East Lancs Railway

Thanks Robert. I didn't see the 50 yesterday, might get a chance today if 'er indoors has nothing planned. Not opened my sealed orders yet!

 

Anyone know what is the steam loco on Saturday 16 November and if members free tickets are still useable, website appears to indicate a charge booking through Quay tickets.

Thanks Harold.

 

Don't know what's out loco wise, but members free tickets should be fine this weekend (as long as you've not used your three up already). The members price shown on the online booking is if you have already used your three free tickets up for the year.

 

2890 all weekend with 47298 on diners .

 

Anyone know what loco's are on the Santa's this weekend please? Many thanks in advance, Harold.

 

'Er indoors has had a friend stay for Christmas.
They both love ice cream so I suggested that they visit 'Jersey Girls Ice Cream Parlour' at Burrs.

So, while they stuffed their faces with ice cream and doughnuts I went for a walk.

 

You obviously attracted the attention of the driver and his mate

 

Not guilty M'lud, they were looking for the 'right away' from the guard.

 

34081 is the best looking Bulleid in preservation for me. Why none of the other spam cans are in the hybrid BR Malachite livery is beyond me!

 

I think the crossover livery 34081 carries is ace, Blackmoor Vale also looked amazing in the Southern version.

I was under the impression that wasn't a livery that was carried by many of the class, I could be wrong, also I think that a high proportion of the older enthusiast generation shun anything other than BR black or Green still sadly.

Chris

 

In 34081's case it's because it was built in 1948 so would have carried that livery in service (I'm sure @Spamcan81 will correct me if I'm wrong). Also, @Chris86 has a very valid point: many enthusiasts want to see locomotives in the livery they remember from their youth and sadly, that's either BR Green or BR Black. That said, I'm one of the very few who is pleased to see 60103 in as-withdrawn condition BR Green.

Another very attractive (to my eyes, anyway) livery carried by the Spamcans was BR Express Blue.

 

Of the other preserved Spamcans, 34092 and 34105 appeared in BR green from the word go. 34072 and 34073 would also have been outshopped in the same livery as that currently worn by 34081. SLL prefers BR green with late crest so 34072 will stay as it is. As for 34073*, if someone would take pity on it, I'd be happy to see it painted even in NSE or ScotRail livery rather than it remaining in its present sorry state! 34007/23/51/67 and 70 would all have appeared with the 21C1xx numbering. I'd be interested to know whether they were ever renumbered while retaining the Malachite livery before going into BR Green. I've never seen a picture of one in this condition (although some had an "S" prefix added to their Bulleid numbering) but others may know better.

But this was only carried by the MNs - and prior to their rebuilding. I don't know if the 35011 group have decided upon a livery yet, but I'm sure their loco would look good restored in blue.

Another point worth remembering is not only that some enthusiasts who want to see engines in the same livery they remember from childhood days but also there are a good number of photoographers who like seeing a loco heading a train of carriages in a compatible livery. For any line which only operates BR carriages, this does limit one's options. Of course, not everything was repainted at the same time (Think Bulleids or Black Fives hauling Rail Blue Mk 1s in 1967/8) but the ELR is going to struggle to come up with a rake of stock that will look "right" behind 34081. Thankfully, the vast majority of punters don't give two hoots about such niceties!

* I must admit to a soft spot for 34073 - the only surviving Bulleid as far as I know ever to have worked the entire length of my late local line - the much-lamented "Cuckoo Line" from Polegate to Eridge

 

Far O/T,sorry. Not 34046? That was a 75A loco for many years until rebuilding.

 

Of all the surviving Spamcans only 34072, 34073 and 34081 were turned out in the 1948 interim BR malachite. All the while ‘72 is part of the SLL fleet I doubt very much she’ll be painted in anything other than BR dark green and ‘73 is as far away as she’s ever been from steaming again. 21c107, 21c123, 21c167 and 21c170 were all turned out in full Southern malachite and any BR lettering and numbering applied prior to being painted BR dark green would have been plain cream, not “sunshine”‘style. 34092 and 34105 were painted BR right from the start. This leaves just ‘81 to carry the 1948 BR malachite flag.

 

It wasn't always like that. As the end of steam approached the last thing most of us wanted to remember was the run down of BR steam and all the clapped out locos, hence Bahamas appearing in historically incorrect LMS livery, 5000, 5110, 4507 all LMS, Blackmore Vale in Southern livery and of course SNG. With the passing of years nostalgia kicks in and we then remember the good bits and people wanted to remember the days of their long lost youth. I agree its nice to see engines with compatible stock, owners can do what they like with their engines but spurious liveries are not serving history very well but thankfully we are now spared a Scot in incorrect LMS red or a blue Fairbairn Tank. SNG isn't right with it's Kylchap I suppose but the only real howler now is the Mickey mouse on the Lakeside in fire engine red.

 

All the loco you've mentioned were bought directly from BR and, as I understand it, there was usually a clause in the sale contracts which prohibited the locos being painted in BR livery, hence the range of appropriate (i.e LMS) and non-appropriate (i.e. Caley blue) liveries. This requirement eventually fell by the wayside.

 

That was the belief but I don’t think it’s was true.

 

I think there was a requirement not to carry BR emblems or numbers while BR still had operational steam locos, but it ceased to be a thing after 1968. Certainly there are numerous photos of early Bluebell locos (including "Stepney", "Fenchurch" and the Adams Radial Tank) carrying lined black livery, but with the BR totems painted out and renumbered to their pre-grouping numbers.

Photo here of 488 showing it had been transformed in that way within four days of arriving at the Bluebell for preservation - lined black livery, but numbered 488 and plain tank sides:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/31890193@N08/14752673756/in/album-72157643801188455

Two photos of Fenchurch seen just before transfer to the Bluebell still in BR livery; and a couple of weeks later renumbered to 2636 and totem painted out:

https://www.terriertrust.org.uk/other-terriers/212-fenchurch-saved-by-the-bluebell-railway-1964

Generally, having done the minimum to comply with the requirement not to carry BR identification, locos got repainted at the first opportunity (often the following winter) and quite often a pre-grouping scheme was chosen.

Tom

 

You're probably right but I suspect BR generally did the painting out back then. When the Sentinel was purchased from BR in 1961 for use at Middleton everything had been painted out apart from its departmental number 54. Later on as steam was coming to an end, that practice appears to have stopped and left to the new owners to do.

 

Not by any chance related to this?



(Picture from eBay.)