‘Scene’ in Bournemouth, ‘Wilts & Dorset’ (WD)

 

My wife (Barbara) and I have been holidaying in Bournemouth for over 35 years. During that time I have watched with much interest the comings and goings in the bus fleets locally.

 

For most of that time, competition for ‘Bournemouth Corporation Transport’ has come from ‘Wilts & Dorset’ (WD).

 

With a history going back to 1915 ‘WD’ was at one time part of the ‘National Bus Company’ and these days is part of ‘Go South Coast’ which is a subsidiary of the ‘Go Ahead’ group. 

 

In 2012 ‘WD’ adopted ‘More’ branding for its Bournemouth and Poole area operations whilst adopting ‘Salisbury Reds’ for its Salisbury area services.

 

Bournemouth and Salisbury are linked hourly by service X3. 

 

HJ63 JKE

 

A Dennis Trident 2 with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork which is based at Ringwood.

 

HJ63 JJV

Another Dennis Trident 2 with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork which is based at Ringwood.

 

An earlier generation of double deck bus is represented by

 

YN03 DFL

 

A Scania N94UD Omnidekka with East Lancs bodywork seen in the ‘More’ livery.

 

HF05 GGJ

 

A Volvo B7TL with East Lancs Myllennium bodywork seen in the blue ‘New Forest Tour’ promotional livery.

 

The lugs along the roofline are for removing the roof to allow the buses in this batch to operate as open toppers.

 

HF05 GGY

 A Volvo B7TL with East Lancs Myllennium bodywork seen in the old ‘W&D’ livery.

 

HF05 GGP

 

A Volvo B7TL with East Lancs Myllennium bodywork seen in the green ‘New Forest Tour’ promotional livery.

 

 

Apart from their own services, ‘W&D’ operate services on behalf of ‘Bournemouth University’ (BU) in ‘BU’ livery.

 

HF59 FAK

 

A Dennis Trident 2 with ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd,’ Enviro 400 bodywork in the ‘Bournemouth University branded livery’.

 

HF58 GZL

A Scania N230UD OmniCity with East Lancs bodywork in the ‘Bournemouth University branded livery’.

‘W&D’s service 50 the ‘Purbeck Breezer’ operates between Bournemouth and Swanage via the Sandbanks chain ferry and is one of the ‘Must Do’ journeys in the UK. 

 

To be held up on a double deck bus by a cross channel ferry as it sails out of Poole harbour is an experience not to be missed !

 

Operated with a fleet of Scania 230UD’s with Optare Visionaire bodies which can work in open or closed top layout depending on the weather.

 

The Swanage terminus and ‘W&D’s depot is located in the old railway yard and is at the side of the preserved ‘Swanage Railway’ of today.

 

HF59 DMO (This image was taken in Swanage with the station building behind the bus).

 

HF09 FVV

The bread and butter routes are the m1 and m2 which operate from Poole to Bournemouth and then on to the Castlepoint shopping complex (m1) and Southborne (m2).

Operating with buses up to every few minutes across the day and night.

The majority of the buses in use are Volvo B7RLE’s wit Wright Eclipse Urban 2 bodies but there are also Scania CN230UB’s OmnCity’s in regular service.

 

 

HF12 GWM

 

A Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse Urban 2.

 

 

HF12 GVR

 

Another Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse Urban 2.

 

 

The livery is quite stylised however at least one of the B7RLE’s wears a silver variation on the standard livery in celebration of 10 years of the m1 and m2.

 

HF58 HTO 

 

A Scania CN230UB OmniCities.

 

   HF58 HTP

MX57 CAV

 

An Optare Solo.

 

 

 

‘Scene’ on the North Norfolk Railway 2015

A short holiday in the Norfolk coast gave me a chance to take a look at the ‘North Norfolk Railway’ (NNR) initially on a normal service day and later in the week on a diesel gala day.

