Heritage Railway Issue 196

GEORGE STEPHENSON MAIN LINE COMEBACK PLANNED

ISSUE 196

November 20 – December 17, 2014

A SCOT BACK IN ST PANCRAS!

TRAVEL WITH US BEHIND

B1 MAYFLOWER

FROM NORWICH TO WINDSOR P2 BOILER APPEAL: MONEY POURS IN ‘BRIGHTON BELLE’ FOR 2015 DEBUT

STANDARD 4MT IN 60MPH GCR TESTS

CONTENTS ISSUE 196

November 20 - December 17

News

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HEADLINE NEWS

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Theft shock as A4 Dwight D. Eisenhower numberplate withdrawn from auction; money pours in for new P2 boiler appeal; Network Rail vindicated over West Coast fire risk ban; Standard 4MT No. 76084 passes 60mph tests on GCR and Heritage Railway to take readers from Norwich to Windsor behind B1 Mayflower.

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NEWS

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A Royal Scot out of St Pancras; ‘Brighton Belle’ unit set for main line debut in 2015; ‘Gloucestershire Warwickshire Bridges share issue topped by £65K; ‘Black Five’ George Stephenson prepared for main line; Moors’ Lambton tank needs new cylinder block; Llangollen opens new terminus at Corwen East; Midland Railway tramcar to be repatriated from USA; A2 Blue Peter joins Jeremy Hosking empire; action from Swanage, East Lancashire and Mid Hants autumn galas; Garratt K1 bows out in Snowdonia spectacular; National Railway Museum’s Locos In A Different Light contest; appeal for memories of Churchill funeral train and Swanage branch is complete again.

Regulars Centre spread

Features 54

Andrew Bell’s view of simultaneous departures of two Ffestiniog Railway vintage trains from Dduallt takes centre stage this month.

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MAINLINE

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Opening Steam Dreams’ ‘Cathedrals Express’ southern tours for B1 Mayflower under new ownership , Ferryhill turntable acquisition opens up new Scottish steam possibilities; GWR steam railmotor No. 93 runs solo on Brentford branch; LMS ‘Black Fives’ on Guston Tunnel bank; A1 Tornado and new P2 Prince of Wales together at Darlington Locomotive Works for first time and GBRailfreight operates railtours.

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Main Line Tours

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Railwayana

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Steam and heritage diesel railtours.

Auction news and events.

50 years on – we are so lucky

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With Full Regulator

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In October 1964, No. 60009 Union of South Africa hauled BR’s last steam train out of King’s Cross, yet 50 years later the same engine hauled a railtour from King’s Cross to Newcastle. Maurice Burns, who saw both trains at the same locations, reflects on the renaissance of main line steam in the last half century.

No. 60009’s performance compared with 50 years ago by Don Benn.

Scale Heritage Railway 76 ‘Brighton Belle’ in N gauge!

Platform

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Up & Running

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Where your views matter most.

Museums and heritage lines.

The Month Ahead

Upcoming galas and events.

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CONTENTS: In a scene rarely photographed and taken with the landowner’s permission, WR 4-6-0 No. 7827 LydhamManor crosses Maypool viaduct on the climb out of Kingswear with a Neil Cave photo charter on the Dartmouth Steam Railway on November 4.

ROBERT FALCONER COVER: WR 4-6-0 No. 7827 LydhamManor passes Saltern Cove with a Neil Cave photo charter on the Dartmouth Steam Railway on November 4. JOHN WHITELEY

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Edward Sholto – a unique locomotive

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Andrew Neale reports on the threeand-a-half years of painstaking restoration to working condition, with the help of a team of eight friends led by Martyn Ashworth, of the 1909 Penrhyn Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST Edward Sholto which he had repatriated from the US in June 2006.

Sheds of differences

A visit to a locomotive shed was always a treat in real steam days and remained so in the early years of the heritage era. It is often harder to gain access to the sheds on preserved lines now than it was on BR in the 1960s, but as Peter Brown reveals, the policy varies widely from one railway to another.

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Daggers drawn

A well-known railway society used to use the symbol of a dagger against a locomotive number to signify ‘class extinct’ when reporting the monthly engine withdrawals in the 1960s. While the demise of the Duchesses has received suitable attention, J Crosse recalls how the dagger symbol appeared several more times towards the end of 1964.

