David Element's Railway Web Page - Steam Locomotives 11

David Element's Railway Web Page 11...

Steam Locomotives in Preservation

'USA' Class 30064 'King Arthur' Class 777 'Sir Lamiel'

Unrebuilt 'West Country' Class 21C123 'Blackmoor Vale'

Unrebuilt 'Battle of Britain' Class 34072 '257 Squadron', Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35027 'Port Line', 'S15' Class 828

Unrebuilt 'Battle of Britain' Class 34072 '257 Squadron'

Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35027 'Port Line'

Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35027 'Port Line', 35028 'Clan Line'

Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35028 'Clan Line'

British Rail 'Standard Class' 4MT 75069

A miscellaneous selection of images is shown of locomotives which used to operate on the Southern Railway or on Southern metals during BR days. Some were photographed or filmed on preserved lines like the Bluebell Railway (two visits, some 20 years apart!) or the Swanage Railway and others at open days or on main line excursions.

'King Arthur' Class 777 (30777) 'Sir Lamiel' was photographed leaving Marylebone in December 1986. This locomotive was withdrawn in the early 1960's and therefore predates the photographer's own recollection of steam locomotives in BR service. The 'Santa Steam Pullman' headboard may well have been accurate but it cannot be said to enhance the appearance of the locomotive.

Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' Class 35027 'Port Line' is shown bearing 'The Royal Wessex' headboard at the 1988 Woking open day shortly after renovation and much more recently on the Swanage Railway in 2002 following a period of regular operation alongside S15 No. 828 (30828) and unrebuilt 'Battle of Britain' Class 34072 '257 Squadron'. This latter locomotive is a remarkably reliable machine which is currently undergoing a very rapid major overhaul as it is so useful to its employers. Port Line has recently been sold to a new owner for future main line use, probably using the boiler from the as yet unrestored 35022 'Holland America Line'. Sister 'MN' Class 35028 'Clan Line' is shown at Waterloo as a static display and then at a much later date as it pulled the 'Bournemouth Belle' through Wimbledon shortly before withdrawal for its latest major overhaul. These captured mini-DV images were taken from the exactly the same location as the photographer was standing with his cheap box camera when grimy and nameless Rebuilt 'West Country' Class 34093 (ex-'Saunton') hauled one of the the final steam powered 'Belles' back in 1967 (at a time when he was too short to reach over the bridge to take an un-obscured photograph! A dreadful blurred black and white image taken 'through' the metal superstructure is the only record of this earlier event!

Unrebuilt 'West Country' 21C123 'Blackmoor Vale' is remembered by the photographer as one of the last survivors of this Class, although then in (personally preferred) BR livery as 34023 'Blackmore Vale'. The restoration to an earlier 'as built' condition has introduced some inaccuracies, particularly in the shape of the cab.

Bullied locomotives were not necessarily preserved with (their own) tenders at the time of withdrawal and several examples are either running with tenders 'belonging' to other preserved pacifics or in some cases newly fabricated replacements. Tenders were regularly swapped during operational service anyway and the convoluted history of their attachments to 'Merchant Navies' is given in detail on the following authoritative Southern E-Group link: http://www.semg.org.uk/steam/mn_ten.html. As examples, 'Port Line's final in-service tender is now attached to newly operational 'Battle of Britain' Class 34067 'Tangmere' and the tender currently attached to the former locomotive was attached to 'MN' 35018 'British India Line' which now has 'MN' 35025 'Brocklebank Line's ....

During the course of preservation there has been an inevitable need to replace worn parts (this would have happened during the operational service life anyway) and in some cases substantial re-building has been required in order to return a Barry wreck into an operational machine. Much of the superstructure may therefore not be original or may have been provided from cannibalisation of other class members.

Double chimneyed BR 'Standard' Class 4MT 75069 appears in black and white on two other pages Steam Locomotives 2 and the picture shown here was copied from a colour slide taken in pouring rain at Victoria. This shows the historically inaccurate Brunswick green livery sported by this locomotive at that time. Classmate 75079 has recently been purchased by the Mid Hants Railway and this locomotive will presumably be restored to working condition within the next few years.

The photographer remembers only a single sighting of a USA tank in service, namely 30072, a Guildford- based shunter which visited Wimbledon. In those days Guildford was too far away and too expensive for a visit to see this locomotive on home territory, so it had great curiosity value. This visit is presumed to have been associated with a special 'Four Counties' rail tour in October 1966 which is illustrated on: http://www.semg.org.uk/steam/usa_01.html although the locomotive was 'light engine' and taking on water at the time. 30072 has been preserved at the Worth Valley Railway, although not in the correct black (well, grimy grey!) livery remembered by the photographer. No. 30064 is awaiting its turn for overhaul at the Bluebell at the time of writing.

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.