The Bulleid Merchant Navy’ class originaland rebuilt
Compiled by HectorMaxwell
ComparedwithWesternSectionpictures,viewsoftheMerchantNavyclassonEasternSectionlinesare farlesscommon.Thisiseasilyexplainedbythefactsteam hadallbutdisappearedfromtheKentCoast routesafter1961andthefullimplementation(Phase2)oftheKent electrificationscheme.Consequently thepacificswerecascadedwestandasweknowtherewasalmostthen asurfeitofmotivepoweronthe WesternSection.Indeed,excludingthefewCentralSectionturnsallocatedtotheWC/BBtype,it meantall 140engineswereavailableontheBournemouth/ WeymouthandWestofEnglandroutes;smallwonder therecamethe‘nightofthelong knives’attheendof1962whensomanySRandformerLBSCRengines wereunceremoniouslyconsignedtoscrap, the‘cascade’factormeaningmoremodernengineswere availabletoreplacethem.HereNo35001ispassingShakespeareCliffsandontherighttheformercoal workingslatertobecomeoneof thebasesfortheChannel Tunnel construction.Itislikely thisphotograph wastakenintheperiodJanuary1957toJune1959whenshehadbeenallocatedforasecondand final timetoStewartsLane.Evidenceofscorchmarksonthelowersmokeboxdoorareapparent asarethe copperpipesleadingfromthecylinderdraincocks.Inthisviewthetenderhasbeenmodified.
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35001
Above:No.35005theobjectof attentionatExmouthJunctionand readyfortheprestigeworking.The ‘DevonBelle’boardhadared background,whilsttheclasp brakesalsoshowupwell.
Left:Nameplateswerecastin brassinthreesections.Thatfrom No35006seenheredatedfrom 4June1942whenwiththeengine lessthanfivemonthsintotrafficit wasnamedatAshfordWorksby theChairmanoftheshippingline.
Opposite:Apuzzlerhere,clearly 21C6(later35006),butwhat IS that bag/coverovertherearaxlebox? Wartimeblackliverywhichwas carrieduntilSeptember1946anda goodviewofthefrontofthecabmightthisevenhavebeenatthe timeofthenaming?Thisengine spentthewholeofitsworkinglife inbothoriginalandlaterrebuilt formbasedatSalisbury.Noticethe lidofthe(interior)tenderfillerjust visibleabovethehandrail.
MerchantNavy’sat work
Opposite:AsNo21C9atExeter.Southernmalachitegreenandbasicallyinalmost originalcondition includingthetenderraves.Clearevidenceofthesafetyvalvesdischargingsteam fromtheiroriginal,front position,ontheboiler.Thefiremanappearsgladtorestandperhaps catchabitoffreshair forwhilstMr Bulleiddidhavecrewcomfortsinhismindwhenitcametothecab,theresultcould alsobeabreathless atmosphereakinattimestoasauna.Ithas beenquotedelsewherethatthetemperatureenduredbythe firemanonthatotherBulleidcreation‘Leader’was122º,butinthatsameofficialreport whatisrarely mentionedisthatamemberoftheMerchantNavyclassrecordedahigher140ºin thecabonthesame day. Puttingasidetheunfortunate marksandscratchesontheoriginal negative,thetendershowsdistinct signsofhavingcomeintocontactwithsomethingfairlyhigh upbythecoalspace.Possiblythiswasfrom acoalhopperatoneofthedepots-nooneitseemshavingconsideredthattheoriginal MerchantNavy tenderswouldfoulthecoalingstagesatsomeofthesheds.Finallynotethecabsteps-aswithalltheSR Pacifictypes,thesewereattachedtothetenderandnotthelocomotive.
Above:Dignityandimpudence?Perhapsnot,insteaditisprobablysafertosay thedesignofMrAdams from1881andthat ofMrBulleid60yearslater.Thedatewas23November1952 withthe‘0395’formingthe firstpartoftheRCTS‘Bisley Tramway andNorthWestSurreyRailTour’,asthenamewouldimply; WaterlootoBrookwood,thencetworeturntripsonthetramway involving‘M7’No30027,beforeNo30577 tookoveragainrunninginitiallywestviaSturtLaneJunctionbeforeturningnorthandthen eastthroughFrimleyJunction-Camberley - Ascot-VirginiaWater-Twickenham -Barnes-ClaphamJunctionLonghedgeJunction-StewartsLane Junction,andfinallyterminating atVictoriaat4.15pm(fiveminutes earlierthanscheduled). Bythesametime the‘BournemouthBelle’wouldhavearrivedatits destination andthecarsbeingmadereadyforthereturn toWaterloo.No35010likelyinvolvedonbothDownandUp workings.
