Class 50 50048 'Dauntless' on the blocks at Portsmouth Harbour with 1P15 - the very last 09.22 Waterloo - Portsmouth Harbour service
<b>Memories of the fine art of Vac bashing</b>
Between 1983 and 1991 I spent many, many happy hours with my friends riding the rails behind the mighty 'Hoovers' or Class 50s. As well as enjoying the thrash, I managed to record many of the trips and railway scenes encountered on film for posterity. Those days are now long gone, but happily the photos remain for me to reminisce over and share ;)

End of the line - Class 50 50048 'Dauntless' is seen in the later NSE livery arrived at Portsmouth Harbour on 1P15 - the 09.22 Waterloo - Portsmouth Harbour service.

In the late 1980s, a new service was introduced between Waterloo and Plymouth via Portsmouth Harbour - Class 50s providing the allocated motive power. This gave enthusiasts a great opportunity to cover the unusual route for the class between Woking - Portsmouth - Southampton - Salisbury.

'Dauntless' never made it into preservation, being withdrawn in July 1991 and cut up at M.C. Metals in Glasgow - one of only five Class 50s to end their days over the border: 50003, 50018, 50037, 50046 and 50048.

<b>Locomotive History</b>
D448 entered service 11-Dec-68
Renumbered 50048 in 1974
Named 'Dauntless' 16-Mar-78
Withdrawn 15-Jul-91
Cut up at MC Metals, Glasgow

<u><b>'A day in the life' - log book update:</b></u> 
<u>Friday 12th May 1989</u> - 50048 'Dauntless' on 1P15 09.22 Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour
50048 'Dauntless' on 1V12 11.59 Portsmouth Harbour-Plymouth (as far as Salisbury)
<b>125 miles</b>

Taken with a Nikon F-501 SLR camera and 75-200mm zoom lens using fairly grainy monochrome print film. <b>Scanned from the original negative with minimal digital restoration.</b>

You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: <a href="http://www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/</a>
diesel portsmouth nse class50 50048 station locomotive 448 d448