PLATFORM

Memories of management at Fareham’s nine stations

I’ve much enjoyed the article about the Eastleigh-Portsmouth route in the May issue (SW 407). I was Station Manager at Fareham in 1968, in charge of Portchester, Gosport (Goods), Knowle Junction, Botley, Swanwick, Bursledon, Hamble Halt and Netley.

The London & Southampton Railway ran from north-east to south-west so, where there were two signalboxes at a station, the one nearest to London was the East ‘box and the one furthest from London was the West ‘box. It carried on doing this when it built the branch to Gosport, completely forgetting the railway had turned a corner at Eastleigh! This meant the signalbox at the western end of Fareham station was the East ‘box and the box at the eastern end was the West ‘box!

My signalboxes were on the traditional omnibus telephone circuit. One of the signalmen at Fareham West signalbox, Ron Corbyn, found away of connecting the omnibus circuit to the GPO network so he could telephone me at home and get