14. A day trip to Salisbury-08.08.81

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1981 > 14. A day trip to Salisbury-08.08.81

With a spare Saturday in hand in between working at the kennels, my bike and I took the train to Salisbury. I had heard that the mechanical signalling was about to be wiped away and I wasn't wrong with just days to go I was just in time to capture some interesting photographs. In addition, and I don't know quite how I managed it, I was issued with an orange BR tabard and permitted trackside access as long as I stayed 'off the running lines'; can you imagine! I also was invited into Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box with it closing eight days later. It was a fantastic day spoilt somewhat by it being a particularly grey day.

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Images 1-37 of 37 displayed.

Up starter bracket, Salisbury station
Technically not the best quality but I have included this photograph of Salisbury East's up bracket signal for historical interest. The rather grand latticed structure controlled departures from the station and the east yard towards the next block post at Salisbury Tunnel Junction. Access for the seventeen-year-old photographer was permitted by railway staff after the issuing of an orange tabard following a quick safety talk regarding avoiding venturing on to running lines; it was so much simpler back then!
Keywords: Up starter bracket Salisbury station

50017, 07.37 Exeter St. David's-London Waterloo (1O06), Salisbury East Yard
The dull weather has done nothing for the composition of this photograph taken deep in Salisbury's East Yard. 50017 'Royal Oak' is seen passing through the yard following its departure from Salisbury station leading the 1O06 07.37 Exeter St. David's to London Waterloo service. The former signal box, seen behind the rear of the train, was replaced by two electro-pneumatic boxes (East and West) in 1902 when the L&NWR modernised signalling in and around the station.
Keywords: 50017 Royal Oak 07.37 Exeter St. David's-London Waterloo 1O06 Salisbury East Yard

1129, up ECS, Salisbury East Yard
A three-car Class 205 trundles away from Salisbury through the East Yard on an unidentified empty stock move. It is passing under the grand up twin doll bracket signal of the traditional Southern Railway latticed design. Both the dolls carry Salisbury Tunnel Junction's distant signal arms one of which is pulled off. I am not sure as to where 1129 was heading but it could well have been the initial departure from Salisbury station's south-facing bay platform before reversing and crossing over to be stabled on the northern side of the station but that begs the question as to why the distant is off?
Keywords: 1129 up ECS Salisbury East Yard Class 205 DEMU Thumper

1125, down ECS, Salisbury East Yard
In another empty stock move, Southern Class 205 DEMU number 1125 reverses back towards Salisbury station. I have included another image of the delightful twin-doll up bracket signal, of which the home is controlled by Salisbury East box, is pulled off for an up service.
Keywords: 1125 Salisbury East Yard DEMU Class 205

1126, 10.10 Salisbury-Reading, Salisbury East Yard
Thumping its way away from Salisbury through the East Yard Class 205 set 1126 is seen working the 11.10 Salisbury to Reading service. This view of the East Yard reveals the former and now boarded-up signal box behind the rear of the train. I know very little about this former box that was presumably a L&SWR structure predating the 1902 built electro-pneumatic box; unless anybody else can advise? Also, notice the fine array of wagons away to the right. Having got 'official' access to the yard I wish, in retrospect, that I had gone almost them and recorded more details!
Keywords: 1126 10.10 Salisbury-Reading, Salisbury East Yard DEMU Thumper

47089, 08.15 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour (1O67), Salisbury East Yard
The 08.15 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour 1O67 service has the road through Salisbury East Yard with the submissive distant also already pulled off for Salisbury Tunnel Junction indicating its route south via the Romsey route. The train is being led by 47089 'Amazon' that had just six years left in service when this photograph was taken meeting an ignominious end at Chinley after running away and being hit by the 16.22 Liverpool to Sheffield service hauled by 31440. Both locomotives were condemned due to extensive damage sustained.
Keywords: 47089 08.15 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour 1O67 Salisbury East Yard Amazon

33062, 08.20 Brighton-Cardiff Central (1V22), Salisbury East Yard
The 08.20 Brighton to Cardiff Central 1V22 Saturday service approaches Salisbury through the East Yard led by 33062. Despite the abandonment of four-character headcodes by BR in 1975, much to the chagrin of the enthusiast, the Southern Region continued with the use of their unique two-character version. 33062 is wearing the correct 99 identifier suggesting correctly that it was a 'Brighton-Bristol Temple Meads via Southampton and Salisbury' service*.

