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Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by 34007, May 13, 2008.

  1. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    I knew there was one they had their eye on that's still with us, just couldn't remember which one.
     
  2. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    i can remember reading a book about the last days of Southern Steam, and if i remember correctly 35009 was the last active MN, 35028, once it was earmarked for preservation, didnt do many runs and was only used on several tours, and not allowed to join the ton plus plus club,
     
  3. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    35009 was withdrawn 9/64; one of the earlier batch to go. I believe that 35030 was the last active one but @Big Al can probably confirm?
     
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  4. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    You may very well be right, 35030 was one of the last to go, so what one am i getting confused with? what was 35005 re numbered as at its last gala before its ticket expired? as that was supposed to have been done as a tribute to the final members of the class.
     
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  5. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    35005 was re-numbered as 35008, which did last until the end (July 1967), but 35030 was the engine which worked the 14.07 Weymouth-Waterloo on 9th July.

    I also read somewhere that 35028's driver was told not to go for 100mph while on a Basingstoke-Waterloo working in the final week of SR steam. Again, Big Al or Kent Yeti could probably provide more info here. I couldn't track down the source for this assertion.
     
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  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Fred Burridge was asked not to break Clan Line on the trip when he only did 96 with her. It was still an amazingly quick run from BAS to WOK.

    35009 went long before the end. Merchants 3, 7, 8, 13, 23, 28 and 30 were there till the end with 23 and 30 the key players.
     
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  7. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    ONLY 96! How many of us would be happy with "only" 96 on the SWML to mark next year's 50th anniversary of the end of Southern Steam! Furthermore, if the MNLPS feels the paperwork is too daunting for 75mph+, I'd settle for "only 96" with a certain Apple Green A1 which does have aspirations for 90mph running
     
  8. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    Merchant Navy withdrawn dates
    35001 11/64
    35002 02/64
    35003 07/67
    35004 10/65
    35005 10/65
    35006 08/64
    35007 07/67
    35008 07/67
    35009 09/64
    35010 09/66
    35011 02/66
    35012 04/67
    35013 07/67
    35014 03/67
    35015 02/64
    35016 08/65
    35017 07/66
    35018 08/64
    35019 09/65
    35020 02/65
    35021 08/65
    35022 05/66
    35023 07/67
    35024 01/65
    35025 09/64
    35026 03/67
    35027 10/66
    35028 07/67
    35029 09/66
    35030 07/67
     
  9. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    I should have all these from the Excellent Winston Churchill and the Bulleid Pacifics book that I own. Unfortunately my dad has it... And he can't find it at the mo! Have to say its intresting to hear the story about Clan Line though I didn't know that.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2016
  10. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    were the earliest withdrawals from Salisbury and Exmouth Junction? when lines west of Salisbury came under the Western region? also its strange how the last withdrawals didnt end up at Barry, but then i guess they must have been quite run down by then, 35027 seems to have been the last MN sold to woodhams
     
  11. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    Yes to the earliest withdrawals being Western Region ones. The last withdrawals were sold after Woodhams had stopped buying locos I believe, (though some of their LM purchases may have been around the same time?)
     
  12. steve45110

    steve45110 Member

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    76077/79/80/84, 92212, 48305, 48151, 73o96/129/156 were all still in service on the LMR in July 67, so Woodhams were still buying but, not as much as in earlier years. There are some oddities though. The only end of SR steam locos bought by Woodhams were 41312 and 80151, which was withdrawn May 67 but, survived at Basingstoke shed until the end of steam. I guess someone with knowledge of scrap tendering procedures will know why this was the case. 41319 was the only one bought by Kings of Norwich. All the others went to Newport or Risca, except the lucky 5.
    35028, 34023, 41298, 30064 and 30072.
     
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  13. ragl

    ragl Well-Known Member

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    I remember being on a lonely Vauxhall Station late afternoon on the 9th of July in 1967 waiting for a train to Waterloo after spending a couple of hours at a very sad Nine Elms. After about 10 minutes I heard a steam whistle, but couldn't quite make out from which direction it was coming, almost immediately, a tender first Bulleid appeared from the Waterloo direction, it was 35030, literally the very last Merchant Navy on it's last journey in steam making for Nine Elms. As it went through the furthest "down" platform, I saw that the front of the loco was covered in chalk & paint epitaphs, oh did my heart sink further. 35030 disappeared into the distance, the evidence of it's passing lingered on for a few more minutes as smoke from the loco drifted across the platforms to give me a final "hit" of the smell of Southern Steam. The train journey back home to Bletchley was a real downer with the realisation that steam in Waterloo was really finished. Next weekend I would have to go to Crewe, which, to my eyes then, was more quantity compared to the quality that I had enjoyed in London on the Southern. Vale 35030.

    Cheers,

    Alan
     
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  14. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    Almost the all the MN went to South Wales scrapyards apart from a few which were cut up at the following locations.

    35002 Rotherham
    35004 Cohen's Eastleigh
    35015 Rotherham
    35020 Eastleigh
     
  15. Bulleidfan

    Bulleidfan New Member

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    A brilliant memory there, thanks!
     
  16. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Clan Line worked the last up Weymouth a few times at the end of June 1967 and the run I'm referring to was on 27/6. Running time from Basingstoke to Woking was 19 min 26 sec or 19 net for the 23.5 miles as there was a 60 mph tsr between Farnborough and MP 31. As it was we were up to 85 by Hook and almost inside even time by then. The 96 was at Fleet and she was wound up again to 88 on the drop down to Woking after the tsr.

    There were quicker and faster runs on this stretch around this time but this wasn't bad at all for a loco that was being 'saved' for preservation. And there were also some quite remarkable sprints on this leg with much heavier loads than the 7 that Clan Line had. For example, a few months earlier I had Gordon Porter with 34104 and 11 on do the same leg in only 20 min 32 sec with a max of 89 at Fleet. Speed first hit 80 at Winchfield and apart from a momentary drop to 79 over MP31 we were in the mid to high eighties all the way until the anchor was thrown out for the Woking stop.

    No chance of anything remotely like that for the anniversary next year. The best we can hope for is a decent path.
     
  17. Tobbes

    Tobbes Member

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    Man of the Southern (IIRC, it's in a box) by Jim Evans has him working '30 out to Nine Elms on that last working. A real gentleman Mr Evans - he corresponded with me a teenager in Brisbane about this and sent me some of his original pictures; I'm forever in his debt.
     
  18. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Absolutely. Working with him on all those original articles for the MNLPS house magazine before they went into hardback print was a privilege. And I cannot think of anyone who was more skilful on the brake. That memorable run in the book when we hit 95 after Wallers Ash is a classic example. We passed Winchester Junction at 88 and stopped at Winchester City having average over 50 for those last two miles, pass to stop. That may not seem quick but, believe me, it was!
     
  19. athelney

    athelney Member

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    my last run with a MN was July 7th 1967 .....35008 Orient line .2 days before the end .....12.32 Bournemouth to Waterloo , non stop from Southampton ...max was 87 mph ...arrived 6 min early .
     
  20. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    I too am mystified why none of the end of steam Bulleids ended up at Barry. In the 1992 Steam Railway "Waterloo Sunset" supplement, produced to mark the 25th anniversary of that sad day in July 1967, there is a picture of the Weymouth "dump" on 31st July 1967. A number of MNs are visible and the photographer, John Bird, noted all the numbers. Among the engines depicted, 35003/12/14/26 lasted until 1967, with 35003 in action during those last few days. 35005 went in 1965 and 35022/9 in 1966. The latter three went to Woodham's. but none of the former, even though they were all parked in the sidings together. Strange.
     

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