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Top: No35021usingtheturntable atSalisbury‘suitedandbooted’readyfor-orperhapsafter-itsworkon the‘DevonBelle’.Fromimagestakenbyothersindifferent occasions,itappearstheSRandWRwould useeachothercompany’sturningfacilitiesshouldaturntablebeoutofaction. Bottom:EnginechangingontheDownservice atWilton.No35021hasworkedthetrain fromWaterlooand hascometoastandwhilsttheactualuncouplingtakes place.MeanwhileNo35007waitstopullforward andthenreversebackontothetrain.MeanwhileaPullmanconductor perhapsobservestheprocedureormightitevenbeaninquisitivepassenger?
Above:No.35029,nameplatehalfcovered,notsurprisingconsidering thetimeitspentinthiscondition. (Findoneofthosecoversin2020andeventheywouldbeworthcollectorsmarketprices.)No.35029 movedtotheWesternsectionfromDoverinJune1955spending timeatNineElms.Weknowintimesof direneedshedsmightunofficiallyborrowanenginefromtheirneighbourbutdidthisever happen betweenNineElmsandStewartsLane?Geographicallycloseofcoursebutresponsibleforlocomotive workingontwoseparatedivisionsoftheSouthern.Movementbetweenthetwooverthemyriadoflinesin theareawhilstcertainlypossiblewouldalsohavebeena logisticalnightmare,especiallyatpeaktimes.
Opposite:Thefinalengineoftheclass,No.35030 ElderDempsterLines, andwhichmeant,alliedtothe 110LightPacifics,theSouthernhadmorepacifictypesthan theLMS.ThereisrumourtheSouthern Regionattemptedtosecureanothertenwhichwouldhavemade40butthismustbe conjecturefortwo reasons,firstlyatthetimeoftheemergenceofNo.35030ontheperhapsnonetooauspicious 1 April 1949,plansforthefirstBRStandardengineswerealreadywelladvanced,whilstin additionthefinalbatch ofLightPacifics hadyettoemerge.Yearslater,andsomewhatprophetically,thissameenginealbeitin rebuiltformwouldtake thelaststeamhauled Bournemouthlineservice intoWaterloo.Therethough nostalgiamustendforthepresentatleast.Theviewshowstheengineonwhatisprobablyalaterunning orsummer‘NightFerry’,asitwasatrainotherwiseverydifficulttorecordindaylight.Despitebeingthe lastoftheclassitwasnotasmighthavebeenexpectedtobe theonewhichachievedthelowestmileage, thatmelancholydistinctionfallingtoNo.35029.
66 MerchantNavy’sat work
Above:No.35002climbingthe1in412UpgradientnecessarytogainheightontheUpBournemouth line approachingWortingflyover.(Itwasafarsteeper1in106Downonthe otherside!)Theconcrete p/way hutsareofcoursepureExmouthJunctionwhilstthehippedbuildinginthebackground isthebaseofthe originalsignalboxinuseatthetimewhenthis wasaflatjunction.No.35002wasoneofthefirsttwoof the classtakenoutofservice(alongwithNo.35015)inFebruary1964andhadrunarecorded1,101,914 miles.
Opposite:No.35003atBournemouthCentralshedinfinalcondition andminusatleastonenameplate. Mostofthosethatsurvivedtotheend,asdidNo.35003, werenamelessinthefinalyearorso,theplates removedbyBRtopreventpilfering.Theenginewasoneofthefinal seveninserviceuntiltheendofsteam on9July1967onwhichdateallwerewithdrawn‘en-bloc’.No.35003hadrunarecorded1,131,793miles.
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FinalmemberoftheclassNo.35030.LeftatEastleigh (withsmokeboxplate),andabove,attheendwith itsfinalDowntrainfromWaterlooandjustachalkednumber;No.35030alsotookthelaststeamhauled serviceintoWaterlooontheafternoonofSunday9July1967.FinallybeowatNine Elms,rodsremoved (eitherinthetender,tiedtotheframingandtheoddonestickingoutofthefireboxpoking intothecab), coalandwateremptiedandreadytobetowedawayprobablytoSalisburyforstoreand thensale.Slightly over18yearsservice,splitalmostexactly50/50betweenoriginalandrebuiltconditionandyetgiven regularmaintenanceashadbeenthecase originally, stillgoodforafewyearsyet.She wouldneversteam again.
35030
