‘8P’ means eIGHT ‘PacIfIcs’ for mHr
Biggest-ever Bulleid gathering at ‘Watercress Line’s July extravaganza.
Picking up the gauntlet thrown down by the Swanage Railway, the Mid-Hants Railway is to assemble eight Bulleid ‘Pacifics’ at its ‘Summer Steam Gala’ extravanganza, commemorating 50 years since the end of Southern steam, over two weekends in July. To beat seven Southern 4-6-2s - including unrestored and under-overhaul examples offered by the ‘Purbeck Line’ at its ‘Strictly Bulleid’ gala in March, the ‘Watercress Line’ is touting four operational Bulleids and four on static display - believed to be the biggest gathering of the Southern Railway CME’s designs since the end of Southern Region steam in 1967. Working guests confirmed for the eagerly awaited July 1-2 and 7-9 event are: rebuilt ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co., from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway; rebuilt ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34053 Sir Keith Park, from the Severn Valley Railway; original ‘BB’ No. 34081 92 Squadron, from the Nene Valley Railway; and rebuilt ‘West Country’ No. 34046 Braunton, running as 1967 survivor ‘BB’ No. 34052 Lord Dowding, courtesy of Locomotive Services Ltd. The latter will only attend the first weekend, as it is booked to haul the Railway Touring Company’s ‘End of Southern Steam’ railtour from Waterloo to Weymouth on July 8. However, it is planned to pair it with the MHR’s van train, to recreate the original No. 34052’s last run on July 9 1967 - hauling one of three freights from Weymouth to Westbury, conveying tomatoes from the Channel Islands. Also available for viewing will be air-smoothed ‘West Countries’ Nos. 34007 Wadebridge (currently out of ticket and on static display at Ropley) and 34105 Swanage (under overhaul at Ropley), plus the boiler, tender, bogie and delta truck of ‘MN’ No. 35005 Canadian Pacific. In addition, ex-Barry ‘BB’ No. 34058 Sir Frederick Pile will be on display at Alresford, and it is planned to renumber Wadebridge as No. 34019 Bideford, withdrawn in March 1967. Resident locomotives in steam will be Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 41312 - another veteran of the last year of Southern steam - and BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76017. A re-creation of a diverted ‘Bournemouth Belle’ over the ‘Alps’ is also planned.