O4's south of Peterborough / March in 1950's

[pete2hogs]

As far as I know the O4's had disappeared from the GE and GN lines except for local workings in the immediate Doncaster area by the 1950's - can anyone contradict this?

It's just that - to encourage the manufacturers to produce more freight engines - I have bought a Bachmann O4. But my layout is based in the southern area in 1955 to 1962. And although I'm quite happy to run it anyway when no-one's looking, I'd like to justify it if I could!

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Most of the coal train workings in your time frame would be 'WD' hauled, but not all, the odd different loco would slip through, loco failure en route, shortage of locomotives, the last being not uncommon and when it did happen 'Anything' could be used' even an A4 on minerals. Or a 0-6-0 on express passenger, , Yes it did happen !

Anyway, it's your railway, you can run what you like

manna

[AndyRush]

Langwith Jct, Frodingham and Immingham O4's were common sights at Whitemoor (and New England) to the end of steam. They were very rare south of Whitemoor after diesels took over the workings towards Temple Mills etc in 1958-9.

[strang steel]

I have yet to find anything specific on O4s, but on Nov 22 1956 an O2 no. 63985 was seen at Temple Mills yard. (from Trains Illustrated).

Found one now:- 63703 passed Biggleswade on up goods Feb 20th 1956. (TI 4/56)

[pete2hogs]

Thanks!

[strang steel]

An O1 this time:- 63795 was on Colchester shed, March 11th 1958.

[Eightpot]

Can recall seeing an O4 on Hatfield shed around 1958, also an O2 once at Hornsey also around that time. A bit earlier saw and photographed 63666 on Cambridge shed, with O1's working down the Lea Valley around that time.

[Caledonian]

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious its worth remarking that while certain locomotives were shedded in particular locations they generally earned their keep by hauling stock to other locations.

[1H was 2E]

I can remember on 2 occasions seeing O4s on the Peterboro' N'pton line in '63ish, so they must have got as far south as Peterboro' or March on the main line. One was an O4/8 heading for Northampton Castle past 2E and I wondered how the cylinders would fare passing through the LNW platforms. Certainly too tight for a GW Hall...... There's a photo in Green Guide 6B of 63687 at "Barnwell" in '57, and I take this to be the one near Oundle on the same line.

[strang steel]

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious its worth remarking that while certain locomotives were shedded in particular locations they generally earned their keep by hauling stock to other locations.

In simplistic terms that may be true; but most sheds had diagrams for their locos, and if certain classes were not diagrammed for certain routes (due to weight restrictions or power needed for gradients) then they would not be seen, or maybe only very rarely in an emergency.

It is these rare occasions that we are looking for.

During the 1950s, the depots that had long distance loose coupled goods diagrams to north London via the ECML (Doncaster, New England for example) tended to use the more modern locomotives such as WDs, and 9Fs as they became available.

If there was a loco failure en-route, maybe at Grantham or Peterborough, it is unlikely that an O4 would be substituted because there were none allocated there. A few might arrive at those sheds after working goods trains from elsewhere, but they would be already booked for a return working with their respective crews.

[auldreekie]

I've just clocked Caledonian's definitions of a fool and a madman. Hell: I've made a lifetime's career of being a madman by those considerations!


(And precious few thanks I got from those who benefitted by my getting it consistently right.)


auldreekie

[Caledonian]

I've just clocked Caledonian's definitions of a fool and a madman. Hell: I've made a lifetime's career of being a madman by those considerations!


(And precious few thanks I got from those who benefitted by my getting it consistently right.)


auldreekie

The definition comes from the first edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica

[kimballthurlow]

Hi,
Another variation as follows:
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb]

regards
Kimball

[madhammer66]

Wonder if anyone can help on this. Have just purchased a picture (via a well known auction site) that shows Thompson O1 63795 with mineral empties passing through Goole heading to Hull in 1963.

Can anyone supply me info relating to any part of this engine's working life. I see from strang steel' post she was at Colchester on March 11. 1958 - was that her home shed or just where she was spotted at that time?

Thanks,
Chris

[50C]

In 1958 63795 was allocated to March(31B) and in 1963 was based at Staveley(41H).


50C