* thanks to the Southern Railway Email Group for this information
Keywords: 33062 08.20 Brighton-Cardiff Central 1V22 Salisbury East Yard Crompton

50035, 09.10 London Waterloo-Exeter St. David's (1V09), Salisbury East Yard
After a fairly long wait in Salisbury East Yard and after photographing more mundane trains (but some forty years later I am so glad that I did!) I was rewarded with my first London Waterloo train. The 1V09 09.10 Waterloo to Exeter St. David's approaches Salisbury through the East Yard with me positioning myself at the far eastern end led by 50035 'Ark Royal'. Either, I was overcome by the occasion or the locomotive or I was not ready for its arrival but the composition is very poor with my partly obliterating the fine up bracket signal and missing off the rear of the train!
Keywords: 50035 Ark Royal 09.10 London Waterloo-Exeter St. David's 1V09 Salisbury East Yard

Salisbury East signal box (LSW, 1902)
A decent photograph of Salisbury East signal box was always a tricky proposition due to its location deep in the East Yard. However, not for me on this Saturday morning wearing my orange BR issues tabard meaning that I could wander around with impunity! When this photograph was taken the box had just eleven days in use before being replaced by a panel box unusually located behind an anonymous door on Salisbury station's platform four. The East box (like its West brother) had a 'draw-slide' power lever-frame, which worked all the signals and points by means of low-pressure air. The head of air was kept in the large vertical tank seen to the left of the box. It's a shame that the look of the 1902-built L&SWR box has been marred by the rather crude infilling of the lower windows.
Keywords: Salisbury East signal box LSW 1902

33024, down PW train, west of Salisbury tunnel
In these pre-internet days, the identification of trains such as this was all but impossible unless inside information was available! An unidentified PW train trundles down having just exited Salisbury tunnel led by 33024. With an AE identifier being carried I am sure that somebody out there may be able to enlighten me as to what this train may have been. It appears to be a short track-laying train with some track panels at the rear and a former Southern van directly marshalled behind the locomotive.
Keywords: 33024 down PW train west of Salisbury tunnel Permanent way infrastructure

33001, 10.14 Bristol Temple Meads-Portsmouth Harbour (1O69), approaching Salisbury tunnel
33001 climbs away from Salisbury on the approach to the tunnel to the east of the town leading the 10.14 Bristol Temple Meads to Portsmouth Harbour service. Notice the banner repeater signal that indicates the position of the home signal on a rather nice bracket signal just behind me. It was needed due to the gradient and the sharp curve that restricted sighting and that all this was located just before the tunnel. Also, notice the concrete footbridge that spans the line that was probably a product of the Southern's concrete manufacturing plant at Exmouth Junction.
Keywords: 33001 10.14 Bristol Temple Meads-Portsmouth Harbour 1O69 approaching Salisbury tunnel

33015 & 33043, 09.20 Brighton-Exeter St. David's (1V61), west of Salisbury tunnel
It was a tradition that services between Brighton and Exeter were double-headed throughout. There was always a shout from the spotters on platform ends of 'double header' when one of these services approached! 33015 leads 33043 on the 09.20 Brighton to Exeter St. David's 1V61 service on the approach to Salisbury with the train having just emerged from Salisbury's Fisherton tunnel. The train is passing under the A36 Churchill Way North inner relief road. Both of these locomotives have been scrapped with 33043 outliving 33015 by two years. The latter was condemned after a serious underframe fire whilst hauling a stone train near Tiverton Junction in July 1989.
Keywords: 33015 & 33043, 09.20 Brighton-Exeter St. David's (1V61), west of Salisbury tunnel Crompton

