4. Watercress Line-27.04.80

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1980 > 4. Watercress Line-27.04.80
A coach trip organised by the West Wilts Model Railway Circle with my technical drawing teacher from school, Mr. Brush. We were taken by coach from Trowbridge to Alresford where we explored the fledgling heritage line. As we are all aware, this particular line has grown massively to become one of the UK's premier preserved lines and is now mainline connected at Alton. Back in 1980, it was a much smaller affair but we had a good day walking the length of the route and back taking photographs. We were also issued with hi-viz jackets that enabled us to get trackside and wander about with impunity.
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Images 1-19 of 19 displayed.

196, ECS working, New Alresford Station On arrival at New Alresford station at the western end of the Watercress Line number 196 'Errol Lonsdale' has just worked a short empty coaching stock service in from the carriage sidings. 196 still wears its LMR (Longmoor Military Railway) colours and insignia. The name carried by the locomotive was applied just over two years previously to this photograph in March 1978 with the naming carried out by Major General Errol Lonsdale, himself, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Corps of Transport from 1969–1974. Keywords: Errol Lonsdale Hunslet 196 New Alresford station
196, running round, Sun Lane New Alresford 196 'Errol Lonsdale' runs round and this image was taken from the lofty heights of Sun Lane in New Alresford. This powerful little 0-6-0 tank locomotive was built by Hunslet in Leeds to the LNER J94 design. However, 196 never worked on the mainline being built for the Ministry of Defence for use on its Longmoor Military Railway a short distance from the locomotive's present location on the Watercress Line. Keywords: 196 Sun Lane New Alresford Errol Lonsdale
196, 11.30 New Alresford-Ropley, Sun Lane New Alresford 196 'Errol Lonsdale' gets away from New Alresford station running tender first leading the 11.30 to Ropley. Unfortunately, on the day of our visit the weather was very dull and overcast meaning photographs, such as this one, were a little disappointing. Keywords: 196 11.30 New Alresford-Ropley Sun Lane New Alresford Watercress Line Mid-Hants Line Errol Lonsdale
196, 12.00 Ropley-New Alresford, Bishop's Sutton SU596324 We walked east along the route of the line from New Alresford to a point close to where the A31 went under the track. 196 'Errol Lonsdale' approaches with the 12.00 Ropley to New Alresford hauling a trio of mixed stock in three different liveries. With its 4ft 3ins driving wheels the locomotive looks purposeful and these helped towards its designed specification to get a train of over one thousand tons away on level track. Keywords: 196 12.00 Ropley-New Alresford Bishop's Sutton SU596324 Watercress Line Mid Hants Railway Errol Lonsdale
196, 12.30 New Alresford-Ropley, Bishop's Sutton SU605326 196 'Errol Lonsdale' heads the 12.30 New Alresford to Ropley service near to the Hampshire village of Bishop's Sutton. I do not particularly like tender first photographs but these locomotives were designed to be equally as effective working in both directions. 196 never actually worked for British Railways being owned by the Ministry of Defence from new for training purposes at the Longmoor Military Railway. 196's main claim to fame was that it was the locomotive that starred, along with Frankie Howard, George Cole and Terry Scott, in the 1966 film 'The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery'. Keywords: 196 12.30 New Alresford-Ropley Bishop's Sutton SU605326 Watercress Line Mid Hanst Railway Errol Lonsdale
34016, 13.00 Ropley-New Alresford, Bishop's Sutton SU605326 Bulleid 4-6-2 34016 'Bodmin' works tender first leading the 13.00 Ropley to New Alresford service on the Watercress Line. The restoration and complete re-build of the former West Country locomotive had been completed the previous year in 1979 and it looked absolutely superb. Dating from 1945 the locomotive was withdrawn in mid 1964 being sent straight away to Barry. Rescue came in 1973 when it went, initially, to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton and then to Ropley where it underwent its extensive restoration. Keywords: 34016 13.00 Ropley-New Alresford Bishop's Sutton SU605326 Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line Bodmin
34016, 13.30 New Alresford-Ropley, Ropley Dean SU623322 The fine sight of a Bulleid West Country Pacific passing at very close quarters is quite something, even if it is only travelling at twenty-five miles per hour! 34016 'Bodmin' is fresh from an amazing restoration working the 13.30 New Alresford to Ropley service on the Mid-Hants Railway seen passing Ropley Dean. In its nineteen years of mainline working it will have worked this line between Alton and Winchester frequently with crews often referring to the route 'going over the Alps' due to the long and steady 1:60 gradients either side of Medstead and Four Marks. Keywords: 34016 13.30 New Alresford-Ropley Ropley Dean SU623322 Bodmin Watercress Line Mid Hants. Railway.
