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Festival of Britain exhibition 1951?


sulzer27jd

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I came across a family photograph recently showing Britannia class "William Shakespeare" and another showing what appears to be a foreign locomotive on display at an exhibition. The presence of the foreign loco makes me think that this was at some kind of exposition.

 

I was wondering if anyone could confirm if the Britannia attended the Festival of Britain exhibition in 1951? Or could suggest an alternative venue?

 

Thanks in anticipation

 

John

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The Festival of Britain was several exhibitions. There were locomotives in the main exhibition at South Bank and the Exhibition of Industrial Power in Glasgow.

 

Bulleid 10201, 26020 (the DC electric loco), 70004 Willaim Shakespeare, Tasmanian Government Railways diesel X16 (the one looking a bit like a class 20), Indian Railways 2-8-2 No. 8350, a Fell Diesel Mechanical, Guinness Park Royal diesel No. 36, a small Ruston loco and a Post Office Railway unit were among those on display at South Bank. Here is the Indian loco to compare with your photo: http://www.irfca.org...img115.jpg.html

 

Victorian Railways steam loco R704 was on display in Glasgow. It is now preserved and carries the exhibition plate given to the Victorian Railways by the Festival.

http://www.steamloco...ia/vic/r704.jpg

http://www.australia...om/vic/r704.jpg

 

Interestingly the Festival plate from 8350 is now in private ownership. I have seen it appear on a well known auction site twice in the last decade.

 

Cheers

David

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Those sleeper on the third panel look almost like they are steel ones. Surely they didn't exist back then did they?

The original narrow gauge North Australia Railway was built with steel sleepers. There are are half a dozen or so in the Adelaide River Railway Museum, found in the bush with the new standard gauge Adelaide - Darwin railway was being built a decade ago. They are marked "KRUPP 1885".

 

Cheers

David

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