50021, 08.23 Barnstable-London Waterloo (1O23), approaching Salisbury tunnel
A dramatic photograph of a Class 50 at full chat! 50021 'Rodney' makes what should be a relatively easy job of climbing away from Salisbury towards Fisherton tunnel leading the 08.23 Barnstable to Waterloo service. Just beyond the tunnel (a short distance behind me) the train would take the London route at Salisbury Tunnel Junction as it heads towards the capital. The locomotive is just passing the up banner repeater signal for the Salisbury Tunnel Junction home bracket signal that itself is some distance from the junction and signal box which is not absolutely ideal!
Keywords: 50021 08.23 Barnstable-London Waterloo 1O23 approaching Salisbury tunnel Rodney

33119, 10.10 Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Temple Meads (1V24), west of Salisbury tunnel
This is one time when the two-character headcode that the Southern Region of BR still used (officially or unofficially, I am not too sure?) enabled me to discover and correct my initial identification using the wonders of the internet. Back in 1981 using just the working timetable I had this service down as a Waterloo to Salisbury semi-fast service. But, wearing an 89 headcode would suggest something else. Indeed, it has subsequently been established that it was actually the 10.10 Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads service. It is seen passing Salisbury Tunnel Junction's up home bracket signal at a spot some distance west of the junction with a short tunnel between it and the junction itself with 33119 leading. Notice the soon-to-be-commissioned colour light on the other side of the bridge that would replace the bracket signal. Incidentally, this particular locomotive was the prototype of the 33/1 sub-class built for push-pull working with 4TC EMUs and the only one to ever wear a green livery (except for any others subsequently repainted).
Keywords: 33119 10.10 Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Temple Meads 1V24 west of Salisbury tunnel Crompton.

33113, 10.10 London Waterloo-Salisbury (1L83), leaving Salisbury Tunnel
With its jumper cables clear to see this Class 33 is easily identified as one of the nineteen push-pull-enabled 33/1 locomotives used to haul and push the 4TC units on the non-electrified section of track between Bournemouth and Weymouth. They were not used exclusively on this route and were often found elsewhere as is the case here with 33113 approaching Salisbury leading the 1L83 10.10 Waterloo to Salisbury sem-fast service. Notice the lone car, a Mk. II Ford Granda, on the A36 Salisbury inner relief road. How often today on a Saturday morning would just one car be seen on this very busy piece of road?
Keywords: 33113 10.10 London Waterloo-Salisbury 1L83 leaving Salisbury Tunnel Crompton

Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box (LSW, c.1870)
I managed to blag access to Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box and then got permission to venture trackside to take this photograph still wearing my orange BR issue tabard that I was given at Salisbury station earlier in the morning. The box was a small but functional London and South Western structure dating from circa 1870. In common with many of the L&SW boxes of this era, it was entirely brick built with a hipped roof and noticeably fewer windows than might be expected. However, Tunnel Junction does have windows on both sides to facilitate sighting of both lines that it controlled being situated in the V of the junction.
Keywords: Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box L&SWR LSW London and South Western Railway

Interior, Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box (LSW, c.1870)
Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box contained a large, for the size of the box that is, Stevens & Sons lever frame that grew over time eventually topping out at twenty-one levers as seen here. As can be seen, this filled the box with very little space to spare. It operated absolute block through Fisherton tunnel to Salisbury East and as far as Dean on what was referred to as the 'branch' but was in fact the route to Portsmouth and Southampton. On the afternoon of my visit just nine days prior to its closure a signalman, Reg, of some forty-five years service was on his last shift before retirement. I have a cassette recording of him finishing his six to two shift by ringing the bells after signalling his last train and handing over to his relief with the poignant words said in his rich Wiltshire accent, 'There you go, it's all yours'! With that done, he exited the box, climbed on his ancient bike and rode home; the end of an era.
Keywords: Interior Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box 1870 L&SWR London and South Western Railway

