WATERLOO to BASINGSTOKE South Western Main Line steam 1964

Steam trains filmed from London Waterloo westwards, down the line 50 miles to Worting Junction beyond Basingstoke, in 1964.
The passing locomotives have been identified, where possible, from a frame-by-frame examination of the footage. Train destinations/origins are identified from the headcode discs displayed by the locos [routing displayed in this way was almost unique in Britain to the Southern Railway/Southern Region of BR]. But other rail topics than trains and locos are often mentioned including unique signaling.
Please note: the name of one-time Chief Mechanical Engineer R.E.L. Maunsell is pronounced correctly - without the u - as I was told by the husband of one of his former office assistants.
One of the many (in 1964) lineside adverts for the former Strong's Brewery at Romsey, Hants is seen in passing.
Please view my other transport films via / alansnowdon
Kindly like, comment, share and subscribe to support my channel & videos © A Snowdon 2016-21.
Related links:
London & South Western Railway LSWR or L&SWR en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_...
South Western Main Line en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_W...
Waterloo en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_...
Waterloo International Eurostar en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterlo... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurostar
First MTR SW Railway en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_W...)
Bournemouth Belle en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bournem...
Pullman Car Coaches en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullman...)
LSWR Locos en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomot...
Vauxhall en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhal...
Queenstown Rd Battersea en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenst...
Clapham Junction en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapham...
Nine Elms Terminus en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_El...
Nine Elms Loco Depot en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_El...
Earlsfield en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earlsfi...
Wimbledon en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimbled...
Raynes Park en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynes_...
New Malden en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mal...
Berrylands en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berryla...
Surbiton en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surbito...
Esher en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esher_r...
Hersham en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hersham...
Walton-on-Thames en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walton-...
Weybridge en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weybrid...
Byfleet & New Haw en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byfleet...
West Byfleet en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_By...
Woking en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woking_...
Brookwood for Bisley Camp en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookwo...
Farnborough en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnbor...
Fleet en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_r...
Winchfield en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchfi...
Hook en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_ra...
Basingstoke en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basings...
Worting Junction en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worting...
West of England Line en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_of...
Featured locomotives/classes
Dartmoor 34021
Camelford 34032
Brocklebank Line 35025
Peninsular & Oriental 35006
Lamport & Holt Line 35026
Dorchester 34042
Westward Ho 34036
Channel Packet 35001
Morgan Le Fay 30750
Whimple 34025
141 Squadron 34079
Elder Dempster Lines 35030
Torrington 34031
229 Squadron 34063
Exmoor 34022
Cunard White Star 35004
Padstow 34008
Clan Line 35028
Woolacombe 34044
Blue Funnel 35013
Wincanton 34108
East Asiatic Company 35024
Tamar Valley 34024
Sir Keith Park 34053
Woolston Grange 6858
Runter Hall 7919
Bodmin 34016
Wyke Hall 7929
Sir Frederick Pile 34058
Biggin Hill 34057
Pacific Class
Merchant Navy Pacific
Battle of Britain Pacific
SE N Class
Q1 Austerity
BR Std Class 5s
Urie S15 LSWR
U Class Mogul
Maunsell Moguls
Bulleid Pacific Class AKA Spam Can
Understand Bulleid Battle of Britain Light Pacific locos with @NatRailwayMuseum' excellent explainer • The Bulleid Light Paci...
Sir Keith Park, a Squadron and Clan Line all feature in @thrailwayvideos5393's wonderful 2017 film • The Best of British St...
Also recommend @TrainFactGuy expertly explaining Southern's Q1 backstory • Southern Railways ugly...

[@fivecylinderperfection5060]

My father (Ron Baker) worked in the signal box at Basingstoke and lived at railway cottages at Worting. In the mid sixties I remember my mother holding my hand as she guided me across the rails at Basingstoke Station and over to the signal box to see my father. My grandfather (Bill Sherman) also worked on the same line as a Guard. I still have his pocket watch which was issued to him.

[@rogercarrell]

As a Nine Elms and later, Basingstoke fireman in the 1960s, you can imagine that it was a real pleasure for me to re-live those days again. Your narration is accurately spot on and your wife a pleasure to listen to. Well done you two. Roger (in West Oz).

[@petertate5741]

Just appeared on my feed..amazing footage of brilliant bygone days 😎

[@Rog5446]

The unidentified Merchant Navy, reduced to a crawl at Walton on Thames was 35024 East Asiatic Company.

