BR Southern Region Railwayman Geoff Burch recently sent me a preview of his new book -'The Ramblings of a Railwayman' - describing his life as an Engine Cleaner and Fireman at Guildford Motive Power Depot (70C) from April 1961 to July 1967, with lots of anecdotes and characters; all in all...a great read! 
There are twelve chapters covering Geoff's initial interest in steam locomotives in the late 1950s as a train spotter then starting work as a 15 year old Engine Cleaner, performing Office Boy duties, working in Boilersmith's Shop and eventually becoming a Fireman in 1962.
Geoff gives his account of working his way through the links with a diverse range of drivers and locomotives until the final day of steam on Sunday 9th July 1967 when he also had the honour of being one of the firemen of the last Locomotives to leave Guildford MPD that day. In particular, the 'Drivers and Firemen' chapter is dedicated to most of the men that Geoff worked with on the footplate - some 86 Drivers and 73 firemen who were employed at Guildford at the time.

Following a very successful book launch at Guildford Museum, Geoff, who is self-publishing the book, is selling copies directly via his e-mail address - geoff.burch@virgin.net - The cost of the hard back book - 192 pages, with a foreword by David Shepherd plus contributions by several railway photographers, including Rail Cameramen Keith Long and Bill Wright - is £20 plus £5 postage and packing. To save on postage & packing charges, the book can also be collected from his home in the Guildford area. Alternatively the book is available via modelrailways.co.uk The photo (right) is reproduced courtesy of the Surrey Advertiser.

The last thing I want to do is to repeat everything that's in 'The Ramblings of a Railwayman' otherwise you'll never buy it! So I've added some extra photographs on this page that were kindly contributed for publication in the book but didn't quite manage to fit in...maybe the second one? I'll start with two aerial shots of Guilford which clearly shows what 70C looked like before and after closure and then show you some of the older locomotives that I worked on during my early career as a fireman.

(Above-Below) To give readers an idea of where Guildford MPD was situated, the semi-roundhouse was built in an old chalk quarry next to the Farnham Road. (Below) A huge multi-storey car park now occupies the area where the loco once stood. The two signalboxes (Yard Box and South Box) have been removed as well as the panel box that followed it! The present panel box is situated at the southern end of the station and the only two carriage sidings that exist are the ones shown in the photograph with EMU slam door stock berthed there.  I took the photo (above) of Guildford MPD from an Auster light aircraft (of which I was a passenger) in 1967 just after the shed closed (looking in a westerly direction). The aerial photo (below) was also taken by myself, only this time from a hot air balloon as my Dad and I passed over Guildford some 20 years later (looking in a northerly direction).

 

(Above-Below) V Class 'Schools' 30909 'St Paul's' - one of three 'Schools' class locomotives stabled at Guildford when I joined BR as an engine cleaner in 1961. In fact, it was the first locomotive that I helped to clean on my first day at work! Unfortunately, all three were withdrawn by the end of 1962 but at least I was fortunate to work on 'our' three (and others of this class) during my first year as an apprentice fireman. (Below) B4 Class 30089 'Little Jim' on shed shunting duties at Guildford MPD. Although this photo was included in my book, I didn't realise that it could have been taken at a very significant moment in my railway career. A V Class 'Schools' is in the next road and the tender has been partially cleaned (head high). Could this be 30909 on my first day at work?

 

(Above-Below) Above: 700 Class 30325 stands amongst the foliage at Farringdon (the first station after leaving Alton on the Meon Valley line). She's just worked the 5am freight from Woking with Driver Ackehurst and fireman Frank Saxby. The Meon Valley line had one crucial role to play in the D-Day operations. On June 2nd 1944, Winston Churchill, US General Dwight D Eisenhower, the Prime Ministers of Canada and South Africa, and other Allied leaders met in a special train at Droxford Station (the train was actually the Royal Train from the LMSR). The station possessed the longest siding in southern England outside the works at Eastleigh) and was close to a deep cutting. If threatened by an air raid, the train could be pushed into the relative safety of the cutting. During this meeting, final decisions regarding the planning of Operation Overlord were made. The Meon Valley line closed for passenger traffic on the 5th February 1955 and a goods service to Farringdon was maintained until 1968, when the final part of the Meon Valley Railway was closed to all traffic. None of the 700 Class of locomotive survived the cutter's torch which was an absolute travesty. (Below) E4 Class 32479 replenishes her tanks at the water column on the New Pit at Guildford MPD. She was withdrawn from service in June 1963. The Store's windows can be seen situated behind the bunker and the Shedmaster's office was situated above the Stores.

