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These brief visits were a bonus - we were
on our way to the ferry at Portsmouth for a short (no railways..) visit to
Brittany, and having left home much earlier than we really needed, found
ourselves with time to kill...
 The Exbury Steam Railway is a
1¼ mile, 12¼" gauge
out-and-back line opened in 2001 in the gardens near Beaulieu in the New
Forest. We had intended to take a ride - but that's only possible with
entry to the gardens, although the station and loco shed are just beside
the main car park. It was late in the afternoon, and there was no way we
could do justice to the gardens in the time we had, so we contented
ourselves with watching the arrival and departure of the 4.30pm train, in
the capable hands of "Naomi", a 2002 Exmoor-built 0-6-2 tender and tank
locomotive in attractive blue livery. There are two other resident steam
locomotives, twin sister "Rosemary" and newly-built 2-6-2 "Mariloo". They
must have been deep inside the shed - we saw neither of them. "We'll have
to come again" suggested the household authorities...
  It's
not far from Exbury to Hythe, on the western shore of the Solent,
more-or-less at the confluence of the Test and the Itchen. A simple pier,
about 1/3 mile in length, provides access to a foot-passenger ferry
service across to Southampton - and a railway runs the length of the pier
for the convenience of those passengers. And what a railway! Three coaches
and a luggage wagon are propelled (out) or hauled (back) along the 2'
gauge line by a diminutive third-rail electric locomotive*, while a spare
locomotive of the same type sits in the siding beside the workshop. These
Brush-built locos were originally provided, battery-powered, for a mustard
gas factory at Avonmouth during the first world war, being converted to
third-rail operation for the opening of the passenger service on the pier
in 1922. Yes, this is the world's oldest pier train (apparently).
 We took a ride out to the
pier head, where a ferry service had just arrived, and detrained to have a
look around and take a photograph or two. I'd intended to get a photo of
the train from the locomotive end, as it trundled back along the pier -
but when I turned around, it had gone, silently and without warning! By
now it was time to head for Portsmouth, so perhaps another time...
* I would quote the voltage at this
point - but I've seen 110v and 250v quoted on different web sites, and the
plate in the locomotive cab clearly states "100v". Anyone out there know
for certain?
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; "Exbury arrival")
; "Signals")
; "Station")
; "Ready for departure")
; "Turning")
; "Signal box")
; "Standing at the station - the 4.30 departure")
; "Loco and train at the station, Hythe")
; "Spare engine")
; "Hythe Pier train")
; "The cab!")
; "Ready for action")
; "Luxury accommodation")
; "At the pier")
; "Away without warning...")
; "Hythe Pier - Solent view")