26 March 2025 Trains That I Loved

Presenter: Geoff May

An audience of 35 received an illustrated presentation from Geoff, a local member, on “Trains that I love”. Geoff was born in Wembley and was brought up in a house that backed onto the Metropolitan line. So his first love was the London underground, in particular the 1938 stock which he photographed in many liveries and locations, including the Isle of Wight.

Later in life Geoff moved to Hampshire and his focus was then on local rolling stock and engines a favourite being the 442 Wessex EMUs, which transferred to Gatwick Express in 2007. Geoff also photographed Class 33 Deisel Electrics in many picturesque locations in south Hampshire, a local work horse in the 80s and 90s.

Another of Geoff’s loves is capturing the demise of semaphore signalling and local signal boxes and showed examples across the central south and west of England including the Sussex Arun Valley line which had semaphores until the mid-2010s.

Geoff then gave examples of “Gone but not forgotten” including Salisbury MPD, Isle of Wight railways and Southampton boat trains. The presentation was concluded with several interesting examples of engine name plates and railway associated pub signs.