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UNUSUAL FACETS OF FAR NORTH LINE OPERATIONS

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EIGHT-COUPLED TANK ENGINES AROUND NEWPORT IN FULL 2022

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earth, wind, fire and water vs the engine shed

BLITZ DAMAGE AND REPAIR ON THE LMS

THOMPSON’S LONE ‘A1/1’ GREAT NORTHERN

No 388

Cover: Rounding the curve after passing through Llanhilleth in the Ebbw Vale, Newport (Ebbw Junction)-allocated Collett ‘5205’ class 2-8-0T No 5236 is about to pass Aberbeeg South signal box as it restarts a loaded train of ingots from Llanwern through to Ebbw Vale steel works on 22 October 1962. Note the water column just passed on the up relief road, and perhaps a changeover of crew, or at least a concluded chat.

W Potter/Kidderminster Railway Museum

December 2021

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Trains of thought

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Thompson ‘A1/1’ Pacific Great Northern Few locomotives have been as controversial as Thompson’s first 6ft 8in Pacific – Roger Haigh looks at the facts and the fiction.

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The LMS Civil Engineer’s Department in wartime, May 1940 to May 1945 Beyond the period of preparation for conflict undertaken up to and during the ‘Phoney War’, Frederick Rogers describes how LMS operations kept running during the Blitz thanks to the extraordinary work of the company’s civil engineers.

53Rhondda’s TVR engine sheds and their duties, Part One: Treherbert

At the extremity of the Travelling Post Office network with the ‘Highland TPO Down’ service, Stanier ‘Black Five’ No 45090 takes water at Helmsdale on 24 June 1959.

A N H Glover/Kidderminster Railway Museum

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D K Jones offering an introductory overview before turning the spotlight on the largest of the four ex-Taff Vale Railway sheds.

EDITORIAL & DESIGN Rex Kennedy, Andrew Kennedy, Andrew Wilson, Roger Smith and Ian Kennedy 64 Littledown Drive, Bournemouth BH7 7AH 01202 304849 red.gauntlett@gmail.com ADVERTISING Craig Amess 01507 529537 camess@mortons.co.uk Fiona Leak 01507 529573 fleak@mortons.co.uk Group advertising manager: Sue Keily skeily@mortons.co.uk Publisher: Tim Hartley Publishing director: Dan Savage CUSTOMER SERVICES General Queries & Back Issues 01507 529529 Monday-Friday 8.30am-5pm Answerphone 24H help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk

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STEAM DAYS in Colour 204: GWR eight-coupled tank engines around Newport The Newport District saw the use of Churchward ‘4200’ 2-8-0Ts and their Collett ‘5205’ 2-8-0T and ‘7200’ 2-8-2T cousins through to the mid-1960s on a surprising variety of heavy goods work, both on the South Wales main line and into and across the valleys.

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Earth, wind, fire and water vs the engine shed Roger Griffiths and Jim Lindsay track some engine shed calamities when structures fell foul of the elements.

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Unusual facets of operations on the Far North line since the Grouping With a length of 161½ miles through often sparsely-populated land, and with multiple branches, John Macnab and Eric Stuart shine a spotlight of some of the lesser-known activities of Britain’s most northerly railway.

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Tail Lamp – readers’ letters

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TRAINS of thought

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Next month...

The Hastings line – Playground of the ‘Schools’ Corris Railway No 4 – The first hundred years The locomotives of Kittybrewster shed Going cross-country to Grantham, 1958-1962 LMS top-link locomotives now preserved – in full colour On sale Thursday, 16 December 2021

ver the years, from the mid- to late-1940s until the end of British Railways steam, I spent many happy hours in South Wales. I was always fascinated by the variety of steam locomotive classes that could be seen on shed and working in the valleys, and on main line workings west of the Severn Tunnel to and from Swansea and beyond.

Fortunately, trains from Worcester, my hometown, to South Wales were quite frequent, and if I felt a little more energetic, my bicycle would be used to get me to Newport and the Eastern Valleys if I started out around 7am, but I would be very late getting home.

