Condensing Pannier Tank in West Midlands - late 50s

[Weaselfish]

I came across this photo of 9710 working what looks like a local unfitted freight at Swan Village in the Black Country in the late 50s - the photo isn't precisely dated:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping/5453433476

 

Does anyone have any idea what a condensing pannier tank was doing so far from its normal London haunts and how long it was around the West Midlands for? I had no idea that any of these locos got this far north. The external condition of the loco suggests that it's not on a running in turn after overhaul at Stafford Road. 9710 was withdrawn from Old Oak Common in 1964 and reportedly scrapped at Park Royal so it's unlikely that the engine is on its way to Cashmores at Great Bridge for scrapping. I've certainly never seen a photo of one of these locomotives in the West Midlands before.

[NCB]

Had a look in No. 4 of Irwell Press's Pannier Papers, which includes the condensing panniers. Very little on allocations, unlike the other panniers, the implication being that they were generally based at Old Oak Common or Southall. There's a pic of 9710 at Paddington on 1/9/1962, so it was back on home ground then. However, there is a comment stating that it was overhauled at Caerphilly in Feb 1962, which is a bit unusual, unless Swindon was running down steam maintenance.

[Phil Bullock]

Interesting conundrum.

 

Mind you that smokebox door does look rather clean...I'd subscribe to the Stafford Rd theory, odd job repairs rather than a full overhaul

 

Suspect the condensing gear not sufficiently efficient for the loco to be working a freight from Acton!

 

Phil

[The Stationmaster]

Interesting conundrum.

 

Mind you that smokebox door does look rather clean...I'd subscribe to the Stafford Rd theory, odd job repairs rather than a full overhaul

 

Suspect the condensing gear not sufficiently efficient for the loco to be working a freight from Acton!

 

Phil

 

Old Oak shedplate - so definitely not re-allocated elsewhere.  And, as you said, the appearance of the smokebox door and cover over the cylinder ends is very suggestive of a works visit so I suspect a trip to Stafford Road for a V&P (Valves & pistons) job.  97XX were known to have been shopped at Caerphilly so not at all unlikely that one would have gone to Stafford Road for attention at some time.  Smaller engines requiring works attention went where there was capacity and budget available to deal with them - Swindon never did have the capacity, nor was it intended to, to deal with the whole GWR loco fleet.

 

As for the chopper (condensing gear) one of my Drivers when, in earlier years, firing in the Smithfield Link received a major rollicking from his Driver for attempting to use it as that inevitably led to a rapid trip to the nearest water column and refilling the tanks while getting rid of the near boiling water they contained

[Weaselfish]

Thanks everyone - a works visit Stafford Road must be the explanation. Particular thanks to The Stationmaster for the detail about how the locos were worked.

[TheSignalEngineer]

The internet is your friend. ShedbashUK noted 9700 and 9704 at Stafford Road Works in October 1959 then 9701 and 9707 in November 1960, so a visit by 9710 would be quite probable.

 

http://shedbashuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/wolverhampton-works-1955-1963.html

 

The home sheds of locos dealt with at the works were vary varied. Those noted inside or at Stafford Road shed either awaiting works or ex-works covered most of the system including small prairies from Cornwall and tank locos from right across South Wales.

 

http://shedbashuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/stafford-road-wolverhampton-1934-1963.html

[DavidR]

Looking through the Stafford Road works list has saved me from what I thought was an obsession: back in the early 60's, whilst spotting at Snow Hill, a Wolverhampton -Devon/ Cornwall bound train came through double headed by 1003 and a Castle. The former was in mint condition and obviously ex.works. When I tried to persuade fellow enthusiasts at school, I'd seen 1003 in prime condition, and therefore ex.works, none would believe me, as they all thought Stafford Road was too small to cope with large engines.

Obsession, now, duly over! Thanks for the link.

[TheSignalEngineer]

From the list they even managed a couple of Kings and a 9F. It also appears that 15xx panniers visited, and there was an LT pannier noted in 1963.

[Weaselfish]

Big thanks to TheSignalEngineer for the Shedbash link. I hadn't seen that site before. And your ID picture is brilliant.

[Phil Bullock]

From the list they even managed a couple of Kings and a 9F. It also appears that 15xx panniers visited, and there was an LT pannier noted in 1963.

IIRC many of the LT Panniers went through Stafford Rd As part of their delivery to LT - heres one definite example

 

http://www.shakespeareexpress.com/tlw/7760.htm

 

And pretty sure 5786 did too

 

Kind regards

 

Phil

[TheSignalEngineer]

IIRC many of the LT Panniers went through Stafford Rd As part of their delivery to LT - heres one definite example

 

http://www.shakespeareexpress.com/tlw/7760.htm

 

And pretty sure 5786 did too

 

Kind regards

 

Phil

Indeed it did. As L92 it was noted at Stafford Road Works on 18 May 1963.