Prototype Barry 1967 and 1968

[oldravendale]

An S15-fest today, with a Q1 thrown in.

First 30506 - details on post # 75.



Next is Q 30541. This was withdrawn from Guildford at the end of November 1964. It moved to Ashchurch in 1974 and then the Bluebell Railway in 1978. It returned to steam in 1983. It was last recorded as being under maintenance/overhaul but may be back in service on the Bluebell by now.



This is S15 30825. Note the "Southern" grinning through on the tender, above the BR totem. The loco was withdrawn from Salisbury in January 1964. It stayed in Barry until 1986. It's been used as a source of spares and different parts are on different locos now. However the frames have been used to define the restoration of another loco so 30825 it became. It's currently operational on the NYMR.



This is 30841. The final shed was Feltham from which it was withdrawn in January 1964. It left Barry in 1972 and was restored to working order in 1974 - a remarkably short time. Only the frames remain at the NYMR as it now uses the frames of 30825 above.



This is 30847. See post # 77 for details. The wagons will have their own day of glory as they can be seen more clearly in a later photo.





Brian

 

[LarryG]

I never knew there was a joggle in the running plate of the 'Q' 0-6-0's.

 

[AJC]

I never knew there was a joggle in the running plate of the 'Q' 0-6-0's.

Yes, one of the distinctive features of the class. (30)541 is certainly back in service at the Bluebell, here it is in 2017. Stil listed as operational, I see, so maybe I'll catch up with her again later this year: Operational Locomotives - Bluebell Railway in Sussex




Adam

 

[AJC]

View attachment 156373

Brian

Just a quick note on the wagons while I think of it. From left, an LMS diagram 1666 (I think - if it's got a steel underframe it would be a 1667), seemingly branded as an internal user, presumably at Barry Docks.

Next is a BR-built steel medfit, dia. 1/019, its number illegible, but evidently taken on by the engineers as the yellow(? the triangles were usually green: BR 13ton steel bodied Medfit open (as used by engineers) ZAV ZVV ZAO ZDO | DB458805_diag_1-019__m_) triangle and the D prefix to the number shows. The purpose of the triangle seems to have been to differentiate engineers' stock from visually similar traffic stock and was very common on Medfits, especially on the Southern Region. The underframe is one of the LMS-type 8 shoe AVB types.

The only wagon obviously condemned is, ironically, the one also clearly still in use. W107160, branded Bogie Bolster A which makes it a GWR Macaw H: GWR Bolster wagons Bogie Bolster A, Bogie Bolster B, Bogie Bolster C | 54e_DW107204_YSR_DRT81354__2m_, that railway's dia. J25. Goodness knows how long it was in the docks at this point, but with the large number of vacuum-braked bogie bolsters built in the '60s it could have been a while. The way the tare is done with the subscript 'T' is quite nice and suggests an early '60s repaint.

Adam

 

[oldravendale]

Thanks for the info about the wagons, Adam. There'll be a better quality photo especially enhanced to make the best of the wagons, after all the locos are shown.

A couple of Southern Moguls for today. First is U 31618 which was withdrawn from Guildford in January 1964. It arrived at Barry in June 1964 and left in January 1969. It ultimately moved to the Bluebell where it is currently on static display after initial restoration elsewhere in 1974.



The second is another U, 31625, also withdrawn from Guildford in January 1964. It also arrived at Barry in June 1964. It left in March 1980, has been restored, but is currently stored off site at the Swanage Railway awaiting overhaul.



Brian

 

[oldravendale]

Here's U 31638, another of the class withdrawn from Guildford in January 1964. It arrived at the Bluebell in 1980 and steamed again in 2006. It's currently stored awaiting overhaul.



And yet another U, 31806, details of which appeared in post # 92.



For a subtle change in Moguls here's N 31874. Details were in post # 92



Finally for today is allegedly West Country 34028, Eddystone, viewed from the cab of King 6023. 34028 was withdrawn from Eastleigh at the end of May 1964 and although it went to Barry this is not it as Eddystone was the first WC to be rebuilt. Proper identification is difficult but I'll have a trawl through the Barry photos to see if one of the air smoothed versions fits the location within the yard.

Edit. The West Country is 34007, Wadebridge. It was withdrawn from Salisbury in October 1965 arriving at Woodham's in May 1966. It was back in steam and operating at Bodmin in October 2006. It's currently under overhaul on the Mid Hants Railway.



Brian

 

[oldravendale]

I've now checked all the air smoothed light pacifics at Barry and this one is 34007, Wadebridge. It's the only West Country which was at Barry and had the badge cut out of the side sheeting. It can be confirmed as a West Country because of the position of the badge and also because the badges on the Battle of Britains were oval and higher up the body sides.

Edit now made to the post above.

 

[oldravendale]

A couple more Bulleids today.

First is 34105, Swanage, one of the final batch with 9ft cabs. It was withdrawn in October 1964 from Eastleigh and arrived at Barry in February 1965. In March 1978 it moved to the Mid Hants. It was restored to steam in 1987. It was under overhaul in 2020 but there was hope that it would be back in service in 2021. I have no more recent info.



Here's Merchant Navy 35011, General Steam Navigation. It was withdrawn from Bournemouth in February 1966. It left Barry in March 1983 and went in to storage at Preston Park. It's currently under an extremely long term restoration programme - to air smoothed condition - at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway.