 

76084

 

A British Railways (BR) Standard class 4 2-6-0 loco. Owned by the ‘Locomotive Company Limited’.

 

Built at Horwich works in 1957, it spent most of its short working life (10 years) based in Northwest England.

 

M51192

A Metro Cammell Class 101 DMU built in 1957.

 

Unlike today where the front of loco’s and units are covered in yellow paint. At the time these entered service, the small yellow panel under the cab window was considered sufficient.

 

D 3940

A Class 08 diesel shunter dating from 1960 when it was built at Derby. 

 

Prior to being preserved it was 08772.

 

D 5401

A Class 27 loco that was formerly  27064, 27210 and 27116.

 

Built by the Birmingham Railway & Carriage Company (BRCW) in 1962. Powered by a Sulzer 6LD28B  engine. The class numbered 69.

 

Initially working in the Midlands it moved to Scotland in 1969 where as 27210, it worked on the Glasgow /Edinburgh push pull services.

 

Withdrawn from BR service in 1986.

 

25057

A Class 25 loco built at Derby works in 1963. withdrawn in 1987 when it was based at Crewe, it is now based on and owned by the ‘NNR plc’.

 

D5343

 

A Class 26 loco that was later numbered 26043. Built by the Birmingham Railway & Carriage Company (BRCW) at Smethwick in 1959.

 

The loco spent most of its working life in Scotland being withdrawn in 1993.

 

Purchased by the ‘Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group’ the loco normally resides at Toddington on the ‘Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway’.

 

D 7076

A Class 35 diesel hydraulic loco built specifically by Beyer Peacock in 1962 for ‘BR’ Western Region. 

 

Powered by a Bristol Siddeley built Maybach designed engine model No. MD 870. Like all diesel hydraulics, it suffered early withdrawal in 1973.

 

Now preserved on the ‘East Lancashire Railway’.

 

 

D5631

A Class 31 loco that was later 31207. Built by Brush as a mixed traffic loco in 1960. 

 

Powered by Mirrlees 1,250 HP engines that were eventually replaced with English Electric engines when the original engines proved unreliable.

 

Having spent much of its working life in East Anglia it is fitting that it is preserved on the ‘NNR’ and owned by the ‘Midland & Great Northern Railway Society’.

 

37059

 

A Class 37 loco owned by ‘Direct Rail Services’ (DRS) of Carlisle.

 

Built in 1962 by English Electric and powered by that company’s 12CSVT engine.

 

One of the most successful early designs that remain in service today. The loco was subject of an extensive overhaul in 2014 at Derby RVEL.

 

D 6732

 

later 37032.

 

A Class 37 built by English Electric and powered by that company’s 12CSVT engine

Dating from 1962, it started work at Hull Dairycoates depot and was withdrawn from Tinsley depot. 

 

The loco received a heavy general overhaul in 2013 and is owned by the ‘Anglia Type Three Association’.

 

2015

 

This delightful model saddle tank at the head of a trainload of wagons full of geraniums graces platform 2.

 

It is nice to see that a sense of humour is still in fashion.

 

 

‘Scene’ on the North Norfolk Railway (NNR)

I recently had a day out on the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) which runs from Sheringham via Weybourne to Holt. The day was a father’s day outing paid for by my son Andrew and his wife Joy.

 

We got there by way of ‘East Midland Trains’ from Nottingham to Norwich and then by ‘abellio-greateranglia’ to Sheringham.

 

Its pleasing to see that the NNR uses the ‘British Railways’ signage from the 1950’s which is entirely in keeping with a ‘Heritage Railway’.

There is a direct link with the rest of the railway network to the East. Beyond the level crossing is the start of the line that runs through to Norwich.

 

While to the West the line runs parallel to the coast as far as Weybourne and then swings slightly inland to terminate at Holt.

 

 

The ‘NNR’ is what remains of the ‘Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway’ (M&GNR) which prior to largely being axed in the 1960’s served a wide network across North Norfolk.

