45699 Galatea

Both locos worked for many years from Bristol Barrow Road hence their move to Barry when that depot closed.

 

Screams double header up the Lickey to me....

 

Ooh... good thinking.

5699 is, of course, immortalised for a stunning solo ascent of the Lickey, described in detail in 'Midland Record', courtesy of the late Tom King.

I can't see that particular piece of work being repeated, but nevertheless, to reunite her with the scene of one of the great recorded events of the steam era would be quite something.

Mark

 

I think she needs to do a trip from tyseley to bristol then at bristol a castle comes on to replace her for the trip to say Kingswear and return with double head from bristol back to tyseley.

 

It was Terry Essery in "More firing days at Saltley" who described firing "Galatea" up the Lickey on an overnight mail train of 14 coaches, when the two 3FT bankers dropped back off the rear of the train part way up the bank due to one of them starting to prime. Terry's driver, Tommy Charles, already driving with a fully open regulator and 50% cut off, could have stopped the train on the incline and waited for the bankers to sort themselves out, but feeling the train checked, the driver simply wound Galatea into full foreward gear, 75%, and allowed the engine to take the train unassisted up the rest of the Lickey, which it duly did.

Galatea was said to be ex-works and in superb condition on this run.

 

Believe 45699 went from Eastleigh to Barry , as it was stored on Eastleigh depot for a while, see post # 424 ...

 

The question is, why was 45699 at Eastleigh in the first place? It had bee nwithdrawn whilst at Shrewsburt w/C 21/11/64 but apparently went under its own steam to Eastleigh on 28/11/64, along with 48471. The latter wasn't withdrawn until April 1968.

All according to RCTS book. RCTS suggest for repair but I can't see that.

 

Given that 48471 ran for a further few years, why not? Remember, engines were being condemned for what seem to us these days to be stupidly minor defects, so it's very possible that once she entered the works, something came to light that condemned her there and then.

Mark

 

Not quite correct, the SVR bought Leander and Galatea off A guy named Bill Ford (leander's second owner) who now runs the GCR, the same guy who rescued Galatea from Barry.

 

Another pic of Galatea at Eastleigh which was used for the cover of Galatea News, taken by Frank Hornby - no not that one! The 8F is behind 45699.

Dave

 

That picture of 45699 is next to the coal stage at Eastleigh depot - As I understood , it was supposed to go into the works , many LMR loco s were being given repairs in their at the time , 8F s , Flying pigs ,etc - but was refused , maybe someone who worked there could add why -- then withdrawn & sent to Barry .

 

The puzzling thing about the photo is that 45699 still has its plates attached, although it is, supposedly, withdrawn.

 

Maybe it had just arrived with the 8F , it would be in service still , with thoughts of it going into the works , my picture showed it without plates - stored , then withdrawn a bit later .

 

Dates indicate that it was withdrawn before it travelled to Eastleigh and it was stored there for approx four months.

 

Maybe Eastleigh were breaking engines and the intention was to scrap the loco there, but then it became the subject of a successful bid from Woodhams, who knows? Wasn't there a time when so many steam locomotives were withdrawn for scrapping that everyone had their hands full so to speak? Certainly Southern loco's went as far north as south Yorkshire, being reported in various scrapyards, including--I think--Thos W Ward's yards at Killamarsh/Beighton, south east of Sheffield.

 

I guess that one plausible explanation is that it was simply used as a means of getting the 8F to Eastleigh for repair. The 8F was certainly hauled there as photos show it without con rods.
As you say, the LH nameplate was still fitted on 2/1/65, as shown in at least one photo. The only photo I've seen of the RH side does not show a nameplate fitted, though. One other thing I've noted in looking at these photos is that 45699 clearly had a speedo whereas the RCTS book says it was never fitted. No AWS, though.

 

Assuming that Galatea's TOPS number is 98699 (Leander's being 98690) there is no sign of any sign of it on TOPS yet.