SO 33

The journal of the
“Eastleigh Railway
Preservation
Society”.
October 2015
Eastleigh Railway Works.

Editor’s view.
Since the last issue there have been a few changes at the top as
Clive Clifford and Mike Bragg step down from their respective
positions on the board and committee.
Philip Noyce is now holding the reins and taking over the day to
day running of ERPS Ltd. Philip has been a member from the
early days and is a regular team member at Ropley working on
828. I am sure with his experience over the years we are in good
hands for the future.
Philip has in fact provided the “Ropley Report” for this issue and it
is nice to hear what is going on. It would seem that the frame of
828 needs to be moved back into the yard to enable overhaul work
to continue. Read all about it from Philip on page 6. Up to date
pictures can of course be found on the “interweb thingy” at
www. erps .co.uk or on our “facebook “ page.
Nick wren is doing sterling work maintaining and running the
website and spreading the word on all things ERPS and 828. We
seem to get a lot of “overseas” viewings and thus are wondering if
we could offer an overseas membership to some of these people
through the website?
Social media is very useful but we need to find a way to get some
cash from some of the visitors to the website. When the boiler appeal
is launched it will help but meantime we will keep fingers
crossed and see what we can do.
For the first time in all the years I have been editing this magazine,
I am starting to run out of articles for you all to read. Photos come
along all the time but the written word is starting to fade. So how
about it? They say we all have a book in us. Well, I am not looking
for a book. Just a few lines of what ever you think may be of
interest to our readers. Please have a think about it and if you need
any help, please give me a call and I will be only to happy to help.
Derek M. Doling
Editor.
Publication deadline for next issue
FRIDAY DECEMBER 4th 2015
Happy Christmas !
3

More feedback
The subject of non local locomotive workings continues to bring in comment.
Alan Gosling writes:-
“I can confirm I saw 92002 at Basingstoke on the working previously mentioned.
The crew were certainly surprised. I was also told that another
“Royal Scot” was sent down to work a regimental special from Southampton
docks, believed to be 46148 “South Staffordshire Regiment”, 60008. It
was towed down. Also, “Manor 4-6-0s regularly worked from Southampton
terminus to Cheltenham via the M.S.W.J.R.
4472 made several visits to Basingstoke for tours to Farnborough Air Shows
and a V2 was brought down from Dundee Tay Bridge but failed before it
was able to work its scheduled tour from Waterloo.”
Regular contributor Peter Prowles is next:-
“ I enjoyed “The Eastleigh steam team” by Rodney Tizzard, particularly the
mention of Mickey Hunt and the red button !. I remember this chap well for
his jovial demeanour, both back in the 60’s and seeing him in more recent
years on main line steam. I would say he changed little.
I also remember John Pilcher when he was a Waterloo driver coming to
Bournemouth. Always very smart and clean cut but perhaps a little serious.
Obviously in later years as a traction inspector he did not share the same
sense of humour as Mickey Hunt. The late John Smith sounded like a real
character too, Though I don’t recall him from the old days.”
Mervyn Turvey contributed:-
“Not being a “railway” person I find many of the stories you include of extreme
interest.”
Thanks.
Thanks chaps for that. Please keep your feedback and comments coming. It
is your contributions that make this magazine what it is.
Ed.
4

Now the bit I know you have all been waiting for. The answer
to Ray Batson’s quiz set in the last issue.
After the “WC quiz which you did at your “Convenience.” Here is a
new school of thought.
30907 Du L wich
30909 St p A uls
30932 Blu N dells
30933 Kings C anterbury
30915 Br I ghton
30936 Cra N leigh
30905 Tonbrid G e
Find the names of these locos and then find the hidden name of another
member of the class by taking one letter from each answer.
The missing loco is of course “Lancing”
Ready for another one? Here we go.
30917
30938
30911
30922
30901
30920
Find the names and then reveal the hidden loco.
As usual, no prizes just a memory test for you and no cheating looking
them up in your old Ian Allan ABC’s !
Thanks to Ray for setting them and can we have some more please.
Ed.
5

