A day trip to the south of England
Southampton and the ghost train
This was an SRS day out - perhaps the first of those cheap
Saturday ticket trips. Most of our companions on this occasion
travelled to the Mid Hants Railway - two of us stayed on the
train and spent the day between Southampton and
Portsmouth.
Sharp-eyed and sharp-witted visitors have probably already
realised what the "ghost train" was. I remained oblivious, however,
until my wife saw the slides of the Ruston, and with a look of
horror, exclaimed "it's a ghost train!" (I don't think she was serious,
but one can never tell...). The Nuttall's locomotive, employed on a
tunnel repair contract, was one of 4 such Rustons owned by the
Strathclyde-based contractors - and is far from a ghost today. It is
either "Little Clyde" RH 7002/0467/2 or "Luce" RH 7002/0467/6,
now resident on the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway.
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
We walked from Southampton station via the docks (hoping we
might see some railway activity - we didn't...) and the Itchen
Bridge to Woolston, where we caught a "thumper" to Portsmouth
and Southsea (we were able to snap it westbound, before boarding
the return eastbound working). Here we were able to see some
activity, mainly involving some MkI electric units and a 33. The
latter was about to work a Portsmouth - Cardiff train - which would
probably become a Cardiff - Manchester (or Liverpool). It took us
as far as Southampton, where we would join our return train,
travelling back (as outwards) via Reading and Birmingham. An
interesting little excursion.
30 April 1983
