1st January 1966

L.C.G.B.
The Mendip Merchantman Rail Tour

Locos Used D864, 35011 'General Steam Navigation', 41283, 41307, 48309, 48760 & 92243
Stock Used load 10 BR/SR (two Brake Second Corridors, seven Second Opens and a Restaurant Buffet)

Route :

Loco(s) Route
35011 London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Earlsfield - Wimbledon - Surbiton - Woking - Basingstoke - Winchester City - Eastleigh - Southampton Central - Brockenhurst - Bournemouth Central - Poole - Broadstone - Blandford Forum - Templecombe No. 2 Jn
41307 + 41283 Templecombe No. 2 Jn - Evercreech Junction - Glastonbury - Highbridge
92243 Highbridge - Weston Super Mare avoiding line - Bristol Temple Meads (1) - Mangotsfield - Warmley (2)
48760 + 92243 Warmley - Bath Green Park
48760 + 48309 Bath Green Park - Radstock North - Evercreech Junction - Templecombe
35011 Templecombe - Gillingham - Salisbury - Andover Jn - Basingstoke - (reverse of outward route) - London Waterloo

Notes :
(1) Banked from Lawrence Hill Jn to Fishponds by D864.
(2) 92243 failed at Warmley with a defective brick arch.

Tony Wray comments: This tour marked the first visit of a Merchant Navy to the line - because of weight restrictions they were officially banned from the S & D but with closure only months away 'nothing really mattered any more', and the restriction was waived to allow the big Pacific to follow the path of its smaller West Country and Battle of Britain sisters for a run up to Templecombe.


A tour ticket courtesy of Rob Fraser.

Sources : John Clifford (on the train throughout), Tony Wray (Semaphore Online)
& Kevin Driscoll

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Terry Jackson & John Clifford)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Waterloo 08.32d TL 08.34
3.71 Clapham Junction 08/39 08/42
13.26 Hampton Court Jn 08/50 08/53
24.61 Woking Jn 09/00 09/07
39.67 Winchfield LL -
50.23 Worting Jn 09/30 09/43
64.40 Winchester Jn 09/45 10/00
73.45 Eastleigh 09/54 10/09
78.14 Northam Jn 10/00 10/14
79.19 Southampton Central 10/03 LL 10/16
81.70 Redbridge 10/08 10/20
93.60 Lymington Jn 10/20 10/32
108.02 Bournemouth Central 10w37a ~ 10w43d 10.55 ~ 11.10
113.62 Poole 10/53 11/21
117.16 Broadstone 11p00a ~ 11p13d 11.28 ~ 11.30
120.16 Corfe Mullen SB 11/20 11/37
128.07 Blandford Forum 11/30 11/48
133.44 Shillingstone 11/40 11/57
136.47 Sturminster Newton 11/44 12/02
140.45 Stalbridge 11x50a ~ 12x04d 12.09 ~ 12.15
143.67 Templecombe No.2 Jn 12L10a ~ 12L18d 12.25 ~ 12.32
147.05 Wincanton 12/26 12/40
154.07 Evercreech Jn 12w38a ~ 12w48d 12/52
164.63 Glastonbury 13p08a ~ 13p18d 13.14 ~ 13.23
176.56 Highbridge (S&D Platform) 13L41a 13.51
Train shunted between platforms without passengers on
176.56 Highbridge (main line platform) 14L25d 14.21
183.76 Uphill Jn 14/35 14/34
186.68 Worle Jn 14/38 14/39
203.52 Bristol Temple Meads 15.00a ~ 15.02d 15.03 ~ 15.17
208.59 Mangotsfield 15/16 15/36
? Warmley ??/?? 15.50a ~ 16.39d
218.48 Bath Green Park 15L33a ~ 15L53d 17.02 ~ 17.25
219.09 Bath Jn 15/55 17/27
222.77 Midford 16/03 17/36
229.20 Radstock North 16/13 17/48
237.19 Masbury 16/36 18/17
240.36 Shepton Mallet 16/41 18/22
245.02 Evercreech Jn 16w51a ~ 16w57d 18/30
252.04 Wincanton 17/17 18/41
255.22 Templecombe No.2 Jn 17*25a ~ 17*34d 18/46
255.53 Templecombe 17L37a ~ 17L55d 18.49 ~ 18.59
262.37 Gillingham 18/05 19/07
281.51 Wilton South 18/27 19.26a ~ 19.26d
284.12 Salisbury 18/31 19/34
317.45 Worting Jn 19/05 TL 20/07
325.54 Hook LL -
328.01 Winchfield TL -
343.07 Woking Jn 19/35 20/41
363.77 Clapham Junction 19/54 21/09
367.68 Waterloo 20.01a 21.17a


Back to "The Railtour Files - 1966"