ROPLEY REPORT
By Chairman Philip Noyce.
Activity over the last few months from May up to the end of August 2015 has mainly
been concentrated on the tender, with work carrying on as weather permits. As we are
outside and not under cover the inclement weather has limited our activities somewhat
on occasions, but nevertheless steady progress has been made.
Welding has been carried out on top of the tender in the coal space where the original
welds have split. This has now been finished and has solved the problem of water
leaking into the tender tank and collecting on the floor.
Over the last few months the dedicated team of Philip Noyce and Lance Dearsley
have been working inside the tender tank, needle gunning and cleaning the baffles,
sides and roof. Initially this task was not made easier by the fact that the water that
had leaked into the tank was lying inches deep on the floor, making it feel as though
we were paddling about in a swimming pool! However, in the best ERPS tradition,
this problem was overcome and the newly cleaned inside of the tender tank has now
been painted with red oxide primer. It was somewhat of a relief to finish the job as the
temperature inside the tender tank could get quite hot, to say the least, on a warm day!
The completion of the work inside the tender tank has meant that we have been able
to put the water sieve back up underneath the front of the tender permanently.
The boiler cladding sheets have been finished and repainted in red oxide primer
(outside) and
white gloss (inside). Repairs have been made where necessary and the cladding
sheets are now in store and awaiting final refitting on the boiler.
The outside of the tender has also been receiving attention, with the sides and back
being rubbed down, filled and repainted where required. The tender will eventually
have to go undercover at some point for final finishing and the application of green
undercoat.
The front of the tender footplate has been stripped down and the inside cleaned and
painted. The metal platework has also been cleaned, repainted in black and put back
in position.
The loco frames have remained in store up the headshunt at Ropley. Hopefully at
some point the frames will be bought down and swapped with the tender, in order for
work to be carried out. However, this will be largely dependent on the Mid Hants own
operational needs and when they can carry out the necessary movements. As the
frames are at present positioned near the end of the headshunt, a considerable amount
of shunting will be required to extricate them.
6

Two photographs from a collection I acquired recently. Above S15 class 841 “Green
King” taken March 1976
.
Below Q1 class austerity loco 33003.
No other details known.
7

“Through the lens”
Members photos.
From my personal archive is this shot of 34016 “Bodmin” on a crew training trip.
Below
Alan Gosling provides memories of David Shephard’s time at Eastleigh MPD with
this view of “9F” 92202 “Black Prince” taken at Cranmore in 1987.
8

Above. Also from Alan Gosling comes this fine shot of “9F” 92129” passing through
Eastleigh station on 1st August 1962. Note all the young spotters.
Below. From David Lindsell comes the shot of one of this summers excursions in the
south. LNER B1 class “Mayflower” passing through Andover.
9

From member Michael Harvey comes this extract from one of
his books.
“My Six Years on the Railway”
by Dave Pallett
“My six years employed on the railway had been thoroughly satisfying ...
and I was being paid for a job that I enjoyed doing”
The following stories come from a book published in 1997 titled “Railway
Heritage – Portsmouth” by Michael G. Harvey and Eddie Rooke. The text
being updated and making additional stories. Book published by Silver
Link.
My employment by BR began at my local Southern Region depot of Fratton, on
what was originally called Portsea Island, now Portsmouth during 1959. I was
sent by depot foreman, Mr. Butler, to Eastleigh Works for a medical and eyesight
test – I passed without any worry.
To start my employment I was rostered clerk’s assistant, this involved being
the depot tea boy plus other duties such as being sent out to a local driver’s
or fireman’s house to perform what was known as “knocking them up”, this
would occur whenever a change of turn or an illness was reported, and a replacement
was needed urgently! After a few months I was sent to Guildford
depot (70C) to be taught the art of looking after a steam locomotive’s boiler,
I also learnt an insight into the BR Rule Book and, following this a seven day
course (which I was passed as a cleaner). I recall Guildford depot, as it was
one of those oddly designed “semi-roundhouse” buildings, of which there
were only a few scattered over the BR system. My first taste of the railway
shovel was to assist “Jumbo” Collis who was the steam crane operator of
DS200, the Fratton depot coaling crane.
As a passed cleaner I was quite often sent to other engine sheds such as Nine
Elms (70A), Basingstoke (70D) and Guildford, and I was “loaned” there to as-
10