34016, 13.55 Ropley-New Alresford SU621323 34016 'Bodmin' is seen running tender first leaving Ropley passing its up distant fixed signal. It is leading the 13.55 Ropley to New Alresford service on the Mid-Hants Railway often referred to as the Watercress Line. Whilst the former Longmoor Military Railway 196 'Errol Lonsdale' was entrusted with three coaches, the former Southern Region Pacific hauls five. Both locomotives would hardly be taxed by these loads! Keywords: 34016 13.55 Ropley-New Alresford SU621323 Bodmin Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line
34016, 14.20 New Alresford-Ropley, Ropley Station With work underway on the station buildings at Ropley 34016 'Bodmin' arrives wrong line with the 14.20 from New Alresford. Technically, we were out of bounds on the up platform as at this time the Mid-Hants Railway only used the down platform for passenger use. We had been issued with orange hi-viz tabards that permitted us to access areas that the public would not normally be able to get to. Keywords: 34016 14.20 New Alresford-Ropley Ropley Station Bodmin Watercress Line Mid Hants Railway
34105, undergoing restoration, Ropley Yard In the yard at Ropley station Bulleid Pacific 34105 'Swanage' undergoes its first restoration after being saved from Barry in March 1978. It would take the dedicated band of volunteers another seven years to get the locomotive in steam again with it entering service here on the Mid-Hants Line in 1987. 'Swanage' became a regular on the preserved line for ten years until it required another overhaul. This was undertaken and the locomotive entered service again that included it visiting other lines such as the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. At the time of writing in 2020 it was approaching the end of yet another complete overhaul but this time, unlike the open-air photograph, it would be inside one of the Mid-Hants Railway's large sheds. Keywords: 34105 undergoing restoration Ropley Yard Swanage Mid Hants. Railway Watercress Line
35018, awaiting restoration, Ropley Yard 35018 'British India Line' had arrived in the yard at Ropley only a month prior to this photograph being taken having been rescued from Dai Woodham's famous Barry scrapyard. It came to the Mid-Hants Railway with the tender from 35025 'Brocklebank Line'. It would take another incredible thirty-six years before it would steam again in 2016 with it moving between various locations with the work eventually being completed at Carnforth's Steamtown by WCR. 35018 is now mainline registered and undertakes charter work but it is one steam locomotive that I have yet to capture undertaking such work. UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE..... I now have my first photograph of this locomotive since this one was taken in 1980. Some forty-four years later it is seen on the mainline passing through Roade, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30055442424/x35018-11-26-carnforth-steamtown Keywords: 35018 awaiting restoration Ropley Yard British India Line Watercress Line Mid Hants Railway
D2994 (ex 07010), stabled. Ropley Yard D2994 (formerly 07010) looks very smart standing in Ropley Yard on the Mid-Hants Railway. I am not absolutely sure why it was here as I can only find information about this former British Railways shunter being on the West Somerset Railway and at its present and long term home on the Avon Valley Railway to the east of Bristol. When this photograph was taken in 1980 the shunter, built for work in and around Southampton docks, was only eighteen years old being introduced in 1962 and withdrawn in October 1976 from Bournemouth depot. Keywords: D2994 07010 stabled. Ropley Yard
34016, 15.10 New Alresford-Ropley, Ropley station 34016 'Bodmin' arrives at Ropley station with the 15.10 service from new Alresford. The Mid-Hants Railway was very much in its infancy at this time with the extension to Alton a pipe dream. Over the intervening forty years, it has emerged as one of the UK's premier heritage lines showing others how to do it! However, I write this during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic that has had a devastating effect on preserved lines with some unlikely to survive despite some support from the Government. Keywords: 34016 15.10 New Alresford-Ropley Ropley station Watercress Line Mid Hants. Railway Bodmin
