Basingstoke Engine Shed

[30368]

1 hour ago, Vanfit said:

Dad was on the footplate as a fireman before moving to the S&T until he retired. BTW 30368 was the engine he was firing shunting the down yard while i was being born in the local maternity hospital!

 

Hi Mike,

 

What a lovely tale of your nativity! 30368 is my moniker on this site. I watched the old girl cut up at Eastleigh scrap line and bought the front number plate and shed plate. She was shedded at 70D from 1948 until the end. I have built a version of 30368 you may have noticed it at:

 

Likewise my layout based on 70D:

 

 

I would really welcome any more pictures you may have of 70D, very grateful.

 

So how did the apprenticeship at Swindon go? Were you a Craft apprentice or Engineering? I trained to be a fitter and spent a year at Eastleigh Works and then four years at various SR Depots and Workshops. I stayed in the industry until 2006 and retirement.

 

All the best and stay in touch.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[Vanfit]

Hi Richard,

Our paths were similar, my apprenticeship (Electrical Fitter)  was a year in the training school at Swindon then 3 years in Reading DMU/ODM and Old Oak Common loco, after gaining my papers i was electrician in ODM before moving to S&T Telegraph gang/Installation/Maintenance/Drawing Office. The 4 year BR craft apprenticeship scheme was superb and the variety of equipment we trained on was vast, particularly in the ODM, when the training school was closed and demolished it was a sad day for engineering training. Retired full time a few years ago now working a day a week out of choice, still enjoying it (mainly!).

 

I am sorting out pics of 70D, not many but i will post whatever i have, but for now here are wagon labels I found at the shed by the coaling stage, note the coal was from Markham Colliery, If you could get some Markham coal that would add to the realism!!

 

Also gives a couple of wagon numbers you can be sure were at the shed.

 

Something I have not been able to confirm that in addition to the operating facilities at the shed I recall being told a canteen was provided during WW2, I think it may have been a tea and bun establishment rather than a full sit down meals job, it was according to one source there until closure. Have you any more information?

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[30368]

On 20/06/2023 at 09:48, Vanfit said:

Our paths were similar, my apprenticeship (Electrical Fitter)  was a year in the training school at Swindon then 3 years in Reading DMU/ODM and Old Oak Common loco, after gaining my papers i was electrician in ODM before moving to S&T Telegraph gang/Installation/Maintenance/Drawing Office. The 4 year BR craft apprenticeship scheme was superb and the variety of equipment we trained on was vast, particularly in the ODM, when the training school was closed and demolished it was a sad day for engineering training.

 

Hi Mike,

 

Sorry I missed this really useful and interesting post. We were on a one week break with one of our daughters and her husband. We rented a house in Rock which is near Alnwick. Had a realy fab week on the Northumberland Coast.

 

I was what was then called a "Duel Trained" fitter which was Mechanical and Electrical - you couldn't avoid the latter on the Southern Region! Our generation (I am probably a bit older than you!) was very lucky - real apprenticeships, rather than the 6 months joke apprenticeships of today, gave you a real opportunity to start again. BR gave me the opportunity to study as well as learning skills. I was able to have a really good career as a result. I wish these opportunities were still available to lads and lassies now.

 

When I was at the shed, very briefly, in 1964 there was no canteen as such but a typical fitters mess room with a stove and a kettle. Keep in touch!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Vanfit]

Hi Richard,

No problem with any delay in responding, I am often not able to spend as much time on here as I might like lol.

 

Totally agree with your comment re railway craft apprenticeships, proper training with wide ranging experience, and taught to think for yourself, the best start to a career in engineering.

 

Two pictures of the shed taken I think in 1967 (sorry about the quality I was only 12 at the time with a cheap camera!) not too far from the end of steam. Although not obvious from the photo 34100 Appledore was in very clean condition probably due to it being a Salisbury loco, there were noticeably the cleanest.

 

In a more usual end of stem condition I cant make out the number of the 4MT Standard tank, it might be 80065, although as that was withdrawn in 1966. I should have waited until the engine was past the chimney of the sand dryer! 

