Southern Steam in Retrospect

In the days of steam each of the six British Railways regions had its dedicated enthusiasts, none more so than the Southern, a region of contrasts headed by the magnificent Bullied Pacifics. These comprised the 'Merchant Navy' class, all of which were eventually seen in rebuilt form, to the lighter 'West Country' and 'Battle of Britain' 4-6-2s. Some were rebuilt, others continued until withdrawn in unrebuilt form. Various types of tank locomotives had a fascination all of their own. Two in particular, the veteran 2-4-OWTs on the Wenford Bridge mineral line in Cornwall and in Dorset, the 4-4-2 Adams Radial tanks on the Lyme Regis branch. Also heavy tank engines comprising the massive G16 4-8-OTs and H16 4-6-2Ts together with the Z class 0-8-OTs, the latter designed for heavy shunting. There were, of course, many others: the diminutive 'Terriers', a veteran London, Brighton and South Coast Railway design, to the more recent ex-US Army Transportation Corps O-6-OTs purchased after the war for use at Southampton Docks. While the Southern had very considerable mileage of electrified track, there were many steam locomotives to be seen on passenger duties. The 4-4-0 wheel arrangement consisted of designs going way back to pre-grouping days to, at the other end of the scale, the 'Schools'class regarded as the most powerful locomotives of this wheel arrangement to run in the British Isles. In 1950 Eric Sawford set out to make a photographic record of as many types of steam locomotives as he could that existed on British Railways. This necessitated him travelling many thousands of miles on the rail network over the years. "Southern Steam" in Retrospect features all those engines mentioned, together with a great many others, some photographs taken in the last days of steam and even examples of Southern Region locomotives awaiting scrapping.