LNER No.10000 Hush-Hush

[arthurkinnear]

William Brown's book on No.10000 has recently come to my notice. As far as I can make out his references to this locomotive's Scottish journeys did not take it any further than Perth.
In the mid 1930s I was a primary schoolboy in Montrose on the ECML, and was vaguely familiar with the LNER locomotives running there - my recollections stem principally from Montorose-Dundee return trips. Northbound trains from Dundee seemed normally to change locomotives at Dundee Tay Bridge, and I have memories of gazing at the relieving engines waiting and simmering with steam up on the outside track of the down platform. If you got down to the station reasonably early you had a splendid oppurtunity to look at these with leisure. My strongest memories seem to be of the 2-8-2's - " Cock of the North" and her sisters. However, I have a strong recollection of an occasion when a rumour went around Montrose that the "Hush-hush engine" was expected to pass. I dont recall having actually seen it there myself but I am quite certain that this was the first time in my life when I had heard tell of the "Hush-hush" engine. Can anyone tell me whether No.10000 ever ran to Aberdeen?
Arthur Kinnear

[WOOTANG]

hi arthurkinnear,

as far as im aware the locomotive ran to aberdeen once or twice mainly for tests but i presumme that the L.N.E.R kept it quiet as not to make people aware that it was happening
but im not 100% sure

hope it helped

[Saint Johnstoun]

I cannot find any concrete evidence that 10000 worked to Aberdeen in original form. It certainly worked as far as Aberdeen in mid 1942 (It was rebuilt in 1937). Its last journey with water tube boiler was in October 1936 to Doncaster for rebuilding and its last revenue working was in August 1935 so it seems unlikely that it ever ventured as far as Dundee or even Aberdeen.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

There is an official picture of the engine in water-tube state on the Forth Bridge with test gear festooned all over the casing.

[Saint Johnstoun]

That official picture was taken during the test run to Perth.

I would add that the photographic stop caused some annoyance to the operating people.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up, St J!

Thanks for that, the caption to the piccie in the book I have doesn't mention where it was going to. Or from.