LSWR T3 563

That was 2009 though Alan. Nothing comes cheap on the national network anymore and is subject to a myriad of newish legislation. Even TOC's often seem to move stuff around on low loaders these days rather than by rail.

 

Actually. 762 would not fit in Wootton headshunt and the IOWSR has no LSWR passenger vehicles.
Incidentally, ytsterday saw a train of six four wheelers hauled by a locomotive of similar age. Note not a gala in sight!

 

But at the same time weird and wonderful moves do still happen on the mainline, such as 76017, Bluebell coaches from Carnforth to Hull and the moves from Bluebell to London for various filming job.

 

Indeed. If anything I’d suggest if anything it has become easier in recent years. Wooden bodies coaches of well over 100 years old being moved around on the mainline 20 or 30 years ago was unheard of.

There is also the convoys of diesels you see being towed around the mainline for diesel galas. A relatively recent phenomenon.

 

It’s amazing what you can do when a film company is paying

From memory, in the last ten years nearly all the Bluebell’s vintage carriages, ranging from Victorian four wheelers and the Mets through to Maunsells snd Bulleids, have been certified for mainline hour use, as have “Camelot”, and the Wainwright C class; the O1 also briefly made a mainline trip this year. I think the only carriages that haven’t been mainline were the LSWR brake and SECR birdcage brake, in both cases because they have Mansell wooden wheels and the VAB understandably was not willing to sign those off.

The key point though is money: it’s one thing if a film company (or London Underground) are underwriting the costs, quite another to take the risk for a gala move. Only “Camelot” has done that from our locos.

Tom

 

It would be good if Swanage could hire in some LSWR coaches to run with the T3 at the Swanage for a while.

What about these ones
LSWR 1520 Lavatory Third Brake built 1910 (rhrp.org.uk)
LSWR 17 Open First, later Royal Saloon built 1885 (rhrp.org.uk)
Maybe even this one at York if you asked nicely ! LSWR 847 Tri-Composite Lavatory Brake built 1903 (rhrp.org.uk)

They might not to be too happy though without covered storage.

Perhaps it might even give the push for Swanage to restore a few LSWR coaches to run with it permanently as there seemed to be plenty of survivors just not ones that are restored and running.

 

Although it looks presentable, I believe the NRM one is in quite poor structural condition and couldn’t run again without some fairly major work.

However I agree, the other two would be great to see at 563s launch though. Subject to costs and owners agreement obviously.

Swanage does has a few LSWR coaches. Mainly grounded bodies, plus the Ironclad. Hopefully this might be the impetus for them to restore a couple.

 

Diesel convoys for galas are something that I recall being standard since well before preserved diesels were allowed to run on the network.

 

Some have even run on their own power on the network before then..
821 and 55002 being the most notable examples, but there have been others. A friend of mines loco was allowed to be kept on tickover to provide air for the brakes in a convoy a few years ago.

 

Would 563 have run with Bulleid coaches late in its service life?

 

Very unlikely I would have thought. Originally withdrawn in 1945 around the time of introduction of the very earliest Bulleid coaches.

 

Alan has just beaten me to it, by 1945 she and her sisters would have been put aside, most likily coaches would have been Maunsell era rebuilds of previous pre grouping stock, used on the secondary routes,

 

Very unlikely; the loco’s last duties were on local passenger and goods workings, so it wouldn’t have often come up against the most modern carriages introduced for mainline service. The Bulleid carriages are really introduced too late in any case.

There’s a photo in Bradley of No. 571 (the other late surviving T3) taken in 1936 on a three coach non-corridor LSWR bogie set, which was probably typical for local services at that time.

Tom

 

Another quick general question is what would it's final livery have been? Did it retain the pre war olive green with large numerals, or was it Malachite with sunshine lettering, or black?

 

I think i did read that it was pre war olive green, but with Brighton numerals i don't think it got repainted until after it was put aside,

 

Certainly not in LSWR livery

 

Obviously not

 

Remember, the 563 Locomotive group never set out to do coaches but support and will support any endeavour to bring LSWR coaches into use at Swanage.

 

Best of luck to them and they certainly have earned it. However and it is a gigantic "however", it will take years and years to do even with money thrown at the project. First build and equip your carriage works.

 

Who needs a carriage works when you have Rampart Engineering! They have already restored two Bulleids, two Maunsells , the observation car and numerous Mk1s for the Swanage Railway.

The SR were advertising their LSWR Ironclad for sale at one point. However they changed their mind about this as soon as the T3 was acquired, and there were even murmurings about them considering buying an additional Ironclad or two. Obviously any such restoration would be an expensive long term project, but clearly this is something the SR are keeping in mind as a longer term possibility.