Time Capsules - Old Photographs from the past

73118 at Beaulieu Road station, Hants in the 1950s

Standard Class 5 4-6-0 73118 “King Leodegrance” standing in the station with a local passenger train.

Opened by the Southampton and Dorchester Railway on the 1st June 1847, the station was not originally intended to serve the village of Beaulieu, which lies some 3.5 miles (5.5 km) distant. The railway company were obliged to open it as a 'personal' station for Lord Montagu, a concession to him for allowing the railway to be built over part of his Beaulieu Estate. A special signal would indicate to the train drivers that they should stop for Lord Montagu and his guests.

The station is still in use, served by London Waterloo to Poole stopping services operated by South West Trains. Beaulieu is a guaranteed great family day out with lots for everyone to enjoy including the world famous National Motor Museum, Palace House, home of the Montagu family, and historic Beaulieu Abbey.

The British Railways Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 was one of the standard classes of steam locomotives built by British Railways in the 1950s. 172 were built, essentially being a development of the LMS “Black 5”. The design work was done at ex-LNER works at Doncaster but the bulk of the construction was done at Derby. In 1959, 20 of those allocated to the Southern Region were named after SR King Arthur class locos that were then being withdrawn, including 73118.

73118 was built at Doncaster in December 1956, withdrawn from service in July 1967 and scrapped at Cashmores, Newport, Wales on 20 April 1968.

Five of these locomotives are preserved - 73050, 73082, 73096, 73129 and 73156.

Photo © The Step Back Through Time Collection
Text courtesy of Peter Langsdale