45305, and her ex-Barry Connecting Rods.

I've been reading the excellent Steam Memories No. 74, about Drapers Scrapyards in Hull.
It is widely known that Albert Draper decided not to scrap 45305 on account of her clean condition when she arrived at Neptune Street, however her connecting rods had been torched-off while in store at Lostock Hall, and that replacements were bought from Woodham's.

Does anyone know which Black 5(s) they were removed from for fitting to 45305?

 

See what numbers are stamped into them, although these won't necessarily be the number of the Barry resident, but there's a good chance.

 

You will probably be able to narrow it down to about 5 candidates by doing that.

 

Don't think it was 45337, I've seen early photos of it in Barry with rods still on

 

I'm not saying it didn't happen but why would Draper buy a pair of connecting rods from Woodham's when he had several other Black 5's in his yard one of which must have had a pair in its tender? Unless all the others were of the longer variety ...., unlikely though.
Ray.

 

It could be that the remaining examples in the yard at the time had had their rods cut through too?. 44894 and 45388 (the final one to be cut) had had the same treatment dished out at Lostock Hall.

 

This may not count for much but if the coupling rods were sourced from Woodhams :

44901 & 45337 had coupling rods intact in 1975 but by 1983 they had been removed
45163 had lost it's rods by 1966
45293 & 45491 had lost their rods by at least 1973
45379 was preserved from Barry inclusive of coupling rods

 

Maybe someone like @Flying Phil is best to ask the question to?
If that’s ok with yourself Sir?

 

As you say 45388 had had its con rods cut off at the big end but someone had gone to the trouble of taking the pin out of the small end rather than just cutting the rod at the crosshead. IIRC a pair of rods for 45491 were found under a pile of scrap at Maudland Metals Preston. The photo below is of 45388 and 45017 at Lostock Hall in April1969.
Ray.

 

I sometimes wonder if the history of those days needs to be completed by a carefully researched volume of "Who Stole What from Barry".

 

I was in the 45337 group for a few years and I do remember a trip to the Bluebell in late 84 as some Black 5 parts had been found there, might have been the coupling rods, but memory might be playing tricks

 

Is there a statute of limitations for that? Wouldn't want to incriminate ourselves would we????
Ray.
p.s. It might run to several volumes.......

 

Thanks for that shot, Ray. I was trying to find a picture of 45017 in store after August 4th 1968, to see what her connecting rod situation was.

 

Thank you.

 

I'd still love to know which group it was who were removing a Standard tank from Barry yard when Dai Woodham allegedly stopped them, and told them to empty all the "borrowed" bits out of the tanks....

 

I think you need to put a bit of context in there as well. Even up until about 1980 it was generally assumed that a fairly large number of locos would eventually be cut up. In the early days this was believed a certainty so missing or spare parts were seen as part of the purchase, even if not specifically authorised.
Things got a bit wild at some point and Dai was more conscious of the purchase of locos with 'extras'.
I only hope that these parts surface again and are not lost in shed clearances or ditched as their origins have been lost in time.
As I was small I was sent into small places to see what bits remained and could they be removed. In most cases we had been beaten to it.
One day I would love to have a look in the stores of some places and see where bits went

 

Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone... We might have a long wait

 

I started going there in 1970. All these engines had gone to Barry with one purpose in mind: to be broken up for scrap. The rumour, which lasted many years, was 'Dai is going to start cutting next week.' Volunteers from potential loco owning groups removed parts from engines in which they were not involved, partly to make good losses that their own project had suffered, but also to retain a spares stock into the future. There was little point allowing such valuable items be melted down with, it was thought, the engine. But there was a moral code: if an engine was subject to a preservation appeal, it was left strictly untouched. Others - non-enthusiasts - were less thoughtful.

We all now know that Dai did not 'start cutting' - well, not much - but hindsight is a wonderful thing: no-one thought that was how it would all work out.

 

I also think that any group buying a locomotive from Woodhams would naturally have wanted to source where possible, any 'missing' parts from other locos still in the yard.

I often like to get up close to locomotives to see what numbers are stamped onto motion but 45305 isn't one I've particularly scrutinised. I know I found parts from 44781 on 45491 at Loughborough and parts from 34028 on 34039. Scrapped 92085 also donated spares for other 9Fs I believe whilst 92134 has one or more coupling rods from 92207.

GWR locos have multiple numbers etched into motion as we might expect and I believe one Conn Rod on 2999 now runs with an original Saint Class rod (2906?) which was on 3822??

 

I'm sorry but I do not know. I did visit Woodhams on two (or three) occasions and it was such a sad place. Little did we realise how much would eventually be saved.