45231/Bert Hitchen

Very sorry to hear that, he did so well with 34027 and was a lovely man, deepest condolences to his family, RIP Bert

 

When 75014 ran Inverness south up over Slochd with 7 on, she was worked at full and 45% for almost 25 minutes for the whole climb, Bert was firing and not long after Culloden viaduct after nearly 7 miles of continuous 1:60/70 he had her blowing off. Lovely man, a true gent. RIP

 

No doubt a cheroot was lit too!

 

Very sad to hear that Bert has passed on i got to know him when he brought TV to the SVR i got on with him very well and found out about his days as a bike rider he took part in at least two tour de france tours and road for England and also was a coach for the national team,a very hard working man and good company what a shame god rest his soul

 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...l-champion-albert-hitchen-dies-aged-76-171833

 

Perhaps one of the Locomotives associated with this clearly well liked and respected man might be (Re)named in his memory....

 

Photo of it here at Carnforth in 2013:

http://andrewstransport.smugmug.com...-2013/28089003_pm7HKJ#!i=2373181483&k=VWv2849

Cheers

Andrew N

 

Thanks for the photos Andrew - very interesting but a shame to see so much stuff (including previously restored locos) rotting away. BTW photo 12 is the Peckett. Did you see the bits of Barclay "Douglas" or the unique Wigan Coal & Iron Co "Lindsay"?
Cheers,
Ray.

 

Ray - Thanks for confirming the identity of the Peckett.

Please can you confirm if this is Caliban? It is still in the line of demic coaches alongside the WCML in 2015.

http://andrewstransport.smugmug.com...Steam/46851806_Bsjhvk#!i=3812660832&k=jdQZzqr

Don't think I have a photo of Douglas.

Photo of Lindsey during the 2008 open day here. I haven't seen it since but assume it is still in Steamtown.

http://andrewstransport.smugmug.com...steam/29058271_gCdhWW#!i=2472703332&k=PDDL9B5

HTH

Andrew N

 

It certainly looks like Caliban's chassis. The last photo I saw of Douglas (aka Hurricane) it was in a dismantled state. There must be a story to all these locos which were complete and mostly running in the late 80's now seemingly dismantled and abandoned. I assume most are owned by individuals and (defunct?) groups formerly active before the Smith takeover. Ray.

 

Caliban is owned by an active member of Furness Railway Trust, the loco will move to Ribble Steam Railway in Preston in due course.

3155

 

RIP Bert Hitchen. I never met you but have just seen a Classic Steam video on You Tube in which you are interviewed several times and your passion and patience in the preservation of Taw Valley is inspiring.

My abiding memory of Taw Valley was one summer's day in the 2000's when she hauled a train to Weymouth. The late Mike Notley was on the train from Waterloo and he and I shared, with the other passengers, a magnificent 89mph through Winchester which is the fastest ever, apart from 60009 from Exeter to Taunton, that I have experienced with steam. What a locomotive and what a man. Condolences to the Hitchen family.

 

Not to mention 34092 in the '80s, which I have been led to believe topped even that speed by one or two mph, unless it was the fastest ever run through Winchester. I find that hard to believe, though, in the southbound direction.

 

You're no alone in that Tom. Whilst I didn't "know" the person, I knew of the reputation of "both halves" and never connected the names.

 

Found this shot of Bert with 75014 at Kingussie in 1997, after he had fired her on the epic climb from Inverness to Slochd, The support crew are busy emptying rather a lot of ash from the smokebox, evidence of an exceptional climb rather than bad coal.