Indicator, Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box (LSW, c.1870)
Despite Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box closing in nine days' time, the brasses are still kept polished! The indicator is seen sitting atop the levers is for the down line heading towards Salisbury station. Items such as this fetch healthy prices at railway memorabilia auctions today but when the box was decommissioned prior to its demolition I suspect that a lot was just put in a skip!
Keywords: Indicator, Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box (LSW, c.1870)

33005 & 33017, 12.10 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central (1V26), Salisbury Tunnel Junction
Taken from the 'rear' windows of Salisbury Tunnel Junction signal box the 12.10 Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads 1V26 service is seen. It was unusual to see these services double-headed with just the Brighton trains being rostered for a pair of Crmptons. I thought that I may have might incorrectly identified this train back in 1981 but confirmation from the brilliant RailGenArchive confirms the working. 33005 and 33017 lead the train off the 'branch' from Dean as it was referred to locally.
Keywords: 33005 33017 12.10 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central 1V26 Salisbury Tunnel Junction Crompton

Class 33 & Class 411, 12.10 London Waterloo-Salisbury (1L85), Salisbury Tunnel Junction
Unfortunately, passing so close to Salisbury Tunnel signal box made the identification of the locomotive and unit impossible. In addition, the usual fallback and 'fact checking' site The RailGenArchive did not have a listing for this working. All I can do is narrow the Crompton down to one on nineteen 33/1s equipped with push/pull jumper equipment. Equally, all that I have in my notes is that the unit being trailed was a Class 411 4CEP unit. The service was easier to identify as the 12.10 London Waterloo to Salisbury 'semi-fast' service that carried the 1L85 headcode (confirmation anybody?). The Crompton sports it correct Southern Region identifier of 62 referring to a 'Waterloo, Woking or Basingstoke and Salisbury or Exeter St Davids semi-fast'*

* According to the Southern Railway e-mail Group's website.
Keywords: Class 33 411, 12.10 London Waterloo-Salisbury 1L85 Salisbury Tunnel Junction Crompton

50013, 11.43 Exeter St. David's-London Waterloo (1O12), Salisbury Tunnel Junction
Having stopped at Salisbury, climbed away from the station and passed through Fisheron tunnel 50013 'Agincourt' bursts into the daylight and takes the 'mainline' towards Andover, Basingstoke and London. The unrefurbished Class 50 is leading the 1O12 11.43 Exeter to Waterloo service and is photographed from the end window of Salisbury Tunnel Junction's signal box. Notice the absence of signalling at this spot caused by the close proximity of the junction and the tunnel. To get around this problem Salisbury East box’s starting signal was slotted to act as the junction signal. For down trains from both London (the mainline) and Dean (the 'Branch') signals were easier to place in more conventional locations. The spot seen in this photograph was where the collision took place between two trains on the night of 31.10.21 finding a GWR and SWT unit crushed together just inside the entrance to the tunnel with the latter almost on its side. The cause was, after much-ill-informed tittle-tattle fueled by members of the media and railway officials who should have known better, found to be an uncontrolled slide of a mile or so caused by leaf railhead contamination. This was due to this section of the track missing out on the last scheduled leaf-busting train.
Keywords: 50013 11.43 Exeter St. David's-London Waterloo 1O12 Salisbury Tunnel Junction

50024, 13.10 London Waterloo-Exeter St. David's, Salisbury West
Making further use of my officially issued orange tabard with the associated permissions to get lineside with my camera I have returned from Tunnel Junction to Salisbury West on my trusty bike. With Salisbury cathedral growing from the first coach of the 13.10 Waterloo to Exeter 50024 'Vanguard' gets the train away from the city seen in the West Yard. I am standing on the trackbed of the former GWR route from Exeter that ran parallel to the L&SWR route as far as Wilton Junction until 1973.
Keywords: 50024 13.10 London Waterloo-Exeter St. David's Salisbury West Vanguard

