If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

RTC: End of Southern Steam - 9/07/26

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Gladiator 5076, Jun 30, 2026.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    9,806
    Likes Received:
    8,341
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    With another heatwave forecast for the weekend/early next week at the London end, and little or no rain forecasted for the route I wonder if this will be steam hauled. Be a great shame if not as an anniversary train.
     
    Gladiator 5076, Jun 30, 2026
    #1
    green five and banana patch like this.
  2. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2006
    Messages:
    6,971
    Likes Received:
    3,149
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Design Draughtsman
    Location:
    Hampshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Just been thinking about this after the most recent weather forecast. I was considering having a couple days of holiday from work at the end of this week to see the two Weymouth specials (RTC & LSL) on Thursday and to also attend the Watercress Line Diesel Gala on Friday.
    However, with the temperatures forecast will 35028 even be allowed out as a token steam presence at the head of the SR Anniversary train?
     
    green five, Jul 5, 2026 at 4:20 PM
    #2
  3. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    9,806
    Likes Received:
    8,341
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I guess if it red down here (cannot believe it is not) then the Yeovil Weymouth move for the loco would either need another diesel to be provided, or the loco to be turned at Yeovil and both the steam and diesel to swap ends along with the support coach with 35028 working the train to Pen Mill and then being on the back to Weymouth. That assumes all that lot would be possible with service train paths.
    Would NR even let the loco run round on its own at Yeovil Junction if red?
    Would the MNPLS be happy having 35028 towed on the back? To my knowledge it has never hauled a DCE for example.
     
    Gladiator 5076, Jul 5, 2026 at 5:23 PM
    #3
    green five likes this.
  4. AMP

    AMP Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2007
    Messages:
    490
    Likes Received:
    365
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Many years ago but it 35028 has been towed from Pen Mill to Weymouth

    https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/100508uk.htm

    Andrew
     
    AMP, Jul 5, 2026 at 5:50 PM
    #4
    green five, silversteellady and Gladiator 5076 like this.
  5. Saint Austell

    Saint Austell New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2022
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    29
    Location:
    Cornwall
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Another week of blazing heat with no rain,
    Are we sure Clan Line's not just gonna be pushed round like a giant boiling headboard?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 7, 2026 at 12:03 AM
    Saint Austell, Jul 6, 2026 at 9:33 PM
    #5
    TH Railway Videos and green five like this.
  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    23,989
    Likes Received:
    24,795
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Big Al, Jul 7, 2026 at 11:16 AM
    #6
    The Gricing Owl, silversteellady and banana patch like this.
  7. The Gricing Owl

    The Gricing Owl Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2023
    Messages:
    2,181
    Likes Received:
    3,411
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Owl, SR steam gricer and full time dinosaur
    Location:
    5,500 miles from 25NC 4-8-4s in the winter Karoo
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Presumably the MNLPS will say if 35208 is going to be in use tomorrow, with a FB post later today.

    Bryan
     
    The Gricing Owl, Jul 8, 2026 at 11:16 AM
    #7
  8. AMP

    AMP Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2007
    Messages:
    490
    Likes Received:
    365
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    AMP, Jul 8, 2026 at 4:32 PM
    #8
  9. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    9,806
    Likes Received:
    8,341
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Gladiator 5076, Jul 8, 2026 at 4:38 PM
    #9
  10. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2010
    Messages:
    2,381
    Likes Received:
    1,713
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Early retirement! (Ex-Business Improvement, LU).
    Location:
    Gomshall, Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Short of 35028 having only oily rags smouldering in the firebox, I can't see how tomorrow's run can have any steam involvement at all, very sadly. I have just returned from Mallorca today and conditions here are very similar!
     
    Deepgreen, Jul 8, 2026 at 6:50 PM
    #10
  11. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2006
    Messages:
    10,161
    Likes Received:
    12,361
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Train Maintainer for GTR at Hornsey
    Location:
    Letchworth
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Screenshot_20260708_185219_Facebook.jpg

    As @AMP said, 150 ton headboard - class 47 will be behind the tender tomorrow.
     
