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What locos are in this picture of Waterloo station?


WessexEclectic
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When the Western Region took over the LSWR line west of Salisbury in the mid 1960s, they put Warships on the Waterloo to Exeter trains but I don't know how often two would be used on that route. An interesting point on the photo is the use of the yellow waist-level destination boards on the first two coaches that were trialed on the XP64 stock and then others for a short time.

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My recollections of Waterloo in the mid-70s were that the Exeter services generally used the lower numbered platforms, around 8-9. This one is leaving from around 12-15, which would leave me wondering if it is actually an Exeter, or something else. Since it isn't out of 11, it probably isn't a Boat Train service, besides which I don't recall those usually being given to Warships.

 

Jim

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My recollections of Waterloo in the mid-70s were that the Exeter services generally used the lower numbered platforms, around 8-9. This one is leaving from around 12-15, which would leave me wondering if it is actually an Exeter, or something else. Since it isn't out of 11, it probably isn't a Boat Train service, besides which I don't recall those usually being given to Warships.

 

Jim

Two BSKs together like that would suggest that it might be a 'scratch' set that's been put together for some purpose rather than a regular formation.

 

Someone who knows their Warships might be able to infer something from the single double arrow on the second loco and double double arrow on the other ? ( Try saying that after a few pints ! )

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Looking at the photo again has prompted something else from the memory bank, entirely trivial and unrelated - in an episode of 'Strange Report' filmed in 1968 a chase scene was shot on that small patch of wasteground across rthe road from the signalbox, just in front of that row of terraced houses. Funny the things you remember!

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My two pennorth.

The yellow boards were only used on WR stock, and as said above the Exeter - Waterloo was a WR service but didn't have a board with that service on it.

Given that it is allegedly 1971, it is not using the designated platform, seems to be a scratch rake as it longer than standard, the photographer has got in the perfect position and is a pair of Warships, my money is on some sort of enthusiast special, although without the correct date it could be tricky confirming or denying.

 

Mike.

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My recollections of Waterloo in the mid-70s were that the Exeter services generally used the lower numbered platforms, around 8-9. This one is leaving from around 12-15, which would leave me wondering if it is actually an Exeter, or something else. Since it isn't out of 11, it probably isn't a Boat Train service, besides which I don't recall those usually being given to Warships.

 

Jim

 

P12-14 were commonly used for the Exeter services in both the warship and 33 eras.

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Looking at the photo again has prompted something else from the memory bank, entirely trivial and unrelated - in an episode of 'Strange Report' filmed in 1968 a chase scene was shot on that small patch of wasteground across rthe road from the signalbox, just in front of that row of terraced houses. Funny the things you remember!

At that date I was working in Croydon Control, unconnected with Waterloo operations, obviously. But that low-rise block of flats nearest the camera - which I assume was on top of the Shell Centre upstream block - was home to the Guards’ Controller on my shift. Jack had formerly been the Central’s Royal Train guard, and made an excellent and knowledgeable colleague.

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They'd be Class 42 (Swindon-built) Warships.

 

The Southern Region (allegedly) prohibited their crews from passing out on the North British Class 43s to avoid having dead ones cluttering up their railway. A practice that proved almost entirely effective 

 

John

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Not a scratch rake, looks like a fairly standard Waterloo-Exeter formation c1971 after the brakes had been remarshalled to be together, a feature maintained in the Mark IIa/b/c era on the route. Most were SK, CK, 2 BSK, FK, RU, TSO, SK, with some additional carriages on the busy services. The blue/grey Cig also dates it to no earlier than Summer 1970 and the Warships went off of the Waterloo-Exeter services in October 1971.

 

Summer 1971 Mon-Fri Exeter trains left from the following platforms:

 

0908 platform 9

1108 platform 9

1308 platform 9

1508 platform 14

1700 platform 10

1908 platform 9

 

Saturdays mostly platforms 8, 9 and 10.

Edited by robertcwp
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Two BSKs together like that would suggest that it might be a 'scratch' set that's been put together for some purpose rather than a regular formation.

 

Someone who knows their Warships might be able to infer something from the single double arrow on the second loco and double double arrow on the other ? ( Try saying that after a few pints ! )

West of England services often had brakes in the middle because of the shorter platforms on the route in later years they were often mk2 bfks with brake ends marshalled together.

 

Griff

Two BSKs together like that would suggest that it might be a 'scratch' set that's been put together for some purpose rather than a regular formation.

 

Someone who knows their Warships might be able to infer something from the single double arrow on the second loco and double double arrow on the other ? ( Try saying that after a few pints ! )

West of England services often had brakes in the middle because of the shorter platforms on the route in later years they were often mk2 bfks with brake ends marshalled together.

 

Griff

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They'd be Class 42 (Swindon-built) Warships.

 

The Southern Region (allegedly) prohibited their crews from passing out on the North British Class 43s to avoid having dead ones cluttering up their railway. A practice that proved almost entirely effective 

 

John

 The monthly SR Traction Conference minutes from the time are full of gripes about Class 42 reliability and the fact that often the SR were having to fuel them at Stewarts Lane before sending them home again.

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Approach-to-Waterloo-Station-London-1971

 

Approach to Waterloo Station, London 1971

 

Image from here

 

So what class of Loco are hauling presumably a West of England Service?

To me the lead loco looks like it is still carrying its D prefix, so that means it could be D804, D819, D822, D866, or D867,  The following were repainted in 1971 losing their two arrows for one in the middle so depending on what month these are also contenders  D818, D820, D821, D826, and D868. The information comes from "The Book of the Warships" by John Jennison, in the book it is noted that D824 and D832 are also in this livery until withdrawn, but shows photos of them both with one central arrow.  The book notes three locos with double arrows with no D prefix 803, 825 and 827, so it could also be one of these.

 

It cannot be D800, D801, D809, D815 or D819 as these were withdrawn in green (D800) or maroon. D802 was in this livery but had been withdrawn before 1971.

 

This leaves the other loco to be one of these, 805, 806, 807, 808, 810, 811, 812, 813, 814, 816, 823, 824, 828, 829, 830, 831 or 832.

 

I will let someone else speculate which locos from the length of the name plate

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The monthly SR Traction Conference minutes from the time are full of gripes about Class 42 reliability and the fact that often the SR were having to fuel them at Stewarts Lane before sending them home again.

Just imagine the moaning if they'd had the NBL ones to deal with as well...
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The monthly SR Traction Conference minutes from the time are full of gripes about Class 42 reliability and the fact that often the SR were having to fuel them at Stewarts Lane before sending them home again.

I think Alan Ing was Traction Officer then?

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Nothing to do with the railway, but the brick building lower centre is Addington Street School, where both my mother and grandmother attended, 80 and 100 years ago. Thanks for sharing this image.

Edited by pb_devon
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