Heritage Railway 5

NEWS

Scot from St Pancras

By Brian Sharpe

THERE can be no doubt the public likes to ride behind the right engine on the right line, and we have become used to Kings out of Paddington, Bulleids out of Waterloo and Duchesses not only over Shap but even out of Euston.

St Pancras, however, has been something of a no-go area for steam... for even though there has been some steam, there has been nothing ‘authentic’, not even a Jubilee, out of the terminus since the early 1960s.

While the Midland Main Line was always regarded as Jubilee territory, Royal Scots were certainly not unknown, so when West Coast’s No. 46115 Scots Guardsman was advertised by the Railway Touring Company as motive power for a run from St Pancras to Lincoln, the enthusiasts took notice.

Four of the class worked St Pancras – Nottingham expresses at the end of the steam era, and the November 9 ‘Robin Hood’ took the same route – via Corby and Harringworth viaduct, as far as Melton Mowbray, from where the Nottingham direct line was closed to passengers in 1966.

No. 46115 ran via Syston and Loughborough to arrive in Nottingham facing east, then through uncharted territory for the class, along the Midland route to Lincoln. The return was by a rather shorter route, down Stoke bank and into King’s Cross.

No. 46115 ScotsGuardsman awaits departure from St Pancras. BRIAN SHARPE

No. 46115 accelerates away from a water stop at Melton Mowbray, just before the one-time junction for the Nottingham line via Old Dalby. JOHN WHITEHOUSE

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Just north of Harringworth viaduct, on a recently rebuilt section of embankment, ScotsGuardsman approaches Morcott. ANDREW BELL

ScotsGuardsman on arrival at Lincoln. BRIAN SHARPE

The Royal Scot departs from Peterborough. BRIAN SHARPE

Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

Heritage Railway 13

NEWS

Corwen welcomes steam back

By Robin Jones

PASSENGER trains returned to Corwen on October 22, as the Llangollen Railway ran three specials into its temporary terminus to the east of the town.

The first two trains of the day to Dwyrain Corwen East gave an opportunity for supporters of the Corwen extension appeal and volunteers to celebrate another major milestone in the UK heritage railway portfolio.

The first train, with GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802 leading and ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45337 on the back, arrived on time at 11.35am, having run nonstop from Llangollen.

A large crowd of townsfolk were on hand to welcome the train at the end of the 2.2-mile extension, and the regional media gave the occasion extensive coverage. After a 10-minute stopover, the train reversed out, as will be the case with the temporary terminus where there is insufficient room for a

run-round loop to be installed.

No. 45337 headed the second train into the platform after No. 3802 had detached at Carrog, and the third train saw No. 3802 on the front for the final run.

Many older residents recalled the last days of trains in Corwen nearly 50 years ago and others recalled their childhood school trains to Bala.

Longtime trust member Jimmy Campbell, 88, who was on the first special train, said: “I’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time. It is wonderful.”

Former trust chairman and vicepresident Bill Shakespeare said: “Many people said it would be impossible to rebuild the line from Llangollen to Corwen. We proved the doubters wrong.”

The topping and tailing of the fivecoach train was specially arranged for this opening day, but showed how uneconomic such an operation would be for normal day-to-day running in the medium-to-longer term.

The first daily timetabled service, which began in the half-term week starting on October 27, was hauled by one engine. Local Welsh Assembly member Ken Skates, deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, boarded the first public train that day.

In the absence of a run-round loop at the temporary terminus, the train was propelled back to Carrog under the control of a driver in the PCV (Propelling Control Vehicle) at the rear of the train.

The corridor connection has a viewing window and allows the second driver to

“This project has been a great challenge, but its completion a great achievement for all those involved in the many aspects of its construction.”

view the track and use the brake setter while in radio contact with the locomotive footplate crew – driver and fireman – and can operate a warning two-tone horn for crossings and other occurrences.

The new operating arrangement means that without a run-round loop at Corwen East, the train stands there for just seven or eight minutes before reversing out and an extended 16-minute stop is necessary at Carrog.

Imbalanced

Therefore the outward and inward legs of the journey are imbalanced in their durations. Passengers will need to get used to the fact that there is no longer a half-hour layover at the western terminus.

The four-coach trains were extremely busy during the half term, with passenger numbers exceeding expectations. The brief season of Corwen trains ended with remembrance weekend trains on November 8-9. After that, the next

Gwili extension set to open in the spring THE Gwili Railway is to begin public services on its southern extension towards Carmarthen in the spring, it has been announced.