(Above-Below) M7 Class 30053 at Clapham Junction. In 1961, three of this class of locomotive were stabled at Guildford MPD - 30124, 30246 and 30378 - used mainly on the Guildford - Horsham branch until they were superseded by the Ivatt Class tank engines. As an engine cleaner, I had my first ever ride on the footplate on the main line on one of these locomotives - even though it was only a few hundred yards! (Below) 30053 strutting her stuff on a Woking Centenary special. This M7 Class 30053 (designed by Dugald Drummond) was withdrawn from BR service in 1964.  She was then shipped to America and spent twenty years there before returning to dear old Blighty. She now resides at the Swanage Railway. Dugald Drummond  is buried in Brookwood Cemetery only a couple of miles from where I live.

 

(Above-Below) In its Heyday (no pun intended David) Guildford had two signalboxes: Guildford Yard Box which was situated at the Northern end of the station at Guildford Up Yard and this one which was situated directly opposite the Motive Power Depot - just before the chalk tunnel. (Below) LMS Ivatt Tank 41301 shunts behind the back of Guildford South Box. These locomotives replaced the M7 tank locomotives when they withdrawn from service in 1964 and were utilised mainly on the Guildford - Horsham line.They were splendid workhorses and were much more comfortable than the M7 tanks - Disposal duties were much better too as they all had rocking grates to ease the burden of cleaning the clinker out of the fire.

 

(Above-Below) Guildford MPD also had its own coalstage which was situated next to Platform 8 at Guildford station; skips of coal were hoisted by electric cranes and emptied by the release of a handle on the side of the skip. The whole area was screened from view from the station be corrugated asbestos sheeting. Disposal duties were also carried out here - smokeboxes of locomotives were emptied of ash, fires cleaned of clinker and ash pans raked out by clambering into the pit below the locomotive...first making sure which way the wind was blowing! N Class 31812 is in the process of being disposed. (Below) The normal entrance to the coalstage - Rebuilt Battle of Britain Class 34056 'Croydon' waits to be coaled and BR Standard Class 4 76016 stands in the Back road awaiting further duties. Guildford's Platform 8 can be seen on the left of the photograph.

(Above-Below) Rebuilt Battle of Britain Class 34090 'Sir Eustace Missenden, Southern Railway' (devoid of nameplates) stands at the southern end of the coalstage following disposal. The Guildford turntable wasn't large enough to cater for any Bulleid Pacific so if the locomotive needed turning, it had to done via a triangle (usually via Addlestone Junction and Weybridge). (Below) An unusual locomotive to be utilised on the breakdown crane - Rebuilt West Country Class 34045 'Ottery St. Mary' stands at the far end of the breakdown crane road just outside the mouth of the chalk tunnel.

(Above-Below) USA Class 30064 became the Shed Pilot after B4 Class 30089's departure to Eastleigh to be scrapped. I can't say that I liked them but suppose they had their merits. (Below) The final Shed Pilot at Guildford USA Class 30072 - which had the honour of being the last steam locomotive to leave the depot on the Sunday 9th July 1967 when the depot closed.

(Above-Below) The Back Road towards the coalstage is chocker block with locomotives - some I suspect waiting to be hauled away to be scrapped at Eastleigh. (Below) The turntable sits quietly waiting for its next customer as other locomotives wait patiently for their next turn of duty. The Shed Pilot - B4 Class 30089 is in the foreground.

