22nd January 1967

The Locomotive Club of Great Britain
The Bridport Belle Rail Tour

Locos Used 34013, 34057, 34102, 35030, 41295, 41320 & D6541
Stock Used booked for load 9 BR/SR stock formed: BSK, 3x SO, RB, 3x SO, BSK)

Route : at least SPL3

Loco(s) Route
34057 + 34102 London Waterloo - (via Windsor through line) - Clapham Junction - Richmond - Staines - Chertsey - Byfleet - Woking - Basingstoke - Andover Junction - Salisbury
34057 Salisbury - Westbury
34013 Westbury - Frome - Castle Cary - Maiden Newton
41295 (1) Maiden Newton - Bridport
41320 (2) Bridport - Milepost 4
D6541 + 41320 (2) Milepost 4 - Maiden Newton
35030 Maiden Newton - Yeovil Pen Mill
35030 Yeovil Pen Mill - Yeovil Junction
35030 Yeovil Junction - Salisbury
34057 + 34102 (3) Salisbury - Andover Junction - Basingstoke - (3) Woking - Surbiton - Wimbledon - Clapham Junction - London Waterloo

Notes:
(1) 41320 on rear.
(2) 41295 on rear.
(3) Booked route was: Salisbury - Romsey - Eastleigh - Fareham - Cosham - Petersfield - Guildford - Woking - Clapham Junction - London Waterloo however train ran direct to make up time.
(3) 34102 & 34057 were photographed carrying headcode SPL3 - was this used throughout?

Sources : Terry Jackson, John Debens & Steve Armitage

Comments/Review
(by Terry Jackson)

If memory serves me correctly, this was one of those tours which, whilst doing everything that was booked albeit running late, was overshadowed by unforeseen problems on the day.

Firstly we made an unscheduled stop at Basingstoke to offload a dead body which was found on the train. We later understood that apparently the stock for the tour had formed a service up to Waterloo the previous evening and a passenger on that service had collapsed and died in one of the toilets. Despite the stock supposedly being checked at Waterloo and later at Clapham sidings, the body of the gentleman concerned was not discovered until a ticket check was being carried out on the tour the following morning. A hurriedly arranged stop at Basingstoke (approx 7mins) was made and the body removed. Once this was done, the tour continued as planned. One can only speculate what would have happened if such an event had occurred today (immediate cancellation of the tour, interviewing of everyone on the tour, disruption of all services at Basingstoke, major criticism of the railway companies involved and probably demands for a public enquiry into rail safety from the usual quarters).

Nevertheless the tour continued only to suffer a further delay when the two Mickey Mouse tanks stalled on the return from Bridport to Maiden Newton. Despite repeated attempts to restart the train, we had to await the arrival of a Crompton to assist us back to Maiden Newton.

Despite the setbacks, it was a good tour as was usual with the LCGB in those days.

Terry Jackson.

Photo Review

Cine footage of this tour is available on YouTube, courtesy of Bob Bishop.


From The John Debens Ticket Collection.


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

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Waterloo 09.00d [WTL] 09.00
2.50 Queens Road ? [WTL] 09/02
3.71 Clapham Junction 09/07 09/07
7.04 Barnes 09/13 09/10
11.20 Twickenham 09/22 09/34
13.33 Feltham Jn 09/25 09/39
19.02 Staines Central 09/33 09/43
23.16 Virginia Water 09/41 09/50
28.08 Addlestone Jn 09/50 09/54
29.00 Byfleet Jn 09/52 10/05
30.31 West Byfleet ? [LL] 10/08
33.04 Woking 09.56a ~ 09.58d 10.19 ~ 10.20
59.01 Worting Jn 10/31 11/08
81.37 Grateley 10p50a ~ 11p00d 11.42 ~ 11.53
91.26 Tunnel Jn 11/12 12/03
92.34 Salisbury 11L15a ~ 11L23d 12.06 ~ 12.10
115.38 Dilton Marsh Halt 11/52 12/55
116.65 Westbury 11L55a ~ 12L05d 12.58 ~ 13.08
122.46 Frome 12/15 13/18
136.48 Castle Cary 12/30 13/33
148.29 Yeovil Pen Mill 12/45 13/50
161.10 Maiden Newton 13L05a ~ 13L20d 14.05 ~ 14.20
169.66 Bradpole Crossing ? 14/38
170.32 Bridport 13.45a ~ 14.15d 14.42 ~ 14.57
170.78 Bradpole Crossing ? 15/00
179.54 Maiden Newton 14L40a ~ 14L50d 17.50 ~ 18.07
192.26 Yeovil Pen Mill 15.10a ~ 15.20d 18.38 ~ 18.55
192.65 Yeovil South Jn 15/22 19/03
193.77 Yeovil Junction 15.25a ~ 15.35d 19.05 ~ 19.14
204.51 Templecombe 15/50 19/40
230.49 Wilton South 16/15 20/02
233.10 Salisbury 16L20a ~ 16L55d 20.17 ~ 20.27
234.18 Tunnel Jn 16/58½ 20/30
235.22 Milford Goods 17/00½ DIV
238.08 Alderbury Jn 17/05 DIV
246.54 Kimbridge Jn 17/15 DIV
249.53 Romsey 17/19 DIV
256.79 Eastleigh 17/30 DIV
267.69 Fareham 17w50 ~ 18w00 DIV
273.56 Cosham 18/08 DIV
274.59 Farlington Jn 18/10 DIV
277.20 Havant 18c14 ~ 18c15 DIV
288.65 Petersfield 18/31 DIV
300.56 Haslemere 18/44 DIV
313.31 Guildford 19w01 ~ 19w11 DIV
? Basingstoke DIV 21.17 ~ 21.21
319.32 Woking 19.21a ~ 19.22d [TL] 21.45 ~ 21.47
330.32 Hampton Court Jn 19/35 22/00
339.67 Clapham Junction 19/46 22/16
343.58 Waterloo 19.53a 22.25


Back to "The Railtour Files"