1125, ECS working, Salisbury West
In what appeared to be an empty coaching stock move Thumper 1125 returns towards Salisbury station after crossing over from the down to the up line. I always had a great fondness for these DEMU's that were a class on their own in terms of the noise they made. Having spent a time working the Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads route they were now confined further south working locals between Salisbury, Reading, Portsmouth and Southampton.
Keywords: 1125 ECS working Salisbury West Class 205 Thumper

47089, 15.10 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central (1V30), Skew bridge, Bemerton
Having seen 47089 'Amazon' work south earlier in the day, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30035687461/x47089-08-15-cardiff-central-portsmouth it is captured on its balancing working, the 15.10 Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads. Picking up speed after leaving Salisbury the train is seen about to pass under the A36 road's Skew bridge in the suburb of Bemerton. Notice the railway land, unprotected from the running lines, to the right of the photograph that has been acquired for use as an allotment. Activities such as this would have been unofficial but very much tolerated by the railway authorities at this time; how different to today!
Keywords: 47089 Amazon 15.10 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central 1V30 Skew bridge, Bemerton

33015 & 33043, 13.40 Exeter St. David's-Brighton (1O86), Skew bridge Bemerton
With the grand four hundred and four feet tall spire of Salisbury cathedral dominating this view looking south-east from Bemerton's Skew bridge the 13.40 Exeter St. David's to London Waterloo passes underneath. I saw and photographed 33015 and 33043 earlier in the day working west, see... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30035687469/x33015-33043-09-20-brighton-exeter. Notice the Salisbury West home signal complete with its sighting board. The overgrown area to the left of the train was, until 1973, occupied by the GWR independent double track route that diverged away from the L&SWR lines at Wilton a short distance behind where I am standing.
Keywords: 33015 33043 13.40 Exeter St. David's-Brighton 1O86 Skew bridge Bemerton Crompton

Former GWR trackbed & crossing, Bemerton
A view taken with my back to foot crossing over the remaining two tracks of the once quadrupled route to the north of Salisbury. The area in the foreground was once occupied by the GWR independent lines that diverged from the L&NWR tracks at Wilton. This path is still in use today leading from Gramshaw Road over the railway to Lower Road. Notice the cast sign to the left possibly of GWR heritage warning pedestrians to stop, look and listen before crossing the tracks that have now been removed, in this case, some eight years previously.
Keywords: Former GWR trackbed crossing Bemerton Gramshaw Road

Cast (ex GWR), Bemerton
Possibly of GWR heritage, a cast sign warns pedestrians on a foot crossing at Bemerton to the north of Salisbury. The sign was at the point where the GWR independent lines ran from Salisbury station to Wilton. They were parallel with the L&SWR lines for a distance of two miles and fifty-four chains. and were pulled up in 1973 when the lines in the Salisbury area were considerably rationalised.
Keywords: Cast GWR Bemerton

Salisbury West signal box (LSW, 1902)
Salisbury West signal box is seen from the end with the large air tank in the foreground. The box was built in 1902 for the L&SWR and in a break from tradition, it was pneumatically controlled rather than using the more usual mechanical levers. The box, and its twin Salisbury East, stayed in operation until just nine days after this photograph was taken having given seventy-nine years of service.
Keywords: Salisbury West signal box L&SWR London and South Western Railway

Salisbury West signal box (LSW, 1902)
The rear of Salisbury West signal box just nine days prior to its closure. The reeled cabling in the foreground was probably associated with the resignalling of the area. Notice the period brake van at the rear of the train. I would visit the box one more time a few days after this photograph was taken, this time with Graham.
Keywords: Salisbury West signal box L&SWR London and South Western Railway

33014, 14.10 London Waterloo-Salisbury (1L87), Salisbury West Yard
Having terminated at Salisbury station a short time earlier the 14.10 from London Waterloo leaves the station led by 33014. The train would run the short distance to the West Yard as empty stock to then reverse back into the station where the Crompton would run round and lead the train back to London a little later. Notice the evidence of considerable track rationalisation associated with the resignalling of the area that would be going live some nine days after this photograph was taken.
Keywords: 33014 14.10 London Waterloo-Salisbury 1L87 Salisbury West Yard Crompton

