The Last Christmas of Southern Steam

It was about that time I discovered the legendary 18.35 Weymouth- Waterloo. It was all Stations to Basingstoke then Woking and Waterloo and with a load of only seven coaches some of the well known Nine Elms drivers were having a bit of fun on the racing stretch after Basingstoke.

It was a Light Pacific working but sometimes a MN was turned out and with the right driver some rather interesting runs could be had. I worked in the City at the time and quite often instead of going home after work, I would go down to Basingstoke on the first available steam hauled train and come back on the 18.35. It became a bit of an unofficial enthusiasts special with us regular travellers getting to know each other. I was privileged to be on board right at the end of steam when Fred Burridge achieved 106mph near Hook with 35003, my only authenticated three figure speed with steam.

Years later I met another well known ex Nine Elms driver, Bert Hooker who told me that the 75mph line speed limit East of Basingstoke was there for a reason and if they'd caught a double yellow at that speed with vacuum brakes there would have been no hope of pulling up by the red. Having said that they were professional railwaymen and knew there was nothing ahead of them on the fast line.

On the subject of Overrunning was anyone else on the last 02.45 Down Bournemouth Mail when Gordon Porter seriously overshot Christchurch in an attempt to get a last"ton" down Christchurch Bank? In those days it was a quick reverse back and a quiet word with the local signalman and nothing more was said.

 

I'll add fully to this later John and Al. But the line speed limit East of Basingstoke was 85 mph. I think to around Surbiton. But it may have been as far as New Malden where the 60 mph limit started back then. With 4 tracks all the way and long straight sections I guess visibility was very good for the crews going over 85 mph, which had happened almost since time began. Most on up fasts knew to have a hand on the brake anywhere near Woking. "Stop all Junction" as Salisbury ACE and ace driver Fred Hoare used to say.

I'll re post my footplate log of that run with 35003 sometime. The night Fred Burridge eased her up to 106mph. Very light load, and if I had shut my eyes standing behind him we could have been drifting along at 50mph, the ride was so smooth and the complete lack of any fuss on the footplate from either crew. Fireman Simon sat down most of the way, just coming over to have a long hard stare at the speedo needle which was way off the clock after Winchfield.

Back to Christmas 1966. On the 23rd December I did an overnight on the 21.15 extra to Southampton, thence the 21.20 ex Waterloo from Soton to Brock for the up mail. Some interesting running with John Gaffney on very light loads to Woking and back, (80 mph through New Malden on the up behind 34100 on just 3 cars), and then my Christmas present, a very short run behind 80140 on the ecs stock for the down 10.30. It stopped part way up the platform at Waterloo with the ecs and a couple of us quick thinking mileage and loco bashers jumped on and got what my notes say is 0.05 miles of haulage when the standard tank restarted to do the last bit up to the buffers.

 

It seems that in addition to being at the same school our paths may have crossed on the LSWR mainline in 66/7, you were certainly lucky to have been footplating on 26th June, definitely a night to remember. Sorry about the errors in my post but memory plays tricks after all these years, Bert probably did say 85mph and I have now corrected the driver's name, of course it was Fred not Jim Burridge, I must have been thinking of Jim Evans. I think he is still alive and probably the last surviving former driver from those days at the Elms.

I never got a footplate ride on the SW main line, I was promised one by a passed fireman I knew as Graham, never knew his surname but it didn't happen.