 

Up to the end of steam there was a BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T about as it worked the goods from Basingstoke to Luggershall and Andover Town, I think it came up from Eastleigh each day.

 

The 12T van alongside the loading dock was probably delivering stores, surprising how many loco sheds on layouts never seem to have any stores being delivered, I guess the average steam shed got through quite some oil, cloths, lamps and other consumables, in addition to spares and bits called from the main works for repairs in the depots.

 

I have a few more pics and will sort them out when i get the chance, I am enjoying our reminisce about those far off but certainly not forgotten times.

 

How far have you got with building the layout?

 

Cheers

Mike

 

 

[30368]

9 hours ago, Vanfit said:

How far have you got with building the layout?

 

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks very much for some really great images, a real help.

 

The best way of looking at my layout is to go to:

 

I still have lots to do and I will re-start work this Autumn.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard

 

[The Stationmaster]

Sorry that it washes out the sky etc but some detail does look a bit clearer -

 

 

Too much contrast in the other one to do anything with it using my simple adjustment program.

 

 

 

 

[30368]

12 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Sorry that it washes out the sky etc but some detail does look a bit clearer -

 

Many thanks, it is clear enough. Some nice detail like the repair to the roof of the green cabin.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Southernman46]

On 06/07/2023 at 21:59, Vanfit said:

 

Happy to report the former "Eli Lilly" factory building featuring prominently in the background was converted to residential use in 2020 when the surroundings were used for housing - nice to see structures from the past repurposed rather than demolished.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Southernman46

[Vanfit]

D58 'The King's Own Royal Border Regiment' on shed at Basingstoke, the slide was processed August 1966 so the actual date perhaps a couple of months earlier. From memory it had failed working either a pigeon special or a troop train and replaced at Basingstoke. It created huge interest at the time, as a 'Peak was very rare. The headcode at this end of the loco facing west looks like 1(possibly X???)26, should a special be Z? Be good to have Stationmaster Mike's opinion.

 

Both those types of special train allow realistic variety on a layout, troop trains being fairly common through Basingstoke, destinations Southampton or somewhere around Salisbury Plain, often with a rare or unusual loco, I use that excuse on my layout, if of course we need excuses!

 

Happy days

 

Mike

[Southernman46]

What was it about Class 45's failing on odd workings to the SR back in the day - the nuclear fuel for Chatham Dockyard (delivered on that massive Head-Wrightson transformer wagon) was Class 45 worked and it always failed ending up dumped in Gillingham Yard !

[30368]

On 08/07/2023 at 22:52, Southernman46 said:

Happy to report the former "Eli Lilly" factory building featuring prominently in the background

 

Yes it did. If anyone has an image of the factory building suitable for fitting into a scenic background I would be most grateful.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[Vanfit]

76067 on shed and off topic at Worting Junction but showing how relatively clean this loco was even a few months from the end, 76067 on a Salisbury to Basing parcels and return towards Winchester.

 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Vanfit

[30368]

47 minutes ago, Vanfit said:

6067 on shed and off topic at Worting Junction but showing how relatively clean this loco was even a few months from the end, 76067 on a Salisbury to Basing parcels and return towards Winchester.

 

Thanks so much for the images, much appreciated.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Vanfit]

Here are my last offerings, the quality is poor but 11 year Vanfit and a cheap camera was never going to produce excellence! But they are now a historical record so hopefully of some interest. I have converted the black and white from colour as over time the colour quality of the slides (now scanned) was far from acceptable. All from slides dated Aug 1966.

 

73051 Standard 5MT at the back of the shed

44372 5MT on shed

70004 William Shakespeare on shed

 

A suggestion if I may. If you have a copy of Southern Steam Surrender by John H Bird, please look at page 69, splendid picture of one of the sheds most notable characters Firelighter Ben Nash. Pretty sure Ben had been in the footplate line of promotion and for some reason stepped down to become part of the shed staff. Possibly off to the Rising Sun at the bottom of the shed path in Chapel Hill….. Perhaps you could find a suitable figure for your layout from one of the scanning companies, he would make a fine feature.

 

Good luck with your fabulous rendition of a place that has many fond memories for me.

Mike

Edited October 27, 2023 by Vanfit