[@kevmorrison6323]

Brilliant footage taking me back to 1964 when I was 12 years old as a spotter. And I still have all my Ian Allen books with the numbers I spotted underlined. Happy days !

[@hulksterish]

Nice

[@michaelnaisbitt1590]

Me too all my Allen books still intact memories of a happier time spotting locomotives

[@karimkekhia4369]

just beautiful!! i travelled to and from berrylands over the last 40odd years and remember the signal boxes, stations bridges etc all how they were..inc the various signal gantries that have been taken down. wonderful footage

[@stanimic]

Many thanks for all this as it evoked my happy memories of spotting on the platforms at Farnborough . I had grandparents living there and will forever remember the steam journeys from Waterloo to Farnborough as a young teenager .

[@stephenrice4554]

Excellent , I worked on the tracks from the 80s to the late 90s , Surbiton to Farnborough , great job . This brings memories and tales from the older men about the boxes and the remaining pipework from the hydraulic signalling , to life .

[@likklej8]

Good shed Basingstoke in the early sixties. Usually a few western and London midland locos there

[@DumpedClutch]

The Merchant Navy class is my favorite locomotive class

[@VHKDK]

Wonderful memories in this video with all the beautiful old steam engines. I also enjoyed seeing the electric #42 which ran through Effingham Junction close to where I lived. In the early 60s, several times a year, we had a school trip to London on a Saturday and I can still remember the 42 running alongside Cunard White Star Line for what seemed many miles, into Waterloo.

[@oldelephantstew]

Best video of South Western Main Line that I've ever seen and a very informative commentary. Well done. Credit to both cameraman and commentator.

[@melchestermodelrailway]

So glad to have come across this video.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

Thanks, enjoying your channel too kzbin.info/door/f0jVsteEhOldl1Zyrpdvwg

[@johnclayden1670]

Most interesting and a good narration with much pertinent information.

[@peterjhillier7659]

Many Thanks for such a wonderful Film of the Southern Main, it brings back so many lovely Memories.

[@routeman680]

Haven't seen this before. Excellent footage of handsome Bulleid Pacifics and clear commentary. The 1960s were a great time. Thanks for uploading.

[@johnestowell]

Ahh!! memories flooding back, 1964 what a year that was, a disaster for steam. I was working at Waterloo Station then, prior to leaving UK for Australia. I spent alot of days trainspotting at Fleet. Alan I also enjoyed your wife's commentary.

[@tocaat2410]

You were lucky. We used to live in a shoebox in t'middle o' t'road. (Sorry, off-topic but I couldn't resist it.) I was carted off to Australia at the age of 9 with my family, in 1956. I'd already acquired a passion for railways and used to travel illicitly on trains in and out of Guildford, sneaking past the ticket collector at my home station of London Road. The staff there knew me by sight, but assumed that I'd simply been hanging about the station train spotting (they did eventually tumble to the truth). In view of what happened to railways in Britain between late 1950s and late 1960s (Beeching, abolition of steam and 'modernisation'), I really feel there was a gap left in my life that can never be filled. By the time I was a teenager (early-mid 1960s) I would have been infesting as many SR routes as I could (legally) and would have learned, at first hand, much more about Southern rolling stock and experienced personally the lamentable changes during that era. I eventually 'emigrated' back to England in 1978 with a wife and child, but everything interesting was over by then and I was too late. This video brings home to me how much I missed out on - especially that No.42 Electric (Guildford via Cobham - and London Road) at 5:12.

[@jimbegin6554]

Wonderful with Heather’s commentary.

[@RM-io7qo]

Awesome video record of the spam cans, etc that brought many happy memories flooding back after all the years of enjoyable travel along southern rails...

[@johnpotter4750]

And the "coffee pot", at bus stop Woking Stn when one blew off, instant downpour.

[@ednammansfield8553]

A wonderful video. I live near to Bridgnorth in Shropshire so am only 12 miles from the Severn Valley Railway which runs trains from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster but I have heard rumours that the line will be extended. The Sir Keith Park of the Battle of Britain Class is fully preserved and was on the Severn Valley Railway during 2018. The carriages at Bridgnorth are LNER and there are also some LMR. I enjoy going to Bridgnorth from Easter time and through the summer months to either take a train ride or just to take photos. Bridgnorth has an excellently preserved station and has also had some extension work done at the station during last year. There is also an excellent station real ale pub called 'The Railway Mans Arms' definately worth a visit for a good pint or just to visit the station shop. If you want to go up to the town in Bridgnorth it is in walking distance which takes about 10 minutes.

