Saturday 7 July 2012

Network South East Salisbury - Steam Trains, 23rd July 1988

 In rainy July weather, 34092 City of Wells leads the train to Salisbury which it took over at Romsey. The Giesl Ejector is visible. 34092 is shortly to return to operation, currently close to the completion of overhaul at Haworth, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
 8F 48151 approaches Dunbridge on a return to Romsey, Coach HELEN was 122, now 99122/3106 in the WCRC fleet, after spells working on the Severn Valley and North Norfolk Railways.
34092 returns to Romsey from Yeovil in the evening. Steam was not permitted on third-rail routes at this time, so Romsey and Andover were limits of operation.
33050 Eastleigh + 33008 Isle of Grain were waiting on the Eastleigh line, and with 34092 released, backed onto the train, departing here for London. 33050 was involved in a collision at Snowdon Colliery in Kent on 5th August 1988 and repaired with parts from 33038. It was withdrawn in May 1993 with power unit defects at Stewarts Lane and broken up there by MRJ Phillips in January 1997. 33008 is preserved at the Battlefield Line.