19th September 2019 · ‘Westward from Dover – Looking for Steam

Presenter: Peter Groom

The winter season was given an excellent start on 19th September by the ‘evergreen’ Peter Groom with a slide session titled “Westward from Dover – Looking for Steam”. Starting at Dover with dock shunters, we saw more of the same at Folkestone whilst Ashford gave us a whole range of classes, many awaiting entry to, or just released from, the Locomotive Works. Of interest was a Stewarts Lane N15 with an eight-wheel tender which Peter explained would not fit on any turntable in Kent.

The next area was on the Brighton line at Three Bridges and Brighton. Here Peter explained detail differences between locomotives of the same class, the C2Xs and A1Xs being good examples.

Then it was on to the Hayling Island branch with more A1Xs before a visit to Eastleigh with a large array of classes and to Southampton for the USA tanks.

We hopped over the Solent to the Isle of Wight and the O2s before visiting Weymouth and the GWR 1366 class on the Harbour Tramway.

With time running short, there were quick visits to the Lyme Regis branch for the 0415 class and Exeter for the E1R and Z classes on banking work between St Davids and Central stations before time was called..