‘The Southern End of the WCML, 1930s to Present Day’, by Rob Freeman, 3rd June 2025
3rd June 2025 Meeting
For our June meeting, we enjoyed another excellent presentation from our Committee Member Rob Freeman. The theme was the southern end of the WCML. The first part was a journey from Euston to Bletchley, plus branches, in steam days, using the work of HC Casserley. This included many scenes of the rebuilding of Euston station, photos from a passing train of the wreckage at Harrow, just 2 days after the accident, also of that of the Bourne End disaster where sightseers just wandered around, and a photo of RM Casserley cycling along the frozen canal in the 1963 Big Freeze! We saw a good variety of steam power and a few early diesels.
What might have been: North of London Eurostar trial run in 1998. Set 3302+3301 passing Cow Roast, south of Tring. Image Credit: Rob Freeman.
In the second part, Rob showed us some of his own photos taken between the 1970s and the present day, concentrating on the wealth of more unusual workings he has seen. Examples included a single driving car of a Class 455 being dragged to Wolverton by 33112 and its return with a 4TC and a short-lived 5TC combination, 58007 substituting for an electric on a container train on the up fast, 87101 rescuing a failed 84002 on another liner, loco convoys on their way to open days, DVT trials, and much more. Other sections included APT, Eurostar, D9000, diesel haulage of electric trains when the power was off, the Royal Train, specials, and preserved steam workings. The photos were embellished with some of Rob's interesting anecdotes.
The 29 members who attended all went home very happy after another very entertaining evening, and we look forward to welcoming him back next year for more nostalgia.
Rob Davidson, Branch Secretary