The 1¾-mile extension from Bronwydd Arms will extend passenger services to the new station at Abergwili alongside the main A40, giving the heritage line a far bigger visible public presence than ever before.

The official opening of the extension is set to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the last passenger train over the GWR route from Aberystwyth to Carmarthen on February 20, 1965.

Part of the line was retained for milk

GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802 leads the first of three five-coach specials into Dwyrain Corwen East on October 22. GEORGE JONES

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traffic until September 1973 but was lifted in 1977.

More than £300,000 has been spent on the three-year extension project including funds from CWM Environmental Carmarthenshire Council Rural Development Fund and County Collaboration Fund.

The railway estimates that the opening of the extension will attract 30,000 passengers next year. The new line passes the Gwili Falls, where the Afon Gwili tumbles over rocky outcrops. As with the Llangollen Railway’s Corwen extension, traders and shopkeepers in Carmarthen have welcomed the extension as a major boost to local tourism.

The rear of the Propelling Control Vehicle allows public services returning from Dwyrain Corwen East to be propelled. GEORGE JONES Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

after 50 years public services to Corwen will be postChristmas mince pie specials from Boxing Day. A formal opening ceremony for Dwyrain Corwen East is planned for St David’s Day, March 1, by which time the platform fitting out and supporting facilities will be complete in time for the full 2015 season.

Run-round of the locomotive will take place at Carrog and the timetable reflects this operation.

Llangollen Railway Trust spokesman George Jones said: “This project has been a great challenge, but its completion is a great achievement for all those involved in the many aspects of its construction. The further challenge is to tackle Phase 2 and build the proper terminus nearer to the town centre.”

The project saw teams of volunteers and contractors clear miles of trackbed, lay 400 rails, 5280 sleepers and more than 4000 tons of ballast.

However, as it stands, Dwyrain Corwen East station, which largely

comprises scaffolding, has planning permission for just two years.

From there to the proposed Phase 2 site in Corwen itself is another 400 yards by rail, or a walk of between five and seven minutes using footpaths.

However, the final quarter-mile has two major expensive hurdles to overcome.

The first is the provision of a road to allow Welsh Water access to the Corwen sewage works. A level crossing or underpass have already been ruled out. The problem here is compounded by the fact that the final length of trackbed into the town centre lies on the flood plain of the River Dee, the most regulated river in Europe as far as flood prevention measures are concerned.

Beeching Axe

Indeed, under BR, Corwen station was scheduled to close to passengers under the Beeching Axe on January 18, 1965, but closed prematurely on Monday, December 14, 1964, because of flood damage to the west.

A tanker vehicle exiting the sewage farm over the track that Welsh Water pushed through the railway embankment east of Corwen. The reinstatement of the railway here would need the land bringing back up to grade level over a length of perhaps 30ft and depth of 5ft. Welsh Water has agreed to give up this access if an alternative route is provided which means the likelihood of bringing a road through from the other side of the embankment. Such a route would cut through the remains of the former LNWR Ruthin line embankment which formed a junction with the GWR line.

GEORGE JONES Secondly, the embankment leading to the new station site has to be widened to create space for a runround loop amid limited space. One suggestion yet to be investigated is the provision of an island platform station to make the best use of available space.

It has been estimated that the final push into Corwen will cost well in excess of £1 million. Denbighshire County Council has appointed consultants to investigate with a view to recommending the Phase 2 project for grant aid, of which some further European Objective One funding for Wales may be sourced.

Extended run

At present, the railway offers an extended run of nearly 10 miles, but only to what is in effect the outskirts of Corwen. It is a not dissimilar situation to the North Norfolk Railway where the Holt terminus is half a mile from the town or the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway where the Welshpool (Raven Square) modern-day terminus is on the western side of the built-up area, well away from the town centre shops.

Although the Corwen Appeal raised more than £280,000, the costs of the project have exceeded the available funding and so it remains open for further contributions.

‘Black Five’ No. 45337 arrives at Dwyrain Corwen East on October 22. GEORGE JONES Above: Back after nearly half a century: GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802 hauls first special into Dwyrain Corwen East on October 22. NEVILLE WELLINGS Left: The second first-day five-coach special on October 22 was headed by ‘Black Five’ No. 45337 with GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802 on the rear.