In this issue of Steam Days our all-colour feature covers the ‘4200’ and ‘5205’ classes of 2-8-0T and also the ‘7200’ class 2-8-2Ts. We concentrate on those that could be seen in the Newport District. When I first started visiting South Wales, records show that in 1947 there were 16 of each of the ‘4200’ and ‘5205’ classes of 2-8-0T, and nine ‘7200’ class 2-8-2Ts allocated to Newport (Ebbw Junction) shed, together with a variety of other tank engines and 2-8-0s, ‘Saint’ No 2979 Quentin Durward), ‘Halls’ Nos 4941, 6926 and 6927, and four ‘Granges’, this made up the depot’s 140-strong allocation at that time, making this double-roundhouse depot well worth a visit. Sadly, I never managed to get round Newport’s other depot – Newport Pill – during all my visits to this important freight centre.

By 1950 all the ‘4200’ and ‘5205’ class engines were still allocated to Welsh engine sheds, subsequently, into the 1950s and beyond, the ‘4200’/‘5205’ 2-8-0Ts and the ‘7200’ 2-8-2Ts were scattered throughout the former GWR system, including 2-8-0Ts working china clay trains in Cornwall. My home depot of Worcester even acquired an allocation – Nos 7222, 7236, 7240 and 7248 by 1950. In 1958 No 7235 was tried out on banking duties over the Lickey incline but proved unsuitable due to there not being enough platform clearance at Bromsgrove at the foot of the incline.

The ‘4200’ class 2-8-0Ts were originally built to haul short but heavy coal trains in South Wales from the pits to the port, mainly from the Eastern Valleys and in the Cardiff Division.

However, in the years of depression (circa 1934) the coal traffic decreased, reducing the need for as many 2-8-0Ts, so to increase their usefulness, 54 of the 2-8-0Ts were rebuilt between 1934 and 1939 to 2-8-2T. C B Collett added a pair of trailing wheels to allow extended bunkers to be fitted and created the ‘7200’ class. The increased coal capacity of 6 tons allowed longer distances to be covered, and during the first ten years in service the ‘7200s’ were regularly employed on long coal trains from South Wales through to London and Exeter, and on other varying duties with some long distances still covered into BR days, such as to Salisbury.

My days witnessing these three classes of tank engine were very special to me as they were fine workhorses. Enjoy your read and your own special memories of places you visited in the days of steam – memories that remain forever.

Steam Days Magazine Wearing an 85A (Worcester) shedplate, the first of the Collett ‘5205’ class, the more powerful variant of the GWR 2-8-0Ts, is seen at the head of a down goods duty in the east goods loop at Stratford-on-Avon on 3 August 1963. Transferred from Newport (Ebbw Junction) shed in January 1962, No 5205 would see out its career as a Worcester engine, its withdrawal coming in November 1963. John Jennings/Britton Collection

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Thompson ‘A1/1’ Pacific Great Northern

Few locomotives have been as controversial as Thompson’s first 6ft 8in Pacific – Roger Haigh looks at the facts and the fiction.

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he design of a Pacific has always been regarded as the acme of a chief mechanical engineer’s career, yet the CME did little more than outline the parameters he wanted and it was his chief draughtsman and the drawing office staff who worked up the details and turned them into a locomotive. Four Pacifics never went beyond the prototype stage, Churchward’s No 111 The Great Bear, Stanier’s ‘Turbomotive’ No 6202, which was rebuilt as the hybrid ‘Princess Royal’/‘Coronation’ No 46202 Princess Anne, Thompson’s ‘A1/1’ No 4470 Great Northern, and Riddles’ British Railways Standard No 71000 Duke of Gloucester, which replaced No 46202 after it was severely damaged at the Harrow & Wealdstone accident on 8 October 1952. Of this quartet, Great Northern has always been regarded as a pariah having for accounting purposes been regarded as a rebuild of Gresley’s first GNR Pacific, No 1470 Great Northern. At the same time Thompson has been vilified for what some, who should have known better, regarded as the desecration of that locomotive, and yet Collett on the GWR received little more than raised eyebrows at his rebuilding of Churchward’s iconic Pacific The Great Bear as a ‘Castle’ class 4-6-0.