sist. Having, at a later date (1962) learned the skills of firing a BR steam
locomotive, I had my first main-line experience of a footplate turn whilst
“on loan” to Nine Elms. In fact, my scheduled duty for that day was merely
to be involved preparing an engine and taking it “light” to Waterloo, ready
for a main-line duty, and I was then to return to Nine Elms via another
“light” engine that had arrived from Bournemouth. This was suddenly all
changed by a much delayed “up” train – the driver and I were told to work a
“Merchant Navy” class “pacific” on an express train bound for Bournemouth
Central!
By the time we were relieved at Southampton Central station by an Eastleigh
crew, I could still feel the after effects of the heat and sweat, and
as i sat in the comfort of one of the recently introduced “Hampshire” diesel
units, which took me home to Portsmouth via Netley and Fareham ... I realised
that I had just had a very memorable experience on the footplate of a
main-line “pacific” as I would not have normally been firing at this level.
Other duties took me across Spithead to the Isle of Wight to work the
lines from Ryde (70H), Cowes, Newport (70G) and Ventnor. On the latter
run, if you were experiencing a “rough ‘un” – with one of the Drummond designed
class “O2” 0-4-4 tanks, the driver would not depart from Wroxall
unless sufficient steam and water was in the boiler as he did not want to run
the risk of having to stop in the tunnel under St. Boniface Down. This gave
the driver some time to visit the cafe on the up platform to fill up the tea
can!
My turns from Fratton depot included such locations as Salisbury, Eastleigh,
Basingstoke, Guildford, Littlehampton, Gosport and the four-and-half mile
Havant to Hayling Island branch line. On the weekday services, the early
shift crew prepared the “Terrier” “A1X” diminutive 0-6-0 tank locomotives,
and on Monday mornings took the empty carriages from Fratton to Havant –
and later in the morning, they would clean the clinker from the fire. The
late shift crew would travel on the ordinary service train to Havant and
work the afternoon shift then bring the empty carriages back to the Field
Sidings at Fratton on the Sunday night for cleaning and servicing.
At midday a cleaner would be sent from Fratton depot to Hayling to coal up
the engine – this was done from a very small coaling stage and at the same
time he would shovel up all the clinker and ash from the engine’s firebox and
transfer it to an empty wagon. My brother, Rick (a cleaner at this date),
would assist me with this job – and then, with the driver’s permission, I
11

would drive and my brother would fire on the train to Havant. I vividly recall
that we had a most regular footplate passenger (unofficial), a certain
Mr. Alan Bell, he would be present along with his camera and I must say he
photographed virtually every nut and bolt on the Hayling Island Branch! In
later years Alan constructed a magnificent 00 gauge model railway depicting
the Hayling Island branch, the wooden trestle viaduct being particularly life
-like.
Three “A1X” tanks would be used on the summer weekends, and the bay
platform at Hayling Island station would come into use. The final “up” train
of the day would always stop at North Hayling Halt, regardless of any passengers,
to pick up the single oil lamp (for re-wicking at Fratton) – also to
check if any “courting couples” were in the wooden waiting room and we
sometimes picked up several passengers!
For a driver and fireman on this branch, the winter months and bad weather
conditions were the most difficult of turns, it certainly was not a task we
looked forward to. We needed to endure the prevailing south-westerly
winds and gales whilst on Langstone Viaduct – we were wide open to the elements!
To get some protection from the wind and rain we would tie a large
tarpaulin over one side of the engine’s cab.
No less than 50 “Terriers” were built – the earliest being in the 1870s, and
an incredible ten of these minute tanks (28 tons) are still in existence today,
albeit not all in working order.
I had the pleasure of working with a variety of different drivers and firemen,
my regular driver was George “Jock” MacAskill, and together we
worked the final train out of Hayling Island station to Havant in November
1963 with No. 32670 at the front and another “A1X” at the rear, with
driver Ray Forder and fireman Micky Lee in charge. I recall that the signalman
at Langstone crossing gates provided a quite unique sideline, in that he
handmade plastic windmills! He would display his wares on a mound of earth
beside the level crossing for all to see, and, as a result, he would inevitably
sell them to children. This he did while the road traffic waited (often quite
a considerably time) until the train had passed – he would attract the attention
of children who were on their way to the seaside with their parents. It
was often rumoured that the long wait for traffic at this level crossing was
extended to allow the “windmill man” extra selling time! What with North
Hayling routine and this level crossing sales point and many other attractions,
such as catching a pheasant – it recalls a bygone era that would be
12

