30120

Really?

 

Splashed across the front cover of Trackside magazine when I was in WH Smith today. Fund raising by the same team that did 563 apparently.

 

Preparations for boiler lift are now being made.

 

the T9 can't authentically carry LSWR livery as it was superheated and gained an extended smokebox later. Southern green and BR black both suit it imo

 

You get into interesting questions about authenticity - LSWR livery would be prototypical for No. 120 in its current superheated form if you wished to portray it as it ran (anachronistically?) in special service in the early 1960s.

Interestingly, a couple of T9s (but not 120) were fitted with superheaters by the SR but then turned out again in LSWR livery, the original paint finish being in good enough order that a repaint wasn't required. The strictures around "corporate image" clearly weren't so strong then! I think (I'm away from references) that occurred with one loco as late as 1926.

Tom

 

Is the boiler being overhauled somewhere else, maybe a former home? that has a very well equipped boiler shop otherwise why do a boiler lift, the flower mill can do both jobs, or has the plan changed with the chassis and motion going to Herston works, and the trust are contracting the boiler out to another local railway

 

Yet to be confirmed, however I did hear the boiler and tender are being done elsewhere, and the chassis going to Herston.

I think you are alluding to the boiler shop at Ropley. I very much doubt it. They seem to have enough work of their own and I don’t think are in the business of doing contract work.

 

There's LSWR green (several of them, actually) and then there's the BRSR version which doesn't resemble any of them.
Pat

 

Indeed. It always appears a bit yellowish to me, but that could of course be colour reproduction in vintage films.

Seen on the “Blue Belle” and “Scottish Belle” excursions in 1962/63. I’m not sure if time stamps work on Nat Pres; if not go to 11’27”



Here it is on the “Scottish Belle” excursion in 1963 (with bonus shots of the Adams radial tank, amongst others).



Tom

 

Was that really whitewashed coal I saw in the latter film?

 

Of course - an LBSCR tradition from Victorian times. Remember Fenchurch in the 1975 Shildon Cavalcade?

Peter

 

I've never seen that Ivo Peters one, so thanks for posting that one Tom, some nice stuff in that.

I somehow kept missing the T9 in steam prior to it's recent withdrawal, which is a shame given the amount of times I saw it in the shed at Sheffield Park as a kid.

 

I was there but on the sunny side of the track.

 

Here are some original examples - as Peter says, it was LBSCR tradition on special trains:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124446949@N06/52336084787/lightbox/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124446949@N06/52337460725/lightbox/

I suspect Bluebell members must have done the honours: here's No. 123 in connection with the "Scottish Belle" tour with whitewashed coal ...

https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trai.../Heritage/Heritage-pre-1972-on-BR/i-fCngLvK/A

... and here it is on some lesser rail tour unadorned:

https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trai.../Heritage/Heritage-pre-1972-on-BR/i-9BwrqKd/A

Tom

 

I think it was more than just an LBSC tradition, it was often done for royal trains in the Victorian era.

 

Is it just me or does anyone else think that Stroudley era locos on the LBSC somehow managed to look like pretty ornaments, but could still do a job, LNWR and L and Y ones looked workmanlike in contrast

 

I'm not sure what special service covers Tom, but not only did it haul railtours (photo attached), it also did some work on normal service trains, but I only saw and photographed it on railours. As I only enjoy seeing/photographing locos in BR SR early 1960s livery and numbering I still haven't found space for one of my photos of it in the outline of my SR steam memoirs book that I am currently working on - most certainly not a commercial venture. And just for the T9, that approach immediately contradicts me saying I only enjoy the locos in that BR SR 1960s livery! I do have space for such as 30847 and 31065 as I have 1960s photos of both to use alongside them with their present day livery, and I also have space for such as 31592 as I have a C class photo from 1961.

But, my starting point for the chosen liveries of BR SR locos is that those who own, work on and finance their operation can choose whatever livery and numbering they want - even if we end up with a war time black 21C127! And, if I really want to see a loco in BR SR livery and numbering I will have to dig deep into my pockets - although my starting point for that will probably be the lesser expense ( I hope!) of getting an original Bulleid already in BR SR 1960s livery, to be renumbered and renamed as 34102 Lapford - or maybe a Merchant Navy to become 35003 Royal Mail for a week or two. Time will tell on that.

Oh dear, I must get back to 30120. So, from the recent posts here it seems I could have missed my chance of seeing and photographing it as 30120.

 

Well as of 14:30 this afternoon when I photographed it in the Swanage headshunt still possible to see it as 30120 in BR Black if you do not want to see it in steam.

 

As I understand it, 30120 will remain in the 'Squint' in Swanage station for the weekend, presenting the opportunity to see 563 and 30120 alongside each other.

 

I first saw 120 at Tyseley during the stopover of the 'Great Western Returns' railtour in 1972 (where has the time gone?). It struck me as very pale (even allowing for fading in the 10 or so years since it ran.
Pat