Gresley became chief mechanical engineer of the GNR in 1911 after the retirement of Henry Ivatt, and was appointed CME of the newly created London & North Eastern Railway in 1923, a post he held until his death on 5 April 1941. His health had been failing for a number of years, principally heart problems that led to a decline in his mobility and the probable onset of vascular dementia.

In 1938, when another European war against DECEMBER 2021

Pausing at York on Sunday, 29 August 1954, Edward Thompson’s one-off ‘A1/1’ Pacific No 60113 Great Northern prepares to depart with an express for Newcastle. Although more usual to find No 60113 working south of York – appropriately this Pacific spent the majority of its useful working life on the ex-Great Northern Railway main line south of Doncaster – at holiday periods, particularly when traffic was heavy, Great Northern could be pressed into service further north. As No 60113 never ran with a corridor tender, it remains a matter of conjecture as to how it would have handled the non-stop expresses, despite its known economy and power. Transport Treasury

Germany seemed inevitable, Thompson had moved back to Doncaster as Gresley’s deputy, a move that made the best use of his skills as a practical production engineer. Unfortunately, Thompson was only five years younger than Gresley when he was promoted to the position of CME. He was hampered by the need to turn much of the production capacity of the LNER’s main works over to wartime work. New designs, unless heavy freight or mixed traffic types, were impossible under wartime regulations but rebuilds were possible, providing sufficient parts were recycled.

The emergence of the first two-cylinder ‘B1’ class 4-6-0, No 8301 Springbok in December 1942, was to all intents and purposes a 6ft 2in Gresley ‘B17’ with the boiler pressed to 225psi and without the complication of a third cylinder. At long last the LNER had an equivalent of the GWR ‘Hall’ and LMS ‘Black Five’ mixed traffic 4-6-0s, and 410 examples would be built.

Equally pressing was the need to sort out the Gresley ‘P2’ 2-8-2s with their very low availability, huge appetite for coal and the alarming propensity of the crank axles to fracture due to metal fatigue. Along with Doncaster’s mechanical engineer Robert Thom and his team, Thompson set about rebuilding ‘P2’ No 2005 Thane of Fife, which had the poorest availability, with a new front end. The three-cylinder layout was retained but without the Gresley ‘2-to-1’ conjugated valve gear, which although theoretically correct was subject to rapid wear of the pins.

The decision to retain the ‘P2’ connecting rods caused the distance between the rear front bogie wheel and leading coupled wheel to increase to 8ft 2in, compared to the 5ft 6in www.steamdaysmag.co.uk

of the ‘A3’. Apart from looking somewhat ungainly, the lengthened steam pipes quickly became difficult to keep steam tight, while the main frames were prone to flexing ahead of the outside cylinders. Nevertheless, availability rose to an acceptable level and so all the ‘P2s’ were rebuilt along the lines of No 2005.

The next stage in the evolution of the Thompson Pacific came in 1944 when the last four Gresley ‘V2’ 2-6-2s, Nos 3696-99, were modified as Pacifics but retaining the ‘V2’ boiler. The front end was the same as that used on the converted ‘P2s’ but with the cylinders fitted with liners, reducing the diameter to 19in. Interestingly, the quartet initially retained the ‘V2’ Group Standard sixwheel tender.

Having explored the concept of the 6ft 2in Pacific, Thompson moved on to the 6ft 8in Pacific and a post-war replacement of the ‘A1’/‘A3’/‘A4’ classes. The ‘A4s’ had proved equally at home hauling 700/800 ton trains at up to 70mph, with the ‘A3s’ also proving their worth. The original Gresley ‘A1s’ that were still running with 180psi boilers were due for fitting with new front three-quarter frames and boilers pressed to 220psi, and by 1944 only 18 remained to be converted, one of which was Gresley’s first GNR Pacific, No 1470 (4470) Great Northern. Unable to build a new 6ft 8in Pacific because of wartime constraints, Thompson opted to rebuild one of the ‘A1s’ as the prototype of his new Pacific.

