LMS pacific shopping dates, early 1960s

[61070]

I have an undated colour slide of 46250 City of Lichfield which I know was taken in the early 1960s. The loco is sparkling clean and clearly fresh from the Crewe Works Paint Shop. Does anyone know a reliable source of information on shopping dates for these locomotives from 1960 onward?

[PGBerrie]

Here's and undated photo in green livery: http://www.holidayrail.co.uk/railtours/ ... hfield.htm and a black and white in fairly clean condition in 21st August 1962: http://www.geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p54299876.html

If I read Wikipedia right, City of Lichfield must have been based in the Scottish region because of its green livery. Still this does not solve the date problem. Perhaps someone here knows http://www.freewebs.com/lmsforum/

Peter

[Flamingo]

I don't remember 46250 ever being allocated to the Scottish Region. I think what they mean is that all the Pacifics which were allocated to the ScR remained in BR green. There were about 5 of them, I can't remember which ones but they were all in the 46220-29 range and based at Polmadie shed Glasgow (66A).

[kudu]

I don't remember 46250 ever being allocated to the Scottish Region. I think what they mean is that all the Pacifics which were allocated to the ScR remained in BR green. There were about 5 of them, I can't remember which ones but they were all in the 46220-29 range and based at Polmadie shed Glasgow (66A).

Maybe your memory is no longer than mine. 46250 was briefly at Polmadie soon after it was built (20/5/44). It went on loan from Crewe N on 22/7/44, became permanent on 26/8/44 but only until 12/10/46.

6220/1 were at Polmadie 1939-56 and 58 respectively, when I believe they were swapped for 2 Princess Royals (That bit IS from memory, so may be wrong).

6222-4 were there from late 1939 until withdrawal in 1963/4.

6225 was there on loan 1940-6 apparently.

6227 was at Polmadie from 6/1948 (initially on loan) until withdrawal in 1962.

6230-32 were the other Polmadie stalwarts, there from 1940 until withdrawal in 1962.

Others were there more briefly:

6239 on loan during 1944, 6244 on loan during 1940

6242 1944-8 and 3/61 until withdrawal in 10/1963

6249 7/44-10/46 (loaned to Crewe N during 1944), 3/61 to withdrawal in 11/63

6251 7/1944-10/46.

46250 was 36 weekdays on works + 10 weekdays waiting for a Heavy General repair 2/12/60-2/1/61. Record then ends.

All the Coronations were surely green during most of the BR era, apart from those that reverted to maroon for a while.

(Source: Irwell Press "Book of the Coronation Pacifics")

Kudu

[PGBerrie]

So much for Wikipedia, or my interpretation of it!

Peter

[61070]

Thanks very much for the information. I think spring or early summer 1961 is the most likely time, within a few months of the heavy general repair. The picture was taken at Nuneaton (Trent Valley). We saw 46207 Princess Arthur of Connaught at Nuneaton too, and I think it was on the same visit (though there's no photo or other record to confirm); I think 6207 was withdrawn late 1961, so that points to 1961 for the picture of 6250 too. I remember that when 6207 stopped at the station I admired its maroon livery and large curved nameplate - and thought that Arthur was rather a strange name for a princess! It was the first ex-LMS pacific I had been close to.

[strang steel]

There are not many clues in the weather on the photo I'm afraid, except that it seems to be mid afternoon in high summer from the shadows (well to me anyway) and lack of cloud. There is a little greenery in one of the terraced house gardens on the left.

1961 was not a very good summer, and so my guess would be the last few days of June, or maybe the first two or three of July when the pressure was high.

But it is only a guess.

John

[61070]

Thanks John - looks like my shadow measuring 'skills' could be usefully brought to bear on this one.

[strang steel]

Yes I think they could. I looked at the shadow from the front of the loco and it does not stretch as far even as the opposite platform. That is quite a large angle for the sun to be at, which made me think it would be not too far from June 21st.

With the platforms at Nuneaton lying in a generally NW-SE direction, the sun would seem to be at almost 90 degrees, but I did not get as far as looking up the exact orientation of the line at that point.