A baby deltic at Skegness?

[strang steel]

This photo has been posted on another forum, to which I contribute occasionally.

I thought it was so noteworthy that I have copied it here.

The main subject is K2 61766 in the carriage sidings at Skegness, but visible to the left and further down the yard is what appears to be a Baby Deltic. There was a report in RO of one reaching Mablethorpe in 1961, but no photograph has appeared (to my knowledge) and no reports of the class arriving at Skegness.

I have blown up the photo on my laptop as much as is possible and it sure looks to have a buffer beam (the only other alternative - the EE Type 4 - had buffers on the bogie frames) and the cab windows look right for the class.

What do the experts think?

[60526]

The colouring suggests that it is, can you see the ladder on the front in the blow-up?

[strang steel]

Sadly not, but I have no idea how quickly the ladders were removed on some of the locos.

And anyway, the early EE Type 4s had nose-end ladders also.

[Boris]

What shed was 1766 at on that picture

[strang steel]

It was at Colwick.

The photo is dated summer 1960.

[markindurham]

It does indeed look like a Baby Deltic. Great find if it is.

[Boris]

Thanks Strand

[jwealleans]

Put this to someone who's knowledgeable about the class and had this by way of reply:

"it was D5909 working an excursion from KX in 1960. There was a newspaper article in about it with a picture of the driver standing alongside it."

[JASd17]

Not long to go for 61766 either.

It was in store for periods after the end of the summer 1960. Officially withdrawn January 1961.

The post-war Brake Third is interesting too. Diagram 346, possibly one built for the Flying Scotsman sets?

John

[strang steel]

Thanks everyone for your valuable info, especially jwealleans.

D5909 was the same loco that found its way to Mablethorpe a year later with an excursion from Biggleswade, so it seems to be a rather wandering locomotive with a penchant for the Lincolnshire Riviera.

[Pyewipe Junction]

D5909 was recorded as working an excursion to Skegness on 2 September 1959.

[Nortonboy]

It did well to get that far. Not the most reliable locos.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

There is a story that someone was trying to organise a Farewell tour for the Baby Deltics. The standard response was that they would fail as soon as they saw the coaches.

Not the best locomotive ever and BR were keen to see the back of them. Nearly as bad as the Clayton Type 1s......

[harvester]

Could I have seen several of them in the yards outside Vulcan Foundry sometime in 1962 whilst passing on a Chester Manchester train?

[D2100]

There is a story that someone was trying to organise a Farewell tour for the Baby Deltics. The standard response was that they would fail as soon as they saw the coaches

A response that was characteristically off beam then, because by the time they were up for withdrawal they'd long been sorted out by EE, at some expense. I'd need to check (authoritative reference rather than enthusiast hearsay), but ISTR by then they were no better nor worse than any other BR type 2.