By this date Great Northern was by far the poorest of the ‘A1s’ – it had the lowest availability and had received five general repairs between May 1939 and December 1943. No 4470 had been called into Doncaster 7

Works on 1 May 1945, by which time Thompson had asked G A Musgrave, his locomotive superintendent, to choose a locomotive from the remaining ‘A1s’ for rebuilding. Musgrave had no hesitation in nominating No 4470 as it was the oldest of the class, would have needed the most work, and was already in the works. Thompson accepted the decision without giving a second thought to the sentiment and historical significance of the locomotive. This was something that Churchward was guilty of when ordering the scrapping of the broad gauge North Star, Collett did when rebuilding The Great Bear, and Stanier did in 1932 when ordering the cutting up of most of the preserved ex-Midland Railway and North London Railway locomotives kept in the Derby paintshop – sentiment was a rarity in the decisions of CMEs. Locomotives were designed to work trains and return a profit on the investment made at their construction.

When No 4470 was dismantled, the frames (after reconditioning) were used on another ‘A3’, while the motion and non-ferrous parts were put into a pool of spare parts and used when needed. The nominal rebuild of Great Northern incorporated little of the Gresley design other than the wheel centres, and part of the cab and tender. The frames were made in one piece and incorporated most of the features employed on the ‘A4s’ and ‘V2s’. The wheelbase was the longest of any LNER Pacific at 38ft 5in, 2ft 8in longer than the ‘A4’ and 1ft 3in longer than the Raven NER Pacific. The connecting rods were not the same length, with the outside rods 8ft long and the inside rod 7ft 2in, while the crank axle was a standard built up one. The reversing rod followed Gresley practice, the only Thompson Pacific to do so, and the engine was altered to left-hand drive. The exhaust from the outside cylinders was routed along the outside of the frames and entered the inside cylinder casting where it joined the exhaust from the middle cylinder at the blastpipe base.

The boiler was a Diagram 107, the same as used on the ‘A4’, but a GCR-type double-beat regulator was fitted, which was changed to the usual type in 1947 during the engine’s first general overhaul. A drop grate and hopper ashpan were fitted. The cab floor was raised more than 6in and the side-sheets shortened by more than a foot, requiring an extra footstep which did not match the tender and made access awkward. The cab was also inadequately stayed and after two months No 4470 was brought back into the works for the cab to be changed to the style used by Gresley. Steam sanding was fitted, along with a Flaman speed recorder, the latter being removed in 1951 along with the electric lighting. Smoke deflectors were not fitted until November 1945.

Weighing some 101 tons 10cwt, the 250psi boiler, three 19in x 26in cylinders and 10in piston valves gave a nominal tractive effort of 37,397lbs and an adhesion ratio of 3.95. The livery was unique, a dark Royal blue with a hint of purple, lined out by two thin red lines.

When No 4470 emerged from Doncaster Works to be lit up for the first time there was no doubt that it lacked the artistic flair of the Gresley ‘A1’/‘A3’, but by 1945 function was more important than form, and when steamed for the first time it remained to be seen how it would compare to the Gresley Pacifics in regard to performance, economy and maintenance. On paper at least it should have been the equal of the Kylchap ‘A4s’ and better than the single blastpipe Pacifics, as it had the smaller 41.2sq ft ‘A4’ firebox and ‘A4’ boiler, double Kylchap exhaust, 19in cylinders, 10in piston valves, and three independent sets of valve gear. The weight in working order was said to be 101 tons 10cwt, the same as the Thompson ‘A2/2’ and ‘A2/3’ Pacifics but 1 ton 9wt lighter than the ‘A4’ Pacific. Some nine tons were saved on the Gresley ‘A1’, and No 4470’s classification was itself ‘A1’ until August 1948 when the new Peppercorn ‘A1s’ entered traffic and it became the sole ‘A1/1’.

