B1 (6)1306 Mayflower

Now advertised for the Easter weekend on the Battlefield Line website

 

As far as I know, Mayflower has never been to the valley. Though, the K4 "Great Marquess" was once in a similar LNER livery. Also, yes, Mayflower is advertised on the Shackerstone website now. She will be pulling trains on Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday. 31 130, the diesel, will take over for Easter Tuesday, with Railcar on Wednesday and Thursday. The 25 'Rat' will do the Royal Wedding with GWR No3803 running Sat - Mon on Mayday weekend. Plenty of chances for visitors to experience different traction on the Battlefield Line!

 

I've a photograph of 1306 at Kidderminster.

 

Any chance of sharing this with the rest of us? Might help answer your question.

 

It's a slide and sorry I've way of scanning it. The loco carries a headboard "The Mayflower" which includes a representation of the ship. It's hauling one Mark 1 coach in chocolate and cream livery and there is a lower quadrant signal behind. It certainly looks like Kidderminster and I used to go there a lot. Geoff

 

Sounds a lot like the Carnforth shuttles where 1306 spent her early preservation days but that's a long way from Kidderminster.

 

Oh happy days! Cleaned her many times back then. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing!

 

I don't think either of the surviving B1s has ever visited the SVR in preservation days. The class was not unknown as far south as Bristol in the early '60s on summer saturday traffic but probably not via Kidderminster - more likely via Bromsgrove.

The Mayflower head board you describe sounds like a BR(W) one as used on Paddington to Plymouth steam hauled services with the ship bit. The headboard has no connection with LNER 1306 which carries a preservation era name "Mayflower" for reasons best known to its owners.

It would be nice to see a B1 on the SVR at some time though - many LNER types have already visited including:
A1
A3
A4
B12
K4
N2
V2
N7

 

1306 has most certainly carried a headboard as described by gkerr9623 as per this picture here
http://rpmedia.ask.com/ts?u=/wikipe...eldLine1306.JPG/175px-BattlefieldLine1306.JPG

 

True - but there a several more authentically painted boards about of the same style in Choc & Cream from the BR(W) patterns with the ship picked out with other colours as per the 1950's/1960's style.

At least one of these is seen from time to time on SVR based ex GW locos when the occasion is appropriate.

 

I rode behind her at Tyseley during GWR 150 and have a poor 110 snap of her somewhere.

 

In Heritage Railway there is an advert for the Battlefield Line's Rails and Ales event this coming weekend and says Mayflower is in steam.

However the image used is 1306 in Apple Green as usual but with British Railways on the tender and 61306 on the cab and bufferbeam. Has this actually taken place or has the image been photoshopped. I've not heard of this taking place.

Edit: Answered my own question. A quick Google scan shows pictures of 61306 in this form at the Nene Valley a few years ago.

 

1306 ran as 61306 with British Railways lettering at an NVR Gala about three(?) years ago. I think one photo charter took place too. Gerald soon had it back as 1306 at the end of the event.

 

Yeah the images I saw she looks great. Should have checked Google first. I guess Gerald's son will follow his father and keep her in LNER as 1306. Speaking of Geralds and B1's my grandad's name is Gerald and he is friends with one members of the Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust who helped save 61264. Sadly I'm not sure which one.

 

Not just the charter. It ran on two public days as well although the charter was the driving force behind the livery variation.

 

Remember this too - late April 2007 - loved it in this guise, pity it was only for a few days! Seem to remember the event also celebrated the centenary of Wansford 'box.

 

I have a couple of videos of the Mayflower on the Battlefield Line, hope you enjoy.

[video=youtube;8fwVuXArCHI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fwVuXArCHI[/video]

[video=youtube;GsCvCVS7TF8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCvCVS7TF8[/video]