, which served an external lift to one of the courses. At the platform was the vehicle in which Sir Winston's coffin was carried from Waterloo, complete with it's Eastleigh works plate. (The PMV has since of course been repatriated to the UK).

I remember my surprise at finding the PMV in 1984, almost as clearly as I remember standing, with others, motionless as the Great Man's last train passed by some 19 years previous.

It was good to see on my last visit to the NRM 34051 once again a centre of attention..

Michael Rowe

ps I have many splendid memories of Nine Elms Enginemen from 1963 to 1967. Basingstoke to Woking in 18 minutes 23 seconds start to stop with 101 mph attained twice with Driver Chapman and MN 35003, four splendid evenings with Ted Dente, one of many splendid young drivers at the 'Elms', (Clive Groome was another) on the 17.30 ex Weymouth between Soton and Waterloo. Fascinating chats with the likes of Messrs Harry Pope and Fred Prikett who had started their careers some 35 - 40 years previous.

The last few months of Southern Steam found an ever increasing band of enthusiasts sampling the Indian Summer of Southern Steam. Although 50 years past, for those who were around then, the memories remain vivid.

Many of the best memories involved Nine Elms Enginemen although I remember a Weymouth crew taking over the 18.30 ex Waterloo at Bournemouth on a dark wet night in 1966 ten minutes late, determined to sign off at their Home Depot on time. Or in 1963 Reg Varney from Bournemouth on an Up two hours to Waterloo showing what a MN could do Up the long bank to Roundwood. Halcyon days indeed !

 

Was it by chance or design that you were at Feltham at the right time?

If by design, how did you hear that the train was running?

Robin

 

I would have seen the WTT, and probably the special notice, I do not remember for sure. I think the major passing times were given to the media, not just the deprture time from Waterloo. Also the tv audience for the morning's earlier happenings was phenomenal. Memory can cause one to exaggerate but I think in excess of 20 million. The departure of the train from Waterloo was on the TV schedules.

This was the final applause of a Nation to a very great man.

Michael Rowe

 

Thanks

Here are the remaining pages of the Waterloo notice. The importance of TV even in 1965 is clear. Note the different treatment of the BBC and ITV...

How's that for thread drift!

Robin

 

No froth or unnecessary words in that document, was there?

 

I remember watching the funeral on TV at a friends house with my father & my uncle. We watched the train leave Waterloo then when down to the end of the garden to see the train go past.

 

Even though I was only 10 at the time , I was very aware of the significance of the event . I do remember the TV coverage .

Paul K

 

I can see it stated on website, can you use a local resident discount with watchet explorer ticket? Thxs

 

I do wonder if the story re using WATERLOO was true. The obvious station for Hanborough is Padddington. The story is that if Winston died before DeGaul the train should use WATERLOO AT Winston's request

 

It's a tale.

After the service at St Paul's and the water-borne departure up the Thames, Waterloo was just so much easier to access than Paddington.

Robin

 

WSR then and now.

A pair showing Blue Anchor in 1900 and today.

Quite a lot has changed, but focus on the station building in the centre. Even that has changed a fair amount, being brick originally, now rendered, and having a door and a window swapped over.

Styles of dress are a bit different today!

Robin

1900



2017

 

I wonder if the signal box nameplate is the same one? If so it will be the only thing thats the same from 1900!

 

These Then & Now photos are great!
Cameramen were taller in 1900, but signal boxes were not!
Technical question: Were the pedestrian gates interlocked with the crossing gates?
Are they now?