The Polmadie A2s

[Pyewipe Junction]

One of the more interesting cross-company allocations in the dying days of steam (say 1962 onwards) was the allocation of a number of Thompson and Peppercorn A2s to Polmadie (66A).

The Locomotive Shed Allocation Index shows six A2s allocated to Polmadie in 1962 (60512, 60522, 60524, 60527, 60530 and 60535) and three in 1965 (60512, 60522 and 60535). The arrival of these locos must have given the ex-LMS men a heart attack! Equivalent to having Duchesses or Scots allocated to Haymarket!

Does anyone know what work these locos did - it'd be great to see a photo of one with a 'Royal Scot' headboard! I imagine they would have been well suited to the Glasgow - Carlisle line, but I suppose by 1962 they were not in very good condition.

[Flamingo]

The A2s would not have been complete stangers to Polmadie crews. Some of the Haymarket A1s 60159-60162 spent several months there in the early 1950s, more than a year I believe in one case.. According to the RCTS LNER Part 2A the A1s worked as far south as Crewe on trains such as the up Postal and overnight sleepers. The LMR was pretty badly off for Pacifics compared to the Eastern and Scottish Regions so any large engines would probably have been welcomed.

I photographed 60512 at Carstairs in 1964. It didn't look in poor condition, but admitteddly it wasn't doing anything.

[stembok]

The A2s 60512/522/524/527/530 /535 were sent to 66A Polmadie, not in 1962 but in September 1963. They arrived from Aberdeen and Edinburgh St Margarets. By this time 66A had lost all of its 6P and 7P power and in the autumn of 1963 the Scottish Region withdrew the last of its Duchess Pacifics en bloc. The A2s were not direct replacements for the LMS 8Ps, but were intended to be used primarily on heavier freight and parcels workings, though they did appear occasionally on passenger work, usually substituting for a diesel, or on one of the Carlisle 'stoppers', or perhaps a relief working. Their workings tended to be irregular and they often languished out of traffic for lengthy periods under repair. In addition many 66A men considered that some of their Duchess Pacifics had been in sound mechanical condition on withdrawal and given the innate conservatism of steam enginemen were often, from personal experience, pretty scathing about the LNER engines, particularly the A2/3s. They had all gone by 1965, apart from 60530 which 'escaped' back to the friendlier shores of Dundee (Tay Bridge) 7/64 and survived until 11/66 as one of the Dundee stand- by engines.

[Deepol]

A photo of 60535 HORNETS BEAUTY at Carstairs heading to Carlisle with a local all stations from Glasgow Central. An unhappy time for A2s.

[39ATank]

These locos did a regular stint on the 'West Coast Postal' from Polmadie in the early 60's, but a few of them at least, ended up back on the LNE area. I saw 60528 'Tudor Minstrel' and 60530 'Sayajirao' on the Fife line out of Edinburgh in 1965. Later I photographed the latter at Dundee shed in 1966 just before withdrawal.

[neilgow]

An Edinburgh Traction Inspector I knew in the 1980's commented on the fact that the firemen on the big LNER engines needed to be skilled men whereas the Caley firemen only needed to be illiterate coal shovellers. Mind you he came from a long line of NBR men, not known to be too friendly to the Caley. As the arguments raged, I felt it time to leave.

NG.

[Deepol]

These locos did a regular stint on the 'West Coast Postal' from Polmadie in the early 60's, but a few of them at least, ended up back on the LNE area. I saw 60528 'Tudor Minstrel' and 60530 'Sayajirao' on the Fife line out of Edinburgh in 1965. Later I photographed the latter at Dundee shed in 1966 just before withdrawal.

Don't think they were unfortunate enough to go to Polmadie and stayed at Dundee.

[BJamieson]

These locos did a regular stint on the 'West Coast Postal' from Polmadie in the early 60's, but a few of them at least, ended up back on the LNE area. I saw 60528 'Tudor Minstrel' and 60530 'Sayajirao' on the Fife line out of Edinburgh in 1965. Later I photographed the latter at Dundee shed in 1966 just before withdrawal.

Don't think they were unfortunate enough to go to Polmadie and stayed at Dundee.

60530 was reallocated to Dundee in the summer of 1964 after spending almost three years at Polmadie. 60512 was another one which was nominally transferred away from 66A to 62B (in June 1965) but I saw it dumped at Perth in July of that year so it's doubtful whether it actually did any work from Dundee (or even got that far).

Bill