Thames Valley
Meeting Reports
Monday 20th October150 Years of the Somerset & Dorset Railway
Mike Beale
The speaker for the October meeting was Michael Beale, who took as his subject “150 years of the Somerset & Dorset Railway”. He explained how the railway started as two separate railways, the Somerset Central and the Dorset Central. When the two companies linked up, they merged to become the Somerset and Dorset Railway with a line from Burnham to Wimborne, at one time using this link and the company’s two fleets of ships to run a boat and rail service from Cardiff to Cherbourg. The northern extension to Bath changed the company’s main axis from east-west to north-south. This extension was also the impetus for the company’s sale to the Midland and London and South Western Railways. Michael followed the history of the joint line until its closure. He then described the history of the Somerset & Dorset Museum Trust telling how it started as the Somerset & Dorset Circle at a site at Radstock and how it evolved to its current position with premises at Washford. For the second part of the evening, Michael took a trip along the original line from Burnham to Wimborne, from the inception of the line to the current day. Many thanks are due to Michael for an interesting talk on the history of a famous but long-gone line.
Monday 15th September
For the second half of John’s talk, he repeated another theme of his previous talk with a look at a diesel class. This time, John chose the swansong of the Class 40s when they were working west out of Paddington and Waterloo, including, to the surprise of at least one of the audience, Portsmouth Harbour. John’s well-chosen programme provided another evening of nostalgia, for both older and younger members.
Bygone Days of Industrial Steam Part 2 and Class 50s on the Western Region
John Hubbard
The first meeting of the 2008/2009 season had as its speaker John Hubbard, the branch chairman. John followed up his talk of last season with a similar programme. He started his talk by showing more industrial railways from the late 1960s. What was of interest is that, although some of the steam engines John photographed still exist, a lesser number of the sites can still be found today.
Saturday 9th August
Wotton Light Railway
A party of 40 members and friends enjoyed a trip to Sir Jeremy Sullivan’s private Wotton Light Railway, which is a 15-inch gauge line running for about 1½ miles through pleasant Buckinghamshire countryside using 2 Alan Keef-built diesels and a steam engine built by the Exmoor Steam Railway. Despite the inclement weather, the group enjoyed riding behind and photographing the larger of the diesels and the steam locomotive. Our grateful thanks are due to the hospitality and generosity of Sir Jeremy and Lady Sullivan who, apart from letting the party enjoy the Sir Jeremy’s private railway, provided the group with refreshments. At Sir Jeremy’s request, the branch made a donation to the Barn Owl Trust.
Monday 21st July
Didcot Station
The July meeting was the first of the traditional two evenings at Didcot to observe the various freight workings. All the freights, bar one, were in the hands of the various Class 66 variants. There was only one difference to those seen in previous years, being a new working in connection with construction for the 2012 Olympic Games. This was an empty stone working from Bow to Hackney Yard, Newton Abbot in the hands of a Freightliner Class 66. Highlight of the evening for those that stayed on longest was the Army liveried class 60040 on 6Z48 Calvert to Willesden empty bogie boxes.
Thursday 19th June
1Z81 18:27 Ascot to Liverpool with the Northern Belle set top and tailed by 67030 and 67029.
Reading Station (for Ascot trains)
The June observation meeting was held at Reading Station to coincide with Ladies’ Day at the Royal Ascot race meeting in order to observe the special trains for that event. Four special trains were seen, one to Liverpool, one to Manchester and two to London, with reversals at Salisbury and Didcot. The full details of the trains seen were:
1Z96 18:38 Ascot to London Victoria (reversing at Salisbury) with the Stobart set top and tailed by 47712 and 47832.
1Z68 18:56 Ascot to Manchester with the Great Briton set hauled by 67020.
19:25 Ascot to London Victoria (reversing at Didcot) with the VSOE set top and tailed by 67026 and 67006.
Monday 21st April
Narrow Gauge
Malcolm Ranieri
The branch welcomed Malcolm Ranieri on a return visit, giving a presentation on the narrow gauge. He started with East Germany in the 1980s, with its variety of systems throughout the country. From there, he crossed the Atlantic showing scenes from the two lines that have evolved from the Denver and Rio Grande system. From there, it was just a short hop to Cuba with its sugar trains. Back home now, with the last port of call being the Isle of Man. Many thanks are due to Malcolm for a varied evening of narrow gauge from various places all over the world.
