09 December 2020 · Sixties Southern

Presenter: David Jackman

This was our first virtual AGM evening at Chichester, so the opening half was spent on Branch formalities. Following a ten minute interval to ‘recover’ we were treated to an array of images sourced from the RCTS Photo Archive, focusing on the 1960s Southern Region of BR.

The tour began in Southampton Western Docks, represented by a Class E1 locomotive and ended on the Isle of Wight with the classic Class O2s giving way, in 1967, to the 1923 vintage Class 485 and 486 LT Underground stock. We didn’t take the direct route by ferry to Cowes, but travelled around Southern England taking in such favourites as, Bulleid Pacifics on the Bournemouth main line, classic branch lines, including those to All Hallows and Hayling Island, and long gone termini, an example being Bexhill West. Nostalgic views of more well-known locations, none better illustrated than by adjacent pairs of 2 Hal electric multiple units at Waterloo, berthed where subsequently the Eurostar platforms would be built. Fond memories of the Bulleid/Raworth Co-Co electric locomotives, regular performers on the Victoria – Newhaven Boat Trains, included in the many electric traction images on view.

This was not the usual 60s steam finale presentation, but a miscellany of subjects covering all forms of traction, widely distributed throughout the region.

Many thanks to David Jackman, for his research and presentation of these fascinating images, all available from the RCTS Photo Archive.