    5944, Jul 8, 2026 at 6:53 PM
    #11
  12. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,937
    Likes Received:
    4,425
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired Rolls-Royce engineer
    Location:
    Bath Green Park / Mangotsfield
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    35028 Clan Line has passed it's FTR examination. The tour will have diesel assistance due to the 'red' fire risk level. [BJ]
     
    free2grice, Jul 8, 2026 at 6:56 PM
    #12
  13. Deepgreen

    Deepgreen Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2010
    Messages:
    2,381
    Likes Received:
    1,713
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Early retirement! (Ex-Business Improvement, LU).
    Location:
    Gomshall, Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    A shame - the passengers may still have a nice day out, but it won't be steam-hauled. I just hope the train's temperature is bearable.
     
    Deepgreen, Jul 8, 2026 at 7:08 PM
    #13
    The Gricing Owl and green five like this.
  14. Wagoniester

    Wagoniester Member

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2017
    Messages:
    819
    Likes Received:
    1,930
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Essex
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    There is no diesel behind the loco; only one at the rear but it was clear that Clan Line was being worked gently even on the slow through Putney a little while ago.
     
    Wagoniester, Jul 9, 2026 at 9:54 AM
    #14
    The Gricing Owl likes this.
  15. gricerdon

    gricerdon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2018
    Messages:
    1,973
    Likes Received:
    989
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Gricer and Grandad
    Location:
    Wallers Ash
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Inevitable I am afraid but I wont be there. In any case July 8th was my end of steam day with all its drama as recounted a number of times including in my book The Twilight of Southern Steam.

    Hope it goes well today

    Don
     
    gricerdon, Jul 9, 2026 at 9:57 AM
    #15
    The Gricing Owl likes this.
  16. Rander

    Rander Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2007
    Messages:
    397
    Likes Received:
    152
    33025 will be the assisting loco tripping 35028 down light engine from Yeovil Jn to Weymouth this afternoon.
     
    Rander, Jul 9, 2026 at 11:18 AM
    #16
  17. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2007
    Messages:
    3,045
    Likes Received:
    2,726
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Researcher/writer and composer of classical music
    Location:
    Between LBSCR 221 and LBSCR 227
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Quite a contrast from 59 years ago. There is a well-kn0wn picture of 34021 Dartmoor working a Southampton Docks-Waterloo Boat train on 9th July 1967 taken by the late David Hepburne-Scott in the Winchfield area and the loco was giving out a decent visible exhaust (steam, not black smoke), so the weather must have been considerably cooler than today. Given that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of Southern steam, it would be good if there was 1967 weather rather than 2026 weather in July, as no doubt a number of special events will be planned - both on the main line and heritage railways.
     
    John Petley, Jul 9, 2026 at 11:31 AM
    #17
  18. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    23,989
    Likes Received:
    24,795
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    A nice Southampton to Waterloo in 84 minutes non stop would be good.
     
    Big Al, Jul 9, 2026 at 11:41 AM
    #18
    Enterprise, Paul42, green five and 2 others like this.
  19. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    5,428
    Likes Received:
    9,360
    A contrast to 59 years ago when, almost unnoticed, there were three Weymouth - Westbury steam hauled perishable freights over the line. If I remember correctly two were Standard 5s and the third a West Country. All three locos returned light to Weymouth for withdrawal. It was indeed a hot sunny day, but not as hot as today.

    Peter
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2026 at 1:41 PM
    torgormaig, Jul 9, 2026 at 11:47 AM
    #19
    gricerdon, Paul42, Mick45305 and 2 others like this.
  20. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,937
    Likes Received:
    4,425
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired Rolls-Royce engineer
    Location:
    Bath Green Park / Mangotsfield
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    There may be this evening. 33.025 is escorting Clan Line to Weymouth. A diesel could be positioned at the rear of the train and another behind the tender. Insurance while passing through the New Forest? <BJ
     
    free2grice, Jul 9, 2026 at 11:58 AM
    #20
    The Gricing Owl likes this.
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page