NEVILLE WELLINGS Below: Welsh Assembly member Ken Skates with the headboard for the first public train.

GEORGE JONES

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Heritage Railway 21

MAIN LINE NEWS

COMPILED BY CEDRIC JOHNS

Ferryhill shed: a turning point in Scottish steam?

ABERDEEN-based Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust has reached an agreement with Network Rail could provide a turning point in the future of Scottish steam.

The agreement will enable members to repair the turntable at the former Ferryhill shed.

When the table is made serviceable, it will open up the possibility of crossborder excursions, say between YorkEdinburgh-Aberdeen, or day trips running in the opposite direction.

It could also play an important role in allowing tours such as the ‘Great Britain’ and the ‘Cathedrals Explorer’ to be rescheduled for the benefit of touring passengers.

Evening carols at Chester

CONSIDERING that the majority of rail tours are timed to make early- to mid-morning departures, Vintage Trains has taken the unusual step of arranging an early-afternoon start for one of its trips.

The train, ‘Chester Carols’, the last of three Vintage Trains’ excursions slated for December, sets out from Tyseley Warwick Road at a very civilised time of 2pm behind Great Western 4-6-0 No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall, arriving at Chester at 5.30pm, Friday, December 19.

Calling at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe, the key to this trip is a private carol service for passengers, which will take place in Chester Cathedral later that evening at 7pm, hence the mid-afternoon departure.

Transport and admission to the cathedral is included in the train fare.

Shopping opportunities

Rood Ashton Hall also provides the motive power for Vintage Trains’ trip to Lincoln on Saturday, December 6.

This is one of those popular ‘shopping opportunities’ rail tour promoters specialise in during the build-up to Christmas; this one centres on the city’s famous Christmas market.

Departing Tyseley Warwick Road, the ‘shopper’ stops at Coleshill, Tamworth, Burton-onTrent and Derby before striking out across Lincolnshire.

GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe – complete with water carrier – heads Vintage Trains’ ‘Christmas White Rose’ from Tyseley to York on Saturday, December 13, picking up at Coleshill, Tamworth, Burton-on-Trent and Derby.

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Day trips around Scotland? The scope of the new facility would be almost endless and would ideally suit John Cameron ‘Scottish’ engines A4 No. 60009 Union of South Africa and K4 No. 61994 The Great Marquess plus visiting engines from Bo’ness, Fort William and others from south of the border.

That of course is all for the future, as trust secretary David Clucas said: “That’s the motivation behind the agreement so Aberdeen can become a destination for locomotives.

“Now we have a lease with Network Rail and once we get ourselves organised we will get the turntable repaired.”

Easier said than done, of course.

The trust is hoping to raise £100,000 to help restore the grade A listed turntable and using the existing shed building develop the site into a heritage visitor centre similar to that created at Yeovil Junction.

The trust is hoping to raise money through donations and grants especially Historic Scotland which has said that the project is one that could merit funding.

There have also been discussions with the Railway Heritage Trust, Network Rail’s charitable arm which has made a significant promise to contribute.

Parallel to work on the turntable –

hopefully starting early in the new year – the construction of the new Gresley P2 2-8-2 is gathering momentum at Darlington.

When completed, No. 2007 Prince of Wales will be an obvious choice of visitor, working trains over the very Edinburgh-Aberdeen route the original class was built for, a fact that A1 Steam Locomotive Trust chairman Mark Allatt has readily acknowledged.

As an added incentive Dutch rail operator Abellio has said that it has plans to operate steam-hauled charters over eight routes in the north of Scotland when it takes over the ScotRail franchise in April.

Tornado and P2 together at Darlington SINCE being taken out of traffic for overhaul, Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado – minus its boiler – has been taken to Darlington works for the first time since the locomotive was completed in August 2008.

Tornado will be at Darlington Locomotive Works until May, undergoing its intermediate overhaul having completed 80,000 miles over the past six years.

The initial dismantling and a boiler lift, took place at Barrow Hill during The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s annual convention on October 4. The boiler was taken by road to its German manufacturer, DB Meiningen the following day. The frames were taken to Darlington on October 27 and the tender will follow in the new year.

While in Germany, the boiler will be given a full inspection including the removal of all tubes. As a precaution the firebox foundation ring corners are to be renewed and a significant number of stays replaced.

Work on the boiler is currently under way and is due to be completed to meet an expected delivery date of late January.

