Spoilt for steam

After arriving from New Zealand my new home was at New Milton, near Christchurch, and there was no doubt we were spoilt for steam. While most main lines were becoming dieselised, the Waterloo, Bournemouth and Weymouth route was still 100% steam, and even though I had lived abroad, I was quite familiar with the loco types I saw in those first few months. This was down to the fact that during my boarding school days in the Waikato district of NZ I had spent many hours studying a little book called the ‘Observer’s Book of Locomotives in Britain.’  

The depth of my enthusiasm for steam in those days was illustrated in a somewhat amusing fashion.  While savouring an ex-works 34030 'Watersmeet' simmering in our local coal yard, a thoroughly bored female schoolfriend asked me a difficult question: “Nigel, why do you watch trains rather than go out with girls?”  It was a query I was unable to answer then, and might have difficulty with, even now! (hurriedly adding that I am now a divorced man with a family!).  

There is definitely something profound about the relationship many Englishmen have with steam locomotives. Is it possible that the ultimate life form could be created by cloning an Englishman with a Gresley Pacific? Or am I stretching my reader’s imagination too far?  Whatever the reason behind our love of steam, that love is deeply ingrained, and there are many wives and girlfriends across the nation who wish they had never heard of ‘Woollies’, ‘Black Fives,’ ‘Weaver Junction,’ ‘Spam Cans’, ‘Haymarket’, ‘Gresley’ or ‘Bulleid’.

Most evenings during the winter of 1960/61 would find me perched on my bike by the road bridge next to New Milton Station, watching the rush hour station traffic passing through, what there was of it! One particular thrill was my first King Arthur. She appeared under the platform lights heading a Southampton Terminus - Bournemouth stopper.  I flew down the station approach, threw my bike against the railings and fought my way through the ticket gate.  I raced to the front of the train and there she was - 30804 'Sir Cador of Cornwall', nicely clean, waiting patiently to be off.  

This particular train often had a King Arthur. As well as 'Sir Cador', 30770 'Sir Prianus', 30782 'Sir Brian' and 30803 'Sir Harry le Fise Lake' were seen regularly. Over the years this particular service, the 5.07pm ex Southampton Terminus, very often featured an unusual locomotive for a passenger train and one got the impression that Eastleigh Shed would prepare just about anything it had handy to haul it.  I used this train regularly to travel into my evening classes at Bournemouth College, and was frequently hauled into Bournemouth Central behind a Q1, Riddles 9F, S15 or Q 0-6-0.  

Because of the pure steam scene up to as late as 1964 my spotting mates and I became quite blaise about Maunsells, Uries, Drummonds and Bullieds. So much so that when, one day, a Birmingham Sulzer Type 3 (or ‘33’) arrived at New Milton on a semi-fast it was a major life event! The fact that the shining Crompton was probably replacing a withdrawn Lord Nelson just didn’t occur to us.