Description

Illustrated by precious, rare 16mm and 8mm archive footage, this programme explores the Southern Region, showing station, depot, line-side and on-train scenes. Beginning at Bournemouth Central, we see Poole and a Somerset & Dorset service to Templecombe. We also travel further west to the Barnstaple Junction-Ilfracombe section – plus much more!

Full description from the producer:

Using 8mm and 16mm footage, this programme covers the Southern Region from Ilfracombe to Eastbourne showing station, depot, line-side and on-train footage. With the opening scenes at Bournemouth Central, next with shots at Poole, an S&D service is joined for a trip to Templecombe with a departure from Broadstone. A move is then made to Yeovil Town for a ride on the Yeovil Junction shuttle aboard the train and loco, a Pannier Tank 0-6-0T with Western Region auto cars. Travelling further west, the Barnstaple Junction to Ilfracombe section is filmed with an LCGB special and service trains, with appropriate banking locos. A ride is then taken from Calstock to Callington and back with an Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T. Another Ivatt hauls a train from Bodmin North to the Southern’s most westerly station at Padstow followed by a ride to Halwill Junction behind a N Class 2-6-0.

Returning to Templecombe, we see some train movements before a journey is made to Bath Green Park, returning to Evercreech Junction behind 4F 0-6-0 number 44422 showing arrivals and departures with Standards, Ivatt and a Western Region 2251 Class 0-6-0. Many of the now closed stations are seen in this section. Salisbury sees main line arrivals and departures of both passenger and freight services with a visit to the loco shed. A departure from Southampton Central heralds a random selection of scenes from the Isle of Wight and its 02 Class 0-4-4Ts with shunting at Medina Wharf. Then it’s back to the mainland at Northam before a visit to the docks via Southampton Terminus with USA Class 0-6-0Ts performing shunting operations. The triangle at Northam is shown with Northam Junction and Southampton Tunnel Junction featuring. A period is spent at Eastleigh station and depot involving main line, Inter regional, stock and light engine movements before moving up to Winchester City prior to departing behind a Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 towards Basingstoke. Prior to arrival at Basingstoke, some time is spent at Battledown observing movements on the Bournemouth and Salisbury routes with freight and passenger along with the switching of many trains from up fast to up slow and other combinations. Basingstoke witnesses the departure of the Stanier before moving to the cutting just east of the station for main line operations.

These scenes feature the pneumatic lower semaphore signalling as do the subsequent scenes at Fleet and Farnborough Main. An M7, W and Vauxhall milk train are seen at Clapham Junction before parallel running out of Waterloo along side a Bullied Pacific is experienced.Clapham Junction gives access to the Central Division where a Hall Class 4-6-0 heads our train out of Redhill towards Guildford with scenes there and between Redhill and Reigate showing freight trains on this cross country route. A trip is made from Hove to Horsham on the Steyning line behind an Ivatt tank returning by DEMU to Hove with last day scenes at Christs Hospital and other stations.A Q Class 0-6-0 departs Shoreham prior to observing many different classes passing Brighton shed before time is spent there with views of the Brighton-Plymouth service and at Shoreham bridge, Worthing and Chichester.

The final route taken is that of the Cuckoo line and a journey is made from Eastbourne, (with shed scenes), to Tunbridge Wells West and return on the final day. Two scenes at Berwick conclude the programme.

Additional information