souwest Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Hi everyone As a relative newcomer to the sunny south (from the Other South Western line) and resident in Westbourne, can anyone tell me if the Fowler 7Fs were often seen south of Templecombe? I have read and heard that they were regularly used between Bath and Templecombe, but rarer south of there and ever rarer on the former L&SWR line to Bournemouth West. Many thanks SouWest Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 26, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 26, 2014 They were certainly used on Summer Saturday expresses to Bournemouth West, there's a photo in one of the colour albums of one working a train through Parkstone station, I believe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combe Martin Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 The S&D picture books have plenty of photos of 7Fs south of Templecombe. I've got a colour one with a picture of a 7F shunting milk tanks at Bailey Gate as an example ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Freight was more prolific north of Templecombe, working between the yards of Westerleigh, Bath, Evercreech, and Templecombe. Much of it was coal from the Somerset coalfield, between Templecombe, and Poole yard it was more of a local nature, a 7F would venture south if Templecombe had one to spare, and nothing else was available. But as the captain sez, they were popular with the crews on Summer Saturday inter-regional holiday passenger trains because they were reliable sure-footed locos, but also because, on the main-line between Bath, and Bournemouth, apart from one milk train to Bailey Gate - there was no freight on a summer Saturday, and Bath shed was always pushed to the limit. p.s. The guys at the club in Blandford say thanks to all those who commented on the layout at Warley. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
71H Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I'm sure that i have a photo somewhere of a 7f in B'mth west. If i find it, i shall put it up on here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 There are plenty about me ol' son, but be careful of copyright. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted January 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hi everyone As a relative newcomer to the sunny south (from the Other South Western line) and resident in Westbourne, can anyone tell me if the Fowler 7Fs were often seen south of Templecombe? I have read and heard that they were regularly used between Bath and Templecombe, but rarer south of there and ever rarer on the former L&SWR line to Bournemouth West. Many thanks SouWest Hello SouWest My father took two photos of 7Fs at Bournemouth. One is at http://www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/26460227and the other is next to it in my ipernity photo sharing album, along with many other railway photos, or you can see them here! I don't know why I didn't upload them here before. Regards Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 There are some very nice S&DJR photos there. The pictures of 75072 and 82041 on the 11.46 Bournemouth Central to Bristol Temple Meads in December 1965 do, in fact, show the 08.35 London Waterloo to Bristol Temple Meads, which went forward at 11.46 from Bournemouth Central after the front portion of the train from Waterloo had been detached there. I believe that before the Portishead branch was closed in 1964(?), the same train ran on from Temple Meads to Portishead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium tingleytim Posted January 27, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2015 I don't recall these through carriages being aggressively marketed! They weren't in the timetable of course and I bet not many in Broadstone, Blandford, Sturminster Newton, Stalbridge and Evercreech knew they had a direct rail service from London. Was there a similar reverse through working? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 They weren't even passively marketed! They must have been part of a cyclic two- or three-day diagram and I have never been able to properly identify how they got "home" - even as far as Bournemouth. Most photographers seem to have given up later in the day and I don't have the relevant carriage working books. I can confirm the down working from personal experience having travelled through from Waterloo to Evercreech, and lots of photographs. Incidentally, the train was unusual in calling, unadvertised but booked, at Templecombe Lower. There are also photos from the 1963-ish era showing SR stock at Portishead in the mid-afternoon giving credence to the suggestion that the stock had worked through to Portishead prior to the branch closure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.