Entering traffic on 25 September 1945, running-in took place from Doncaster shed on local passenger workings to and from Grantham before No 4470 took up residence at King’s Cross Top Shed. Still employed on ‘slows’ to Grantham and Doncaster, an early problem with the regulator occurred when running into Peterborough – the signal along the platform was at danger but changed to all clear as the train neared, so the driver opened the regulator but No 4470 slipped violently and with water surging under the valve, the regulator would not shut. This resulted in severely damaged track and possible movement of the coupled wheels.

November 1945 saw trials take place between No 4470 Great Northern and ‘A4’ No 4466 Sir Ralph Wedgwood. Both locomotives worked five trips on the 10.30am London (King’s Cross) to Grantham and the 3.25pm Grantham-King’s Cross balancing service, and Nos 4470 and 4466 returned almost identical coal consumption figures.

Great Northern was never extended on these trails but did show a tendency to slip on rising gradients, however, drifting smoke obscured the driver’s view ahead when working at short cut-offs. This was addressed on 24 November when No 4470 returned to Doncaster Works to have large smoke deflectors fitted, which allowed the nameplates to be moved from the smokebox to the deflectors. At the same time the cab side-sheets were lengthened and the staying improved to stop the untoward movements of the original cab. As the modified cab needed repainting, the opportunity was also taken to change the NE on the tender to LNER. When released back into traffic the locomotive was exhibited at a number of sites, including Edinburgh (Waverley).

Further coal consumption tests were carried out between 3 and 13 September 1946 on the same trains as in November 1945 and against the same ‘A4’, No 4466, but again these appear to have been inconclusive. The

Gresley’s first Pacific, GNR No 1470 Great Northern is seen in original 1922 condition at Retford station while working the 10am Leeds to King’s Cross express. Built to the GNR loading gauge, the tall cab, dome cover and chimney all add to the balance of the design. Full passenger livery is carried, with the stock number painted on the cab side-sheets, while the handrails are burnished bright. The valve motion was manufactured in nickel-chrome steel to reduce weight but not strength. Complete with coal rails, the eight-wheel tender could carry 5,000 gallons of water and eight tons of coal.

No 1470 quickly established its worth in everyday service between King’s Cross and Doncaster, with Gresley claiming that it could handle loads of 600 tons to express timings. W H Whitworth/Rail Archive Stephenson

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Thompson’s first and only 6ft 8in Pacific, LNER No 4470 Great Northern is recorded by the LNER’s official photographer at Doncaster Works when in original 1945 condition – the livery is Royal blue with a hit of purple and set off by two thin red lines. The comparison with Gresley’s No 1470 is striking: the positioning of the outside cylinders, the gaps between the bogie and leading coupled wheels, the plain double chimney, shallow cab side-sheets, nameplates attached to the smokebox, left-hand drive, and the livery. However, gone is the artistic flair of the Gresley Pacific, replaced by a utilitarian austerity that reflected the war-weary state of the country. Technically, however, the locomotive is part Gresley ‘A4’, fitted with a Thompson front-end and coupled to a non-corridor tender. Author’s Collection On Thursday, 20 June 1946 the newly-modified No 4470 Great Northern was exhibited at Edinburgh (Waverley) station. When viewed from this angle, the subtle curve at the top of the large smoke deflectors is apparent. The cab now reflects Gresley’s practice – the extended side-sheets necessitated the removal of the frame extension pieces, allowing a conventional running plate to be fitted. Unlike on the Gresley ‘A1’ and ‘A3’ Pacifics, no handrail is fitted on the firebox sides. To avoid altering the firebox cladding, a cover was made to shield the reversing rod where it appeared above the lower running plate, a feature that would be used on all the later Thompson and Peppercorn Pacifics. Ian Strobie/The Transport Treasury

nominally more powerful No 4470 accomplished its work burning roughly the same amount of coal as the older ‘A4’.

However, the tests did show that No 4470 could burn coal unnecessarily if driven carelessly with full regulator and generous cut-off. Great Northern was renumbered as No 113 on 9 October 1946 at King’s Cross.

