Christchurch snow Wed 29 Jan 86

Snow started to fall in Dorset in the evening of Monday 21st January 1986 and the following day we find trains running well at Christchurch station. A Rep/TC combination makes a sure footed get away towards Bournemouth with the Down Semi, followed by 47468 on an Up interregional, 1M23 14.40 Poole to Liverpool Lime St, which it worked as far as Reading. 47468 is noteworthy for later having ETH removed to become 47300. An Up semi fast formed of a 12-car Rep/TC calls, followed by 4-Vep 3134 (7834) on the Up slow as snow falls. This was long before we had station announcements warning of an approaching train and the power hungry tube video camera took an eternity to 'warm up', so the following Up fast was only just caught with 4-TC 433 leading. Unusually the 4-Rep is powering sandwiched between two TC sets, as it was more normal for the traction unit to be at the London end. Finally 47256 heads East with 6V41 14.52 Hamworthy Goods to Severn Tunnel Jn Yard, conveying a load of imported steel. Apart from the obvious traction changes, another difference between now and then is the minimal snow clearance on the platforms, with presumably no rock salt employed either. A somewhat indifferent film with far too much 'tail chasing' but then it was only my second ever attempt at using a video camera. Hopefully it is of interest nonetheless.