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Southern Railway Bulleid designed "West Country Pacific"
21C123, "Blackmoor Vale", built in 1946.

Mike Esau

Bulleid's Light Pacifics were revolutionary in many respects, and brought a great enhancement of available power to lightly laid West Country lines which hitherto had been unable to accept the more modern Southern Railway express locos. Many Bulleid Pacifics are preserved thanks to Barry scrapyard, but "Blackmoor Vale" came to the Bluebell via initial preservation at Longmoor, having been one of the last Bulleid Pacifics running on BR. 21C123 is owned by the Bulleid Society. Unlike many of its classmates, it was not rebuilt, retaining Bulleid's "Air-smoothed" casing and oil-bath-enclosed valve gear.

Having operated for a decade, following restoration in 1976, the locomotive has again been returned to steam, being recommissioned on 19th August 2000, following a comprehensive overhaul.

Right: 34023 "Blackmore Vale" crosses over to the down line at New Milton during single track working on 29th October 1966.
Photo © Nigel Kendall - SteamWeb.
Full size picture here.

At different times in the locomotive's history it was named "Blackmoor Vale" and "Blackmore Vale". These are both, it appears, valid spellings of the vale which runs between Somerset and Dorset.

The locomotive was completed at Brighton in February 1946, receiving the name "Blackmoor Vale" in August 1947. It was renumbered 34023 in April 1948, and then repainted in April 1950 at which time it received "Blackmore Vale" nameplates, which it retained apart from a short spell in 1963 when it carried, on one side only, an unofficial "O.V.Bulleid" nameplate!

In preservation the 1950 nameplates have been removed for safe-keeping, and the locomotive has carried replica plates as "Blackmoor Vale", correct for the Southern Malachite livery.

Left: 34023 "Blackmore Vale" draws into New Milton with a Bournemouth-bound semi fast from Waterloo. The date is 2nd September 1966.
Photo © Nigel Kendall - SteamWeb.

Right: The young driver studies the trackwork as 34023 "Blackmore Vale" inches away from New Milton with a down semi fast from Waterloo; 16th July 1965.
Photo © Nigel Kendall - SteamWeb.

Left: The fireman of a begrimed 34023 "Blackmore Vale" takes the token from New Milton signalman Len Simpson during single line working to Sway on 25th March 1966.
Photo © Nigel Kendall - SteamWeb.