Eastleigh March 31st 2006
March 31st 2006 was the last day for Alstom Eastleigh works. Formerly British Rail Engineering Ltd and before that being only a Carriage works for the London & South Western Railway from around 1891. After 115 years of existence Eastleigh Works was no more. Eastleigh works also helped out during the wartime making several components needed for Planes , Anti-Aircraft Artillery and Landing craft that were needed for the War effort. As well as being the birth place for several favorite Southern Steam locomotives such as the King Arthur, Schools, Merchant Navy and West Country classes as well as the Class 73/0 Electro diesels. The last item to leave Eastleigh was a refurbished 455 unit for Southern. Its pretty ironic really but on the same day 2 x refurbished SWT 455 units speed past the closed works on their way to Bournemouth depot and then return about 2 hours later with another 455 unit. Could Eastleigh have got the contract for refurbishment of the 455's Or the possibility to refurbish the 442's. It really saddens me to see so much "Foreign" built rolling stock come into this country with the insistence of their own multi million pound depots to facilitate their upkeep. Surely that money could have been well spent upgrading the works.
So what's to become of the site now. Possibly more housing or industrial units.... How about a museum for Railway Locomotives both Steam Diesel & Electric, surely that would be in keeping with the area?
Still mine is but a suggestion and will not be taken seriously enough where there are greedy developers out there to earn a few (million) pounds.
British Rail Engineering Ltd Eastleigh 1891 - 2006
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To start off 66077 Benjamin Gimbert G.C nameplate whilst being held on the "new road" behind platform 3 on a long engineers train.
Another shot of 66077. This had a rake of JNA's, YLA's and a few OCA's as well as 2 loaded KWA well wagons with bulldozer's.
66541 pulling into platform 2 with the 4O18 Lawley Street - Millbrook Intermodal.
A look back at 541 as the another driver gets in the cab to take it to Millbrook.
2406 Victory waits for the "off" on a Slow service to Waterloo.
Nice to see an 09 back on Southern metals again. Mainline liveried ex Southern Gronk 09024 prepares to decouple from a loaded long welded rail train.
Not long left now for the Class 170 Turbostar's in Southwest Trains fleet. 170307 takes the Romsey branch as Super Voyager 221110 speeds through at around 90 mph with a service bound for Bournemouth. I often wonder if Poole will ever see the inter regionals return..... probably no chance!!
66702's nameplate Blue Lightning. The plaque below the nameplate reads "This locomotive was named by Tiernan Cassar, aged 3 at the National Railway Museum on 30th August 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of Railtrack's partnership with GB Railfreight in the haulage of infrastructure services."
66702 departs as a light engine move presumably to Willsden, London.
66244 approaches Eastleigh with the 4O20 Castle Bromich - Southhampton Western Docks Intermodal service.
66539 is passed by a fast and unidentified Class 442 unit. The 66 was on the 4O14 Garston - Southampton Maritime Intermodal.
Two shots of 57010 "Freightliner Crusader" on a rather empty 4M58 Southampton Maritime - Trafford Park Intermodal.
EWS clad 66024 on the 4M71 Southampton Western Docks - Foundry Lane Intermodal pulls away from its crew change on platform 1.
09024 again returns light to the yard for some more shunting duties.
66151 pulls out of Eastleigh's North Yard with empty car flats bound for the car terminal at Millbrook as a class 442 speeds past. EWS have been hired for a few weeks to transport a number of trains carrying Ford cars and vans to various areas of the country until around the end of April. The wagons have been hired from Freightliner by EWS, Ironic really as this used to be Freightliner's work for many years!!!!
66145 speeds past Eastleigh with the 6V38 Marchwood - Didcot Yard MOD. On the rear were some MOD registered KWA's with various types of Landrover's on them.
59204 "Vale of Glamorgan" comes off the Romsey branch with the 7O39 Merehead - Hamworthy loaded stone service.
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