End of Southern Steam 09/07/23

British India Line about to do what is was designed to do haul a Waterloo bound train from Weymouth sadly a task it rarely has a chance to do now! still it is 56 years on from when Elder Dempster did the same for what we all assumed was the last time ever!!

 

Through Wareham last evening taken from the road bridge, where the traffic noise is so loud I could not hear how much effort the diesel was applying, if any.
Although this was "The End Of Southern Steam" you would have had to head five miles south to find a Bulleid that carried that headboard all day. (See Swanage thread).

 

I was consdering going to film the return at Weybridge but it was put on the slow line (despite being planned for the fast) anyway, so I'm glad I didn't bother. Hope all aboard enjoyed the day.

 

My take on yesterdays run. Undoubtedly the highlight was the climb of Upwey bank, 35018 sounded excellent on the climb to Bincombe tunnels:

 

Speed towards top of climb was mid twenties so Bil would have been doing most of the work

 

Hi
Can anybody oblige with name of driver of 35018 at Woking in down direction. Thanks.

 

Bill Monteith took the entire outward run from Victoria to Yeovil and then the LE move down to Weymouth, Matt McManus took the return as far as Basingstoke where Bob Baines took over back to Waterloo.

 

It was doing all of the work as it approached the tunnels

 

35018 on the climb from Weymouth at Bincombe No 2 Tunnel. 09 07 2023





https://www.flickr.com/photos/25640353@N05/53036744910/in/dateposted-friend/

 

Some results from yesterday. Locations are; on the outward run, Milborne Port, Yeovil, on the way back at Bincombe Tunnel and Potbridge. The day started off as a bit of a disaster, missed the shot at Hook as the M3 was closed for roadworks so got clogged up in all the diverted traffic (well done DoT for closing a major route in the holiday season), went for Hurstbourne Viaduct but missed that owing to the A303 being closed!
Thanks to driver Bill Monteith for changing the naff position of the headboard at Yeovil. I've included the light engine as its quite rare to see an engine on the mainline without its support coach.

 

Assuming the disc headcodes were correct, then options are somewhat limited for the outbound leg in terms of headboard position. It was the disc code for Waterloo or Nine Elms to Plymouth according to the SREMG website.

 

Has Bill "stolen" that cap from Spike Hodges?

 

The discs are right for the West of England Mainline which was the route it took outbound. They could have kept it in the support coach as happened on last year’s Atlantic Coast Express!

 

True, although as RTC were running it only seems fair that there headboard was displayed as a form of advertising.

 

With the big Southern ACE headboard using the two smokebox lamp brackets there was nowhere to put it

 

The time out varies between 30 seconds and 4 minutes depending on the location and route being cancelled.

 

All fine shots indeed. Not sure it's actually holiday season quite yet - a couple of weeks until schools break up, perhaps?