31874 and 31625

With 31874 progressing rapidly at Herston and 31625 attending the GDSF the Swanage a Railway is making strides to progress fundraising for both.

To this end we desperately need photos of 31874 and 31625 when they were in traffic first time round at either the MHR or on the mainline.

Does anyone have any high quality photos that you wouldn't mind us using. Photos will of course be credited!

Many thanks

Matt

 

When is 31874 due back into service.

 

31874 Facebook page link below.


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Swanage-Railway-N-Class-31874-Overhaul-Project/841096652608162

 

I've got 1625 on the mainline in 1997 at South Moreton. I've also got several shots of both locos at the Mid-Hants, in black and in red. These are all on medium format transparencies, so I would need to scan them, when I can find a bit of time. Let me know if you are interested, either by PM or on the forum.

 

31625 is being picked up from its private site near Wareham tomorrow and will be making its way to the Great Dorset Steam Fair. It certainly looks different now! Be sure to look out for it!

 

what livery is it now in has she had a repainted

 

All will be revealed tomorrow!

 

where will it be revealed too 007

 

Well it will be on the road to the Steam Fair and we will update the railways facebook site

 

This is taken from the Swanage facebook page.

 

These two loco's are now covered by a Website and fundraising campaign. The website is www.swanagemoguls.com .
It contains some comprehensive biographies of the locos as well as a collection of images of the locos from their working life and preservation. More always welcome.

31874 is in the works at the moment undergoing a heavy overhaul estimated to cost around £400,000.
31625 is currently at Corfe Castle waiting its turn.

The current appeal is for £50,000 towards 31874. It has been a challenging overhaul but is progressing well. Rewheeling of the chassis is the next milestone. New frames for the tender are being erected at an offsite contractors and the boiler is having extensive platework renewal to both the firebox and outer wrapper. The schedule for completion of the boiler which is also away at an offsite contractor will determine when we see it back in steam. We have our fingers crossed that we will have it back towards the end of the year.

 

Yup. Almost anything can be made these days......

 

31625 Shed allocations.
Does anyone out there have a good source of information on Southern Shed allocations? I'm trying to improve the biography for this engine on its web page http://swanagemoguls.com/aboutthelocos/u-class-31625-bio/
The information I've been able to glean so far is incomplete and there are conflicting sources.

Ex Works March 1929
First sheds - unknown,
1939 Salisbury,
1945 Basingstoke,
Fratton, Dates?
Exmouth Junction, by 1947 but actual date of transfer unknown,
May 1951 Guildford
Withdrawn Guildford Jan 1964
​

Any help or corrections would be appreciated.

Nick/.

 

According to www.brdatabase.info :

03/1929 To service as SR Number 1625 [- but no first allocation shown]
01/01/1948 Allocation Snapshot - Exmouth Junction (EXJ)
12/1948 Renumbered to 31625
12/05/1951 Reallocated to Guildford (70C)
24/08/1953 Reallocated to Eastleigh (71A)
01/10/1953 Reallocated to Guildford (70C)
01/1964 Withdrawn Condemned as 31625

Hugh Longworth's “British Railways Steam Locomotive Allocations” lists in 3 year spacings (as at 1st January):

1948 Exmouth Junction (EXJ)
1951 Nine Elms (70A)
1954 Guildford (70C)
1957 Guildford (70C)
1960 Guildford (70C)
1963 Guildford (70C)

I have a reprint of Ian Allan Loco & Locoshed Book for 1959 which shows 70C Guildford as at 1st January.
You might also consider looking for the relevant booklet of P B Hands "What happened to Steam". Some scrapping dates have been challenged but, I believe, much/all of his other information [annual allocations between1957 to 1968] is accepted. Unfortunately these booklets are long out of print.
Another possible book to check on is W S Becket's "The Xpress Locomotive Register. Southern Region Volume 1 1949 - 1961"
In addition, http://www.shedbyshed.com/ and/or http://www.ultimate-allocations.co.uk/ might be worth consulting.
Hope you've got plenty of time!
A video in happier times [Saturday 9th January 1999] with 31625 hauling THE WEST LONDON EXPLORER for Daylight Limted Rail Tours:

 

The only source I would trust is a primary source. I have a bunch of BR staff magazines from (I think) the eastern region and they include lists of shed transfers in the 50s/60s. Unfortunately the London Midland ones don't. The equivalent Southern ones, I have no knowledge of, but it would be worth a try. You might find them through the National Archive.

 

Thanks for the replys so far. The piece as written uses the info from http://www.brdatabase.info/ amoungs other online sources. I had assumed that the 2 month allocation to Eastleigh in 1953 was for a general overhaul but I'm not sure if reallocation was the practice for that purpose and it could have been an operational loan.
Interesting that Longworth's places it at Nine Elms in 1951 on its way from Exmouth Junction where BR database shows it going straight to Guildford.
Brian Haresnape's Maunsell Locomotives suggests that it was based at Fratton during the oil firing trial of 1947-48 where as the other sources only mention Exmouth Junction.
Its difficult to know what to believe. pmh primary source is good advice but harder to find the info.

Does anyone else have anything on their book shelf that could confirm or refute any of this?

Nick/.

 

I was going to add that I have been attempting to find out the early allocation of D3861. Two online sources (the one you mention and another) give different details and it isn't clear why. I have not yet managed to find a primary source for the LM region circa 1959-1967 which is what I really need, so I'd be interested to know of any other sources of such data that you turn up.

 

Some exciting news announced today! N Class 31874 is going to be equipped and certified for the main line during its ongoing overhaul.
http://swanagemoguls.com/2016/05/25/n-class-31874-to-go-main-line/