Royal visit to Southampton in 1967

[Harlequinuk]

I understand it used 20001 hauling a Royal Train?

Does anyone have anymore info? photos? rolling stock and layout? Any Stories?

 

[Harvester]

Just had a look at the NRM‘s ‘Royal trains archive list’, but found no record of a Royal Train visit to Southampton in 1967.

 

[Harlequinuk]

Sadly that list isnt complete as a previous thread on here has shown

Royal train: is there a full list of journeys made?

Has anyone ever compiled a list of all the trips made by the Royal Train over the years it has been operating?

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Magdalia]

Just had a look at the NRM‘s ‘Royal trains archive list’, but found no record of a Royal Train visit to Southampton in 1967.

The National Railway Museum Royal Train archive is basically what they were given by Wolverton Works. Royal Trains that did not use Wolverton based Royal Train rolling stock usually don't get onto the list. That's mostly daytime trains that did not involve overnight stops. On the Southern Region that's most of them, including the trains to Tattenham Corner for the Epsom Derby. The same applies to Royal Trains going between London and Sandringham. Rolling stock for these daytime trains was usually Pullman cars or the ECJS saloons 395 or 396 which were based at Bounds Green.

I understand it used 20001 hauling a Royal Train?

Does anyone have anymore info? photos? rolling stock and layout? Any Stories?

I think that the train that you are looking for is 25 July 1967, but the destination was Winchester not Southampton. HM the Queen reviewed a parade of the Royal Green Jackets at Peninsula Barracks. The train was hauled by 20001.

 

[Harlequinuk]

The National Railway Museum Royal Train archive is basically what they were given by Wolverton Works. Royal Trains that did not use Wolverton based Royal Train rolling stock usually don't get onto the list. That's mostly daytime trains that did not involve overnight stops. On the Southern Region that's most of them, including the trains to Tattenham Corner for the Epsom Derby. The same applies to Royal Trains going between London and Sandringham. Rolling stock for these daytime trains was usually Pullman cars or the ECJS saloons 395 or 396 which were based at Bounds Green.



I think that the train that you are looking for is 25 July 1967, but the destination was Winchester not Southampton. HM the Queen reviewed a parade of the Royal Green Jackets at Peninsula Barracks. The train was hauled by 20001.

Do you have any photos? and does a stock list exist?

 

[stuving]

Given an exact date, I've had a look for newspaper reports in the BNA, and found none. But a few days later, there is this in the Reading Evening Post of 7th August 1967:

[Names the two drivers of of the royal train from Windsor to Southampton, hauled by "Goliath".]

 

[Gloster]

So presumably there were two trips: one on 25 July to Winchester, probably with 20001, and one on 7 August to Southampton with D819.

One possible source might be Railway Magazine, probably the October or November (dated) edition, as it was keen on photos of royal trains.

 

[Dr Hoo]

When I worked on what would be termed the South Western Division of BR the Royal Train trip to the Royal Yacht (so that they could sail up to Scotland for the summer break at Balmoral) was a regular run.

This tended to be a relatively low key ‘private’ affair without massed bands and civic leaders on the platform to greet them (that you would see with an official visit to Winchester or wherever). Nevertheless it operated under full Royal Train conditions and as a manager I was on duty in a signal box en route.

The Court Circular of the day, published in The Times, would report that Her Majesty, etc. had made the journey.

 

[Harlequinuk]

When I worked on what would be termed the South Western Division of BR the Royal Train trip to the Royal Yacht (so that they could sail up to Scotland for the summer break at Balmoral) was a regular run.

This tended to be a relatively low key ‘private’ affair without massed bands and civic leaders on the platform to greet them (that you would see with an official visit to Winchester or wherever). Nevertheless it operated under full Royal Train conditions and as a manager I was on duty in a signal box en route.

The Court Circular of the day, published in The Times, would report that Her Majesty, etc. had made the journey.

Do you have a copy ? or route book of yours?

 

[Dr Hoo]

Do you have a copy ? or route book of yours?

Of course not! You weren’t allowed to retain or copy Royal Train information.

Like nuclear traffic this was ‘all in a day’s work’ but strictly controlled.

 

[stuving]

When I worked on what would be termed the South Western Division of BR the Royal Train trip to the Royal Yacht (so that they could sail up to Scotland for the summer break at Balmoral) was a regular run.

This tended to be a relatively low key ‘private’ affair without massed bands and civic leaders on the platform to greet them (that you would see with an official visit to Winchester or wherever). Nevertheless it operated under full Royal Train conditions and as a manager I was on duty in a signal box en route.

The Court Circular of the day, published in The Times, would report that Her Majesty, etc. had made the journey.

