West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I presume John is a diesel-hater, and was thinking along the same lines as Robin giving it the'number of the devil'. Although I forgot to note its number as it passed, 47666 does not, and as far as I'm aware, never has, existed.

 

If I remember correctly, I believe 47 802 was the loco renumbered as 'the beast' by @johnofwessex

Robin

 

The diesel was indeed 47 802. I won't mention that Braunton had been renumbered.

 

Has there ever been an engine steam, or diesel, that has carried that number or was it a taboo number

 

The answer seems to be it was carried. From the 1955 combined volume

5700 class panier tank 3666 and 4666 plus 9666
5600 0-6-2 5666 and 6666
WD 2-8-0 90666

There are probably more but the case is proven 666 was used

 

No, I was just having a little joke in view of the excited discussions abut 'diesels on the back' In view of their ubiquity in my youth, 47's don't do it for me, unlike a nice big 1-CO-CO-1 I'm also rather partial to 33/31/25/20's as they are small enough to cough a bit on a preserved line

 

Indeed, the appropriately? named X6: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/LSWR_X6_class.

 

Shunted past 666 signal while turning the Duchess at York yesterday - known locally as "the devils dolly"!

Peter

 

I wonder who the driver and firemen were ,

 

And who owns the shares in the owning company..

Robin

 

47666 certainly existed. It was a Jinty 0-6-0T and latterly a Fleetwood allocated loco.

 

I was just catching up with the photos on www.wsr.org.uk

And it occurred to me that the following image:



Would look very different if the caption was: 'Ooops'.

Robin

 

Cabside off 4666 is in the next GWRA auction at Pershore

 

Are you sure that picture wasn't taken at Mitre Bridge Junction a week or two ago?

 

Guess there no shed then 66 666

 

SECR (ex-LCDR) R class 0-4-4T was No. 666 as well, and then SR A666. As BR 31666, it had the notable distinction of being the last former LCDR loco to survive in traffic.

Tom

 

You might say that. I couldn't possibly comment.

Robin

 

Not forgetting LNER V1 67666 which used to take me to work back in the 1950s, pretty little engines and powerful they were.

 

Out of curiosity I looked up class47.co.uk's notes on the subject:

The claim to fame of 47125 is that it was twice scheduled for ETH conversion, but on both occasions the conversion was cancelled and the loco remained a 47/0 right to the end in 2002. The first planned conversion was in 1974 which would have seen 47125 become 47548 (47 126 was chosen instead, becoming 47555); the second was in 1987 with the allocated number of 47666, but the ETS programme was halted at 47665. The numbers 47548 and 47666 were never re-used.

D1715 was however involved in one infamous incident that might have suited a 666 number:

On December 20th 1984 47125 was hauling the 01:40 Haverton Hill to Glazebrook oil tanks through Summit Tunnel, near Todmorden, when some of the tanks derailed. The leading three tanks in the consist, and 47125, remained on the track and were uncoupled by the crew then taken out of the tunnel. Fireman were already on the scene securing the derailed tanks when fire broke out and everyone beat a hasty retreat, it took 48 hours to bring the spectacular fire under control and it was on December 23rd that it was finally extinguished. (Thanks to David Hills for this account)
So serious was the fire that the tunnel remained closed to rail traffic until August 19th 1985 - an event that was marked by a walk through the tunnel on the 17th organised by Todmorden Round Table in which many thousands of people participated. (Thanks to David Evans for this account). (also from class47.co.uk)

Apologies for adding to the thread drift.

Barrie

 

Speaking of Class 47s that might suit a 666 number there was also D1866, or 47216, which was renumbered in 1981 (to 47299) allegedly at the request of superstitious staff at Immingham depot after a clairvoyant had predicted a loco with that number would be involved in a crash. It was, indeed, involved in a fatal crash at Wrawby Jn in 1983.