Forthcoming meetings to be held on Wednesdays at 7.45pm at the Wote Street Club, Basingstoke:

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1 Visit us at : September 2014 Vol.42 No.9 Alresford on 7 March this year during the Mid-Hants Railway s steam gala - the Hampshire DEMU in the down platform, 9F in the cattle dock and Braunton off to Alton. Ed. Chairman Secretary Editor John Clark Tony Wright, David Hinxman 17 Beckett Close 43 Pyotts Copse, Old Basing, 2 Dean Close Basingstoke, Basingstoke Winchester RG23 8HS RG24 8WE SO22 5LP , jeclark71@hotmail.com secretary@bdrs70d.com bdrsnewsletter@yahoo.co.uk Forthcoming meetings to be held on Wednesdays at 7.45pm at the Wote Street Club, Basingstoke: 10 SEPTEMBER: THE THREE RIVERS COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP (CRP) - Mark Miller, the Officer for the Three Rivers CRP, will explain to us how the CRP was formed and how it has evolved to encourage the use of local railways around Chandlers Ford and Romsey. 24 SEPTEMBER: RAIL SAFARI - KENYA - Geoff Warren will give an overview of Kenya s railways from 1992 to the present. There will be lineside photos taken across the network, which rises from sea level to 9132 ft altitude, crosses the Equator five times and has three spirals. There will also be up-to-date news of the locos, rolling stock and infrastructure. 8 OCTOBER: THE RAILWAYS OF THE EXE AND CULM VALLEYS - Michael Pym's illustrated talk will centre on the branch lines around Tiverton. The Exe Valley branch from Exeter to Dulverton will be covered in detail. Other lines will include Tiverton Junction to Tiverton and to Hemyock. 22 OCTOBER: ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION - Our long established competition evening when members can submit their best photographic efforts since 1 January 2012 and be judged by those who attend. The rules for this year's competition are on the reverse of this page. We would be pleased to hear from anyone who could give a railway-based presentation. This Newsletter is produced by the Basingstoke and District Railway Society and is issued free of charge and for the interest of its members and of the Society s friends 1

2 ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION - 22 OCTOBER 2014 The rules are as follows: 1 All pictures submitted must have a railway theme and have been taken since 31 December The number of categories for the Competition is 4 but common sense rules apply. You must choose the appropriate category for each of your images. For example, if motive power is the primary subject then put the picture in the relevant motive power category. Motive power categories should take precedence over miscellaneous. Miscellaneous includes everything that is not motive power. 3 Additionally you are invited to submit pictures for display immediately after the interval (while the Competition scores are being marked) under the heading Humour and Curiosities. There are no restrictions on the number of pictures you can submit for this section. 4. No picture can be put in more than one category. 5. The judges decision is final. 6. The categories are: Category A Steam locomotive pictures from anywhere in the world. Category B Non-steam traction pictures from anywhere in the world (excluding Category C). Category C Metros and Light Rail systems from anywhere in the world where the trains are specifically designed for the purpose. (i.e. Tyne & Wear is included despite partly running on Network Rail tracks, West Yorkshire Metro is excluded because it uses conventional trains on NR tracks) Category D Infrastructure & Miscellaneous railway subjects from anywhere in the world where motive power is not the dominant feature. 7. Up to 3 pictures can be submitted for each category A to D 8. All pictures will be digitally projected to a common standard appropriate to the projector and computer screen. 9. For those competent at changing image resolutions, please submit jpeg images with resolution not exceeding 300dpi (file size approximately 1mb). 10. For those less competent, please submit jpeg files and the judges will adjust image sizes. 11. The judges would prefer you to scan your own slides and prints and submit your entries in electronic form. If you do enter slides or prints then the judges will scan these using a standard programme in a consistent manner and cannot be responsible for the standard of the scanning process and the results obtained. 12. All entries must be submitted by Monday 6 October. 13 It is preferable that all entries are submitted by (it is quite acceptable to send your entries by multiple s to reduce the overall attachment size) as jpeg attachments to photocomp@bdrs70d.com or on CD or memory stick to Ian Francis (at 1 Woodside Gardens, Chineham, Basingstoke, RG24 8EU) ensuring that all submissions (including any slides or prints) are in an envelope clearly labelled with the owner s name and address. 14. Scoring will remain as previous years with weighting to reflect the number of submissions in each category. 2

