Railway Herald
LBSC 'A1X' 0-6-0T 32678 (née Knowle) standing at the coaling stage in Hayling island station yard while sister No. 32646 (née Newington) runs up the platform. No. 32646 is heading for the coaches that had been left in the main platform by 32678 after arrival from Havant and will couple up ready to form the next departure for Havant. Recorded on a somewhat damp August day in 1961. Newington had a very varied life, built in 1877 she was sold to the LSW in 1903 for working the Lyme Regis branch. Not a success there the LSW hired her to the Freshwater Yarmouth & Newport Railway on the isle of Wight in 1913 for £1 6s 8p (£1.33) a day. The FY&N finally purchased the loco in 1915 and she became their number 2. The Southern inherited her in 1923 and she became W2 with the name ‘Freshwater’ being added in 1928. In 1932 the number changed to W8 and in 1949 she returned to the mainland after 36 years on the island, and received the BR number No. 32646, but she is, of course, now back on the island as W8 ‘Freshwater’. Knowle was built in 1880 and spent 1929>1937 on the IoW as W4 (W14 after 1932) ‘Bembridge’.
Denis Lewis