By the time No 113 was called into Doncaster Works on 28 March 1947 for its first general repair, it had already received seven light shoppings at the works. During the overhaul, a Gresley pull-out regulator handle

was fitted, along with a Metro-Vick axle-driven alternator. The Royal blue livery was replaced

by LNER apple green lined out in white and black. Released back into traffic on 16 May, Great Northern did not get back to King’s Cross Top Shed until 10 June owing to running an axlebox hot and having to be taken into New England shops to affect a repair.

Another set of tests were arranged in August 1947, in the North East Division against Haymarket shed’s ‘A4’ No 31 Golden Plover, which was running with its inside cylinder reduced to 17in in diameter. For the duration of these tests No 113 was temporarily transferred to Gateshead, where it spent six weeks, and then Haymarket where it stayed for a fortnight.

When newly applied, fully lined-out LNER apple green livery sat very comfortably on No 113 Great Northern, as seen in this view at Grantham shed in June 1947. The axle-driven Metro-Vick alternator has already been replaced by a Stones steam-driven type, which was located on the right-hand side inside the smoke deflector and can just be seen in this photograph. The exhaust steam pipe from the left-hand outside cylinder is routed along the outside of the frames before entering the inside cylinder casting, where it joined the exhaust from the middle and right-hand cylinders at the blastpipe base, a feature that would cause endless problems for fitters trying to keep them steam tight. The classification ‘A1’ is still carried beneath the right-hand front buffer. In October 1948 ‘BRITISH RAILWAYS’ would replace LNER on the tender while the cab-side numbers became 60113; apple green was carried until January 1950. Author’s Collection

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King’s Cross-allocated LNER ‘A1/1’ class 4-6-2 No 60113 Great Northern departs from Grantham with the up ‘Queen of Scots’, complete with headboard, after stopping to change crew on 30 October 1948. The usual load of ten Pullman cars, some 450 tons gross, was well within the capabilities of No 60113 despite its propensity to slip on starting and on gradients. Despite only being released from Doncaster Works after a general repair four weeks before this photograph was taken, steam is leaking from the outside exhaust pipe of the left-hand outside cylinder, an inevitable result of the flexing of the main frames ahead of the outside cylinders. When viewed from this angle, the gap between the bogie and leading coupled wheels is not that obvious.

T G Hepburn/Rail Archive Stephenson

The two locomotives worked on alternate days, the duty being the 10am Edinburgh to Dundee and the 2.43pm return working, with each locomotive running two return trips. The better steaming and power of No 113 showed up well, as did the coal consumption, some 510lb per mile better than No 31. However, when tested on the 10.15am Edinburgh to Newcastle and 3.22pm balancing turn with loads of 450 tons rather than the 360-380 tons in Scotland, Golden Plover returned the better coal consumption, burning 1.7lbs less per mile than Great Northern. During both tests No 113 consumed appreciably less water than the ‘A4’.

Both steamed well and the soft blast of No 113 did not pull the fire apart as much as the single blastpipe of No 31. No 113 generally rode well, but on less than perfect track it had a tendency for lateral oscillation. Of note was that on 1 September 1947 No 113 worked the up ‘Flying Scotsman’ from Edinburgh to Newcastle.

With the conclusion of the tests, No 113 returned to King’s Cross on 13 September 1947 and took its place among the shed’s

other top link Pacifics. Ex-works in October 1948, Great Northern became No 60113 in apple green livery but with ‘BRITISH RAILWAYS’ on the tender. On 10 December 1948 No 60113 was booked to work the 11.30am down ‘Queen of Scots’ from London (King’s Cross) to Leeds (Central). With a load of ten Pullmans, some 450 tons gross, Great Northern virtually kept the booked time to Grantham, arriving 30 seconds early, while arrival at Leeds was five minutes early. With a top speed of just 72mph at Holme, the impressive feature of this run was the steady running in the mid- to high-60mph range, indicating excellent boiler management.