3 EDITORIAL So it's Goodbye to Them... In the March newsletter I mentioned that John Bunch's locomotives at the Mid-Hants Railway were moving away. We probably all know by now that the two U Class locomotives, and 31625, and the N Class are off to the Swanage Railway in a 25 year deal. Rebuilt West Country Class Bodmin is moving to West Coast Railways' base at Carnforth, initially for storage, but, Heritage Railway, from where I gleaned this information, did not know where Standard Class was off to still has 7 years of its boiler ticket remaining so can immediately take its place in the operational fleet. The other U and the N are complete but awaiting overhauls. It is planned that the N should return to traffic around this time next year whilst the other U will not be back in service until winter 2016 or spring and Hello to some old Friends Back at the Mid-Hants Railway Standard Class should be finished by the end of the year although the Ivatt Class 2 tank engine could get there first as it has needed relatively little work. The return of these two to the operational rota will ensure that the Railway has a comfortable margin on its need for five working engines. 850 Lord Nelson is in ticket until 2015; Wadebridge until 2016; 'Black Five' until 2018; 9F until 2019 and Schools 925 Cheltenham until Unrebuilt West Country Class Swanage may well steam next year and thus fill the gap left by Wadebridge's withdrawal in entering Ropley from Alresford in March Swanage at Ropley in the summer of 1988 It Could Only Happen in France In my limited experience, the French do seem to enjoy a glass of wine at lunchtime. This was reinforced recently when there was an incident on 23 July at Vitry-sur-Seine when a signal box caught fire and burned down, allegedly after the signalman had had a little too much to drink. There were major delays as a result, especially at Paris Gare d'austerlitz. SNCF Normandy Branch subsequently issued a stern warning to staff to exercise common sense when drinking aperitifs during working hours. SNCF has also asked managers to inspect fridges for alcohol and, if necessary, conduct surprise checks with breathalysers at their disposal. Perhaps the people in Brussels should think about imposing a Europe-wide ban on drinking alcohol whilst on duty? Which is worse? A TGV passing a red signal because the driver had had one too many or a TGV taking the wrong track because a signalman had had one too many? Maybe train drivers in France are forbidden to drink when on duty. I don't know. But, as usual, I guess the unions would not be keen on their members' rights being eroded even though the safety of all rail travellers and railway staff in France could be at stake. 3

4 Game On! Travelling on French trains has got so bad that one weary passenger has created a board game in which players seek ways of creating the maximum number of delays. The basics are that unionised rail staff with cushy working conditions seek to work as little as possible and make life hell for passengers in a variety of ways - strike action, walk-outs, too much snow on the line and so on. It seems that the game is only sold online; it comes with a warning on the packaging which says that 'This game should in no way be taken as a personal attack against rail workers'. The inventor is in partnership with a website called 'Un Train de Retard' (A Late Train) which publishes the total number of train delays noted by passengers. So far he has received some 300 or so orders. So, the next time you find yourself delayed on a train journey, see if you can invent a 'Privatised' version attaching as much blame as you can to anyone other than the company with whom you are travelling. THE SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILTOUR, SATURDAY 31 MAY 2014 Run by UK Railtours and South West Trains - 2 x Class 159s on tour Paul Gosling Using the Railtour ticket to get to Basingstoke from Southampton as is allowed, I met up with two friends and, right on time at 09.30, the special arrived comprised of and , 004 being named 'Basingstoke and Deane'. We left at and headed for Templecombe and Yeovil Junction. A fast run was made to Salisbury where we stopped to change crew. We then had a brief stop at Wilton south loop for an up train to pass. With a quick glimpse of silver underground coaches in a garden near Gillingham, we soon arrived at Templecombe at 10.38, using the new platform next to the car park. After a short walk for approximately half the passengers to the waiting road coaches of the South West Transport Company we set off for the Gartell Railway. On arrival it was straight across the car park to the narrow gauge railway and the very smart locomotives and coaches. The signals were a mixture of standard gauge semaphore and electric signals. 'MG No.6' and 'No.9' were the steam locos along with 'Andrew', the green former MoD loco with a cut-down cab and a Class 33 lookalike, the diesels. Several journeys were possible on this short set up, including an up and over section like the Templecombe main line used to be. After two and a half hours it was time to board the road coaches to take us to Yeovil Junction and the Steam Centre celebrating 20 years since its opening. Here we found the Class 159s special in the Steam Centre platform, from which we eventually departed in the evening. I was made to feel at home as 'Lord Fisher', a steam loco from the former Chapel Tramway Company in Southampton, top and tailed with diesel loco 'Cockney Rebel', with a DMMU coach 'S991S' in yellow/lime green livery, on the short 'branch' to 'Sutton Bingham' platform. We alighted here to see Class 50 No 