172to ZERO

Former eastleigh Works fitter RON COVER relives the last full year of southern steam… and it wasn’t all about filthy Bulleids as its final ranks of nearly 200 engines were wiped out.

With such clear recollections of the end of Southern steam, it is hard to believe it was 50 years ago that it all came to an end… To evoke the atmosphere of the last full year, we need to look back at the events leading up to July 1966. The Southern steam enthusiast had already suffered quite a few ups and downs, the first of which came with the news that ‘Duchess’ 4-6-2s were going to be transferred south in exchange for the ‘Merchant Navies’ to the London Midland. If it hadn’t been for the sharp Northam curve leading to Southampton, the deal may have come off, but I for one was glad that it didn’t. Far better for the Bulleids to end their days on home turf. Continuing rumours of ‘Britannias’ coming south in numbers were still alive in 1966, but the furthest south any were allocated was Banbury, for working the Great Central line and supposedly the York-Bournemouth line, although the latter remained a ‘Black Five’worked diagram. Perhaps the most outstanding development of all was a plan to keep steam working on the Isle of Wight, using Standard ‘84XXX’ 2-6-2Ts in place of the elderly ‘O2’ tank engines. No. 84014 arrived at Eastleigh Works in November 1965 for modifications to the cab roof and other components, but at the last moment the decision was reversed in favour of electrification and the re-use of London Transport tube stock, and No. 84014 was left standing at the back of Eastleigh shed. Although all the history files and paperwork arrived for the transfer of the other locomotives, the engines never

came. For the record, the locomotives would have been: Nos. 84010/13/15/16/17/19/25/26/28. Another Standard class intended for transfer south was the ‘77XXX’ 2-6-0s but, in the event, only one - No. 77014 - came in March 1966 and it was allocated to Guildford.

ECLECTIC MIX

On the preservation front, the Bulleid Preservation Society had been set up and was appealing for funds to preserve No. 34086 219 Squadron. Another society was being formed to purchase an ‘N’ or ‘U’ class 2-6-0, but the last of these - Nos. 31405, 31408, 31639 and 31791 - had just been withdrawn, moved from Guildford to Eastleigh shed, and they were collectively awaiting their last trip to the South Wales scrapyards. With the scene now set, we enter the last year of Southern steam with 172 locomotives, comprising Bulleid ‘Pacifics’, Standards and ‘USA’ tank engines. Many of the fine Bulleid coaches were being withdrawn and, to make things worse, the large set numbers on the ends of the remaining vehicles were being painted over. On July 1, ‘V2’ No. 60919 arrived at Basingstoke. Following a small mishap it was put on shed for modifications to the front and cab steps; the cab steps were cut back and the front ones were bent inwards. The Gresley 2-6-2 then went off to Nine Elms to work a special on July 3, but for various reasons it never worked the train. ‘Black Five’ No. 45493 and ‘Pacifics’ Nos. 34002 Salisbury and 34100 Appledore were used instead. The official reason was that the ‘V2’ failed, but the grapevine’s explanation was that the driver or fireman did not want to work it.