BournemouthCentral

This is some video I took in early 1986 at Bournemouth. I had just bought a JVC video camera, with separate recorder that was in a shoulder bag and recorded onto full size VHS tapes. This was just before the all-in-one camcorder was produced by JVC that used mini-VHS tapes.

The video is of railway activity at Bournemouth Central Railway Station, in the BR Corporate Blue era. There are third rail electric multiple units of types 4-Vep, 4-Cig, 4-Bep and 4-Rep, with 4TC trailer units. The Cig-Bep-Cig combination is unusual, as is the 12 car unit made up from three 4-Vep units.

At one point, a Class 47 diesel locomotive trundles through hauling 100 ton oil tankers.

Of special interest is the changeover from electric to diesel power for the Weymouth bound train. One or two unpowered 4TC trailer units were pushed down to Bournemouth from London Waterloo by the powerful 4-Rep electric unit, At Bournemouth, the push-pull fitted class 33 locomotive couples to the front of the trailer units, and hauls them down to Weymouth, leaving the 4-Rep unit behind. For London bound trains, the 4-Rep would leave the sidings and pull into the platform. The trailer units, pushed by the class 33 locomotive, driven from the front cab of the trailer units would pull in behind the 4-Rep, and couple up. The 4-Rep would then drag the trailers up to London, leaving the diesel locomotive behind.

It was a very cold and windy day, and the camera was too heavy for the tripod I had back then, so the video is hand-held and very wobbly. Also, much of it was shot into a low sun. Later on you will see that it was sleeting. I therefore have to apologise for the poor quality of this video, but I hope the content makes up for it.