 

 

(Above-Below) The Reading - Redhill line was Guildford's 'bread and butter work' and was a fantastic line to work over. I was never bored with the line as its topography and scenery was splendid especially between Shalford and Redhill. In this photograph, U Class 31627 climbs out of Guildford up Pink's Hill bank at Deerbarn foot crossing with a Reading bound stopping service. (Below) Another U Class 31428 runs into platform 4 at Guildford with a stopping service to Redhill.

(Above-Below) N Class 31408 in the process of being turned on the turntable at Guildford MPD. Note that not all N Class locomotives were 'right' handed'. Below: Former 'River' Class 803 'River Itchen' now converted to U Class 31803 is about to pass Guildford South Box heading for Redhill with the Blisworth Vans. The 'River' class tanks were all converted to tender engines after a fatal derailment at Sevenoaks, No 800 'River Cray' being involved in the accident.

 

(Above)  Rebuilt 'West Country' class 34026 'Yes Tor' seen here passing Basingstoke Loco with an Up Exeter-Waterloo express. The first time I worked an express passenger train on the main line as a fireman happened on a Sunday when I was booked on a spare 'as ordered'  turn at Guildford. The Running Foreman came in and said they needed a crew to go passenger to Waterloo and work a Special train to Southampton and get relief there. My driver was to be Ray Beeson and he would be signing on later in the day at 3pm.
Well, I'm not sure why Ray didn't turn up that day but the job was given to Passed Fireman Ted (Lew) Lewis which I was quite pleased about. 
We caught the train to Waterloo and relieved the crew. The locomotive, Rebuilt West Country Class 34026 'Yes Tor' (having being prepared at Nine Elms) was already attached to the train.
It was completely dark by the time we left and although I'd worked on Bulleid Pacifics in the past, it had only been on light engine trips.
However, as I remember, everything went according to plan, the locomotive steaming well in response to my firing technique (more luck than judgement) until we were checked for signals at Allbrook on the approach to Eastleigh. Brian started to apply the vacuum brake but found that he couldn't release it again and we came to an abrupt halt. We were both puzzled at first and wondered if someone had pulled the communication cord in the train. I thought that I'd better check the vacuum hose connection on the front of the locomotive and low and behold, found that it had come off the dummy housing. I quickly connected the vacuum pipe and could only surmise that the securing pin hadn't been utilised when used last and it wasn't until the vacuum was destroyed that the pipe had sprung away from its dummy housing. We arrived at Southampton a few minutes late but apart from that, it was a very memorable and enjoyable trip and the first of many Express non-stop trips to come!

(Above-Below) The now-preserved N15 'King Arthur' Class 30777 Sir Lamiel is coming out of Basingstoke sidings past the Engine shed with ECS to work a stopping service from Basingstoke to Waterloo (one headboard on the left of the smokebox) maybe the 12.12pm or 13.13pm. Incidentally, this was the first locomotive that I ever cabbed as a 13 year-old boy in the late 50s. I was train spotting at Woking station and the loco was in the down bay. That's why she's depicted on the front cover of my book. (Below) Talk about coincidences...this superb Peter Fitton photo of 777 residing in the Down Bay at Woking on 9th September 1959 was taken at the very same spot I cabbed her all those years ago. The headcode denotes that she's about to work a train or go light engine to Basingstoke. Cabbing Sir Lamiel was the starting point of my railway career...

 

(Above-Below) BR Standard Class 5MT 73118 stands outside to coalmen's hut at Guildford awaiting her turn to be replenished with coal. (Below) U Class 31639 has received her quota of coal and is in the process of being moved to the shed for her next turn of duty. I have fond memories of working on her as she was an excellent steamer. My first ever Top Link turn was with Reg Howard when we worked a passenger train from Guildford to Reading - Reading to Redhill and return to Guildford.The fireman for the turn had gone sick so the Running Foreman assigned me the task as I was spare that day.Reg wasn't exactly pleased that a passed cleaner had been chosen for the job and he made it known to me that he wasn't sure that I was experienced enough and was in two minds whether to take me. Luckily, 31639 had only recently returned to Guildford from shops as the paintwork was new and gleaming. We left the depot with Reg in sombre mood. However, the locomotive performed well and after a while he became quite jovial. We had a really good trip and when we returned to the depot, Reg thanked me for the hard work that I'd put in that day and said that he wouldn't have any problem about taking me out as his fireman again, which I found very encouraging.