Above: Side by side: the frames of A1 No. 60163 Tornado and P2 No. 2007 Princeof Wales inside Darlington Locomotive Works. A1SLT Left: Tornado’s boiler leaving Barrow Hill for Germany. A1SLT

Non-destructive testing

While at Darlington, work on the 4-6-2’s frames will include resetting horn blocks and axlebox clearances, the work requiring the removal of the six coupled wheels, plus a thorough inspection of the frames using nondestructive testing methods to check for cracks.

In addition, all bolted and riveted joints will be given a thorough examination and improvements made to pipework.

At Darlington, the frames of Tornado are next to those of the new Gresley P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales.

It is the first time ever that a Peppercorn A1 and a P2 ‘Mikado’ have sat side by side. The last P2 was rebuilt from a 2-8-2 to a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement A2 Pacific in 1944, four years before the first Peppercorn

A1 was completed.

It is planned to reassemble the A1 during February-March and following steaming, repainting the engine in its new livery of apple green, the same that it carried when named by Prince Charles in 2009.

Tornado’s tender will receive a general inspection, clean out and if necessary repairs to the tank as well as possibly preliminary work for the fitting of ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) apparatus, which starts to come into use in 2016.

A1 Trust chairman Mark Allatt said: “It has been six years of hard work on the national network and heritage lines throughout the UK.

“In that time Tornado has hauled the Royal Train on three occasions, starred in BBC’s Top Gear Race to the North television feature and brought a smile to thousands of onlookers.

“The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust would like to thank all of its supporters for their ongoing generosity.”

Members of the public can see Tornado under overhaul and Prince of Wales under construction. Darlington Locomotive Works is open from 11am to 4pm on the third Saturday each month.

For more information

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LMS Jubilee No. 45699 Galatea passes Gallansay with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ on October 4. DAVID PRICE

RTC to repeat winter Cumbrian trips

THE Railway Touring Company will be repeating its ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ programme in the new year.

Based on what has obviously become a successful formula, the ‘CMEs’ follow a well-established pattern of Class 86 electric traction – locomotive No. 86259 Les Ross from Euston down the West Coast Main Line to Crewe, steam in the shape of either 4-6-0 No. 46115 Scots Guardsman or BR 7P 4-6-2 No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell taking over for the reminder of the trip via Shap to Carlisle.

Returning by way of the Settle and Carlisle line, the ‘Express’ stops at Appleby for water then tackles the rising gradients to Ais Gill before dropping to Hellifield for more water.

After Hellifield, the ‘Express’ runs on via Clitheroe and Blackburn where passengers for Preston change, the train continuing through Wigan and Warrington to Crewe.

On arrival, steam gives way to the Class 86 for the run back home to London setting down at Nuneaton and Rugby, for service trains to Northampton-Milton Keynes and Watford Junction.

Doubleheaded Jubilees

However, the first winter ‘CME’ will start from Manchester Victoria, as a one-off train departing Victoria on Saturday, January 24, calling at Bolton for Preston,

Blackburn and Crewe.

Motive power is listed as a pair of Jubilees, No. 45690 Leander and No. 45699 Galatea, the two 4-6-0s double heading over the Cumbrian Fells via Carnforth (water stop), Grayrigg and Shap to Carlisle.

Returning via the Settle and Carlisle Line with a water stop at Appleby, the ‘Express’ continues following the same route as the London trains, taking water this time at Settle before heading on and setting down at Blackburn, climbing up and through Sough Tunnel then descending for the Bolton stop thence back to Manchester Victoria.

Dates for the Euston departures are January 31, February 7, 14, 21 and 28, and March 21 and 28.

RTC has arranged an alternative choice of route on Saturday, March 14, with its ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ which follows the basics of the winter ‘CMEs’ by departing Euston behind the Class 86 electric. On arrival at Carnforth steam comes on in the form of Scots Guardsman or Oliver Cromwell, for a trip round Morecambe Bay, the Cumbrian Coast, Whitehaven and Workington where water will be taken before proceeding to Carlisle.

On the return journey the train heads south up Shap, and through the Lune Gorge to Carnforth where the 86 takes over.

GBRf works diesel railtour charters

WELL known as a major freight operating company, it may come as a surprise to learn that Train Operating Company GB Railfreight Limited is working railtour charter traffic on the national network.

