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No Banker at Yetminster |
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| On 22nd September 1962, I travelled on the Ian Allan "Western Sunset" Railtour. The itinerary was Paddington to Weymouth, via Westbury and Yeovil Penn Mill with 34050 Royal Observer Corps, which included a stop at Yetminster, where a banking engine would assist on the climb to Evershot. Then Weymouth to Bath Green Park, via Broadstone and the Somerset and Dorset line with S & D 2-8-0 no 53808. Then Bath Green Park to Cheltenham Spa St James, via Gloucester avoiding line with 4992 Crosby Hall. And finally Cheltenham Spa St James to Notgrove, Kingham, Oxford, Thame, High Wycombe, and London Paddington, with 2-6-0 no 7336, assisted from Cheltenham to Notgrove by 2-6-2T no 5154. | ||||
| 34050 ran well from
Paddington down to Westbury, arriving 4 minutes early despite a signal
check at Reading, and p.w slowings at Thatcham, Kintbury, and Hungerford.
Leaving Westbury, the good work continued, with 60 mph over Brewham
summit, and 80 mph at Marston Magna. We were through Yeovil Penn Mill 3
minutes early, and continued to Yetminster where our banking engine
would be waiting.
But there was no banking engine at Yetminster, and after consultation with the signalman, it emerged that there would be no banking engine. Had the crew known, they could have attacked the bank, which included 2 miles of 1 in 51 and 1 in 53, at speed. Now it would be a standing start. And we were now 5 minutes late. What followed was a fine example of enginemanship From the restart, with a 325 ton load, we went hard at it, reaching 37 mph before we hit the steepest grades. Through Chetnole, we were down to 28 mph, at milepost 148 25mph, at milepost 149 21 mph, and at Evershot Tunnel North, still on the 1 in 51, 19 mph. Would we slip in the tunnel? Yes, but it was instantly controlled. And so we emerged at Evershot station. On through Maiden Newton and Dorchester we picked up a little of the lost time, and with 76 mph down the grade past Upwey, we were just 5 minutes late into Weymouth. |
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| Whether the driver was a Western Region man from either Old Oak Common or Westbury, I do not know. Or perhaps a Southern Man driving with a Western Region Pilotman. Whoever he was, he deserved a medal. | ||||
| Later in the tour, there was to be a little more controversy, at Oxford. That will be dealt with on another page at a later date. | ||||