country, so two were designed by Dugald Drummond and manufactured at Eastleigh Works specifically for the line. Railcar no 1 was carried on two bogies, a motor bogie and an ordinary bogie; each had solid centre wheels 2 feet 9 inches (84 cm) in diameter and with a wheelbase of eight feet (2.44 m). The boiler was of the vertical type with vertical and cross tubes, but it was replaced with a boiler of conventional type. The new boiler had an outside diameter of inches (37 cm) and was 3 ft 6 in (1.07m) long. The grate area was sq ft (6,271 sq cm) and the two cylinders driving on the leading wheels were seven inches (17.8 cm) in diameter by 10 inches (25.4 cm) stroke. Electric bell communication was provided between the car and the driver’s cab. The coach provided accommodation for ten first class passengers on upholstered longitudinal seats, and 32 third class passengers on rush top seats, arranged laterally with the gang way between. All entrances and exits were closed by trellis gates. The driver’s rear compartment had the normal controls. Car no 1 started running on Whit Monday 1 June 1903. Car no 2 was 50 feet (15.2 m) in length overall and had cylinders 10 (25.4 cm) inch diameter by 14 in (35.6 cm) stroke. The motor bogie wheels were 3 feet (91 cm) in diameter and the tractive effort of the engine was 3,889 lbs (1,764 kg). During testing of the first, it was obvious that its boiler had poor steam-raising capability, and modifications were carried out. The first run of a railmotor on the branch took place on 1 June 1903, a twenty-minute interval service being maintained all day. The railmotors were a failure and after the day’s work on 9 June they were removed and sent to Nine Elms for modification. After improvements to the boilers of both railcars, they were returned to service, probably in June 1904. They were still inadequate on the busiest trains, and had to be assisted by conventional steam locomotives. Urgent modifications and fitting of a better design of boiler improved matters. The railmotors were jointly owned, but from the beginning of 1906, the two owning companies changed to operating the line on a five year cycle. Closure Although these measures had some beneficial effect on the financial situation, arrested the financial decline initially, the availability and