[@jon9218]

Lived in Farnborough in 1964 my mum said they wrecked the country over the next 25 years it is nice to see how it was before as I was only 4 at the time and could not remember what she was complaining about.

[@amirdawoodbhai]

I believe the loco at 07:12 is 35024 East Atlantic Company. Film cuts out showing just the last two digits on the cab.

[@Timsvideochannel1]

Very enjoyable to watch and listen to 😊.

[@philipball2086]

At 3.44 the empty milk tankers have come from the Express Dairy at Morden South, that’s now an enormous mosque; it had a little diesel shunter And the siding was off the ‘down’ side towards Sutton. To return the empties that headed for the western region via Kensington Olympia the train travelled down to St Helier where a run round was possible thanks to two trailing crossovers. This was a weekday occurrence; the full tankers arriving in the early hours. St Helier also had a modest coal yard where I presume the following train of 3 coal wagons were headed. I grew up looking out into the line at St Helier and it’s modest signal box at the southern end of the station, now long gone. Happy memories, thank you.

[@JR-SCOOT]

Very enjoyable video, brought back good memories of chasing Bullied locos in the 60s.

[@anthonywalsh785]

great old footage with brilliant commentary. from australia thanks for posting.

[@scamper2able]

Wonderful study on this subject with very knowledgeable commentary, thanks for posting.

[@RailwayDan]

Brilliant. Fantastic footage.

[@followthetrawler]

Thanks fo sharing Alan - just wish it went half mile further to Battledown :)

[@johnwalton6642]

Really enjoyed this exceptionally well narrated and informative video. I spent my spare time on the line watching the various locomotives whilst living in Romsey in the mid sixties. I promptly subscribed.Thank you for generously sharing.

[@philippankhurst6680]

Amazing ! I lived in Sittingbourne until 1972 and I worked at Kemsley from 1961 to 1966. I travelled to Kemsley and back each day on 'The Bogey' as the line was known, leaving my bike at The Wharf in Sittingbourne. I can still smell the place ! Incidentally, the Swale is not a river, given that it is tidal throughout and has no source. It is a tidal channel that separates Sheppey from the mainland. Wonderful piece of nostalgia of no little historic importance.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

I think you must have become confused as to which of my items on KZbin you were commenting upon. Your kind comment was surely intended for my contribution on the narrow gauge network at Bowaters Paper Mills of Sittingbourne, Kent.

[@philippankhurst6680]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive You're absolutely right, of course

[@johnpotter4750]

Nice video, and pneumatic signals were all gone when I came on the scene apart from ex-pumping station near Farnborough North.

[@christopherklein5833]

I ploughed up and down this line daily between Winchester and Waterloo from 1996 until 2016. Today there is very little of interest to see other than stone trains and infrastructure rolling stock at Woking.

[@michaelbentley4182]

Really enjoyable

[@johnmiddleditch3656]

The odd headcode is Hither Green and Feltham via Richmond.

[@TheDuke-vb9cq]

The crossovers at Worting Junction were NOT unusual when limited to 60mph (as stated). It was when they were relaid for 90mph EMU's in 1966 (along with colour light signalling) that they became unique in Britain at that time !!

[@thegrumbles4076]

Drive up and down the main fast everday in a desiro . interesting to see how the stations have changed

[@JamesSmith-mv9fp]

NOTE: The many air operated LOWER QUADRANT (ex LSWR) semaphore signals still in place. Many of these are AUTOMATIC, and by default, worked to a (rare) modified version of the normal semaphore system of ABSOLUTE BLOCK. This modified form of signalling was an early attempt to increase line capacity, before the invention of Multi-aspect colour light signalling. Which was first introduced in 1929 around Elephant & Castle as an experiment. And subsequently in conjunction with the 1933 Brighton line 3rd rail electrification, under TRACK CIRCUIT BLOCK rules. This being the system now found across much of Britain. 😊

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

I seem to ewcall reading those very words in something published by the IRSE, some long while ago now. And by NOW, as I type this, on14/03/2022 it is the system found across ALMOST ALL of Britain, excepting of course the long Scottish Single Lines controlled by RETB.

[@JamesSmith-mv9fp]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive The LSWR lower quadrant semaphores were air operated (itself unusual) but they worked, not as normal under "Absolute Block" rules as with virtually all semaphores, but under a modified form of "Permissive Block". As far as I know this was the only mainline to use this system and one of the reasons there was no rush to replace them with colour lights until the late 1960's early 1970's. I'm an ex BR Railway Engineer !

