Southern Steam Recollections: A Portrait of the Last Years

By Don Benn

This collection of historic photographs showcases the steam trains of England’s Southern Railway from Devon and Cornwall to Wimbledon and beyond.
 
Train enthusiast Don Benn photographed steam locomotives along England’s Southern Railway from 1960 until steam engines were retired in 1967. In his most prolific years, between 1961 and 1963, Benn captured the last of the classic ex Southern Railway designs, such as the King Arthurs, Lord Nelson and Schools classes. Beloved trains such as the Bournemouth Belle and Lymington Pier boat trains are shown to good effect.
 
The 150 black and white photos presented in this volume, many published here for the first time, span the Southern Region from the east to the ‘withered arm’ in Devon and Cornwall. Special focus is paid to the areas just south and south west of London, including such historic locations as the footpaths at South Croydon and Wimbledon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781526726902

Don Benn

Don Benn was born in South London and developed a love of trains and steam locomotives from an early age. Most of his career was spent in the transport industry, both public and private sector, including owning and running his own bus company. He spent many hours covering the end of Southern Steam and, following this chased down remaining steam in Europe but also developing a serious interest in so called modern traction. Since retirement in 2008 he has worked part time for a number of transport companies, writes a monthly column for a railway magazine and has written a number of books. He lives with his wife near Southampton, close to his two granddaughters.

Book preview

Bibliography

Introduction

Istarted taking photographs of steam locomotives and steam hauled trains on the Southern in 1960 and continued until the end of steam in July 1967. The quality of most of the very early photographs isn’t good enough for reproduction, but better cameras enabled improved images to be obtained during the most prolific years of 1961 to 1963 which fortunately enabled the last of the classic ex Southern Railway designs, such as the King Arthurs, Lord Nelson and Schools classes to be captured for posterity. This book contains 150 black and white photographs ranging across the Southern Region starting in the east and then moving gradually westwards to include a few taken on the ‘withered arm’ in Cornwall. Most though are taken in the areas just south and southwest of London and include once popular locations such as the footpaths at South Croydon and Wimbledon. Trains like the Bournemouth Belle and the Schools class hauled 5.25 pm London Bridge to Reading and Lymington Pier boat trains are shown to good effect. Most of the photographs are previously unpublished and this book will appeal to all Southern devotees. I have tried to make this photo album interesting by using extended captions which are linked one to another as far as possible and in doing so I have had to dig deep in my memory and into my records, which fortunately from about September 1961 are quite detailed. My collection of Southern timetables has also proved to be invaluable. Other sources are shown in the Bibliography.

South Eastern Lines

From 1950 until August 1961 the family lived in Bromley and it wasn’t long before I found my way to the footbridge over the lines at Bromley North. Here a C class 0-6-0 shunted the then quite extensive yard every weekday. I still have clear memories of the engine pulling a long rake of wagons and vans up the headshunt which stretched nearly to Sundridge Park station before performing a fly shunting movement with the shunter running alongside the wagons to apply the brakes. In this shot taken in October 1960, No. 31690 rests by the footbridge between duties.

Also within walking distance through footpaths was the bridge over the Charing Cross to Ashford and Dover main line near Elmstead Woods tunnel on the 1-in-120 climb out of London to the North Downs. This became a favourite spot and here C class 0-6-0 No. 31573 struggles uphill with a heavy freight in November 1960. I would lie in bed at night and listen to the slow slogging of such engines fighting the gradient with heavy freights which could be heard quite clearly though the line was some distance away.

The C class engines also shunted the small up yard at Bromley South. 31579 was built at Ashford in October 1903 and was therefore nearly 58 years old when photographed in June 1961 during the last week of steam operation. The old footbridge over the county end of the station, from the steps of which this shot was taken, was another favourite venue for watching and photographing trains, and from this bridge I witnessed the last evening of steam between Victoria and Ramsgate/Dover via Chatham on 14th June 1959, it being usurped by the Cep electric units, one of which can be seen in the background of this shot on an up train.

The branch line from Dunton Green to Westerham survived beyond the end of main line steam and was much visited in the years before closure by train or bus to Downe and then a long walk. The friendly loco crews were used to enthusiasts being around and cab visits were common. This shot taken in May 1961 shows the view from the cab of Wainwright H class 0-4-4 tank No. 31543, a Tonbridge based loco built in January 1909 and one which frequently worked the service. It survived until July 1963 working trains on Central Division lines.

The H class tanks monopolised the service in the last couple of years of operation and No. 31177 was another frequent visitor. Here it is seen near Brasted on Tonbridge Duty 238 in August 1961. We would often walk the line in the quest for good locations to photograph the push-pull worked trains which always had the engine facing Westerham. We didn’t have lineside permits but nobody seemed to worry in those far off days on a line which was doomed.

On the same day as the previous photograph, 31177 sits in the sun at the Westerham terminus having arrived from Dunton Green. After the 4.5 mile line closed on 28th October 1961 it was the subject of an abortive preservation attempt which finally failed in 1964 when Kent County Council used part of the line for the Sevenoaks bypass and financial backers for reinstating the line withdrew. British Railways had planned to electrify the line but the Transport Minister agreed to closure. Nothing remains of the terminus but the goods yard and approach road at Brasted still exist next to the M25.