Wiltshire Traction

The county of Wiltshire has several significant main line railway routes passing through it. Here Mark Jamieson explores its traction.

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Bounded by the counties of Hampshire, Somerset, Berkshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, the county of Wiltshire has several significant main line railway routes passing through it: to the north is the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington to South Wales; the Berks & Hants route from Reading to Westbury runs through the heart of the county, and westwards to Taunton; and to the south of the county the former London & South Western Railway route runs from London Waterloo to Exeter, while the cross-country route from Southampton to Bath cuts across the county from the south-east to the north-west. Wiltshire is also home to the Great Western Railway town of Swindon, although it is now sadly a shadow of its former past.

Covering more than thirty years, these previously unpublished photos show the diverse workings and traction that have passed through the county, from the days of British Rail to the privatised railway of today.