This year, GBRf has hired passenger rolling stock and run in-house staff excursions to Great Yarmouth, London, Bournemouth. Bristol and Minehead.

Business, infrastructure and rail industry manager, Paul Taylor, said that the objective of these trains was to give staff and families a good day out.

Breakfast and dinner are provided on the trips which are designed to say ‘thank you’ for the long and unsociable hours often worked by staff for the freight company.

Western Champion

GBRf uses a variety of diesel locomotives for the trips, highlighted by the Minehead excursion which, starting from Chester, calling at Crewe, Wolverhampton and New Street, was worked throughout by Class 52 D1015 Western Champion. In recent years, GBRf has run trains for UK Railtours – including assistance with trips using East Midlands HSTs – and the odd outing for Pathfinder Tours.

“Where trains have gone off East Midlands’ normal areas of operations we have worked ‘off patch’ legs of the tours on our safety certificate and with our drivers acting as pilots,” said Paul.

GBRf also runs trips with Hastings DMU No.1001. This year the unit

visited Crewe and Clacton and in the past, GBRf has organised runs to York and the Forest of Dean.

“We’ve run several charity trains to support charities – like Help for Heroes and Age UK – chosen by our staff,” he added. “Our crews and managers are willing to give their time free to organise and run these trains.”

Provided free

“We always find that other rail industry companies will help too. Network Rail and passenger operators waive their fees and we have used the Hastings DMU and Abellio Class 317s, the stock being provided free.

“At present we only run a few ‘commercial’ charters a year as it has not been a core target for the business at weekends when most charters run – we are fairly concentrated on engineering trains for Network Rail.”

Paul said that GBRf would like to increase the number of charter trains it runs each year. Discussions are taking place with two rail tour promoters to about a small series of trains for next year and to pinpoint how their needs can be met.

Paul said: “It is a case of little by little.

Each request is carefully considered.

We don’t want to accept a train then have to cancel it nearer the time because of insufficient crews being available.”

When asked about steam he replied by saying: “Not at the present but never say never!”

Heritage Railway 59

1964 REMEMBERED

DAGGERSDRAWN By virtue of being consigned to Dai Woodham’s yard at Barry, No. 5322 avoided the cutter’s torch and was a relatively early preservation subject, going to a good home at the GWS Didcot site. Here it carries GWR green following its first restoration, it more recently being seen in ROD khaki and BR black. Colourrail.Com 106473a

a well-known railway society used to use the symbol of a dagger against a locomotive number to signify ‘class extinct’ when reporting the monthly engine withdrawals in its house magazine during the 1960s. While the demise of the Duchesses in September 1964 has received suitable attention, J Crosse recalls how the dagger symbol appeared several more times 50 years ago towards the end of 1964.

T

he arrival of the monthly railway magazines in the steam era was eagerly awaited, being the only source of information on what was happening on the national system. Of particular interest were the reallocations – listed region by region – as the arrival of a locomotive from distant parts at a nearby shed meant that more attention had to be paid to the local scene in order to spot the newcomer.

However, as the months passed and the demise of steam grew ever closer, the size of the column of reallocations was overtaken by the lists of withdrawn engines. Of course, withdrawal did not always mean the early demise of such machines and, especially towards the end of steam, if a ‘wanted’ loco appeared in the withdrawals list, there was a chance that a visit to the relevant shed might find the engine in question rusting peacefully at the end of an external shed road.

The dagger symbol of course was used regardless of whether it was the extinction of a class of one engine or 500 engines, and at the end of 1964 it did indeed refer to classes large and small.

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In August, the dagger appeared in the Southern Region column to herald the demise of the W class 2-6-4Ts, one of the lesser known classes but also one of relatively recent build to be consigned to the scrapyard.

They were based on the Maunsell-designed N1 2-6-0s and were built specially to work the Southern Railway heavy inter-yard exchange freights. An initial order was placed for five engines and these, numbered 1911-5, were built at Eastleigh, being delivered in January and February 1932. A further build of 10 (19161925) took place at Ashford with entry to service taking 12 months starting in April 1935. Thus most of the class were less than 30 years old when withdrawn as BR numbered 31911-31925.

Trialled on passenger duties

When new, the engines were allocated to Battersea, Hither Green and Norwood depots and were confined to freight duties. However, in 1948, No. 31918 was trialled on passenger duties at the same time that an LMS 2-6-4T was evaluated by the Southern Region.