'Fearless' under restoration, along with and composite coach These operated in push/pull mode later in the day on the branch. The road coaches, meanwhile, had taken the other half of the tour passengers to the Gartell Railway for the afternoon before dropping them back to Templecombe for the journey home. A pleasant time was had at the Yeovil Steam Centre looking at steam lorries, a miniature sit and ride train, and superb model railways in the engine shed (opened in 1999) along with 'Pecton' now out of boiler certificate. We left on time from the main line connected platform at 17.15, calling at Templecombe at and onwards to Salisbury for a brief stop at hours arriving back at Basingstoke at after a very good day out with John Farrow, Managing Director of UK Railtours, coming to the door to say 'goodbye'. With that, the doors closed and the train headed off for London. LOOK BACK IN TIME (NO 5) THE SOCIETY IN MAY/AUGUST Howard Ray These periodic articles look at what the old Newsletters tell us about your Society and the railway scene, 35 years ago. We are now into the middle of 1979, just five years after the formation of the Basingstoke & District Railway Society. By now we were holding fortnightly meetings at the Railway Social Club, behind the Station. The Newsletters during this four month period are all limited in content, running to just two pages. The only item in the May Newsletter, apart from details of the 4

5 fortnightly meetings and the various forthcoming outings, was an article by yours truly about the Festiniog Railway. At that time they had just completed the deviation and reached Tanygrisiau. There is also a very brief plug for the Watercress Line where you can travel behind steam between Alresford and Ropley. One of the May meetings was an evening listening to locomotive recordings (vinyl LPs I recall) no accompanying pictures in the shape of videos/dvds in those days! The most intriguing item in the May Newsletter was an outing to Hollycombe for which FREE ALE is included in the fare. Upcoming trips in just a three month period included rail tours to Pembroke, an East and West Main line circular, Paignton, Keighley & Worth Valley and Carnforth. There were also coach trips to the East Somerset Railway and to Crich and Butterley, plus a visit to Basingstoke Power Box. The June meetings programme implies an absence of forward planning. Here are a couple of views at Crich taken recently by your Editor. Glasgow Corporation tram no. 22 heading for the town terminus at Crich Blackpool Transport s tram No. 711 of 1952 vintage waiting to depart from the town We read that for the first meeting we are hoping for a guest speaker but nothing is confirmed. For the second meeting there will be a repeat of our recent successful Social Evening. Members were encouraged to bring books, photos and other items of interest to this meeting and if they have none of these items then just bring yourself and have a drink and a natter about your favourite railway topic. There is not a lot to look forward to in July either with the only item mentioned being the half yearly General Meeting. News of Births and Illnesses feature prominently in the June edition. Having moved on a month, a number of additional outings are being promoted by Peter Tran. These included a minibus trip to Barry, a coach trip to the Severn Valley, rail trips to the South Wales Valleys and to Doncaster, plus Open Days at Stratford, Derby, Crewe and Toton. Pictures of many of these trips and those referred to above featured at our recent 40 th Anniversary meeting. To further add to the Committee s workload we read that the Society will have a stand at the Basingstoke Carnival where they will be presenting a slide show. The only article in this edition was again by yours truly reporting on a Railway Archaeology field trip to Dorset in April, led by Dr Edwin Course who presented a number of WEA courses in Basingstoke at that time. We are told that five Society members joined forty others on this trip which took in Blandford, Dorchester, Weymouth and the Isle of Portland. Come the July Newsletter we read that British Rail have announced that all Merrymaker Day Trips have been suspended in an effort to conserve fuel. It seems that political tensions in Iran caused this decision rather than another cost saving. The major article in this edition was four short paragraphs regarding the decision of the Chicago based Pullman Company to end production of their railway passenger carriages. This piece included a very brief history of the business. The August Newsletter tells us there will only be one meeting due to the Bank Holiday falling on the fourth Monday. However the one and only meeting was to be a slide presentation on the North Norfolk Railway and its origins from the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway. I well remember securing the two speakers for that particular meeting. September promised one of the always popular colour and sound film evenings followed by an evening of members slides. The major new trip being promoted in this edition was a cars train boat bus journey to Havenstreet for a ride to and from Wootton. A long journey for a ride on just 1.5 miles of track! However it was good value with the all-inclusive fare of 3.30 covering unlimited travel on the Steam Railway. This time there 5