33119, 15.14 Bristol Temple Meads-Portsmouth Harbour (1O83), Skew bridge Bemerton
In the annals of time, it has been lost as to why I visited this location, Skew bridge in Bemerton, took some photographs, and then rode back to Salisbury West Yard to then return to Skew bridge again. Whatever the reasons I did manage this telephoto photograph of 33119 approaching Salisbury with the 1O83 15.14 Bristol to Portsmouth Harbour. However, here presents a bit of a problem with the identification of the locomotive. My contemporary notes have this down as 33113 as opposed to 33119. I suspect it now to be the latter as this was seen earlier working a down Bristol working, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30035687471/x33119-10-10-portsmouth-harbour-bristol It would have been a whole lot easier if either one of the Class 33s had not been one of the jumper cable equipped 33/1s!
Keywords: 33113 15.14 Bristol Temple Meads-Portsmouth Harbour 1O83 Skew bridge Bemerton Crompton

50017, 15.10 London Waterloo-Exeter St. David's (1V15), Skew bridge Bemerton
Working hard as it climbs away from Salisbury 50017 'Royal Oak' leads the 1V15 15.10 Waterloo to Exeter St. David's service. With these services having been in the hands of many different classes over the years the Class 50s were proving to be reliable and competent on these services augmented by some Class 47s. These trains would be for many members of the class their final as withdrawl started in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Notice the maginificant spire of Salisbury catherdral dominationg the skyline to the right.
Keywords: 50017 15.10 London Waterloo-Exeter St. David's Skew bridge Bemerton Royal Oak

Frontage, Salisbury station
A busy Saturday afternoon scene outside the font of Salisbury station. The early history of railways in Salisbury is a complicated one that deserves a book in its own right and is a story that would document the long battle between the L&SWR and the GWR. The lighter 'grey bricked' building to the rear seen here back in 1981 (dated nicely by the cars) was built in 1859 and designed by Sir William Tite for the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway Company (soon to become the L&SWR) simply as an extension to their existing station. However, over time other operations by them and the GWR alike closed and amalgamated with it extended again in 1902 and that is the red brick structure seen here complete with its canopy. Whilst Historic England has designated what is seen here as Grade II it is the frontage of the older structure seen to the extreme right, that is of greater interest according to their citation. Whilst the building still stands and is very much in use today, the blue Volvo taxi has long gone last being on the road in 1991!
Keywords: Frontage Salisbury station

33014, 17.30, Salisbury-London Waterloo (1L96), Salisbury station
I observed and photographed 33014 a little earlier in the afternoon drawing the empty stock out of Salisbury station having worked in from London. With the locomotive having run round it waits at the head of the 17.30 departure back to Waterloo. Notice the spotter on the platform closer to the train also raising his camera to his eye to capture the scene. I wonder if his photograph still exists as mine does? Also, notice the low red brick-built structure behind the locomotive. This was the side wall of the former GWR terminus that opened in 1856. This area and the building now forms part of SWTs' large unit depot.
Keywords: 33014 17.30, Salisbury-London Waterloo 1L96 Salisbury station Crompton

1130, stabled, Salisbury station
Class 205 DEMU 1130 stands at Salisbury station awaiting its next turn of duty. This particular unit sports the revised livery that sees it matching BR's corporate twin colour scheme of blue and grey. It wore this livery until taken into the care of Network SouthEast with withdrawal coming in November 1992.
Keywords: 1130 stabled Salisbury station Thumper DEMU Class 205

Up starter & disk signal, Salisbury station
The final photograph of the day of my trip to Salisbury shows one of the station's up starter signals. The upper quadrant is attached to a nice latticed post that is typical of the L&SWR. Also attached to the post is a shunting disc signal. The marvellous mechanical infrastructure was about to be swept away with just nine days before the Salisbury area's colour lights and panel (inside a small 'box' on the station's platform two) were to begin operations.
Keywords: Up starter disk signal Salisbury station

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