 

(Above-Below) Unrebuilt West Country Class 34002 'Salisbury' about to exit Guildford en-route to Addlestone Junction to turn on the triangle between there and Weybridge and return to work the 12.12pm stone train empties to Salisbury. I'm shown on the locomotive and have just taken a photograph of U Class 31791 (below) which has just arrived from London Road Guildford Yard with a string of mineral wagons.  The orange gas cylinders in the foreground supplied gas to the points heaters in the winter months. Note that although the main line signals throughout Guildford were colour light, there were still semaphore signals worked from both Guildford Yard Box and Guildford South Box.

(Above-Below) Above: N Class 31405 in the Down Yard at Woking prepares to leave with the 12.12pm stone train empties to Salisbury. Below: S15 Class 30503 working a fully loaded mixed freight train from Basingstoke to Woking. Interestingly, a prefabricated concrete platelayers hut is shown on one of the wagons in the train - these were manufactured at the SR Concrete works at Exmouth Junction. The works also constructed other structures such as footbridges, platform edge slabs, lamp posts.

(Above-Below) U Class 31627 waits to return to Guildford Yard with a freight train from Godalming Goods. The turn of duty was in the 'Old Man's Gang' link (Drivers of standing years were given the opportunity to join this link if they no longer wanted to work between the hours of 10pm and 6am. It was customary for all newly appointed 'Passed Cleaners' (cleaners that had been to firing school and were eligible for firing duties) to be booked with one of these Drivers on a regular basis. My first Driver when I joined 'The Old Man's Gang' was Charlie Lyford. A nice old boy with no front teeth who smoked Craven A cigarettes incessantly. I say he smoked them - more like he lit them up and they burnt away in the wind! When Charlie retired, he was replaced by Driver Reg Beer. I had a great time with Reg who taught me a lot about the job. Reg was also an Acting Running Foreman so when he was performing this role, he would be replaced by a young Passed Fireman most of whom would let you perform some of the driving duties. (Below) A view into the 'New Shed' as it was called showing number 1 to 4 road. Number 2 road allowed access directly across the turntable so it was possible for larger locomotives (that couldn't be turned on the turntable because of their length) were able to access the shed for maintenance purposes. Three BR Standard Class locomotives are shown - BR Standard Class 3MT 77014 being the only one recognisable.

 

(Above-Below) By the look of things, there seems to be lot of maintenance work being carried out on this Rebuilt Bulleid Pacific locomotive stabled in number 2 road of the New Shed. The boiler is also receiving a washout. Health and safety requirements were certainly not as they are today - trip hazards and an insecure ladder - the 'NOT TO BE MOVED' board isn't exactly legible either! It wasn't too far from this spot where I trod on a wooden board with a nail sticking out of it whilst helping Pat Kinsella prepare his locomotive when I was a cleaner. I was carrying two buckets of dry sand at the time - OUCH!   I had to visit the Surrey County Hospital (which in those days was in Farnham Road a couple of hundred yards away) where I received an anti-tetanus injection. I then had to ride my push bike home which proved pretty painful. (Below) BR Standard Class 5 73113 in the Old Shed undergoing some form of repair. The Boilersmith's shop was situated behind the locomotive and it was here that I worked for a few months climbing into fireboxes (after their fires had been thrown out and had time to cool down of course) to clean the unburnt carbon from the tube plates and brick arches of clinker and ash etc. This all had to be passed out through the firehole door with a small shovel. I didn't mind though - I received twice as much pay as being an engine cleaner!