As their traditional work dried up and diesels also encroached on their duties, they were

occasionally found on ECS duties around London before a small number of the class moved to Eastleigh in 1961 and also to Exmouth Junction in 1962 to displace Z class 0-8-0Ts on Exeter St Davids-Exeter Central banking duties.

However, these did not survive beyond mid1963 and it was No. 31924, based at Feltham, that brought down the curtain on this class.

None had the good fortune to make it into the heritage railway era.

A good railway quiz question might be: “In addition to the ‘Duchesses’, what class of engine became extinct in September 1964?” The omission of the word ‘steam’ in the question might give a clue to the fact that the answer is the NER ES1 electrics Nos. 26500/1. These machines were built specifically to work the branch from Manors Trafalgar Yard in Newcastle to the quayside, the line being a particular challenge for steam engines due to the gradient of 1-in-27 combined with three tunnels, leading to atrocious conditions for the footplate crews.

A contract was signed in 1902 with British Thomson-Houston to build the two engines although operations did not start until 1905.

NER J72 0-6-0T No. 68736 performs station pilot duties at York where it was shedded fromDecember 1958 until July 1961. It then moved to Gateshead and was condemned in October 1963. Both sheds replaced their J72s with Class 03 diesel shunters for pilot duties. P HugHes/COlOurrail.COm 311152

Originally numbered 1 and 2, in due course the LNER changed them to 6480/1 and BR to 26500/1. While they were retired at the end of February 1964 when replaced by diesel traction, official withdrawal did not take place until September. They remained at South Gosforth until January 1965 before being moved to Hellifield for storage; No. 26501 went for scrap in April 1966 but No. 26500 then moved to the AEI works at Rugby before going on display at Leicester Museum in 1968. However, that closed in 1975 and No. 26500 found a new home at the National Railway Museum.

It is uncertain if the next dagger qualifies to upset the quiz question or not, as in accounting period ‘10/64’ the last S&D 2-8-0, No. 53807, also came out of service. The 10/64 period ran from September until October 3.

Popular with enthusiasts

Much has been written about these engines and their activities between Bath and Bournemouth over the years, although it should be noted that they also worked freights out of Bath towards Birmingham. But it was their use on summer Saturday holiday traffic in their later years that seems to have made them popular with enthusiasts.

While the S&D was a joint line between the LSWR and Midland Railways, the Midland had been responsible for the provision of motive power. The first six of the class, numbered 8085, entered service in 1914 with a further five (86-90) joining the fleet in 1925. This later batch had larger boilers than the first six although these were replaced with the small version between 1930 and 1955. The first batch were also right-hand drive engines but the later five had left-hand drive.

When the S&D fleet was absorbed into the LMS, the engines were numbered 9670-9680 and subsequently renumbered 13800-10 and then in 1948 they became the familiar 53800-10.

No. 53800 was the first of the class to be

A rare view of a 93XX in colour – No. 9309 works a westbound freight near Twyford in April 1956 and was a Reading engine at the time. It was renumbered 7331 in May 1959 and was withdrawn in September 1962.

T Owen/COlOurrail.COm Brw2429

condemned in 1958 with the others of the 1914 batch following in the next four years. No. 53810 succumbed in 1963 and Nos. 53806-9 were all withdrawn in 1964. Despite being the last of the class, 5No. 3807 did not survive, but of course Nos. 53808/9 did by virtue of the fact that they were consigned to Woodham’s yard at Barry.

So far the dreaded dagger has fallen upon relatively small classes but the next, wielded by the North Eastern Region, marked the withdrawal from capital stock of the last NER J72 0-6-0Ts. Note the ‘capital stock’ as the class lived on a little longer in departmental stock.

The J72s were an unusual class in as much as the design dated from 1898, with most members of the class being built between then and 1925.

After a break of 24 years, production restarted in 1949 with 28 examples built by BR, the last not emerging from Darlington works until May 1951. The design, by Wilson Worsdell, originated as NER class E1 and was, of course, intended for light shunting and station pilot duties.

New number series

When built, they were numbered in a range of series but the LNER brought all of the existing stock into the block 8670-8754 of which 20 were built in 1898/9, a further 20 in 1914, 10 in 1920, 25 in 1922 and the remainder in 1925. These became BR numbers 68670-68754. The BR build used the new number series of 69001-28.

Heritage Railway 79