Locomotives with WW1 ROD service

the TITLE says it though

 

Not only that, this section is about STEAM TRACTION, whatever the gauge. However, continuing with pedantic mode on, we shouldn't discuss the WW1 Simplexes!

 

Anyone got any info about some steam engines?

eep:

Tom

 

That's not strictly true because although the actual fighting ended on November 11, 1918, with the signing of the Armistice, the war did not officially end until June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. If you keep your eyes open there are several War Memorials and Memorial Halls dotted around which display The Great War as 1914 - 1919.

 

Well sticking to the rigid title, we shouldn't discuss narrow gauge as they were War Department Light Railways (WDLR) which was a completely separate organisation to the ROD (Railway Operating Division).

 

One point just occured to me. We have been discussing locomotives, but had any rolling stock survived? I remember GWR converted a number of items of rolling stock in to Ambulance trains (and presumably other companies did as well), which I gather were converted back to carriages when no longer required. Have any of those survived?

Presumably they belonged to RAMC rather than ROD.

 

There's a couple of surviving ambulance carriages - a LSWR one at Bicester and a LNWR one at Winchcombe Railway Museum. Not sure they were used abroad though, or just in the UK.

Tom

 

At Didcot there are a couple of WW2 items, one of the coaches was converted to an ambulace coach, I can't remeber which one, but is locally known as the clap clinic. The are also stories that the crocodile went to France and was captured, at some point it had swastiaks on it and these were found during a repaint. I have no proof about this though, perhaps others do...

 

Deleted (wrong war!)

 

The Bluebell has a GWR Open A (5 plank Open) which was requisitioned for overseas service in 1917. http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pic2/wagons/gwr87782.html

 

The GWR Coach is 1184, built as a full brake, then converted as a medical Officers Saloon. and Our Crocodile 41934 was sent over to France with the BEF in 1939. There is supposed a picture in one of the David Hyde books taken after its return to Swindon 1945/6. But I have all the books and I cannot find the picture

 

WW I did not end in 1918, it ended in 1919 when the Treeaty of Versailles was signed. Therefore, any locomotive that was in ROD service post 11/11/1918 and prior to Treaty of Versailles, did indeed see service during WW I.

 

For what it's worth i'm also interested in those surviving that were used for munitions purposes - struggling to find any images of those as well, I know a few NER locomotives went into munitions service, and Dapol made a limited edition 'Pug' in Munitions livery with a bigger funnel.

Also agree with including WW1 up until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, plenty of war memorials say 1914-19, and there was also the British involvement in Russia post-November 1918, as well as occupation of Germany etc

Regarding SECR 27, i'm very interested in this restoration, really like the P classes and have bulk-bought some of the Tea Cans to pass on that the Fenchurch Fund are selling to raise money for the restoration of 27

 

Is there a chance of having all four 'P' tanks running together?

 

Just about possible I'd have thought that you could see all three Bluebell ones together for a year or so. There was a time a few years back when there was a possible restoration window whereby all six of the Bluebell's SECR locos (27, 323, 178, 65, 592, 263) could have been running simultaneously (it would have been in about 2016/7) but I think that is probably no longer possible.

From the Bluebell point of view, 27 is a major job - it needs partial replacement of frames, more or less a new boiler, new side tanks and many other fittings. Given the railway's need for larger locomotives, it is understandable that the PLC is giving preference to 847, 541, 73082 etc, so 27 is being progressed as a largely volunteer run project, both in labour and financial terms. Moreover, our loco strategy calls for two small locos: ignoring Stepney and Baxter, that is what we have (178 and 323, both fairly newly out of overhaul and in good condition). So there is no immediate hurry to overhaul 27. 178 will last, at least in theory, until 2020 and 323 until 2021, so that gives the sort of timescale - in my opinion - by which we would need 27 back in service. Ideally, a bit before then so that a start could be made on - I'd assume - Fenchurch to continue with two small locos post 2021. (If we could squeeze in 65 at some point - and I believe we are committed to working on a restoration, plus she should be in fairly good condition - then it is possible some time around 2020 we could have five SECR locos in service, but I'd have thought 592 will be gone before we can get either 27 or 65 finished).

I believe the team restoring 27 would like to see her finished quicker than that so she can take place in commemorative events connected with her war service. That is obviously dependent on the rate that they can raise funds. Anyone who would like to contribute can do so via the Fenchurch fund (which supports the smaller locos, currently with the focus on 27) by contacting Clive Emsley: "thefenchurchfund at gmail.com" (replace " at " with "@").

That's the Bluebell perspective: if you then wanted all four P tanks, you'd also need the KESR one, for which I am not qualified to comment about timescales. But realistically, the best chance would be if it was expected to be in service somewhere around 2019/2020.

Tom

 

Now that's a mouth watering idea....

To add onto what James said, I recall an e-mail from the KESR a while ago, which I now can't find, saying it wouldn't be back in service for a while - would be nice to see either 27 or 753 in ROD condition, as well as maybe the 43XX again.... I can dream!