Brian

 

[oldravendale]

Moving regions for today.

Ivatt 2-6-2T 41312 was a Nine Elms loco at the time of withdrawal, right at the end of Southern steam, and was withdrawn on 3rd July 1967. It arrived at Barry in January 1968 and left in August 1974 ultimately ending up on the Mid Hants. It was first restored to service at the beginning of 1999. It's now had another overhaul and is operational on the MHR.



And here it is, still in steam at Nine Elms, on 6th July 1967, a couple of days after its official withdrawal date.



Next is Crab 42765. Details are in post # 118.



Brian

 

[LarryG]

The shot of 41312 in steam at Nine elms reminded me why I gave up on BR some years earlier. Steam locos around cottonopolis had always been dirty right from my first sightings in the 1940's, but there was a difference between dirty and rusty. By 1965, rust was in abundance, but there was also a general air of neglect that extended far beyond the locomotives. Empty sidings and half demolished stations were an eyesore. To those of us who had been drawn trackside like a magnet from childhood, BR was no longer worth a second glance.

It wasn't as if deliberate neglect of steam locos was aimed at making the diesels look better, as they too were filthy. In the 20 short years since the end of the war, a good many railwaymen in all departments saw their careers abruptly end. Woodhams is the ultimate expression of an end of an era, although at the time we did not realise it was actually the beginning of a new one!

 

[Focalplane]

Larry, my sentiments entirely. Although I was there at the end of steam living by the Waterloo Bournemouth main line I couldn't bear to look over the bridge at Swaythling to see the rusting Bulleid pacifics go by.

The worst part of the decline was selling off the real estate so that stations can never be reinstated. Wellington, Somerset, is a typical case in point. A town of 15,000 people or so could benefit from a local service but instead there is the new Tiverton Parkway. Not exactly time effective for non-car owners.

 

[oldravendale]

True, Larry, but I didn't have a decent camera until late in the day so just went out and took as many photos as I could. In fairness, even in some of the "last day" photos a fair number of locos were still being looked after by their crews.

Here's another LMS Mogul of the Stanier flavour. 42968 was in post # 153 where you'll find details.



4F 0-6-0 44422 was in the same post.



Here's a Black 5 which didn't appear in the last tranche of photos. It's 45337 which was retired from Carlisle Kingmoor in February 1965. It arrived at Barry in January 1966 which it left in May 1984. It was restored at the ELR and steamed again in 1995. The last information I have is that the loco is at the Llangollen Railway but will be returning to the ELR for completion of an overhaul.



And here's another Black 5. This one is 45379 was withdrawn from Willesden in July 1965, arrived at Woodham's in the following October and left Barry in May 1974. It was restored at the Mid Hants by 2010 where it currently awaits overhaul.



Brian

 

[Renovater]

The locomotives in the scrapyard at Sharpness the other side of the river on the English side always seemed to be in better condition, strangely.

 

[Ressaldar]

A crying shame that the Stanier moguls were never paired with a Stanier tender, it would have improved the look no end.

regards

Mike

 

[LarryG]

45337 when it was at Llangollen in 2017. There were problems with the valvegear and it broke into a 2-beat exhaust as it was notched up, sounding very much like a Super D 0-8-0. Filmed on my DSLR held above my head, which was not ideal hand-held...

 

[Dave Holt]

Yes, Larry, and the seemingly obligatory stuck open LMS cylinder drain cock.
Dave.

 

[parky]

A view of 48173 from the late 80's when it was planned to move her to Bitton and which did happen. I see now she is in for overhaul at the Churnet Valley after the 8f group disbanded at Bitton. We stabled 48173 on the outer road of the newly laid out yard alongside 44123 & 34058



45379 has been craned back together as part of our revamp of the yard and 47324 is in the workshops of Mike Vout and Jim Frampton who owned 34058/44123 respectively. I see reference to 44123 taking time to restore, well as far as I know 44123 never steamed after leaving Barry as it went to the Mid-Hants before Bitton and now friends of mine are busy at work to get her back running. This hasn't been helped by a number of break-ins where castings and tools have been stolen
I spent a number of years at the AVR as unofficial yard manager so have some other photos of the time as we tidied up and laid the yard out

 

[oldravendale]

Alan - you're jumping the gun a bit with your photo of 48173. That's a joy yet to come. As for 45379 it moved around a bit but my abbreviated info on this thread records the latest allocation as the MHR. Interesting photos, though, so thank you.

A bumper bundle today, most of which we've seen previously, starting with 45690, Leander, last seen in post # 140.



Here's 45699, Galatea, also last seen in post # 140



Next is Mogul 46447. It was withdrawn from Wigan Springs Branch in December 1966 and arrived at Barry in June 1967. It moved to Quainton Road in June 1972 where I saw it many times over the next 30 years or so - restoration was slow. It's now moved to the East Somerset Railway by way of the Isle of Wight where it was a static exhibit. Restoration was completed in October 2014 and it's now operational at Cranmore.



Next is 47298. Details are in post # 153



Lastly 47357, 41312 and 34101, Hartland. Details for 47357 are in post # 153 and for 34101 in # 97. 41312 was in post # 209.



Brian

 

[Mike Garwood]

How I wish that digital photography had been around then....

Lovely photos.

Mike

 

[parky]

thanks Brian maybe we can all chip in on a different thread on later Barry visits. I look forward to seeing 48173 in a more complete condition in 67-68