RMweb Premium Blobrick Posted October 23, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2014 I ve been continuing my research into locomotive workings on the West of England Main Line around 1954-56, focusing west of Salisbury. Whilst l have found numerous photos of West County & Merchant Navy pacific's, N15 & S15s, I ve not found any of either T9s or Drummond 700 class locos working on this stretch of line. I have found that both Salisbury and Yeovil had and allocation of T9s in the mid 50s, but l suspect they were used locally on Dorchester & Southampton services etc and therefore did not venture out on the main line? I suspect a similar story with the 700 class as well. Does any one know if either of these locos worked on the main line at this time? Hopefully Bob C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Given the somewhat taxing climbs on the WoE main-line, bigger classes were preferred, both classes were known to put in a good performance when needed when availability of larger classes wasn't there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Scott Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Iknow one photo is not definitive but in "Locomotives Ilustrated 44 - The Drummond 4-4-0s and Double Singles of ther LSWR" there is a pic on p36 30709 is shown at Exeter St Davids on a stoping service to Templecombe on 24 June 1958 credit to John P Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted October 23, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2014 Wasn't the Yeovil to Dorchester line GWR territory? In which case I wouldn't have thought the T9s would have been used there, so the Yeovil-allocated ones would have been used on stopping services between Salisbury and Exeter. And Exmouth Junction also had a large allocation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blobrick Posted October 23, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2014 Iknow one photo is not definitive but in "Locomotives Ilustrated 44 - The Drummond 4-4-0s and Double Singles of ther LSWR" there is a pic on p36 30709 is shown at Exeter St Davids on a stoping service to Templecombe on 24 June 1958 credit to John P Wilson Hi Dave Thanks for that, its the very thing l am searching for, so thats an excuse for a T9 sorted, l ve just got to find the same for a 700 class!! Cheers Bob C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blobrick Posted October 23, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2014 Wasn't the Yeovil to Dorchester line GWR territory? In which case I wouldn't have thought the T9s would have been used there, so the Yeovil-allocated ones would have been used on stopping services between Salisbury and Exeter. And Exmouth Junction also had a large allocation. Hi RFS Just to clarify, Exmouths Junctions large allocation was T9s not 700s? Bob C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Hi RFS Just to clarify, Exmouths Junctions large allocation was T9s not 700s? Bob C Exmouth Junction usually had a number of T9s, my 1955 Combined Volume shows seven of them (30708/9/10/11/12/15/17) There also normally seemed to be two or three 700s, in 1955 they were 30315 and 30691, 30691 seemed to have been there a long time. I have seen photos of the 700s at Cowley Bridge Junction. Exeter St Davids and between Exeter Central and Exmouth Junction, but not (so far) east of Exeter. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blobrick Posted October 24, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2014 Exmouth Junction usually had a number of T9s, my 1955 Combined Volume shows seven of them (30708/9/10/11/12/15/17) There also normally seemed to be two or three 700s, in 1955 they were 30315 and 30691, 30691 seemed to have been there a long time. I have seen photos of the 700s at Cowley Bridge Junction. Exeter St Davids and between Exeter Central and Exmouth Junction, but not (so far) east of Exeter. cheers Good morning Rivercider Thank you for confirming both classes were sheded at Exmouth, the time frame is spot on being in the middle of my target years, 1954 56. However it looks like l m going to struggle to justify one or two 700s if they were not all that common east of Exeter :-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I find the range of locomotives in most books a bit distorted. Some tend to be a bit too heavy with "specials etc" not the everyday boring stuff. Plus freight services were out and about at odd times. Books with loco allocations are the most useful. There is a nice picture of a 700 at Guildford in BR days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Scott Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Now you can make of this what you will. I make no recomendation. The book is D. Bradford-Barton Southern Steam in Action 2. On p72 there is a double page spread of Exeter Central. A ballast train has been assisted from St Davids by Black Motor 30691. Oddly 30691 is tender first. According to the caption it is a Salisbury engine.which cross checks with my loco allocations.The date is 28 August 1957. This the 2+2=5 moment. What is a Salisbury engine doing at Exeter, esp banking tender first. Had it taken something from Salisbury to St Davids, hence facing west and worked back to Central as a banker to save a path?. It could have been on loan? What do you all think? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I find the range of locomotives in most books a bit distorted. Some tend to be a bit too heavy with "specials etc" not the everyday boring stuff. Plus freight services were out and about at odd times. Books with loco allocations are the most useful. There is a nice picture of a 700 at Guildford in BR days. Yes a good point, there must be many more photos of glamorous trains like the ACE than mundane freight services. Also many of the freight workings between Exeter and Salisbury took place in the evening or at night, and were unlikely to have been often photographed. For instance from a WTT from 1932 shows there were departures east from Exmouth Junction at 01.00 (17.00 Wadebridge - Salisbury) 03.45 (22.15 Plymouth - Yeovil Jn) 04.04 to Yeovil Jn 20,37 (12.45 Torrington - Nine Elms) 21.35 (17.18 Plymouth - Nine Elms) 22.54 (12.45 Torrington - Salisbury) Though as Paul (bike2steam) mentioned earlier the heavier trains over that steeply graded route were likely to be worked by larger locos (like the S15 4-6-0s.) By 1959 the allocation at Exmouth Jnction included Six T9s 30702/09/11/15/17/26 Three 700s 30317/27/691 Slighty later than your mid 50s timescale there is a photo of a driver in 'Men, Machines & Maintenance' by R Trevelyan it is taken inside the cab of class 700 30697 working the 15.20 Exeter Central - Yeovil on 3rd September 1960. cheers cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blobrick Posted October 24, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2014 Once again l am indebted to you all gentlemen, it seems l be adding a Blackmotor to my shopping list after all Many thanks for your help and advice Bob.C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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