Monday 17th March
For the second half of his talk, John took the audience on a journey from Edinburgh to London in the last years of the Deltics on the East Coast main line. This was another vanished era, but this time the changes have been those made as a result of a change from diesel to electric traction rather than wholesale destruction. Many thanks are due to John for an evening of pure nostalgia.
The Branch Chairman entertains
John Hubbard
The March meeting was a talk entitled “The Chairman entertains” with the Branch chairman, John Hubbard, as the speaker. The first half of the evening was a journey in time back to 1968-69 to look at British industrial steam. This was an era that has vanished, not just with no more industrial steam working, but also the changes in industry in the last 40 years meaning that most of the sites John showed are no more.
Saturday 1st March
Abingdon Model Railway Club
On 1st March the branch had a sales stand manned by three committee members at the Abingdon Model Railway Club exhibition. The event was well attended, as was the sales stand which produced a healthy profit for the branch.
Wednesday 20th February
The branch’s involvement in the evening continued into the second half, with the branch chairman, John Hubbard, giving a presentation entitled “The railways of Oxfordshire, part 1”. The second half is promised for two years time, when the RCTS is next the visitors for the quiz.
Annual Quiz v RTG
Two nights after the normal branch meeting, John Lewis, Murray Lewis, Stuart Hicks, John Starkey and Dennis Brown were upholding the honour of the branch playing away in the annual quiz against the Reading Transport Group. There was a change in the format this year, with the quiz taking up only half the evening. The RCTS team acquitted themselves well, leading 9-8 after the first round. The second round was even, with both sides scoring a further 8 points. Reading came up on the rails in the final round, ending up winners by 25 points to 23.
Monday 18th February GBRailfreight started in 2000 and has grown since then to a turnover last year of £35.2million, turning in a profit of £2.2million. This has been achieved by 7 years of organic growth, which hopefully will continue. Ashley gave details of the company’s current and forthcoming fleet and contracts. A lively question and answer session on all aspects of the UK freight scene followed. Thanks are due to Ashley for an interesting an informative insight on the freight scene.
GBRF in the UK rail freight market
Ashley Stower
The speaker for the February meeting was Ashley Stoker, commercial manager for First GBRf, who talked on “GBRf in the UK freight sector”.
Monday 21st January Thanks are due to Brian for his comprehensive coverage of the widespread changes occurring over the period making for an informative evening.
The South Western since Privatisation
Brian Denton
The speaker for the January meeting was Brian Duncan, who spoke on the changes on the South Western since privatisation. Brian’s talk did what it said on the tin, by using photographs to chart the changes on the former South Western division since 1994. Some changes shown (Eurostar trains from Waterloo and Virgin Cross-country) have already been consigned to history. On the freight side, the changes have caused EWS to be the major operator in the area. He finished his talk with examples of steam specials in the period under review.
Monday 17th December 2007
For various reasons, there were fewer members than usual submitting slides, but six members did give presentations. Andrew Jenkins started with a review of preserved diesels in 2007, followed by Andy Vernon who gave a general review of diesel activities in the year. Murray Lewis was next, showing scenes from southern California in January 2001. Andy Williams followed with a look at the Kent Coalfield in the 1970’s. Andy was followed by Jonathon Lewis, who gave another diesel presentation. Finally, Phil Darlaston showed a miscellany of photos taken during the year, finishing with a tribute to his son, who tragically died during the year.
Thanks are due to the members who gave presentations and the committee members’ wives who were responsible for the mince pies.
Members' slides and Mince Pies
The December meeting was the traditional members’ slides and mince pies evening.
Monday 19th November 2007 David deserves thanks for bringing a subject which brought a touch of summer sunshine to a cold, wet November evening.
Australia in the 21st Century
David Cable
The November meeting's speaker was David Cable, who took as his subject "Australia in the 21st. century". David took us on a trip across the southern part of the country, giving a review of the trains to be seen. However, the situation is voluble, with mergers between companies making changes in locomotive ownership an almost daily occurrence. However, this makes for colourful scenes with locomotives in different liveries in charge of trains. The traffic operation is very much in the American style, with long freights running great distances with multiple locomotives working the freights. Trains were shown with lengths up to 3 miles, with remotely-controlled multiple locomotives cut into the train.
October 2008