(Left) Some of the Fitters that worked at Guildford MPD in the 1960s. They are from left to right: Brian Mitchener, Ivor Hopkins, Bob West, Reg Patrick and Henry Walsh. The men pose together on the turntable with BR Standard Class 3MT 77014 in the background. (Below) A selection of men that I worked with at Guildford MPD - mostly Drivers and firemen. All of the photographs are single frame shots from an 8mm cine-film shot by Driver Lew Wooldridge (fourth from right - top row). The film was edited by John McIvor of SVS Films who made such an amazing job of capturing each frame digitally and hopefully, it will be released on DVD soon.The film clips helped me tremendously in creating profiles of the men that I've described in my book capturing them just as they were at the time. Sadly, nearly all of the men depicted are now residing in that great Locomotive Shed in the sky! Such a diverse bunch of men - all characters with their own tales to tell. I had such fun with some and it was an absolute treat to work with them. God bless them all!

(Above-Below) Q1 Class 33035 seen here shunting at Godalming Goods was one of many of that class allocated to Guildford MPD. Designed by Oliver Bulleid in the second world war they were built for pure functionality above any considerations of style or decoration - in fact quite an ugly duckling!Nicknamed 'Coffee Pots' or 'Charlies' they turned out to be a very powerful beast and I often worked on these locomotives on freight trains to Feltham or more commonly, ballast trains during the night.   You would leave Guildford MPD 'double headed' running light to Woking Yard to work either the material train to the site of work or control the track relayer. This hoisted the old sections of track and placed them on lowflat wagons then replaced them with prefabricated lengths of track. All of this was done with careful skill - the 'Charlie' being extremely suited to this task. Here again, Health & Safety requirements weren't apparent as workmen would be walking about under the sections of track all the time - no hard hats in those days! Whilst on the subject of working ballast trains (or any other train at night for that matter) the only lights that were used on steam locomotives were lamps of the paraffin type and were only used for headcode and tail-lamp purposes. In the darkness during the summer months, it was possible to make out tiny glow-worms on the track especially round the Witley-Haslemere area on the Portsmouth Direct line. (Below) U Class 31639 with the material train at Farnborough. Prior to the Bournemouth Electrification Scheme being introduced in 1966/67 all of the lines between Pirbright Junction and Bournemouth were either upgraded or renewed. Guildford crews were utilised for this work and it wasn't uncommon to work 12 -14 hour shifts to complete this work on time.

 

(Above-Below) Q1 Class 33020 disguised as C20 (the locomotive's pre-nationalisation number) heads through Worplesdon Station towards Woking. Sadly, the shunting yard and signalbox have disappeared and a new car park is in the process of being built - a sign of the times! (Below) Due to the cuts made by Dr Beeching, it was decided that the branch line from Guildford to Horsham would close completely to all rail traffic. The last booked passenger train to leave Guildford was the 7.34pm to Horsham on Saturday 12th June 1965. (Below) This is the train at Baynards Station. The station building was auctioned on 21 June 1973 at Bramley Grange Hotel where it was purchased by its current owners who have carefully restored it to its original condition. Every year the Rudgwick Preservation Society organises a guided walk to the station where the owners give a tour, attracting up to 150 people.

 

(Above) BR Standard Class 5MT 73029 was one of two of the class that visited Guildford that had Brunswick green paintwork. The other was 73092. Here she waits in the Old Shed for her next turn of duty. The Shell Tank wagon was kept in the shed to refill the Drewry 204hp diesel shunter that were resident to Guildford Yard. The 350hp diesel shunters were usually refuelled at Stewart's Lane Depot and because of their poor turn of speed, this took hours to perform. USA Class 30072 also remains idle in the shed waiting for something to do. (Below) A 'motion picture' of 73029's big end and connecting rods. Showing the oiling points. These were plugged with a tapered cork (with a fibrous cane running through the middle to allow the oiler to breath).