On 6 January 1950 after emerging from Doncaster at the end of its second general

repair, the LNER apple green paintwork had been replaced by British Railways dark blue, lined in white and black, a livery that suited the ‘A1/1’ well. After returning to King’s Cross during the second week of January, at the beginning of June No 60113 was transferred to New England, a shed with few passenger turns. After 15 months it was moved again, this time to Grantham where Great Northern stayed for six years. Going into the top link along with five Peppercorn ‘A1s’, No 60113 initially worked the up ‘White Rose’ before being booked to stand pilot for the ‘A1’ taking over the down ‘Flying Scotsman’. If there was no failure, No 60113 took out the 12.40pm down slow service to Doncaster, returning with the 4.40pm balancing turn.

Resplendent in the early British Railway passenger livery of dark blue lined out in white and black, is Thompson’s 6ft 8in Pacific No 60113 Great Northern on York shed after working the ‘Great Northern Railway 1850-1950’ centenary special from King’s Cross on Sunday, 16 June 1950. Now allocated to New England, No 60113 had been specially cleaned for the trip and carried a headboard with a portrait of Edmund Dennison, chairman of the embryonic GNR. After No 60113 took water at Peterborough, the special was routed via Lincoln to Doncaster and then on to York. While Great Northern was being serviced, the opportunity to visit the railway museum was taken up by many of the passengers. Leaving York at 5.32pm, it was not long before an emergency brake application at Balne occurred, but it could not prevent No 60113 from demolishing a level crossing gate.

Fortunately, no serious damage was caused to the locomotive and a steady run to London followed. Colour Rail.com/BRE1561

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Now carrying its first version of British Railways lined-out dark green livery with the ‘cycling ferret’ totem on the tender, No 60113 Great Northern is on Doncaster shed, serviced and ready to work its next diagrammed turn. It is carrying a 35B (Grantham) shedplate, so this dates the photograph to between May 1951, when it lost it previous dark blue paintwork, and September 1957 when transferred to King’s Cross, and then to Doncaster. The painted GNR crest on the modified nameplates is very clear in this view, and the large bracket for the Flaman speed recorder is still carried, despite the equipment being removed in April 1951. The fillers for the three driving wheel sand boxes are visible on the running plate, along with the two mechanical lubricators and their drive mechanism. T G Hepburn/Rail Archive Stephenson

In May 1951, while still in British Railways blue, the nameplate was changed – new plates were cast with a space for the Great Northern Railway’s coat of arms, which was painted on. Great Northern was not painted into British Railways dark green with orange and black lining until ex-works in August 1952. It acquired the British Railways heraldic device in May 1957.

In September 1957 No 60113 was transferred back to King’s Cross shed, but with the shed now having a spare Pacific it was sent to Doncaster. Here Great Northern spent its last five years working turn-andturn-about with the Peppercorn ‘A1s’ and Kylchap-fitted ‘A3s’. Once again, the potential of No 60113 was never fully achieved and a run made in 1959 on the Hull portion of the 5.15pm Leeds to King’s Cross service illustrates this point. With a load of just nine coaches, some 320 tons gross, the locomotive toyed with the train, gaining 15 minutes on

the 189 minute schedule. Briefly given its head down Stoke Bank, 96mph was touched through Essendine, and later, 80mph through Sandy.

Accurate mileage figures for Thompson’s Great Northern are impossible to arrive at but given the available figures it is probable that its annual mileage was in the region of 555,600, whereas those of Gresley’s Great Northern were 525,300 miles. The ‘Achilles heel’ of the ‘A1/1’ was that it was the sole example of the class and, secondly, despite the excellent steam distribution to the cylinders, the convoluted exhaust passages were hard to keep steam tight. During its 17 year working life the ‘A1/1’ made 29 visits to Doncaster Works, which was excessive even for a prototype locomotive. In some ways it is a pity that Doncaster was not ordered to lay out an

extra set of Peppercorn ‘A1’ frames and cylinders so that No 60113 could become an ‘A1’ once more.

