The Night Mail

[Dave Hunt]

Withdrawal dates are just that, I.e., withdrawal from service, not scrapping (or broken up as the railways generally called it)  and the latter could sometimes be years later. Also, a locomotive may have been out of traffic for some time before being officially withdrawn. There was also the term 'stored out of use' that was applied and which sometimes could feature in an engine's history card several times for periods of varying lengths before it was finally withdrawn and later broken up. It must be remembered that the engine history cards were actually for accountancy purposes and were not intended as records of a locomotive's use as such.

 

Dave

Edited September 7, 2020 by Dave Hunt

[Happy Hippo]

7 minutes ago, SD85 said:

I think WR steam was abolished in January 1966, with the exception of the S&D line which remained steam worked until the end in March of that year.

There is an enclave in Cardiff at Splott West which seems to have escaped unscathed, at they are still operating pannier tanks in 2020, although they do pretend it's about 1960.

[tomparryharry]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

There is an enclave in Cardiff at Splott West which seems to have escaped unscathed, at they are still operating pannier tanks in 2020, although they do pretend it's about 1960.

 

If it's the location I'm thinking of, the shedmaster there is expecting a new arrival sometime later this year. 

[Happy Hippo]

2 minutes ago, tomparryharry said:

 

If it's the location I'm thinking of, the shedmaster there is expecting a new arrival sometime later this year. 

The trouble is that it's green with small yellow warning panels!

 

What is desperately needed is a 56xx or two.

 

A 42xx would also be welcome, but it would be a very rare beast on ex TVR metals 

[tomparryharry]

I'm afraid the 'strategic Reserve' is well & truly in storage. It will remain there for some months or so. 

[jamie92208]

Is that the same strategic  reserve from which Baldwin 2215 emerged tompull CattlecTrains though Lancaster Green Ayre despitevit having been officially  withdrawn in 1915.

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

8 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Is that the same strategic  reserve from which Baldwin 2215 emerged tompull CattlecTrains though Lancaster Green Ayre despitevit having been officially  withdrawn in 1915.

 

Jamie

I thought it was withdrawn at 1915, the day and date still being in dispute.

[Happy Hippo]

Well, I don't know about the rest of the county, but despite us supposedly having a nice day here, the skies have just fallen in.

 

Washing was recovered from the line and was probably wetter than when it went out after the spin cycle: My combinations  now being on a rack in the conservatory.

 

The work on the baseboard deconstruction will now have to take a small holiday, as I'm not trying to saw through polystyrene inside the garage.

 

Still, it's not all bad news as the loaf I made earlier has just come out of the oven.

 

The plan is it will last until this evening when it will be reduced in size to accompany some spicy lamb burgers.

 

A quick glance in the kitchen  has revealed that a crust has already fallen off the end!

[Philou]

........... and what is this Splott West to which you all refer? Pray do tell ......... I had mistakenly thought that there were no 1:1 scale steam locos in Cardiff since the departure of those based at Bute Road station.

 

I do recall that before our school departed from Splott to St Mellons (about 1963/4), my lunchtime haunt was Splott Park within which was a static Pannier (number not recalled if it had one) with a rather large steam dome. I have no idea what became of it - I think it was where the swimming pool is now located.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Philou]

But .... but ..... @Happy Hippo it's not cake! How can it have already lost a crust? (The best bit IMHO).

 

A tale to tell regarding crusts as told by me by Mrs Philou: Her son when about fifteen or so, mentioned to her that he was able to buy baguettes that had a crust at both ends - much to his surprise. Why? Mrs Philou, when she was working in la City, would leave the office at about 7pm (absolutely mad the French) and would buy a baguette on her way home and being hungry would eat the one crust on the metro home - so all he saw (ever) was a one ended baguette and never realised why!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Happy Hippo]

47 minutes ago, Philou said:

........... and what is this Splott West to which you all refer? Pray do tell ......... I had mistakenly thought that there were no 1:1 scale steam locos in Cardiff since the departure of those based at Bute Road station.

Splott West and it's pair of sidings lie in an uncharted area above the Cardiff docks and runs approximately parallel to East Tyndall Street and Walker Road.  It connects with Splott East yard which is to the east of Moorland Road and connects with the rest of the yards that spread south from Pengam junction on the S Wales main. line.  The two sidings at Splott West are used as a staging area for traffic destined for the various smaller industries off the Tyndall Street area.