(Above-Below) BR Standard Class 5MT 73155 pauses at Southampton Central Station to take water before making her onward journey to Bournemouth.This was to be the last steam locomotive that I worked on when we left Guildford for Salisbury (coupled with BR Standard Class 5MT 73118) on Sunday 9th July 1967. (Below) Smaller sister BR Standard Class 4MT 75079 is about to shunt the coal road at Guildford coal stage. Note that some of this class of locomotive were fitted with a double chimney.

(Above) Unrebuilt West Country Class 34102 'Lapford' makes her exit from Number 9 platform at Waterloo heading for Basingstoke - first stop Woking and then Farnborough, Fleet, Winchfield, Hook and then Basingstoke. I must admit, I had quite a passion for working on the original Unrebuilt Bulleid Pacifics (nicknamed 'Spam Cans' or 'Flat Tops' when I was a trainspotter) especially if you could get the steam-operated foot treadle to open and close the Ajax firehole door. To the right of the photo in platform 8, is a 4-COR EMU (probably with another 2 x 4-COR EMU behind) which were the usual Semi-Fast trains that ran between Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour in the 1960s. These were nicknamed 'Nelsons' as apart from running to and from Portsmouth Harbour, had only one cab window - the other was blocked off which served as a route indicator - Nelson wore a patch on one eye gettit!

(Right) Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 34051 'Winston Churchill' at Farnborough Yard on our way to Salisbury from Woking with the 12:12 stone empties. This locomotive had worked Sir Winston Churchill's funeral train a few months earlier and when we reached our destination at Salisbury and I was cleaning the fire during disposal procedures, the whole area of the drop gratebecame detached from its mechanism rendering the locomotive a complete failure. My good friend, Jim Lester (who was the fireman on the funeral train) has written his own book on his experiences as a fireman 'Southern Region Engineman' which gives more details about the locomotive and the train he worked. It was Jim who inspired me to write my own book...click here to visit his page

(Below Left-Right) An unusual visitor to Guildford is this locomotive - BR Standard Class 9F 92239 getting ready to work a freight train from Guildford Up Yard to Feltham Yard. These locomotives had a 2-10-0 wheel configuration and because of the tight bends on some Southern routes, the middle pair of wheels had no flange. The firebox was square shaped but was quite shallow in depth - unlike other Standard locomotives. (Below) Cab layout of a Class 9F showing its shallow firebox.

 

(Above-Below) With safety valves lifting, Rebuilt West Country Class 34021 'Dartmoor' leaves Woking station with a Semi-fast passenger service for Bournemouth. This photograph reminds me of 'first nerves' regarding my first trip to Bournemouth on one of these locomotives as a 16 year old fireman. However, I had a Nine Elms Driver who put me at ease and gave me lots of encouragement. We stopped at various stations on the way - some that I'd never heard of as Guildford men didn't venture any further than Redbridge (just west of Southampton). It was a very memorable day - the return journey with a fast express headed by a Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class locomotive stopping only at Southampton then Waterloo. My head was in the clouds for days! (Below) Rebuilt West Country Class 34016 'Bodmin' was photgraphed on the Mid Hants Railway. Click here to visit the Railway's excellent site.

 

(Above) Unrebuilt West Country Class 34002 'Salisbury' heads the L.C.G.B. 'Green Arrow Rail Tour on 3rd July 1966. The locomotive that should have worked the train (LNER V2 Class 60919) had previously travelled down from Dundee to Basingstoke and my Driver, Don Bannerman and I worked her 'light engine' from there to Nine Elms MPD the day before the trip. However, it was not to be as the locomotive failed with a cracked framing and 34002 was utilised instead. 

(Below) Undeniably one of the finest types of locomotive that I've ever worked on were the Merchant Navy Class Pacifics. This shot of 35028 'Clan Line' was taken after steam had disappeared from the Southern Region. However, on the 24th March 1995, a steam hauled passenger service was specially introduced to mark a hundred years celebration of the Railways Association with Woking Council. The train driven by Pat Kinsella was the 06:53 Woking to Waterloo and it was the first steam hauled commuter train to be worked in Britain for over twenty five years.Click here to visit the excellent Merchant Navy Class Preservation Society.