Withdrawal of the non-standard ‘A1/1’ Pacific came on 19 November 1962 and it was cut up at Doncaster Works during the following February. Perhaps No 60113’s epitaph should include the words of ex-King’s Cross shedmaster Peter Townsend. He commented that the locomotive was rarely if ever worked to full capacity. It steamed well and had good acceleration on rising gradients but could slip easily if not handled carefully.

An otherwise excellent Pacific, generally more powerful and easier to work than in its Gresley form and slightly, if anything, more economical that the ‘A4s’ when built, but spoilt by the positioning of the outside cylinders and the problems that caused.

On Wednesday, 8 April 1959, Thompson’s ‘A1/1’ Pacific No 60113 Great Northern prepares to leave King’s Cross at the head of a Doncaster train. Looking magnificent in the early spring sunshine, the fitting of a lipped chimney works wonders for the aesthetics of the front end. By this date No 60113 was running with its fifth boiler, No 29329 – the second new one to be fitted. Previously, reconditioned boilers had come from ‘A4’ No 60016 Silver King. During its 17 year working life Great Northern would run with six different Diagram 107 type boilers, all fitted with banjo domes. There is no doubt that the Doncaster crews were well versed in the foibles of the engine and got good work out of No 60113, but records of high speed running down Stoke bank are few and far between, with 96mph appearing to be the highest.

D E Williams

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A late addition to the titled trains on the Eastern and North Eastern regions, ‘The TeesThames’ was inaugurated on 2 November 1959 and would make its final run on 9 September 1961. The up train was the 7.05am Saltburn to King’s Cross and No 60113 Great Northern is seen in charge of this as it passes through Welwyn Garden City station on Wednesday, 20 April 1960. Although headboards were cast, No 60113 is running without one. By this date Great Northern had been fitted with British Railways AWS (automatic warning system), the large plate behind the front coupling protecting the contact shoe. No 60113’s external condition is due to a non-casual visit to Doncaster Works between 5 and 14 February 1961. B Wadey/Transport Treasury

Towards the end of its working life No 60113 Great Northern was more likely to be found working secondary or diverted services, such as the one illustrated, rather than a top link express. Here it passes Norton West with a down diverted Newcastle semi-fast passenger duty on Sunday, 14 May 1961. Looking tired and in need of some attention to steam leaks, the Pacific heads a motley rake of coaches, the leading one appearing to be a Thompson period brake corridor vehicle. Most of the Thompson Pacifics were taken out of service before the Peppercorn ‘A1s’ as they were regarded as non-standard. It should, however, be remembered that the Peppercorn ‘A1s’ were developed from No 60113, the principal difference being the cylinders, which were put into the traditional Gresley position. Despite being a one-off, the rebuilt No 60113 was well regarded by footplatemen, especially when recently ex-works, and it was in regular use from its home base depot, Doncaster, in its final years of service. D E Williams

REFERENCES British Pacific Locomotives – C J Allen – Ian Allan (1967) Locomotives Illustrated No 46: The Thompson Pacifics – John Booth – Ian Allan (1986) Locomotives of the LNER: Part 2A – RCTS (1973) Thompson & Peppercorn Locomotive Engineers – Col. H C B Rogers – Ian Allan (1979) Edward Thompson of the LNER – Peter Grafton – Oakwood Press (2007) Thompson His Life and Locomotives – T Hillier-Graves – Pen & Sword Transport (2021) The Gresley Observer: No 113 – The Gresley Society – (Summer 1997) Although not officially condemned until 19 November 1962, No 60113 Great Northern stands on Doncaster shed on 31 August with its motion taken down and with both the valve rod and combination levers showing a patina of rust. It is probable that No 60113 has been proposed for an intermediate repair having run for 18 months since its last general overhaul. However, with the English Electric 1Co-Co1 ‘Type 4’ and ‘Deltic’ Co-Co ‘Type 5’ diesels taking over many Pacific duties on the East Coast main line, authority to proceed with the overhaul was refused and Great Northern was held until officially withdrawn. Gavin Morrison

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