Std 4 2-6-0s in East Anglia.

Ever since 76084 arrived at the NNR I have wondered how common this class of locomotive was on East Anglian lines in BR days.

I know that 76030-34 were allocated new to Stratford (though originally intended for the M&GN system), and spent a number of years here before moving on to March, with 76034 also spending just under a year at Norwich.

Just wondered what sort of duties they were used on while at Stratford and March, and whether they would have been seen in Norfolk and Suffolk on a regular basis?

 

Just had a look in the RCTS Standard Locos book Volume 2.
Whilst at Stratford they worked cross-London freights, passenger services to Clacton and Southend, with occasional appearances on trains to Bishops Stortford, Cambridge and Hertford. They would also be used, as a last resort, on summer Saturday services to Yarmouth and Lowestoft. They had a spell on the Wickford to Southminster branch and were occasionally seen on Tilbury line freights.
In June 1960 76030/2&3 moved to Cambridge. They were used on local freights and passenger excursions from Cambridge to Hunstanton. After the summer these locos moved to March and were joined by 76031 in November. From March loco they worked local trains from Peterborough East to both Northampton and Leicester as well as the Grimsby line from Peterborough North.
76034 went to Norwich in November 1960. It was used on Cambridge, Peterborough, Yarmouth and Lowestoft services before joining the others at March in September 1961. The locos were put in store at March in September 1962, prior to transfer to Brighton in November 1962.

 

Thanks for the information, much appreciated.

 

There is an H.N. "Jimmy" James photo of 76045 working an Ipswich-Felixstowe branch passenger train in July 1958 in the Oakwood The Felixstowe Railway book that was published in 1978.

One made it back in May 2002 on a railtour, seen at Derby Road station.......

 

76034 was photographed at Melton Constable on a freight working from Norwich. So at least one reached the M&GN however briefly.

 

Shame one of the Eastern Region Std 4 moguls didn't make it to Barry scrapyard. Could've been on the NNR by now.

 

I've looked through the 1980 book "M&GN in focus". Plenty of LMS 4MTs, but no photos of the BR Standard variety.

 

And 76084 has run as 76034.

Was a bit surprised '79 didn't run as '34 at the NNR M&GN themed gala in 2009.

 

Here's something for you to ponder. This is a picture I took in my misspent youth at Norwood Junction in 1963 of 76033 very soon after it was transferred to Brighton, it still has to be fitted with a shedplate and the extra two lamp brackets for Southern headcodes. Note the recess in the cabside which I have always assumed was for the single line tablet catcher for working over the M&GN but prior to closure of the M&GN in 1959 it was a Stratford engine for a short time and then Cambridge from 1953. I know in the summer period locos were borrowed by the Joint from other ER depots. So did it ever work over the M&GN or was the cab modified for an anticipated transfer that never happened?

 

I think 76030-34 were actually built with the recess in the cab for their intended use on the M&GN.

I think that it has already been mentioned that 76034 was the only one of this batch that was recorded working on M&GN lines whilst it was a Norwich Thorpe engine.

 

Here's 76084 running on the North Norfolk Railway as 76034 with Norwich 32A shed-plate back in 2015.

 

They never reached the M&GN. Only 76034 reached the M&GN at Melton Constable whilst allocated the Norwich.

 

According to the Ian Allan ABC for April 1959 76xxx were allocated to ER sheds as under;

76030 -76034 allocated to 30A Stratford whilst their precedent Ivatt Class 4 (43xxx series) were allocated to the M&GN sheds before being shared between Boston; New England and Kings Lynn when the M&GN was closed. Had the M&GN been kept I suspect the Ivatt 43xxx would have been returned to MR sheds to replace the Johnson / Fowler / Stanier 0-6-0s (the original intention) to leave the 76xxx as the East Anglian light branch line locomotive.

 

Interesting 'what if' scenario there. The M&GN surviving into the '60s with STD 4s as the main motive power.

 

It was a line with its own character like the S&D and it's a shame it didn't have its own equivalent of Ivo Peters

 

Between them, the "local" (Framlingham/Ipswich) photographers Dr I.C. Allen & H.N.James did cover it fairly well in the 1950's from what I have seen of their material, with a number of photos going back to the 1930's as well.