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

I needed to know why don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so that they can extend the unused abandoned underground stations. Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock and that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into Five cars per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those Five cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers. A Stock Trains and also having 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it bigger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Train tunnel into a High-Speed train? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Train line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 37 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project that is OK for London Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden Easily. Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly line and also build brand-new underground train stations so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street and also make another brand new tunnel train stations in Chingford could they extend the DLR? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Five carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains. Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and they can order Every 17 Octagon and Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique small no.13 and unique minor no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 117MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 117MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!, oh can you make all of those Coal Boxes’s 16 Tonnes for all of the 117MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are Told!! And please do something about these very important Professional ideas Please Prime Minister of England, the Prime Minister of Sweden, the Prime Minister of Germany, the Prime Minister of Italy, the Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.

[@davidgosling7430]

Wonderful a steam engine paradise.

[@borderlands6606]

The Merchant Navy at 1:20 doesn't have a brake van of any kind. Was there a rule for train length and motive power that avoided the need for extra braking?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

The train in question was made of vans which would have carried either parcels, or passengers registered baggage on a special train for passengers from a ship which had arrived earlier that day at Southampton up toWaterloo. All the vans would be fitted with vacuum brakes, controllable from the locomotive. The guard would be on one of the vans which had a guards compartment - such as that next to the loco

[@GerardVaughan-qe7ml]

Never a bigger Steam fan than me. It was so sad that these totally awesome beasts had to go . Such peaceful happy days - in England at any rate ! I just saw the last few years of it. The night-shift shunters at Reading would keep me awake as a Student. Great to take an excursion down memory lane for a while, now it's back to Syria, 9/11, and pedophiles taking over the world.

[@taffboyslim]

I love the term 'unrebuilt'... what does that actually mean? ..built? ...original?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

Refering to the Bulleid Pacifics it means the loco is still in the "air-smoothed" casing, as built, commonly known as a "Spam Can." Many of these locos were rebuilt without that casing, so being more conventional in appearence. And, I understand, easier to maintain.

[@wordsmith52]

Those Q Austerity locos must have been the ugliest engines ever built. I may be wrong, but I don't think any are left or preserved.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

The class was named Q1, there had previously been a Q class 0-6-0 of conventional appearence. Beauty (and hence ugliness) lies in the eye of the beholder, it's said. The Q1 were built in wartime when the use of metal resources for non -military purposes was government controlled. Steam locos built outside the UK were often of designs which we in Britain would also have considered ugly, but I guess you were not thinking of the wider world.

[@wordsmith52]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive Yes, thanks. I am aware of all this, but I was thinking only in terms of steam engine design and appearence. What I was thinking of is nothing to do with the "wider world", politics, or much else. Ian Allen agreed with my thoughts on this too, as expressed in his 1960s book about the last years of British steam. The "austetity" class I mentioned still looked ugly to me, and will remain so. Many American locos were imported into the UK during ww2 under Lendlease type arrangrments and looked an interesting sight on British lines as well.

[@rogermathews6924]

Q1 33001 is in the National Railway Museum, York

[@wordsmith52]

@@rogermathews6924 I wonder when it was first exhibted? I have visted the museum at York, but cannot definitely recall seeing it. There is so much to see there (a great day out) that it might have slipped ny notice or memory.

[@paulsevers7740]

frustratingly brief snippets, no chance to assess the trains themselves, just the locos

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

Sorry about that, but film was expensive, unlike now when electronic immage storage is so freely available.

[@billybellend1155]

In Japan on the 1/10/64 they introduced the bullet train 🚅 between Tokyo and Osaka. Steam might have been romantic but in reality it was hopelessly outdated and inefficient and by the 60’s was a national embarrassment on a nation codeveloping Concorde which started in 1963.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

You're right of course, steam was great in Queen Victoria's day, but railways tended to be starved of investment for many years. One advantage of steam, being low tech, it seldom failed completely. In any case my films are a record of the railways as they were, and not intended to glorify steam.

[@driver64]

Shut that Aunt Victoria voice for your health.

[@driver64]

:)) my deep heart support for you, poor mate...

[@driver64]

I have a dick and, thanks God 1)I'm not you 2) nor english born..that's all

[@driver64]

Rab Feenie... you're the problem if you like this voice.

[@dulls8475]

You are unfortunately everything that is now wrong with our country.

[@dulls8475]

I am sorry you have to read that. It is why I miss the 60s which was the last decade before we sold our counties values down the line.

[@delboytrotter8806]

Need abetter voiceover bint.