Basingstoke 28.10.1983

BASINGSTOKE

(All 28.10.1983 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

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Back in 1983 I was still managing to take a couple of weeks a year rail roving around the south. There was still plenty of variety and a lot of the trains were far from overcrowded (younger readers will find this odd!) My favourite three locations for variety and ease of photography were Southampton, Salisbury and Basingstoke. All had plenty of variety and it was easy to get from one to the other, following the sun if it was shining.

On October 28th 1983 Basingstoke produced a nice variety of electric and diesel trains, including loco hauled of course. 33s and 50s were commonplace, as were 47s. The bottom picture even saw a blue liveried Hampshire unit still up and running.

This scene quickly changed within a few years as BR vanished and more and more loco hauled trains were handed over to units. But all three locations are still interesting in 2016, and of course a lot busier than they were back in 1983.

Basingstoke 13.8.1986

Just a hint at the variety of traffic on a normal day in August 1986 at Basingstoke!

And we thought we were hard done by because the locos weren't steam!

50 at basingstoke

One for Paul Beard!

A class 50 on an Exeter train at Basingstoke station 9.8.1986.

The Salisbury-Exeter route was much neglected in the 60s and 70s - incredibly closure was ever considered at one time. It was run down, singled over most of its length and often employed underpowered locos. The 50s however were good for this route, and could be said to be part of the line's revival which since the 80s has seen stations reopened (Feniton and Templecombe) and the line partly redoubled. The next few decades should see the line electrified throughout, nore stations reopened and hopefully some of the branches rebuilt (Sidmouth, Lyme Regis etc). With the New S&D reopening Templecombe should become an interchange station once more, and even the Seaton Tramway should be re-extended to Seaton Junction allowing exchange traffic.

class 33s

Two shots of class 33s at Basingstoke on 28.10.1983. Top is 33 017, bottom is 33 048 on probably a Salisbury passenger train. This was (and no doubt still is) an excellent ocation for record shots, with a lot of traffic coming through.