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9F Mystery

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Martin Perry, Sep 30, 2022.

  1. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    The attached photo appeared on Facebook (credit as per photo)
    It shows a Stanier 2-6-4 hauling what appear to be two, cold, 9Fs, through a station that has been identified as Ledsham, on the Wirral.
    All good so far, but the nearer of the 9Fs appears to be one of the Tyne Dock allocated air pump-fitted locos … well away from home? Any thoughts about why it was there?
    3858581F-29CE-4871-8C00-3B1BEBB43FB0.jpeg
     
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  2. 46203

    46203 Member

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    Out of the ten 9Fs allocated to Tyne Dock, nine of them were withdrawn from service from there, but 92065 was transferred to 56A Wakefield in November 1966 being withdrawn from there in April 1967. I don’t know if that helps.
     
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  3. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    If the 9Fs were indeed cold, another puzzle would be why there was no brake van. Might there have been men on the 9Fs to work the tender brakes? Would that have been enough?
     
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  4. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    I did wonder if it had been sent to Birkenhead for the Shotton Steelworks trains, but the Stanier tank, 42653, was withdrawn in 1963.
     
  5. maddog

    maddog New Member

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  6. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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  7. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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  8. Thompson1706

    Thompson1706 Part of the furniture

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    Martin,

    Are you sure that the tank is 42653 and not 42663, which was at Birkenhead 1966/7


    Bob.
     
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  9. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    Looks like you’re right; 42663.
     
  10. LMS2968

    LMS2968 Part of the furniture

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    It wasn't necessary to attach a brake van to movements of dead steam engines since a rider could operate the tender handbrakes.

    6447 and 2968 went all the way from Wigan to Barry like that in 1967. Photo by Dave Lennon (Dallam Dave) as an 8F draws the pair southwards past Dallam Branch Sidings signal box.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    Probably on their way to Box Tunnel for inclusion in the strategic reserve!:)
     
  12. Bikermike

    Bikermike Well-Known Member

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    They'll be kicking themselves when they get them out - can't run them anywhere because of the raised check rails...
     
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  13. Miff

    Miff Part of the furniture Friend

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    … as a result of one of the lesser known cold-war secrets. The KGB spent years obtaining the 9F plans, one drawing at a time in the form of microdots smuggled back to Russia on pages torn from a locospotters book. Around the same time they recruited a socialist P-Way engineer as a secret agent who, by the mid 1980s, had risen to the top of the BR hierarchy and …
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2022
  14. pedantic_p

    pedantic_p New Member

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    and b____y cold it was too as I recall. I was glad to get relieved in more ways than one as I was wary as to the efficiency of the (tender) hand brake had it been required in an emergency.
     
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  15. LMS2968

    LMS2968 Part of the furniture

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    Yep! We brought 2968 to the SVR in December 1973. There was a brake van but many of the members who accompanied her on the journey opted for a ride on the footplate. That didn't last long.

    We'd also at Barry discovered that the handbrake was working on only one wheel. Not a problem on the way to the SVR with a brake van behind but on the way down to Barry . . .
     
  16. blink bonny

    blink bonny Member

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    It doesn't necessarily help with the Wirral location, but according to BR Database, after being withdrawn off Wakefield in April 67, 92065 was cut up by Arnott Young at Parkgate, Rotherham in August 67.
     
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  17. Thompson1706

    Thompson1706 Part of the furniture

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    My theory is that the 9F's had been to Crewe for attention and are heading back to Mollington Street, from where the Wakefield based one could work home hauling a Stanlow to Leeds tank train.

    Bob.
     
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  18. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    That sounds plausible, thanks Bob.
     
  19. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

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    Why if they had just had attention at Crewe are they being towed home dead? Surely it is more likely that they are heading to works (Crewe?) for attention, or are they heading off for scrap?

    Peter
     
  20. Thompson1706

    Thompson1706 Part of the furniture

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    They're heading towards Birkenhead , so will be going to Mollington Street shed.

    Bob.
     
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