Weymouth Harbour Tramway

Having recently been sorting through some of my old photographs and 35 mm transparencies, I came across these pictures of unidentified Class 33s on Boat Train Services along the Weymouth Harbour Tramway.

Admittedly the quality is definitely not the best but, with the Department for Transport having recently awarded £1.1 million for the removal of the track along the entire 1.25 mile route, these seem to be a fitting tribute to a unique stretch of line, which was opened on the 1 July 1989.

The line saw regular scheduled boat train services until these ceased on 26 September 1987, with goods facilities having been withdrawn earlier, on 26 February 1972.

After the boat trains were withdrawn the line did see occasional, one-off charter trains, with the last one being on 2nd May 1999.

The two photos, below, were both taken on Sunday 29th June 1975 and show the same Waterloo-bound train, having just departed the Harbour Station

In the next photo we see a train  heading in the opposite direction, towards the Harbour station. 

This photo was taken on Tuesday 20th April 1976.

Unfortunately I have no record of the locomotive numbers and, as I say, the quality of these photographs is not good.

I think they were taken on a Kodak 126 film camera and my photographic skills do leave a lot to be desired but they do bring back fond memories of visiting Weymouth during the 1970s and seeing these trains wind their way, very slowly, through the streets.

By contrast below are a few photographs from 2nd May 1987 when, as part of the Somerset and Dorset Rambler special excursion, I took my one and only trip along the tramway.

In the first photo we see the train waiting to depart Templecombe station hauled, appropriately enough, by 33112 'Templecombe'.

The excursion celebrated the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Somerset and Dorset Railway.

The train started at Salisbury and, after Templecombe, I believe our route took us to Yeovil Junction, Yeovil Pen Mill, Westbury, Salisbury, Eastleigh, Southampton, Fawley, Bournemouth Central, Branksome, Parkstone, Poole, Dorchester South and Weymouth Harbour.

From Weymouth we returned to Yeovil Pen Mill, via Dorchester West, and thence to Yeovil Junction, Templecombe and Salisbury.

A memorable trip, indeed, and one never to be repeated - at least to Weymouth Harbour.

Now, below, are a few of the photos that I took from the train as it snaked its way to the Harbour station.

Quite clearly a Teddy Boy's Convention at this pub!