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'bournemouth belle'

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by southern4life, Feb 7, 2010.

  1. southern4life

    southern4life Member

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    Hi,

    could anyone help me on the ORIGINAL station stops for the Bournemouth Belle train in the 60's?
    Or know a website that i can find this information.

    Thanks for your help.
     
  2. 34007

    34007 Part of the furniture

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    There are plenty of people out there to help out on this one - I am sure of that!! Can i suggest you try the forum link I am going to send you and ask this question? http://nineelms.freeforum.me.uk/forum.htm
     
  3. nickt

    nickt Member

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    The earliest timetable I have is for Winter 1957. Weekdays:

    Waterloo dep 12:30

    Soton Central arr 1:58 / dep 2:01

    Bournemouth Central arr 2:40 dep 2:42

    Bournemouth West arr 2:52

    Bournemouth West dep 4:30

    Bournemouth Central arr 4:38 dep 4:40

    Soton Central arr 5:15 dep 5:15

    Waterloo arr 6:46

    Note the up train wasn't given time to take water at Soton, at least in the public timetable.

    I don't think the train ever made additional stops.

    Here she is heading west at Woking in 1964 http://nick301.photos.us.com/p56734409.html

    And the last ever up working at Bournemouth West: http://nick301.photos.us.com/p56730477.html

    I don't know the date of that, but I remember it was a Sunday afternoon.
     
  4. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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  5. nickt

    nickt Member

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    Mmmm, the train I was on was hauled by a Merc not a Duff. Maybe I meant the last steam working of the Belle. I was in denial about diesels in those days! I shall have to dig out my notebooks and find the date (and which Merc it was). Meanwhile, here's another nice view of the down Belle behind Sir Keith Park from the SLL collection. http://southernlocomotivesltdphotogallery.fotopic.net/p60284014.html
     
  6. Steamage

    Steamage Part of the furniture

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    I have a memory of a rebuilt Bulleid pacific heading a rake of Pullmans running down through the New Forest on a spring or summer weekend day when I was very small. My family had gone out for a picnic and chosen a place with a good view of the line specially to see this train. My Dad told me it was the last Bournemouth Belle, but he might have been simplifying - it could have been a special of some sort. My memory is that the loco was Clan Line, but the photo my Dad took is too blurred to be certain. I guess it was probably June 1967 (when I was 4), but it could have been '66. Can anyone suggest when the last time Clan Line worked Pullmans to Bournemouth would have been, and whether it was the Belle or not? Thanks
     
  7. 46203

    46203 Member

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    Can't help re Clan Line but according to Michael Welch's 'Decline of Southern Steam' (excellent book by the way), the last steam hauled Bournemouth Belle occurred on the 5th July 1967, remarkably just 4 days prior to the end of Southern steam, when 34024 Tamar Valley had charge of the down train, whilst the return was worked by 34036 Westward Ho . I spent a day photograhing steam in the New Forest area in 1966 between Brockenhurst and Sway and was rewarded with the sight of the down Belle being hauled by 34023 Blackmore Vale. Great days!
     

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