Great Western Coffee Shop

From one of my old timetables - Boat trains via Weymouth for the Channel Islands - 1967

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As i've mentioned before in my first job at Waterloo in the Rules and General Section was filing reports Train Hit car on the Weymouth Tramway. At least once a week in summer, the locals knew better.

Complete change of topic the other incident which figured prominently was "Car hit Gates" at Sunningdale crossing over the Main  A30 (pre M3). For those of you who don't know Sinningdale the railway comes out between two houses on a long wide staight stretch of road. No Flashing lights in those days just the gates swinging across the road.

I was born in Weymouth 1949.  From a few early shots Dad took, the line was outside our dining room, with the quayside the otherside of that.
Needless to say, I remember nothing, although Dad used to talk about the Channel Island trains.

Co incidentally, as I sometimes do, I was last night studying the Western Region Summer 1960 timetable (616 pages of wonder and dreams). Quite a downturn in the CI traffic in the intervening 7 years. If anyone is interested in the detail, I will attempt to make a pdf of the 8 pages over the weekend. (if I ever get back to my house in France, I can also research 1938)!

Going back to September 1949

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I can recommend this history of the GWR at Weymouth. Lucking also produced a small volume on the railways of Dorset for the RCTS in 1968

I also grew up in Weymouth during 50s and 60s and remember all this well. Indeed I am actually there now at the family seat acting as carer for (very) senior parent who has unfortunately recently been widowed from her second husband.

I recall specifically going out to watch one of the last "Channel Island Express" trains coming off the Quay tramway. This would have been prior to the Weymouth electrification inauguration and at the end of the Summer timetable in September 1988. The train would have been the 15.50 equivalent as shown in Graham's timetable. It was Class 33 hauled probably with 4-TC stock but they may still have used an old-style Mk1 set. I should have photos somewhere! The timetable pattern, especially of the ships, had been pretty fixed since the concentration in Weymouth, circa 1961. This would also have been around the time when either the layout at Weymouth was changed, or the signalling arrangements were revised.

I recall the Quay branch points had to be manually unlocked and hand cranked to allow the train to escape. All ancient history now.