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Steam Locomotives in Preservation - Battle of Britain Class 34067 'Tangmere'

                                 Unrebuilt Battle of Britain Class 34067 'Tangmere'

• Unrebuilt 'Battle of Britain' light pacific Class 34067 'Tangmere', named after a famous World War II airbase, is seen resting at the buffers at Waterloo Station on 12th September 2007 after a very fine performance hauling a special train to commemorate the end of regular steam in July some 40 years earlier. The train had been originally scheduled to run in July to coincide with the actual anniversary but unfortunately the stock was stranded elsewhere behind another failed locomotive (850 'Lord Nelson') and therefore a last minute cancellation was necessary.

• 'Tangmere' is a restoration triumph as it was in very poor condition when rescued from Barry Docks following a lengthy period of exposure to the weather. It is probable that very little (if any) of the original external plating remains as these items would have been too corroded to be retained, but the chassis, wheels, boiler, smokebox door and many of the attachments are presumed to have been restored rather than replaced. The tender has been borrowed from a 'Merchant Navy' Class locomotive and it therefore has a greater capacity than those originally attached to the light pacifics. Although prototypically incorrect this enables the locomotive to travel for greater distances between water stops, a distinct advantage as almost all of the original trackside water pumps have now been removed (those that remain are probably at heritage sites). The rather unsightly air brake is a mandatory modern attachment (it is far better to see this elegant locomotive in action with this attachment than it would be to have it debarred from using the main line) and the red lamp and the brightly liveried modern Class 450 (4Des) EMU in the background betray any illusion that this photograph could have been taken before November 1963 when this locomotive was originally withdrawn from revenue-earning service on British Railways. It would also, of course, have been impossible to take a hand-held digital photograph in such poor light in thse days! Astonishingly there are still 20 members of this Class in existence, half of which are in original form. Most have now been restored and several are operating regularly on preserved railways but at least one (34073) is now in genuine danger of being scrapped unless a buyer is found. Illustrations of some other light pacifics may be found on the linked pages below.

• The use of the term "Unrebuilt" (or "Un-rebuilt") is accepted common practice to distinguish the air-smoothed (as built) version of this class from the more conventionally structured rebuilds. This is a rather odd terminology as nothing had actually been done to these locomotives - "Original" might be more appropriate! Although they had excellent boilers and a reputation as very free steamers there were a number of difficulties associated with operating the unconventional streamlined Bulleid locomotives, not least the slackening of the chain drive of the oil-bathed central valve gear, the tendency of the oil bath to catch fire and the inaccessibility of the structures hidden behind the air-smoothed casing. Servicing the locomotives must have been a nightmare task! As a consequence of these and other shortcomings some 60 out of the Class of 110 light pacifics were rebuilt with conventional Walschaerts valve gear. Many of the original components were retained including the excellent boilers and the BFB wheels.

• The classification of the 'Battle of Britain' (BoB') and 'West Country' ('WC') Classes has nothing to do with structural differences as there weren't any. Therefore the only significant distinguishing features were the nameplates. The 'BoB' locomotives (originally allocated mainly to the south eastern division services although the locomotive allocations soon became mixed) were named after significant RAF figures (e.g. 'Sir Keith Park', 'Lord Dowding'), aircraft ('Spitfire', 'Hurricane'), Squadrons ('145', '213') or wartime airbases ('Biggin Hill', Tangmere') and they usually had aircraft blue or black backgrounds and in some cases squadron crests. The 'WC' names were those of towns and cities (e.g. 'Okehampton', 'Appledore') in the south and west and these usually had red or black backgrounds (in both cases the black plates were usually repainted during the later years of service). Some carried badges associated with these places either above (rebuilds) or below (air-smoothed) their nameplates. 'Tangmere' uniquely carries an additional shield on the cabsides. Many of the RAF-associated nameplates have been preserved by the Royal Air Force Museum - see http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/online-exhibitions/loco_plates/index.cfm for details and locomotive histories.

• As the Kent routes were electrified many of the 'BoB' locomotives were reallocated to Nine Elms and the other South Western sheds. Fewer 'BoB' locomotives were rebuilt, but whether this was because they were newer than most of the 'WC' locomotives is not clear. Withdrawal dates probably had more to do with shed allocation at the time rather than mechanical condition. Those preserved examples that have been allowed to run on the main line have proven the qualities of Bulleid's superb locomotives in both original and rebuilt form.

• It should be noted that preserved locomotives undergo significant periods of inactivity for maintenance and the appearance of photographs of any particular example on these pages does not necessarily mean that it is currently operational. Newly restored locomotives may be used as replacements, locations or ownerships may change and if a locomotive undergoes a heavy overhaul it may be out of action for several years. This process is immensely expensive and labour-intensive and preserved railways always require significant financial assistance from visitors and benefactors, so any contributions towards the uptake of these marvellous machines will always be welcomed by their owners.