6 were three articles on page 2 of the Newsletter. One was a piece headed Travellers Fare marking one hundred years of on train catering. The second item was some background information on the North Norfolk Railway. The third item was a report by Peter Molen on the recent mini-bus trip by eleven members to Barry. This day out also took in a guided tour of Cardiff Canton Depot, a visit to Ebbw Junction Depot and finally a visit to Severn Tunnel Junction Depot. More a few months hence when we will have the opportunity to review the content of a new style Newsletter introduced by a new Editor. Snapped on the Society s visit to the Isle of Wight on 17 August 2010 Ed. Another view of ex-wd No. 198 during the Society s trip on 17 August 2010 Ed. MEETINGS OF OTHER SOCIETIES Meon Valley Locomotive Preservation Society: 8.00pm, Church Hall, Free Street, Bishop s Waltham 9 September - Aspects of Preservation decades apart with Bruce Oliver 14 October London Underground, its trains stations and structures with Steve Bigley Newbury and District Transport Group: 7.30pm, Kennet School Library, Stoney Lane, Thatcham 15 September - Aviation in the 1960s and 1970s Keith Butcher. 20 October - Denver to Detroit in a Model T Ford with Peter Yeoman. Oxfordshire Railway Society: 7.30pm Seacourt Day Centre, Seacourt Road, Botley, Oxford 10 September - The Furness Railway in Colour with Howard Quayle, author and ORS member 8 October - The Development of Railway Track with Peter Lugg, Permanent Way Engineer New Forest Railway Club: 7.30pm McLellan Hall,Community Centre,Cannon Street, Lymington 26 September - The Abbotsbury Branch with Brian Jackson 31 October- 40 years of Railway Photography with Alan Inder Reading Transport Group pm at Church House, Church Street, Caversham, Reading 17 September - Steam Throughout the Years with Simon Foote 24 September - Lost Railways of Berkshire with Rupert Matthews, author RCTS Surrey Branch: 7.00pm United Reformed Church, White Rose Lane, Woking GU22 7HA 23 September - The Network South East Story with Chris Green, former MD of NSE 28 October - Swiss Railways with Paul Russenberger Eastleigh Railway Engineering Society (contact 2 Sparrow Square, Eastleigh; tel: ) 27 September - Weald and Downland Museum, Singleton near Chichester 6

7 REVIEW OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS 13 August: The Coming of the Railway to Basingstoke with David Brace With his extensive knowledge of local railway history, David gave us a detailed illustrated outline of the earliest days of railways in the Basingstoke area. The principal route was the London & Southampton Railway, (L&SR), with secondary radial routes of the Basingstoke & Alton Railway, the Berks & Hants Railway (Basingstoke branch), the Basingstoke & Andover Railway and the Park Prewitt Hospital Railway. Plans for the L&SR were dreamt up in the early 1830 s; one of the earliest main lines in the country. The initial plans for the route between London and Southampton showed a more direct route through Alton to Southampton. The planners quickly realised, however, that if the line was to pass through Basingstoke instead, this would allow them also to incorporate a more direct route to Bristol, via Newbury and Bath. This would also hopefully prevent their deadly enemies, the Great Western Railway, (GWR), gaining access to the southern coastal areas between Southampton and Weymouth. However, this was not to be and Parliament threw out the L&SR s Basingstoke/Bristol portion of the Bill in favour of the GWR. Construction of the L&SR began in 1834 at Nine Elms, with Francis Giles as Engineer. His preferred method of construction was to employ many small contractors and for the Company to provide the necessary materials. The problem was that the contractors did the easy bits first and were often incapable of constructing the difficult parts of the contract. This inevitably led to significant delays and criticisms of Giles methods. The shareholders wanted to see early completion of the line and demanded his resignation. Joseph Locke was then appointed Engineer, but it was quickly evident to him the inadequacy of Giles revised estimate. Locke brought in Thomas Brassey and several amendments were made to the originally planned route, which helped reduce costs. By 1838 the lines had reached Shapley Heath, now known as Winchfield, and in June 1839 arrived at Basingstoke. The line had been cleverly built on a steadily rising average grade of just 1:700 from Nine Elms to Litchfield, 4 miles west of Basingstoke. In 1840 the more heavily engineered missing link between Basingstoke and Winchester saw the route finally completed between Nine Elms and Southampton. David showed details of the large scale plans of the route, the originals of which are held in the Hampshire Records Office. These showed each parcel of land crossed by the railway and the owner s name and were used, amongst other things, to calculate compensation claims. Detailed costings to be charged for the carriage of freight were also drawn up, showing calculations for each quarter of a mile of route. This system of measurement is still evident today beside the tracks and Basingstoke station has a marker post to London, showing a distance of 47¾ miles. During the early construction of the railway complaints were laid by