Waterloo – Weymouth

Presenter: Mike Pym

Unfortunately the speaker booked for the February meeting was unable to give the planned presentation, but an alternative speaker and subject was found in time for the changes to be publicised on the RCTS website. We welcomed Mike Pym to give a slide show on Waterloo – Weymouth using commercially produced slides which mainly dated from the 1940s to 1960s, but also included some rare pre-war gems from the 1930s. The audience readily identified with the subject as it covered their home territory. Naturally the majority of slides covered steam traction at a wide variety of locations, but other forms of traction were not overlooked with electric services being seen in the London suburbs, together with a glimpse of London Underground services as Wimbledon was passed. Diesel traction included the Ivatt and Bulleid designed prototypes which operated the Bournemouth Belle and Royal Wessex.

Whilst concentrating on the main line, Mike’s talk ventured off-route to the unadvertised service from Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia run for postal workers, and the Lymington and Swanage branches.

Our thanks to Mike for stepping in to the breach at short notice and giving a presentation that was enjoyed by all those present.