34046 Braunton

Going through your memories brings back mine from the early sixties of "Doing the London Sheds" with a few other train spotters from Buckinghamshire, where I lived at the time.
Our typical list of sheds was much the same as yours, who knows perhaps we even have walked past each other while quickly noting the numbers down, although you could add Kentish Town, Camden and Hither Green.
It was while in either Cricklewood or Kentish Town, can't quite remember which shed, that I jumped up and touched the commemorative nameplate of 46100 'Royal Scot'.
We never seemed to have any problems with Top Shed (34A). But one memory comes to mind of about when five of us had gone via the canal route, near some gasworks, over the wall to walk our way back to Top Shed to find it completely empty . The news in those days hadn't reached the likes of us that they had stopped using the shed. Oh! the joys of modern technology.
Nine Elms we found was quite easy to "do". When you were in you didn't seem to have any problems. But one time does come to mind of again when four or five of us tried just walking in and were soon greeted with "Oi, where do you think your going. Come back 'ere". It was the "gate man" from inside his hut. We obeyed and turned around. But just then a Wonderloaf delivery van arrived at the gate and stopped to speak to the said "gate" man. So when the van drove in, luckily for us slowly, it had all of us running in alongside of it on the blindside to the "gate" man. Later when we walked out with all the numbers logged down in our books we all had grins from ear to ear .
Never did manage to "do" 73A Stewarts Lane though. Got in there once with two others. But, with in the time of writing down the numbers of no more than three or four Bo-Bo English Electrics, we were physically grabbed by the neck from behind with "You ain't staying in 'ere. Do you know what that third rail can do" ringing in our ears, and were ejected from the premises. No need to say we didn't try to enter again, they put the frighteners on us, so to say. Still happy memories .

 

I agree Top Shed was one of the most difficult, I got booted out of there. Stratford people said don't even bother to try, just get a permit. Willesden, Kentish Town, Cricklewood and OOC were all easy, and Feltham was another interesting and easy one. I used to cycle without a penny in my pocket. Re parents totally agree, I don't know what would have happened if my bike had got nicked.

 

The only time I "did" Stratford (30A) was when on a school trip as a twelve year old, from Germain's Street Secondary School for Boys, Chesham in late 1960 and brand new D6700-3 had just been allocated there from English Electric Vulcan Foundry and were a breast to one another with their green noses, none of this yellow end business in those days, poking out from each other.
I can still see, and hear, in my mind our guide saying, while sweeping his right arm in a horizontal arc, "These are our new diesels".
Ironically, at the time, we couldn't give two hoots for their new diesels, we just wanted to get all the numbers of the steam locomotives on the "scrap lines", but now I love Class 37 Growlers and looking forward to 37275 on the South Devon Railway in the near future.

 

What memories !

Have just taken a quick look at my 1964 notes when I travelled by train up from Corby on Sunday morning (09:30) travelling for child -fare (25/- = £1:25) then London Transport runabout (10/- = 50p) to arrive in London St Pancras around 11:30.

In May 1964 this led to a trip covering 73C = Hither Green; 70A = Nine Elms; 1A = Willesden (steam); 81A = Old Oak Common; plus time spent at London Bridge and Paddington stations to see 391 traction units (including DMU / EMU)

In June 1964 a second trip covered 1A = Willesden (steam); 81C = Southall; 70B = Feltham; 70A = Nine Elms; plus visit to Paddington and Liverpool St stations to see 504 traction units (including DMU / EMU)

In July 1964 a further trip covered 1A = Willesden (steam); 81A = Old Oak Common; 81C = Southall; 70B = Feltham; 70A = Nine Elms; plus visit to Paddington and Waterloo stations to see 504 traction units (including DMU / EMU )

In February 1965 I caught an earlier Saturday train to arrive in London by 10:00 then visited 1A = Willesden (steam); 81A = Old Oak Common; 70B = Feltham; 81C = Southall; 30A= Stratford (including workshops) plus visits to Paddingtoon; Waterloo and Liverpool St to see 409 traction units (including DMU / EMU)

In May 1965 a further Sunday visit covered 73C = Hither Green; 70A = Nine Elms; 81A = Old Oak Common; 1A = Willesden; 30A = Stratford (including workshops); 34G = Finsbury Park to see 496 traction u8nits (including DMU / EMU)

My final trip for 1965 came in late December (between Christmas and New Year)when an early train from Corby saw an arrival in London St Pancras by 09:00 and visits to Willesden Electric Depot; 1A = Willesden (only 4 locos on shed); 81A = Old Oak Common; 70A = Nine Elms; 75D = Stewarts Lane; 30A = Stratford (including works) including time spent at Waterloo and Kings Cross station to see 363 traction units (including DMU / EMU)

Sadly the shed system began to break down with locomotives stabling in sidings rather than depots and my visits to London were disturbed by working hours after the "freedom" of school days but the above gives some idea of the number and variety of traction that was on offer.

