LSWR "Greyhound" T9, No.120
The T9s were nicknamed Greyhounds on account of the turn of speed
they could achieve. When first built, they were used for the
lightly loaded expresses from Plymouth to Waterloo at a time when there was
fierce competition between the LSWR and the GWR for passengers arriving on
the transatlantic liners. In later years No.119 was reserved exclusively
for use on the Royal train, but it was No.120 which later achieved
celebrity status when restored by British Railways to its LSWR livery it
was used on enthusiasts trains in the early 1960s.
No.120 became part of the National Collection, and was on display at York for a time. It was subsequently returned to working order, and has run on the Mid Hants and Swanage Railways. Following the expiry of its boiler certificate it was placed in the care of the Bluebell Railway, who could provide undercover accommodation, and access for the public, initially for a two year period, due to shortage of space at York. The loan period was extended for over a decade. A proposal to restore the locomotive to operation was discussed, but it was concluded that the Bluebell had too many urgent priorities of its own to be able to undertake what was likely to be a very major mechanical and boiler overhaul.
It left the Bluebell for the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, with the possibility of a restoration to working order, on 1st February 2008.
SR Bulleid Austerity, No.C1In 2004 it was apparent that there wasn't a slot in the forseeable future for the Q1 to be overhauled in the Bluebell's workshop, and we also currently have a shortage of undercover storage space. Thus when the NRM asked if the Bluebell would be prepared to let the loco return to York for display after Railfest, the Railway readilly agreed. The NRM wished to have the loco in York for two reasons, since it has very few locos relating to the second world war and even fewer of the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement. It is anticipated that after the departure of exhibits to Shildon there will be room in the Great Hall to display her. The NRM have indicated that the loco could return to Sussex in the future for display or another term of running. As C1 has been at Bluebell for 27 years and never been on display at the NRM it was expected that it would attract a large amount of interest at Railfest in May/June 2004.
Over its last few weeks on the Bluebell a concerted effort was made to prepare the Q1 for the event at York by a small team from the loco department.
Aveling Porter, No.9449 'Blue Circle'
SR Maunsell S15-class No.830This class of locomotives were essentially a goods version of the King Arthur class of express passenger locos (N15). The S15s thus became known as Goods Arthurs. Coming to the Bluebell from Barry scrapyard in 1987, its restoration was not started, since the Maunsell Society had another S15, No.847, as well as other locos, to keep them busy.
When the opportunity arose for the Maunsell Loco Society to purchase Schools Class loco 'Stowe' it was felt that this would give the society a much better balanced collection, and to help raise funds for the purchase this second S15 was sold, together with spares obtained and a tender chassis, and moved to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Rebuilt SR Bulleid Pacific, 'Port Line'The first of the Merchant Navy class were authorised for construction during the war as freight locomotives, and indeed they could haul a substantial goods train if required. However they were thoroughbred express engines, and British Railways' rebuilding programme brought them right up to date, such that at the end of steam they were effectively the most modern express steam engines running on the system. The heart of the machine, irrespective of the rebuilding, though was Bulleid's remarkable free-steaming boiler design, and they were recording record performances on the main line from Waterloo to Southampton right up to electrification in 1967.
'Port Line' was an earlier withdrawal, going to Barry scrapyard. Rescued and overhauled by the Port Line group, it became the flagship of the Southern Locomotives Ltd fleet, who have a number of engines based at various sites in the South of England. It originally came to the Bluebell in 1988 after restoration for a short period of running in, but the welcome the group received persuaded them to stay a while. After only a few years, major boiler work was found to be required, and this was undertaken at Sheffield Park. 'Port Line' then continued to run on the Bluebell until withdrawn for replacement of boiler tubes in June 1996. Once this work, and a repaint, was completed, a hydraulic test in September 1997 revealed further faults with the firebox, and so the loco, with only 9 months left on its insurance certificate, was laid aside.
Moving to Swanage (by then well established as the main operational base of Southern Locomotives Ltd) in early 2000, it was returned to service in November that year following further boiler work, and operated for a very resticted number of steamings each year until October 2003, when firebox cracks were found. With a firebox 27% larger than the Bulleid light pacifics, it was considered too large a locomotive for use on a preserved line, and with several light pacifics ahead of it in the restoration queue at Herston Works, it was sold in 2004 to Jeremy Hosking, and moved to Southall.
North Thames Gas Board Locomotive No.25This locomotive was housed temporarily on the Bluebell on behalf of the Industrial Locomotive Society. It had latterly been used in the Retort House at the Beckton works of the North Thames Gas Board. Realised to be a locomotive rather outside the scope of the Bluebell's developing collection, it was moved to a new home in Norfolk once space became a premium at Sheffield Park. It is now part of the Bressingham Steam collection, having been presented to them by the Industrial Locomotive Society.
Dorking Grey Stone Lime Co. Ltd. No.4 'Townsend Hook'A scaled down version of 'Baxter', this loco also spent its entire working life at the Betchworth quarry. It was the very first loco to arrive at the Bluebell, but was soon moved on by its owning group, the Narrow Gauge Railway Society, to the more appropriate location of the Brockham Museum Trust, and then in 1982 to the Amberley Museum. Ownership of Townsend Hook was handed over to The Amberly Museum railway project on 26th February 2002, but the locomotive had been resident at Eastleigh College since 1995, as a long-term restoration project.
Last update 11 March 2008 by Richard
Salmon.