 

Heading west, the line climbs to meet junctions with both the line from Bute Road and also a link though to Cardiff (Riverside).  The former allows access to the Rhymney and Taff valleys, whilst the latter allows access to Grangetown, Penarth, Barry and St Fagans.  7775 is one of the Cardiff (Canton) locos carrying out pilot work, often comes down from Riverside to help out, whilst 4667 (Barry) works an odd Bitumen tank train from Grangetown to Splott West when required.

 

There is only a light passenger service which consists of Cardiff (Riverside), Splott Halt , Tremorfa halt and Pengam (Rhymney Bridge).  this is usually worked by an auto tank and coach. Depending on the time of day, it can be served by the famed 'St Fagan's Flyer' which was well known as the most convoluted route between Pontypridd and Cardiff via as many out of the way places the train could serve.  6438 off Abercynon is the usual train engine.

 

It's always very busy there, but is very difficult to find so none of the famed photographers of the South Wales scene, such as Alan Jarvis, Sid Rickard, or Bob Masterman have ever managed to find the place.  The same goes for the various railway historians of the area who seem to have overlooked this little gem.

 

The loco that was resident in Splott Park was not a pannier but  a Hunslet saddle tank.  this was 'Jessie' in 1977:

 

 

 

And this is how she looks now:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[Steamport Southport]

Jessie. Once of the strategic reserve in North Wales.

 

It does/did have a Grange, Patriot, 47XX and a B17 in it, and they are all the locomotives rumoured to be in the SR...   

 

 

 

Jason

[Philou]

@Happy Hippo What a great back-end story. I really thought from your description a few posts earlier, you were talking of the real thing. I suppose the nearest alignment to the real thing would have been the lines serving the coal hoists at Bute East/West Docks. Our sea scout HQ was in one of the arches immediately behind the bonded warehouse that is still there, but no viaduct now. I did once see a Class 08 rumble overhead whilst we were there.

 

And I see mind's eye of nearly 60 years ago was mistaken - but nonetheless good to see that the loco has been taken care of. I assume that she was pretty much 'whole' when she left Splott Park? She wasn't graffiti'd at all when I last saw here. Looks very similar to the one in the photo of the Melingriffith loco.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

Edited September 7, 2020 by Philou
I see my post and that of Steamport crossed - she wasn't 'whole'!

[Steamport Southport]

We were talking about the same engine though. It moved for safekeeping to the Dean Forest.

 

I remember it being at Llangollen and it was often the main locomotive for the Thomas weekends with a face added after the Jinty had moved away.

 

It was too small for regular work though.

 

http://www.llangollen-railway.org.uk/slocojesse.html

 

More here including as a side tank.

 

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/hunslet-works-no-1873-jessie-0-6-0st/

 

 

 

Jason

Edited September 7, 2020 by Steamport Southport

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said:

Jessie. Once of the strategic reserve in North Wales.

 

It does/did have a Grange, Patriot, 47XX and a B17 in it, and they are all the locomotives rumoured to be in the SR...   

 

 

 

Jason

Naah, the SR has at least150 9F's, a load of rebuilt West Contries and the other 25 cancelled Leaders . They are gaurded by King Arthur's knights of the round table. The entrance is believed to be hidden between the mountain of odd socks that get lost in the wash and another mound of all the small bits, small nuts and bolts that go down the black holes in the floor of all modellers workshops.

 

Jamie

Edited September 7, 2020 by jamie92208

[Happy Hippo]

When Bill has finished his research and writings on the great CMEs of the early 20th century, he can write the defining article on the truth of the Strategic Reserve.

 

We mustn't forget that all the 10xx Counties are stored in the carriage shed at Craven Arms.

 

[Compound2632]

You know all those Johnson 4-4-0s that got "rebuilt" as 483 Class superheater 4-4-0s? As is well-known, they were "accountancy rebuilds" with next to nothing of the original locomotives in them. What's less well-known is that that was because the original engines went into the Strategic Reserve. The idea was that any invader would be so distracted by their perfection of form and finish that he would be distracted from the task at hand...

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Philou said:

And I see mind's eye of nearly 60 years ago was mistaken - but nonetheless good to see that the loco has been taken care of. I assume that she was pretty much 'whole' when she left Splott Park? She wasn't graffiti'd at all when I last saw here. Looks very similar to the one in the photo of the Melingriffith loco.

