This photograph by Ray Hobbs was
discovered on a newsgroup site by Ray Wills, having been posted there with no
identifying details by a Ron Healey from New Zealand. Andy Pepper was able to
identify the location and provided the following information:
Wadebridge is passing Holmsley on the line between Ringwood and
Brockenhurst (part of the original "Castleman's Corkscrew"
L&SWR route from Southampton to Dorchester). Looking at the headcode, the
train would in fact be a Weymouth or Bournemouth to Waterloo service. This
route was used for diversions when the Bournemouth to Brockenhurst line was
closed for engineering works. Trains from Weymouth would turn left at Hamworthy
Junction to pick up this route at Broadstone whilst trains from Bournemouth to
Waterloo would leave Bournemouth heading west down to Poole, then turn north
via Broadstone to travel round via Ringwood and Holmsley to Brockenhurst (this
must have confused some of the passengers!). 34007 was fitted with AWS on 17
September 1960, so as at least some of the stock is Maunsell that would suggest
the photo was taken sometime between then and 1962.
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