Tom Heavyside

Lancashire man Tom Heavyside was first introduced to the delights and idiosyncrasies of Southern Region steam during family holidays spent at Bournemouth in the mid-1950s. He very quickly realised that there was much more of interest at Bournemouth Central station and on day trips to such places as Eastleigh and Salisbury, rather than whiling away the time on the beach or exploring the various chines. During the 1960s, as steam gradually retreated from the lines in the south, he grasped every...See more

Lancashire man Tom Heavyside was first introduced to the delights and idiosyncrasies of Southern Region steam during family holidays spent at Bournemouth in the mid-1950s. He very quickly realised that there was much more of interest at Bournemouth Central station and on day trips to such places as Eastleigh and Salisbury, rather than whiling away the time on the beach or exploring the various chines. During the 1960s, as steam gradually retreated from the lines in the south, he grasped every available opportunity to imbibe Southern steam, as on various expeditions to the capital when visits to Waterloo station and Nine Elms shed were always on the list of priorities. Further, he has always had a particular fascination for the Bulleid Pacifics, both in their original form and as rebuilt. He still enjoys the sight and sound of former Southern Region locomotives on occasional visits to preserved lines such as the Bluebell, Mid-Hants and Swanage railways, while pleasingly, in more recent times, a few examples have been found permanent homes much nearer to his Lancashire home. See less