-> Railway Web Page 1 - Steam Locomotives 1 - SNCF 141 TB Class

-> Railway Web Page 2 - Steam Locomotives 2 - Preserved Steam 1990s

-> Railway Web Page 3 - Steam Locomotives 3 - Ivatt Class 2MT 41312, Mid Hants 2000

-> Railway Web Page 4 - Steam Locomotives 4 - British Railways (SR) Steam Locomotives 1967

-> Railway Web Page 5 - Steam Locomotives 5 - Preserved British Steam Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 6- Steam Locomotives 6 - Mid Hants Autumn Steam Gala 2006

-> Railway Web Page 7 - Steam Locomotives 7 - BR Standard Class 4MT Tanks Swanage Railway 2002

-> Railway Web Page 8 - Steam Locomotives 8 - 'Merchant Navy' 35028 'Clan Line' 'Waterloo Sunset' 2007

-> Railway Web Page 9 - Steam Locomotives 9 - Ex Weymouth Docks Pannier Tank 1369, South Devon, 2002

-> Railway Web Page 10 - Steam Locomotives 10 - 'A4' 60009 'Union of South Africa', Clapham, 2003

-> Railway Web Page 11 - Steam Locomotives 11 - Preserved British Steam Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 12 - Steam Locomotives 12 - 'Battle of Britain' 34067 'Tangmere', Wimbledon, 2006

-> Railway Web Page 13 - Steam Locomotives 13 - Preserved British Steam Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 14 - Steam Locomotives 14 - 'Coronation' 6233 'Duchess of Sutherland', Euston 2004

-> Railway Web Page 15 - Diesel Locomotives 1 - British Diesel Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 16 - Deutsche Bahn Electric Locomotives 1 - German Electric Locomotives, Köln 2004

-> Railway Web Page 17 - Steam Locomotives 15 - BR Standard Class 4MT 75069, Victoria

-> Railway Web Page 18 - Diesel Locomotives 2 - British Diesel Locomotives 1960s

-> Railway Web Page 19 - Diesel Locomotives 3 - British Diesel Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 20 - Electro-Diesel Locomotives- British Class 73 Electro-Diesel Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 21- SNCF Diesel and Electric Locomotives - French Diesel and Electric Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 22 - FS Trenitalia Electric Locomotives - Italian Electric Locomotives

-> Railway Web Page 23 - Steam Locomotives 16 - BR Standard Class 71000 'Duke of Gloucester', Clapham

-> Railway Web Page 24 - Steam Locomotives 17 - 'Merchant Navy' 35028 'Clan Line', Barnes 2008

-> Railway Web Page 25 - Steam Locomotives 18 - 'Battle of Britain' 34067 'Tangmere', Waterloo, 2007

-> Railway Web Page 26 - Steam Locomotives 19 - 'A1' 60163 'Tornado', Barnes, 2009

-> Railway Web Page 27 - Steam Locomotives 20 - Tank Locomotives, Mid Hants Spring Steam Gala 2009

-> Railway Web Page 28 - Steam Locomotives 21 - 'A4' 60019 'Bittern', Mid Hants Spring Steam Gala 2009

-> Railway Web Page 29 - Steam Locomotives 22 - 850 'Lord Nelson', Mid Hants Spring Steam Gala 2009

-> Railway Web Page 30 - Steam Locomotives 23 - Ivatt Class 2MT 41312, Mid Hants Spring Steam Gala 2009

-> Railway Web Page 31 - Eastleigh 100 - Diesels and Electro-Diesels - Eastleigh 100 Open Day 2009

-> Railway Web Page 32 - Eastleigh 100 - Bulleid Pacifics - Line-up of Bulleids, Eastleigh 100 Open Day 2009

-> Railway Web Page 33 - Eastleigh 100 - Diesels and Electro-Diesels - Eastleigh 100 Open Day 2009

-> Railway Web Page 34 - Eastleigh 100 - Steam Locomotives - Eastleigh 100 Open Day 2009

-> Railway Web Page 35 - German Railway Locomotives 2 - German Electric Locomotives, etc., 2010

-> Railway Web Page 36 - Steam Locomotives 24 - 'King' 6024 'King Edward I', up 'Bristolian', Didcot, 2009

-> Railway Web Page 37 - Diesel Locomotives 4 - EWS/DB-Schenker GM Class 66 66068

-> Railway Web Page 38 - Steam Locomotives 25 - 6201 'Princess Elizabeth', Clapham Junction 2010

-> Railway Web Page 39 - Steam Locomotives 26 - 4965 'Rood Ashton Hall', 5043 'Mount of St Edgcumbe'

-> Railway Web Page 40 - Steam Locomotives 27 - 'Merchant Navy' 35028 'Clan Line', Clapham Junction 2010

-> Railway Web Page 41 - Steam Locomotives 28 - 'MN' 35028 'Clan Line', 'Somerset & Dorset' 2010

-> Railway Web Page 42 - Steam Locomotives 29 - 'MN' 35028 'Clan Line', 'Somerset & Dorset' 2010

-> Railway Web Page 43 - Belgian Electric Locomotives 1 - Belgian Electric Locomotives, Brussels 2010

-> Railway Web Page 44 Steam Locomotives 30 -  'MN' 35028 'Clan Line', 'VSOE Luncheon Special' 2011

-> Guest Railway Photographer Roger D Hawkins - French Locomotives 1962 - French Steam

-> Guest Railway Photographer Roger D Hawkins - Portuguese Locomotives 1969 - Portuguese Steam

-> Guest Railway Photographer Roger D Hawkins - Spanish Locomotives 1969 - Spanish Steam

-> Guest Railway Photographer Roger D Hawkins - Roumanian Steam Locomotives 1968 - Romanian Steam

-> Model Railway Locomotives 1

-> Model Railway Locomotives 2

-> Model Railway Locomotives 3

-> Model Railway Locomotives 4

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Contact Address: david.element@ukgateway.net

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