You're right about this being a private un-ceremonial trip. It was picked up in other papers in the following days, adding that the NUR at Southampton docks called off an unofficial strike out of respect - or maybe so; I guess it might have been down to bribery and arm-twisting by management or fear of getting a bad press. And when in the Scilly Isles, some of the royals called in on Harold Wilson at his holiday cottage.

 

[Harlequinuk]

What coaching stock would have been used?

 

[Dr Hoo]

What coaching stock would have been used?

The Royal Yacht runs used Royal Train dedicated stock. Obviously some vehicles like sleeping accommodation weren’t needed for a short daytime run.

 

[Harlequinuk]

25th July 1967 , stopping at Eastleigh after taking HM Queen Elizabeth to Winchester

Credit to the author who kindly uploaded for me

RAILWAY IMAGES UK -British Trains and Railways

RAILWAY IMAGES UK -British Trains and Railways

www.anistr.com

and from facebook group where i asked the question as well.

 

[Magdalia]

25th July 1967 , stopping at Eastleigh after taking HM Queen Elizabeth to Winchester

The middle vehicle is one of the ECJS saloons 395 or 396, probably 396.

 

[Gloster]

25th July 1967 , stopping at Eastleigh after taking HM Queen Elizabeth to Winchester

Credit to the author who kindly uploaded for me

RAILWAY IMAGES UK -British Trains and Railways

RAILWAY IMAGES UK -British Trains and Railways

www.anistr.com

and from facebook group where i asked the question as well.

It looks to me as if one photo is taken looking south from the platform towards Southampton and the other in the Up Loop platform. As the loco still has painted buffer heads I reckon that the formation was simply turned at Eastleigh by going around the loop via the DEMU Depot Ground Frame and the carriage washer. The royal saloon is flanked by two BSK.

 

[Harlequinuk]

is the loco green or blue (eg 20001 or 20002)?

 

[Taunton]

One possible source might be Railway Magazine, probably the October or November (dated) edition, as it was keen on photos of royal trains.

This apparently was a magazine industry 'in joke' against Railway World, whose publisher, before selling out to Ian Allan, was a notable republican and refused to have any mention of royalty (so principally the Royal Train) in the magazine.

 

[Dr Hoo]

It looks to me as if one photo is taken looking south from the platform towards Southampton and the other in the Up Loop platform. As the loco still has painted buffer heads I reckon that the formation was simply turned at Eastleigh by going around the loop via the DEMU Depot Ground Frame and the carriage washer. The royal saloon is flanked by two BSK.

I’m sure you’ve nailed it there. (The Up Loop no longer there of course.)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Oct 2025 ==

Just looked at the October 1967 Railway Magazine. The obligatory Royal Train photo is of the Windsor-Southampton Western Docks trip on 7 August to join the Royal Yacht. Royal saloon 396 is fifth in a six-coach train otherwise composed of BR Mark I vehicles.

Hauled by Warship D819 ‘Goliath’ sporting 1X01 in its head code boxes.

Photo credit John H Bird.

 

[Taunton]

Just looked at the October 1967 Railway Magazine. The obligatory Royal Train photo is of the Windsor-Southampton Western Docks trip on 7 August to join the Royal Yacht. Royal saloon 396 is fifth in a six-coach train otherwise composed of BR Mark I vehicles.

When was usage of Windsor & Eton Central finally given up by royal trains ? They were one of the few services to use the (double tracked) west curve at Slough, which needed two additional signalboxes open9ry,. WR summer excursions to Windsor appear to have been the only other user.

 

[Gloster]

When was usage of Windsor & Eton Central finally given up by royal trains ? They were one of the few services to use the (double tracked) west curve at Slough, which needed two additional signalboxes open9ry,. WR summer excursions to Windsor appear to have been the only other user.

The Royal Curve was closed in July 1970 according to the London Rail Atlas and Windsor & Eton Central signal box closed in September 1974. The curve may have been singled in 1963.

 

[WesternLancer]

25th July 1967 , stopping at Eastleigh after taking HM Queen Elizabeth to Winchester

Credit to the author who kindly uploaded for me

RAILWAY IMAGES UK -British Trains and Railways

RAILWAY IMAGES UK -British Trains and Railways

www.anistr.com

and from facebook group where i asked the question as well.

great to see those pics

 

[Magdalia]

When was usage of Windsor & Eton Central finally given up by royal trains ?

The last Royal Train at Windsor and Eton Central was an arrival returning from a visit to Matlock on 10 May 1968.

 

[Harlequinuk]

One last photo, again from John Bird, the photographer. Taken after the above train had taken Queen Elizabeth to Winchester and before it had returned to Eastleigh.