West Country pacific on the Great Eastern

[robertcwp]

I recently purchased this image:


34006_Stratford by robertcwp, on Flickr

If I recall correctly, several West Country pacifics were loaned to the GE in the early 1950s.

If anyone can shed more light on this image, I would be most grateful.

[notascoobie]

Was it not because there was a fault affecting Britannia class availability?

IIRC several V2s went to the Southern when a fault affected their pacific fleet.

Regards,

Vernon

[65447]

Articles, notes or comments in GEJ as follows:

Southern Railway Bulleid Light Pacifics on the GE Section - comment, photo 84.56 86.40 89.35 92.38 92.42 92.45 93.47 93.49 94.41 98.43 100.61

I know that you are a member of the GERS, but do you have the Journals on CD?

From the eclectic collection of carriages attached, I wonder if it's on an initial driver familiarisation in the works area?

[PaulG]

Robert

WC/BB allocated to the GE Section were as follows :

34039 Boscastle (5/51-1/52); 34057 Biggin Hill (5/51-5/52); 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair (4/49-5/49); 34065 Hurricane (5/51-5/52); 34076 41 Squadron (10/51-4/52) and 34089 602 Squadron (10/51-12/51) (from/to dates in brackets). Known photos: 34039 at Beccles bank 8/1950. 34039 Stratford 8/05/1951. 34057 at Lakenham bank 21/07/1951. 34065 at Broxbourne 18 June 1952. 34059 Norwich 18/05/1949. 34057 Norwich 21/10/1951. 34059 Clacton 1949.

General workings London-Norwich/Yarmouth ST/Parkeston/Clacton via Ipswich and on one occasion 34059 Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds rtn with 6-coach local. But because of lack of water scoops they spent a lot of time on the London-Cambridge line.

34006 Bude was not allocated to the GE Section, but a number of the class worked through on specials/excursions, which presumably explains your photo.

Paul

[D2100]

... WC/BB allocated to the GE Section were as follows :

34039 Boscastle (5/51-1/52); 34057 Biggin Hill (5/51-5/52); 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair (4/49-5/49); 34065 Hurricane (5/51-5/52); 34076 41 Squadron (10/51-4/52) and 34089 602 Squadron (10/51-12/51) (from/to dates in brackets). Known photos: 34039 at Beccles bank 8/1950. 34039 Stratford 8/05/1951. 34057 at Lakenham bank 21/07/1951. 34065 at Broxbourne 18 June 1952. 34059 Norwich 18/05/1949. 34057 Norwich 21/10/1951. 34059 Clacton 1949.

...

34006 Bude was not allocated to the GE Section, but a number of the class worked through on specials/excursions, which presumably explains your photo.

I'd also go along those lines, but for different reasons - based more on the slope-sided 16T mineral in the background. Not only has it been repainted in BR grey, but it's fairly scruffy already, which doesnt give me the feel of a photo taken as early as 1951/52. Prepared to be wrong though - that first coach must be fairly identifiable, pre-Group of some sort?

[jwealleans]

If it's an excursion, it's using ER stock - that's an ex-GC coach leading, and something which looks quite Gresley behind the Mk 1.

The headcode looks SR, though - can anyone identify what that might signify? The middle disc would be meaningless on the ER.

The stock behind the 16 tonners is GE, the double rainstrips are a dead giveaway.

[earlswood nob]

G'day all
The SR headcodes refer to route not type of train.
The Pacific is showing Code 26:

Brighton and Bournemouth
Waterloo and Wimbledon Park sidings
Merstham and Staines Moor via Guildford
Victoria or Holborn and Eardley sidings via Herne Hill

Of those, I guess its the top one is the most likely.
It was probably an excursion and showing SR discs ready for its south.

Earlswood nob

PS A three disc code indicated a special

[D2100]

If it's an excursion, it's using ER stock - that's an ex-GC coach leading, and something which looks quite Gresley behind the Mk 1. ...

...

The stock behind the 16 tonners is GE, the double rainstrips are a dead giveaway.

I'm sure you meant to type Thompson there

I was thinking that withdrawal dates of the GC/GE stock might set a 'latest possible' date for the pic?

[jwealleans]

you meant to type Thompson

Pah - all this modern stuff looks alike to me. Not sure the coach dates will help much - I don't know about the GC example (Bill B may have a view) but the GE 50' stock could be seen until about 1957, odd examples much later and the Gresleys of course into the mid-60s.

[robertcwp]

Articles, notes or comments in GEJ as follows:

Southern Railway Bulleid Light Pacifics on the GE Section - comment, photo 84.56 86.40 89.35 92.38 92.42 92.45 93.47 93.49 94.41 98.43 100.61

I know that you are a member of the GERS, but do you have the Journals on CD?

From the eclectic collection of carriages attached, I wonder if it's on an initial driver familiarisation in the works area?

Thanks - I must order the journals on CD!

[watcheronthebridge]

Sorry for the late contribution, but it might help to tie down the date range of the image by looking at what modifications the loco had received. These modifications to the Southern West Country locos are well documented. Based on what can be seen in the photo this would place 34006 sometime after 1952 but before January 1960 when it was fitted with ATC which gave it a distinctive front end appearance. Looking at where the loco was allocated, for 1952 to 1959 this would have been Nine Elms, London which fits in with it being seen at Stratford.

This engine was one of the Southern locomotives which took part in the 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials, when it was used on the ex-Great Central route out of London.

The front end change (and the modified tender fitted in August 1961) is shown in this photo from the SEMG website

[strang steel]

Going slightly OT from the photo, SR pacifics did occasionally make forays into GE territory later in the 1950s.

Trains Illustrated for Nov 1958 reported that on 9th September that year, 34091 worked a troop train through to Brandon; and then to Cambridge with the empty stock. For some reason the loco did not turn at Cambridge, but was sent light to Ely to turn on the triangle before returning to Cambridge and departing south with the empty coaches.