Don't forget that 9629, which was a pannier tank, was for a few years parked up outside the Holiday Inn in the centre of Cardiff. 

 

Funnily enough she is now at Blaenavon along with 'Jessie'! (But still being restored)

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

You know all those Johnson 4-4-0s that got "rebuilt" as 483 Class superheater 4-4-0s? As is well-known, they were "accountancy rebuilds" with next to nothing of the original locomotives in them. What's less well-known is that that was because the original engines went into the Strategic Reserve. The idea was that any invader would be so distracted by their perfection of form and finish that he would be distracted from the task at hand...

Certainly when set against trees and fields, a red engine is  much easier to see and target unlike a GWR green one.

[Compound2632]

8 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Certainly when set against trees and fields, a red engine is  much easier to see and target unlike a GWR green one.

 

Haven't you heard of the Thin Red Line?

[tomparryharry]

25 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Don't forget that 9629, which was a pannier tank, was for a few years parked up outside the Holiday Inn in the centre of Cardiff. 

 

Funnily enough she is now at Blaenavon along with 'Jessie'! (But still being restored)

 

Yes. I was the bloke that craned it out. The team who are restoring 9629 had a job finding all the 'bits', and paying for those bits. The loco, although looking complete, was just a set of wheels & frames. 

 

Cheers,

Ian.

[Steamport Southport]

37 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Don't forget that 9629, which was a pannier tank, was for a few years parked up outside the Holiday Inn in the centre of Cardiff. 

 

Funnily enough she is now at Blaenavon along with 'Jessie'! (But still being restored)

 

The one without a boiler and boiler fittings.

 

I think it's got one now though. But when it was plinthed it only had a mock up.

 

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/9629-2/

 

I have a feeling it was Robert Adley who saved it as the remains was going to be cut up, and he "knew someone" at Holiday Inn...

 

Quote

In the 1970s Adley was part-time Marketing Director for Holiday Inn (UK). 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Adley

 

 

 

Jason

Edited September 7, 2020 by Steamport Southport

[tomparryharry]

5 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

The one without a boiler and boiler fittings.

 

I think it's got one now though. But when it was plinthed it only had a mock up.

 

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/9629-2/

 

I have a feeling it was Robert Adley who saved it as the remains was going to be cut up, and he "knew someone" at Holiday Inn...

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Adley

 

 

 

Jason

 

Yes, I was involved with that. I was Christmas shopping in Cardiff, and knowing that Robert Adley had died, the loco started to look 'scruffy'. So, in for a penny... I approached the Holiday Inn manager, and discussed the locomotives future. They agreed that the locomotive needed to go,. so I was in the right place, right time.  We formed an owning group at Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway, sufficient for Holiday Inn to gift the remains of the locomotive to the group.  Since then, it's been an uphill struggle to find the missing parts, negotiate and recover parts as & when the finances allow. At the moment (2020) , a new bunker is being made, and the cylinder block is about to be re-inserted, being removed to attend to some major faults with said block. There are things like a progression map, but one job at a time....

 

Robert Adley was a director at Holiday inn. His visits to Cardiff meant that he ordered repaints of the locomotive if it fell short of being a 'garden ornament' outside what was the largest hotel in the centre of Cardiff.  I oversaw the extraction in February, 1994.

 

Cheers,

Ian.

[tomparryharry]

7 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The trouble is that it's green with small yellow warning panels!

 

What is desperately needed is a 56xx or two.

 

A 42xx would also be welcome, but it would be a very rare beast on ex TVR metals 

I might slightly disagree, if I may. 42xx's worked over Common Branch Junction, and, AFIAK, worked up to Dowlais on iron ore jobs. I've got photos of 42's working down to Mwyndy Junction, but although I've read it somewhere, no photos, yet. Sorry, working up to Dowlais!

Edited September 7, 2020 by tomparryharry
Forgot a bit. Duh!

[Happy Hippo]

Ian,

 

This is the photo you are probably looking for by the late Sid Rickard.

 

This copy is from the Brian Miller book: 'Rickard's Record  Cardiff and the Valleys Vol 2',

 

It is also used in Colin Chapman's book: 'The Llantrisant Branches of the Taff Vale Railway'.