40th anniversary of final BR train

The man who signalled the last British Rail train from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Wareham on New Year's Day 1972 – as well as some of its passengers – gathered on the Swanage Railway to mark the 40th anniversary of that historic but very sad occasion.

At Corfe Castle station, retired Network Rail signalman Bob Richards was also re-united with two pieces of signalling equipment that he last used and saw on Saturday, 1 January, 1972, while the last British Rail train passengers brought along printed copies of their tickets from 40 years ago.
 
Despite high winds and heavy rain, the poignant reunion of Bob Richards from Corfe Castle with 1972 last train passengers Peter Sills and his father Frederick Sills from Wareham as well as Malcolm Munro from Wool – took place on the Swanage Railway on Sunday, 1 January 2012.
 
The group was also joined by last train passenger Bryan Trent, from Parkstone, who turned up with his 1972 British Rail train ticket to watch the first steam train of the day carry a special commemorative headboard designed and produced by Malcolm Munro.
 
Exactly 40 years to the day since that last sad train trip, Peter and Frederick Sills – as well as Malcolm Munro – were welcomed at Corfe Castle station by Bob Richards.
 
Peter Sills brought along a photograph of Bob Richards using the same staff and key token to signal a British Rail train at Corfe Castle in late December, 1971.
 
A delighted Bob said, "It was great to hold the staff and key token again after 40 years. The British Rail signalling system at Corfe Castle back in 1972 was a traditional Edwardian manual system but it worked very well."
 
Because there was no winter British Rail train service on Sundays, the ten-mile branch line formally closed at 7.08am on Monday, 3 January, 1972 – the time that the first train of the day from Wareham would have left the main London line at Worgret Junction heading for Corfe Castle and Swanage.
 
The Swanage Railway train service on New Year's Day 2012 was hauled by ex-British Railways Standard Class 4 Tank steam locomotive No. 80104 built at Brighton in 1955 and restored from a scrapyard condition by Southern Locomotives Limited during the 1990s.