I can’t help being impressed by your website and the high level of importance everybody attaches to the Works and the time they spent there. However, it must be worth stating somewhere on the site that the Works is still open, employing staff ( and apprentices)  and overhauling locos, EMUs and coaching stock.  

Obviously we can’t fully recreate the glory days of the 20^th century, not least because Alstom did such a good job of selling off and otherwise destroying so much vital infrastructure and equipment. However, when I look at Chris Smith’s pictures on page 8 of the gallery showing the Erecting and Carriage Lift shops empty, I do feel that its worth talking about the present. To give an idea of what we do, I’d point people in the direction of Carl Watson’s excellent website www.carlswaton.com/trains/html which is stacked full of pictures showing the Works doing exactly the kind of jobs that former employees recall. In fact quite a number of the current workforce are ex Alstom / WTL /BRML people.

 By all means look back with nostalgia at the past times. But don’t forget that by dint of a lot of hard work Eastleigh is the only main Works open in the South of England and is doing work that is much closer to its original purpose than the last few years of its life before 2006. At any one time we have up to 3 of the SW mainline EMUs in for maintenance in the former erecting shop, whilst the Freightliner work is now carried out in the Lift Shop.

 To give a flavour of the type and level of work that is undertaken on site, a few notable events from the past 7 days are

• Delivery of 3 x 08 shunters for full overhaul
• Weekly changeover of 444 unit for C4 on Monday morning.  
• Delivery of 14 Freightliner container wagons for general maintenance and repair, and collection of 8 repaired wagons
• Delivery of  4 x 66s for maintenance and storage
• Delivery of 20 coil carrier wagons for assessment, repair of 6 and the rest into store
• Upgrading and overhaul of 2 x Mk 1 translator vehicles to provide self power and B4 bogies
• Maintenance of 07 shunter including new brake blocks, fan bearings and contactor overhaul     
• Asbestos removal from Cylinders of Schools class 925 Cheltenham prior to overhaul
• School visit to show loco children around the Works

And all this within the space of seven days!

 So by all means remember the glory of the Works in days gone by. But don’t write the Works of as dead and buried - we are alive and thriving".   

  Please feel free to reproduce this email on your excellent website if you think it would be of interest