34016, 15.35 Ropley-Alresford working, Ropley Station Having run round its train at Ropley station, 34016 'Bodmin' is now facing the wrong way running tender first. It will lead the 15.35 service to New Alresford a journey of just over two and a half miles. This is incorporated with the present day ten mile line that has extended all the way to Alton. Notice that the photograph is taken off the platform end on the embankment away from the crowds. As we had been issued with hi-viz tabards we were permitted such access and felt very important! Keywords: 34016 15.35 Ropley-Alresford working Ropley Station Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line Bodmin
34016, 16.00 Alresford-Ropley, Bishop's Sutton SU615320 Looking across a field of spring wheat 34016 'Bodmin' leads the 16.00 New Alresford to Ropley train. The photograph is taken from a green lane near the village of Bishop's Sutton on our longish walk back to Alresford in order to get the coach back home. I like the flat and straight exhaust in this photograph the wind obviously coming gently from the east. Keywords: 34016 16.00 Alresford-Ropley Bishop's Sutton SU615320 Bodmin Watercress Line
34016, 16.25 Ropley-New Alresford working, Bishop's Sutton SU610325 34016 'Bodmin' descends with the 16.25 Ropley to New Alresford near the village of Bishop's Sutton. Not the best photograph of a black locomotive in a tight and narrow cutting but, for the record, I have submitted it. The Southern Region discs on the tender indicate the following workings: -London Bridge and Portsmouth via Mitcham Junc -Oxted and Lewes or Seaford or Eastbourne via Haywards Heath and Keymer Junc (Change to Nº5 or Nº21 code at Lewes) -Victoria and Sutton via Thornton Heath -Holborn and Wimbledon -London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Dover via Chislehurst Loop and Maidstone East -Waterloo and Nine Elms and Brockenhurst and Bournemouth West via Sway -Waterloo or Nine Elms and Waterloo via Brentford Take your pick! Keywords: 34016 16.25 Ropley-New Alresford working Bishop's Sutton SU610325
34016, 16.50 Alresford-Ropley, Bishop's Sutton SU598325 34016 'Bodmin' makes a fine sight as it emerges from the cutting to the east of New Alresford crossing the old A31 road bridge now the B3047 with the opening of the much needed bypass in 1986. The Bulleid Pacific is passing Alresford's fixed distant signal with the station just over half a mile from this location with the 16.50 to Ropley, its final working of the day. Keywords: 34016 16.50 Alresford-Ropley, Bishop's Sutton SU598325 Watercress Line Mid Hants Railway Bodmin
34016, 16.50 Alresford-Ropley, Bishop's Sutton SU598325 34016 'Bodmin' charges away near the village of Bishop's Sutton working the 16.50 New Alresford to Ropley service as passengers on the train look on. Notice the linesman's hut to the right built, typically of the Southern, in prefabricated concrete. The pieces were probably made at the Company's vast concrete factory at Exmouth Junction where virtually everything for its railway was pre-manufactured. Keywords: 34016 16.50 Alresford-Ropley Bishop's Sutton SU598325 Bodmin Watercress Line Mid Hants Railway
196, final Ropley-Alresford working, Alresford Station The final working of the day on the Watercress Line, I believe, was an empty coaching stock run as the train was not advertised on the timetable and there was only a handful of passengers on board who appeared to be staff. 196 'Errol Lonsdale' stands at New Alresford with the stock from Ropley marking the end of the day's operation on the fledgling heritage line. Note the attractive Southern signal box on the up platform. Keywords: 196, final Ropley-Alresford working, Alresford Station Errol Lonsdale Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line

Images 1-19 of 19 displayed.