completely unheard of in today’s world!
My memories during my six years on the railway include some amusing stories,
which brings me to the night that detonators were put in the sand
drying furnace when a couple of platelayers had dozed off to a deep sleep
on the warm dry sand – the detonators went off with a huge bang and
watching the startled platelayers run off was quite an amusing experience!
I once had an extremely damp experience, in that I had a shunter’s
pole stuck through the arms of my overalls, and I was held up underneath
a fully turned on water column – the only consolation being that is was a
hot summer’s day!
One of the engine duties of the night shift at Fratton depot was to “fill
the boiler to the whistle” – in simple terms this meant filling the boiler
right up and reducing the pressure, then “black” the firebox with layers
of coal dust. After this job was done, it was a quick walk down Goldsmith
Avenue to the Railway Rifle Social Club for a most welcome glass of ale.
This club still exists today, adjacent to the electric units depot, and is
still very well patronised.
If, in the meantime, someone moved that engine, it would quickly pick up
its water and plumes of watery black smoke would be seen drifting out of
its chimney, giving it the appearance of a “wet volcano”!
In the latter years of my BR job, I can recall working the 9.30 am Portsmouth
and Southsea (Low Level) passenger train bound for Cardiff General,
as far as Salisbury. We had a clapped-out Eastleigh (71A) Standard
class “4” 2-6-0 No. 76069 in charge, it leaked steam from every conceivable
angle! In an effort to gain some time and to get the boiler pressure
up, we unofficially took on water at Southampton central. The engine
made it as far as Dean, where we stopped for a “blow up” as we were
short of steam – after building up enough pressure we continued to Salisbury,
our arrival time was considerably later than scheduled. On arrival
at Salisbury depot (72B), my driver George “Jock” MacAskill demanded a
change of engine for the return journey to Portsmouth.
I left the railway in April 1964 and my six years employed by BR had been
extremely satisfying and I was being paid for a job that I enjoyed, even
though there were a few misunderstandings, such as the day I forgot to
stop at Reading West Station! Today I am still actively involved with
British Railways steam locomotives, albeit as a volunteer on the Mid-
Hants Railway “Watercress Line” driving and firing the type of mainline
13

that I was accustomed to during my six years.
By a twist of fate, my first firing of a class “Merchant Navy” 4-6-2 No.
35018 British India Line between Waterloo and Southampton (as mentioned
earlier) was to be the same locomotive that I am helping to restore
at Ropley for eventual running on the mainline once again.
If you missed part one of the talk by Bishopstoke History Society then here is your
chance to catch part two. Two dates are offered ( see below) and if you intend to go,
get there early if you want a seat. Part one was packed out.!
It will be a very interesting and extremely well presented illustrated talk with many old
photos not previously published, including a view of Campbell Road bridge under
construction.
Entry is free with tea and biscuits available in the interval.
Donations towards costs are most welcome.
14

Roger Hardingham
launches new railway book in Eastleigh Museum.
Saturday 1st August saw Roger signing copies of his latest book, “A
tribute to Eastleigh’s Railways” A photographic album from the Norman
Cox collection. When I visited, Roger was busy chatting and signing
copies to purchasers and seemed to be doing quite well.
Norman Cox’s family
Viewing the book for the
first time.
The book is available at the
museum, selected retailers, heritage railway centres or direct from Kingfisher
Productions. Website:-
http://railwayvideo.com/shop/product/a-tribute-to-eastleighs-railwaysor
by phone on 01305 832906
It is a hard back book with 128 pages of rare black & white photos.
It costs £25. One to put on your Christmas list perhaps?
15

And finally,
The Guard’s Van.
Bringing up the rear.
I think we have a “foreigner” in our
midst in Eastleigh. This plaque of an
LNER A4 adorns the wall around
some flats in Shakespeare Road.
Hmmmm ??
Always good to see signs being obeyed.
“ Please keep door closed at all times”
It says on the wedged open door.
Loved Alan’s pic of the
“9F” with all the young
spotters on the Station.
This is what it is like
these days. Bring your
own chair and sit at the
end of the platform.
Wonder if any of them
were in the earlier picture?
This lot are not
wearing shorts now and
note book and pen replaced
with digital cameras
no doubt .....
The new face of Eastleigh Station after a
complete revamp of the forecourt and
approach
16