Eastleigh
to Romsey and Salisbury
by Nigel Bray
The line between Eastleigh and Romsey was part
of Salisbury’s first rail link with Southampton, and became intertwined with
the Andover to Redbridge line when it arrived nearly 20 years later - even more
so when the Southern Railway developed services between the South West and
Sussex. Some of these were routed via
Eastleigh to relieve the congested main line through Southampton so that the
common section of the original line would have trains starting and terminating
at Southampton, Portsmouth or Brighton, some running via Eastleigh and others
via Redbridge.
The Redbridge route enabled trains between the
GWR and the LSWR to serve both Southampton and Portsmouth without reversal,
which is why it became the normal route for Cardiff-Portsmouth services. The Chandler’s Ford line became the preferred
freight route because of its easier access to marshalling yards at Bevois Park
and Eastleigh, and to link the Fawley oil refinery with the West of England.
Passenger services were dieselised in 1957, but
a shortage of DEMUs led to a partial reversion to steam working which saw M7s
work push-pull trains between Eastleigh and Andover Junction.
This book tells the complete story of this
interesting line, and complements the author’s previous books on the Andover to Redbridge line (currently out
of print) and the Salisbury & Dorset Junction
railway.
“Well
researched and informative.” Railway Modeller
“Thoroughly recommended!” Stephenson
Locomotive Society Journal
“Admirable
work. Highly recommended!” BackTrack
Softback: 120 pages with 160 photographs
273 x 215mm
978-1-905505-42-5
Price: £17.95
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