the City of Portsmouth regarding the name of the railway and this led to a change of name. The agreed new name was to be The London & South Western Railway, (L&SWR). The Berks & Hants Act was drawn up in 1845 and the line opened between Basingstoke and Reading in 1848, albeit constructed to Brunel s broad gauge. This required a separate station alongside the L&SWR standard gauge station in Basingstoke, bringing with it all the complications of a transit shed for freight. Conversion to mixed gauge took place in late 1856 meaning through services could now run between Reading and Southampton. The broad gauge rail was finally removed in 1869 and the GWR station in Basingstoke remained until 1932 when it was finally demolished. Basingstoke station was completely rebuilt in 1851 and yet again in 1903 as part of the widening to Worting Junction and the subsequent widening from London. Apart from the latest modernisation to the frontage, the station remains pretty much the same as in the early days of the 20 th Century. Signs of the widening work are still clearly evident in the brickwork under many bridges along the route, as shown in several of David s illustrations. In 1854 the railway was extended towards the west from Worting Junction to Andover, with stations at Oakley, Overton and Whitchurch. In 1897 the Battledown Flyover was built over the Andover lines at Worting Junction to carry London bound trains from Winchester towards Basingstoke. The Basingstoke and Alton line was opened in 1901, built to light rail standards, but it never made much, if any, money. The lightweight track panels had been lifted at the outbreak of WW1 and taken to Northern France. Here it was used to carry supplies and ammunition forward to the trenches. Once hostilities had ceased it seemed the necessary Act of Parliament had not been made for the 7

8 closure of the line and so the L&SWR had to reluctantly relay the tracks again. The line only survived until 1936 and, following closure, saw use by film companies around the Cliddesden area to create epics such as Oh Mr. Porter. The line also serviced the sidings into the Thornycroft Motor Works and the Waterworks at the Basingstoke end, surviving for many years before finally disappearing. The branch line serving the Park Prewitt Railway was opened in 1913, to provide a service for goods to the Hospital, and closed in The hospital was requisitioned and used for military purposes during WW1, caring for serviceman wounded in France. The very sharp curvatures of the line unfortunately precluded the use of ambulance coaches bringing the wounded directly from the ports to the hospital. Part of the Basingstoke Western Ringway was later built along the line of the railway. To close the evening s programme David showed examples of the many types of motive power used on the main lines around Basingstoke during and following the steam era. Peter Tran. 27 August: Nationalisation to Modernisation ( ) with John Chalcraft John runs Rail Photoprints and gave us a digital extravaganza of steam in the UK from nationalisation in 1948 to the end of steam in Through careful scanning, John's archive contained some 21,000 images. He said that there were about 80,000 pending! There were many contributors, among them some well known names such as Hugh Ballantyne. The quality of the images throughout was stunning in both black and white and colour, starting off in 1948 with Bullied 21C13 in Southern Railway livery at Clapham Junction, then some LMS examples prior to renumbering in the 4xxxx series before S453, King Arthur, soon to become 30453, passing Byfleet. Then the 1948 locomotive exchanges before 46243, the last streamlined Coronation Class, at Weaver Junction, diesel locomotives and 10001, 10202, and 18100, electric loco on a Newhaven boat train, Big Bertha on the Lickey Incline and the turbomotive test bed Princess. Now in the 1950s, the Standard classes began to feature, then the original Deltic, and good and bad examples of diesel locomotives in the Modernisation Scheme. The early 60s featured steam and diesel alongside each other but by 1965 there were plenty of stored steam locomotives to be seen and already a long line of withdrawn examples at Barry. The more successful Modernisation Era diesels and electrics were now in the ascendancy as steam dwindled. Soon it was to be seen only on the Waterloo to Weymouth route and in the North-West, leading ultimately to August 1968 and what was then thought to be the last of steam on the main line, the 15 Guinea special. By the end of John's nostalgic but enthralling show we had travelled north, south, east and west including a visit to the Isle of Wight. Our enthusiastic audience might even have helped him out as to one or two locations which he wasn't sure of. If you were unable to join us for the presentation then I'm afraid that you missed a real treat. A second instalment from John's archive in due course would be more than welcome I'm sure. You can see images for yourself at: WHERE AM I? Ed. David Brace didn t need a milepost in the picture to help him identify where I was photgraphing Flying Scotsman last month. I was at Skipton and Flying Scotsman was wrong line for a reason which was never apparent to me. It was heading back to Carnforth way back in This month I am closer to home but not at Top Shed! 8