 

(Above-Below) The Author aboard Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class 35008 'Orient Line'. (Below) Departing from Worting Junction with the same locomotive with Driver Dave Elston in charge working an engineers train to Eastleigh.

 

 

(Above) Another special day at Guildford in 1959 to commemorate 100 years of the Portsmouth Direct - a train headed by a 700 Class with a circular headboard denoting 'The Portsmouth Direct Line Centenary 18-59-1959' stands in platform 2 at Guildford.  Obviously no Health & Safety regulations in those days with onlookers all over the track next to the live 750 volt conductor rail!

(Below) 395 Class 30567 has also been called upon to celebrate the event - The headboard is showing 'The Portsmouth Direct Line Centerarian'. Fifty of this class of locomotive of the seventy that were built were sent to the Middle East and elsewhere during the First World War and never returned. The last to survive, 30567 was withdrawn in September 1959 after 76 years in service and was scrapped. None have been preserved.

 

(Above-Below) Guildford Shed is a hive of activity as LSWR 415 Class 30582 trundles past. I'm not sure of the date or occasion but she would normally be seen working on the Lyme Regis branch line. Only one of this class remain and can be seen on the Bluebell Railway. The concrete prefabricated building to the left of the photograph served two purposes; this end housed the turning gang and the other end was the cleaner's cabin where I first started work. (Below) The spectators have all gone as a Maunsell design L1 Class heads light engine towards Guildford station having just emerged from the tunnel. Withdrawal began in 1959 and the final locomotive was withdrawn in February 1962. None have been preserved.

 

(Above) A splendid shot of 700 Class 30325. The 70C plate on the smokebox denotes she was allocated to Guildford and I no doubt worked on her as a young fireman in 1962 before her appointment with the cutter's torch at Eastleigh later that year. Although it was rumoured that one of the class (they were nicknamed 'blackmotors') was to be consigned for posterity (30700) none of the class survived. (Below) C Class 31510 simmers gently in the reception road to Guildford MPD; Farnham Road bridge can be seen in the background. The covered arch under the bridge contained the railway's carpentry shop. A superb example of preservation of this type of locomotive - plus many other SR types - can be seen at the Bluebell Railway- click here to visit theBluebell Railway's website.

 

(Left) I apologise unreservedly for wrongly attributing photographs taken by Norman Hamshere and Alan Hammond to Elsie Patrick, whose late husband, Reg Patrick worked as a fitter at Guildford shed and kept an album of old photographs, which includes this of himself posing for the camera in front of N15 'King Arthur' Class 30781 'Sir Aglovale'.

(Below) Finally, this photograph is an absolute classic! Since I didn't have any idea what class of locomotive it was I contacted Mike Morant (who kindly supplied several photographs to illustrate my book...and this page) who came up with the answer - 'One has been fortunate. I won a set of the Bradley LSWR locomotive books in hardback at auction earlier this year and your enquiry typifies the reason why I've long wanted them. According to Bradley No 407 was a standard 'E' class Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST originally purchased by Relf of Okahampton in March 1876 and named 'Pioneer'. She was used with sister engines in the construction of the line from Meldon Junction to Holsworthy. 'Pioneer' was bought from Relf by the LSWR in 1881 and was based at Plymouth where she worked until December 1891 after which there followed a period in storage at Exmouth Junction. Then, late in 1892, she became the Guildford shed pilot until mid-1897 being replaced by a Beattie well tank. 407 then became the temporary shunter on the newly completed Waterloo & City. There's a bit more intermediate history but somewhat surprisingly 407 was again allocated to Guildford as shed and coal stage pilot. With a clapped out firebox she was eventually withdrawn from service in 1919 and scrapped at Eastleigh in 1921...' Thanks Mike.  

Polite Notice: All text and photographs are protected by copyright and reproduction in any form is prohibited without the prior consent of the copyright owners. If you wish to discuss the contents of this page - indeed order a book - my email address is - geoff.burch@virgin.net