 

From the grouping of 1923 the ‘M&GNR’ which itself was an amalgamation of many smaller lines dating from 1893 became part of the LNER. Today the major rolling stock on the line reflect that companies ownership.

 

There were two loco’s in steam on the day. Resplendent in LNER Apple Green was No. 8572. A B12 class loco built in 1928 to an earlier Great Eastern Railway design.

 

 

 

and British Railways (BR) No. 44767 George Stephenson. An LMS Stanier ‘Black Five’ which is unique in that it was the only one in a class of 842 locomotives built to be fitted with the ‘Stephenson’ type of valve gear.

 

It’s other claim to fame being that it was completed on the 31st of December 1947 so being the last loco to be finished for the LMS and on the following day, the LMS became part of ‘BR’.

 

 

The main purpose of the visit was to see and ride on the Gresley ‘Quad-art’ coaching stock  that is the jewel in the ‘NNR’s crown. 

 

I first saw this at Weybourne 40 years ago when it was in a run down condition. At that time I seriously doubted that it would ever run again. Now and half a million pounds later, it looks magnificent.

 

 The ‘Quadruple-Articulated’ principle was the work of Nigel Gresley (before he became Sir) when he was the Great Northern Railway’s (GNR) Carriage and Wagon Superintendent.

 

Initially converted from older coaches and then as new build stock they were an exercise in reducing cost. ie Five bogies in four coaches instead of eight. 

As a consequence it reduced the weight and also kept the overall length to reasonable proportions for use in some of the more cramped stations such as Moorgate.

 

The articulated principle is still in use today. The Eurostar trains being prime examples.

 

The set now on the NNR were built as set No. 74 in 1924 by the LNER. Continuing in service with ‘BR’ it was withdrawn in 1966.

 

Initially destined to be scrapped, it was stored and eventually came to the ‘NNR’ where it became the lines early coaching stock.

 

Withdrawn again in 1979 because of its poor condition, it was stored for over 20 years before it was decided to restore it. The restoration which was undertaken at Carnforth starting in 2003 took five years to complete.

 

 

 

 

As well as the exterior, the interior was restored to the same standard.

 

The full story can be read on the information boards on display in the coaches.

 

The NNR attracts a lot of cyclists and for carrying their cycles provides this former LNER Pigeon Van is provided.

 

The line leaves Sheringham and runs across the top of the cliffs with extensive seaward views to the intermediate station at Weybourne.

 

This is where the lines workshops and storage is located.

 

The view from the footbridge looking East towards Sheringham.

 

The view from the footbridge looking West towards Holt. The brick built station buildings to the right is faced by the timber built signal box and waiting room opposite.

The buildings are painted in a tan and cream colour scheme which matches the livery in which the M&GR loco’s were painted.

 

 

 

For the last service of the day, this Metro-Cammell built Class 101 DMU was substituted for the B12/Quad art train.

D5631 

Formerly Class 31 207 was parked up at Weybourne. Built by Brush at Loughborough in 1960 and withdrawn in 2001. Owned by the M&GNR Society who have chosen to paint the loco in the livery it wore when first built.

 

As was Class 37 D6732 formerly 37032. Built by English Electric at Newton-le-Willows in 1962.

 

 Holt is the end of the line where there is the usual run round loop together with a small goods shed.

 

 

Parked at Holt is a small selection of wagons of which No. 12, a tool and brake van is probably the pick. Built by the M&GNR, it has been splendidly restored.

 

Another original is this van built for the mustard traffic which is grown widely in Norfolk.

 

Sandwiched between the two is this ‘ESSO’ tanker.

 

Another link with the past is the signal seen here on the right located at Holt being of the  Great Northern Railway ‘somersault’ type.

On the second train in service the cycles are accommodated in this former British Railways Covered Carriage Truck.

 

 

The obligatory Class 08 shunter at Sheringham is D3940 (which was formerly 08772). Built at Derby in 1960 and withdrawn in 1994.