Salisbury Sojourn
It was 1985, the last day of July and right in the middle of the last week of Dad’s summer shut-down break. The fortnight usually consisted of days out, DIY and perhaps a picnic or trip into town. Sometimes a grandparent or two would be there; sometimes it was just Mum, Dad and me. Salisbury had been chosen for this particular jaunt as it wasn’t too far to drive from Swindon, allowing a longer day to be enjoyed among the shops and in the cool shadow of the city’s magnificent cathedral. To my embarrassment I must confess I have no memory of this part of the day at all, though a visit to the station must have been planned as I had my trusty notebook with me – the same one that had accompanied me to Dawlish in May (RI September 2016) and would follow me into Swindon Works that October (RI March 2016). Salisbury had also been on our minds as it featured in the latest Your Model Railway, the short-lived magazine edited by finescale modeller Dave Lowery, famous at the time for his LNWR-era ‘Bevleys’ layout. The article made Salisbury look impressive. Which we found it was.
The full-size railway had first come to the city in 1847, when the London & South Western opened up its branch from Eastleigh. The Great Western Railway followed with a separate station in 1856, built to serve its own branch from Westbury. The LSWR opened a bigger installation to the south of that one three years later, incorporating both the line from London to Andover and the first section of the fledgling Salisbury & Yeovil Railway. Expansions and enlargements were followed by contraction in the form of the Grouping in 1923, when the LSWR became part of the Southern
Railway, and again in 1932, when GWR services were diverted into the former LSWR station. What all this meant for me in far-distant 1985 was the prospect of seeing both Western Region and Southern Region trains at the one spot. And, where the latter was concerned, that meant Class 33s.
Cromptons and more
I liked 33s, having first become aware of them in the Lima model railway catalogue. My earliest ‘cops’ would have come during days out to Weymouth, and – by the early 80s at least – on local services at Westonsuper-Mare. We often travelled behind one (or a 31) to Bristol during Whitsun Week holidays at the Somerset resort. One year, I spent all my savings on green-liveried D6506, gleefully chosen at Beatties’ Penn Street store (a veritable Aladdin’s cave for railfans at the
time). I’d seen 33027 Earl Mountbatten of Burma at Weston recently too, though from the outdoor market held in the car park that swallowed up most of the old goods yard and excursion platform site at Locking Road. No large logo livery for this Crompton through – it was the badge and the length of the nameplate that gave its identity away! No such ‘namers’ would be in evidence at Salisbury, sadly, but the short time we spent there would not be without incident…
The first ‘cop’ came almost as soon as Dad pulled up at 1710, for there in the siding next to Platform 5 was ‘Slim Jim’ 33208, stabled and looking splendid. A Class 08 shunter could be seen in the distant sidings, but the low wall at the back of Platform 1 prevented me from noting its number. No matter! A couple of minutes later 33018 was seen propelling a rake of vans and carriages
Greg Morse recounts memories of a brief visit to Salisbury in 1985, dominated by one of his favourite locos – the Class 33 Crompton.
from Platform 2, which it then hauled back into Platform 3. At 1719, a DEMU from Portsmouth Harbour pulled into Platform 6, while 33049 arrived with the 1610 Bristol Temple Meads-Brighton shortly after. A few minute lull ensued during which I doubtless contemplated the meaning of life, what was going to be for tea and what was on telly that evening. My blissful reverie was soon shattered when 33018 departed with its train for Waterloo.
At 1740, a three-car DEMU thumped its way into Platform 3, replacing Crompton 18 and retinue. Its compatriot in Platform 6 pulled away for all points to ‘Pompey’ two minutes later, while at 1754 33038 arrived into Platform 4 from the east. This departed westward again after those who were getting off had got off and those who were getting on had got on.
The next 33 wasn’t going to be quite so lucky, alas… At 1807, Eastleigh’s 33003 pulled into Platform 4 with the 1638 Waterloo-Exeter. I jotted down the number and stood waiting to enjoy the roar of the engine as it pulled away. But it didn’t. Something had gone wrong. After a long ten minutes during which railmen gathered, railmen looked and railmen shook their heads, it was discovered that the Type 3 was suffering from piston trouble and would be unable to continue. Despite 33208 waiting and (presumably) ready to go, 33014 appeared shortly afterwards, coupling up and departing with the entire formation at 1825.
Two minutes later, the DEMU left Platform 3 for Reading and shortly after so did we – back to Swindon amid thoughts, if not of the telly, then certainly of the trip to Westbury due to be enjoyed that Friday.