Road learning down Memory Lane

[hq1hitchin]

Don't knock the Southern, as they used to say.

http://www.britishrailways.tv/index.php ... eo_id=1300

[giner]

Never was a big Southern fan myself, but some lovely footage there. Didn't those rebuilt MN's look brutish? I always thought a slightly smaller funnel would have improved their looks a bit. And it was great to hear Radio London's "Sonowaltz" again. Thanks for putting that up hq1.

[hq1hitchin]

Never was a big Southern fan myself, but some lovely footage there. Didn't those rebuilt MN's look brutish? I always thought a slightly smaller funnel would have improved their looks a bit. And it was great to hear Radio London's "Sonowaltz" again.

The Southern sort of grows on you, giner. I really enjoyed the years I spent working at Waterloo and the natives were very friendly. Those MNs could certainly move as well. Basingstoke is almost 48 miles from Waterloo and, one evening, Gordon Hooper was on the 5:30 out of London. He reckons he did Basingstoke in 41 minutes and told me that he got up to 105 mph before the next booked stop at Winchester. Oh crikey!

[Postman Prat]

Hi Hq1 (If I can be so familiar!!)

Many thanks for putting the video up, I've now got it as a 'favorite'

Despite my location, and I've been here since 1964, the Southern has never really grown on me to any extent. I still strongly favour my Tyneside roots, with the LMS coming behind from day trips to Carlisle etc.

Still we're all different. Thanks again

[giner]

Never was a big Southern fan myself, but some lovely footage there. Didn't those rebuilt MN's look brutish? I always thought a slightly smaller funnel would have improved their looks a bit. And it was great to hear Radio London's "Sonowaltz" again.

The Southern sort of grows on you, giner. I really enjoyed the years I spent working at Waterloo and the natives were very friendly. Those MNs could certainly move as well. Basingstoke is almost 48 miles from Waterloo and, one evening, Gordon Hooper was on the 5:30 out of London. He reckons he did Basingstoke in 41 minutes and told me that he got up to 105 mph before the next booked stop at Winchester. Oh crikey!

I guess what was a bit of a turn-off for me with the Southern was all those faceless electrics running about when everyone else was purely steam. You mentioning Basingstoke reminded me of my dad telling me of when he was stationed down that way during the war and saying how it was a fast stretch of the Southern through there.

My only forays into the west country were always via Paddington, and I swear those GWR 'lookalikes' must have rocketed up to 60 mph now and again. I'd have gone for a ton-up behind an MN any day.

[52D]

After leaving school and having to attend an interview in London after steam had ended, i took a tube to paddington to see what these Western, Warship and Hymek things were about. I found them a little puny especially after coming down from the North behind Argyll and Sutherland Highlander.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Always had a bit of a soft spot for the Southern ( Region) working there helped, saw a heck of a lot of the old LSWR, weather it was a class 50 on a 4TC unit between Salisbury and Basingstoke all stations or a Fast between Waterloo and Bournemouth it was for me a good place to work and I enjoyed the work.

A couple of jobs really stood out, pass to Oxford and bring a Tank train back to Southampton, Freightliners from Ripple Lane to Southampton FLT, and the (class 205) 'Thumpers' between Salisbury and Portsmouth, something I'll never forget.

Another job I will never forget is being booked on a 'Sandite' train one freezing cold night, but it must have been about 105f in the train, as all the heaters were on full blast to stop the sandite from freezing, before it hit the track, was like being back in Australia !!!!!!!!

manna

PS...Very fast bit of track between Basingstoke and Eastleigh.......Brilliant