 

The first time I ever saw Braunton was on 7th September 1963 as she rolled into Bournemouth on the circa 12.10 ex the West, before I travelled behind her to Waterloo. 78 minutes net up from Southampton. 12 on.

 

So reading all your posts again this evening has further made me more jealous of the sights you have seen that I will never see/experience! Stuff going back to see the dinosaurs, I know exactly where I would go if I had a time machine....

 

If you manage to get your hands on a time machine it'd better be a big one 'cos quite a lot of people on here will be going
back with you!

 

No need to feel jealous of any of us "old enough to remember" beings.
As all of us have something to get the "wish I had seen and experienced that or them" feeling .
But I am going to see and photograph a locomotive from one of my favourite classes, on this coming Wednesday, my 65th. birthday, therefore my treat to myself. The locomotive in question being Bulleid Light Pacific West Country Class 4-6-2 21C123 'BLACKMORE VALE' in that, in my opinion, splendid Malachite Green with Sunshine Yellow lining Southern Livery.
Will be the first time I have seen this livery on this class "in the flesh", so to speak. Because with there being a forty-six year gap from being a "spotter" to becoming a Railway Enthusiast/Photograph again means I missed 21C123 when she was quite recently mainlined. Therefore my Time-Machine would probably take me back to the late 1940's somewhere between Salisbury and Exeter Central to see the "ACE" in all its glory .

 

Looking at it in the bay at Sheffield Park last month, it struck me how pleasant the Malachite livery is in broad daylight. Wasn't really too keen on it from looking at photographs, but it is certainly a livery that is better seen in the flesh.

 

Braunton's first run - update e-mail from RTC :

Dorset Coast Express
* Braunton's first mainline run*
We would like to announce the first run with rebuilt Bullied West Country Pacific 34046 Braunton on Wednesday 14th August on the Dorset Coast Express from London Victoria to Weymouth.
The return will be by un-rebuilt Battle of Britain class locomotive 34067 Tangmere.
"Two Bullieds in one day"
Then 34046 Braunton and 34067 Tangmere will both haul The Dorset Coast Express on Wednesday's 21st and 28th August, be sure to book in advance to guarantee seat availability.

 

Following on from the various conversations about what's delaying Braunton's appearance on the main line, I gather (from a reliable source, as they say) that GSMR was fitted and signed off whilst at Ian Riley's. The current work is to remedy a coupling rod that ran slightly warm during the move from Carnforth last Tuesday.

Nice to see that RTC are to put her to work in a couple of weeks.

 

Got the e-mail this evening. My Father is rather annoyed as he wanted to go on one of these runs but he is currently recovering from a triple bypass operation. He waited ages for her first run and now he can't go on one yet.

 

Good to see she will finally be out in revenue earning service in the next few weeks.

Taking note of the enormous amount of time it has taken to get her mainline registered in addition to the time she spent at the WSR does anyone have any idea how long she will actually be on the mainline before she needs overhaul. From recollection the numbers often banded around are 10 years for boiler certification (I know its actually year by year) and 7 years main line certification, in this case will the 7 years run from 2013 i.e. when she returned to the mainline or does it relate more to time since detailed boiler inpsection etc i.e. runs from date she was steamed?

 

Torbay Express has announced that this Sunday's working will feature 'Castle' No. 5029 Nunney Castle, and due to the recent more inclement weather, it will be operating without a diesel in the consist. Also, they add that the 'Torbay Express' booked for 18th August should operate with 'West Country' Pacific No. 34046 Braunton. Will this be the main line debut for the re-built Bullied?

 

No, looks like 14th August:
THE DORSET COAST EXPRESS
London-Weymouth (WCRC) [wcrc]30777/70000 34046: Victoria-Staines-Southampton-Weymouth
30777/70000 34067: Weymouth-Southampton-Wimbledon-Waterloo
[Loco change at Weymouth, steam banker to Dorchester]
[34046 inaugural working]

 

The 7-year mainline period normally starts from when the boiler was first certificated, ie from 2007 (?) in the case of Braunton. However this could be extended if the boiler has an intermediate overhaul and inspection which would probably involve at least partial retubing to allow adequate internal access for inspection.

David

 

More appropriate for the inaugural mainline run, but nevertheless looking forward to her coming down to Torbay..

 

Sitting in the rain outside Southall… nice to see her in one piece!

Simon

 

Her mainline reappearance, at last. The DCE departs Woking this morning: