Mallard in the West country 1963

[James]

I just found this video on YouTube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2d_iImdtgxY

Lots of familiar locations!

[Roger]

What an excellent piece of video - I recall taking a photograph as it passed Bath Spa en route to Bristol.

[James]

That was a bit before my time, but it was seeing classmate 60009 by chance at Temple Meads in 2004 that reawakened my interest in steam.

[DAVE]

I can remember being at BTM for Mallards arrival along with hundreds of others and taking my turn in a long but orderly queue for a quick footplate visit.
In those days when health and safety took a "back seat" this was a regular practice, indeed when some engines were uncoupled a short ride to the end of the platform was a regular treat for us spotters on platforms 4 and 5 opposite Bath road depot.
Cannot remember the year could have been 62,63 when Flying Scotsman visited and The owner Alan Peglar resplendant in a boilersuit spoke to us lads and allowed us on the footplate! What a treat!
Thanks for bringing more memories back.
Dave Nailsea

[AndyK]

Very good indeed. But was it actually 1963? Mallard is seen towards the end of the clip alongside what looks like a King (6000 itself? I think there's a bell above the bufferbeam) and all the Kings were withdrawn in 1962.

Which is the station in the very last shot? Is it Trowbridge?

[James]

Very good indeed. But was it actually 1963? Mallard is seen towards the end of the clip alongside what looks like a King (6000 itself? I think there's a bell above the bufferbeam) and all the Kings were withdrawn in 1962.

Which is the station in the very last shot? Is it Trowbridge?

Melksham. There's nothing left now though, just one empty platform.

[Roger]

The year was definitely 1963 and video coverage of the special appears on the excellent Ivo Peters series. King George V is seen at the end of the video but does not appear to be in steam which suggests it might be "stored" pending preservation.

[DAVE]

Have had a good look at the video and Mallard / King George V are pictured outside the stock shed at Swindon. The large building shown is the coaling stage building.
6000 was kept at Swindon from 4/12/62 when withdrawn to 1964.
My memory seems to be telling me that Mallard spent sometime stabled at Swindon around this time.

Dave Nailsea

[DAVE]

Have done some research and found that the video clips shown are from a dvd I have in my collection.
The date of the tour was the 17th March 1963 and was the finale for 60022 before withdrawal for preservation.
The West Countryman Tour originated at Waterloo travelled down to Exeter and returned via Taunton , Westbury, Bath to BTM.
After servicing at Bath road 60022 returned the train to Swindon where it was indeed serviced alongside 6000, before taking the train after reversal through Melksham , onwards to Honiton and back to London.

Dave Nailsea

[horace]

March 1963 was indeed when this happened, and i can tell you it was raining. i was was one of hundreds of school kids that had gathered on temple meads. indeed one of the back of heads showing in the vid looks much like mine, but i suppose so do a lot of others. i did have a photograph of this very event, but it became a small part of the subject of divorce settlement dispute which i lost and was therefore thrown in the skip by the ex. Not a very glorious end for such a piece of photographic history

[madhattie]

It's a superb video. I love the opening shot showing just how graceful the motion is on a steam engine. Temple Meads looks like it is absolutely packed!

But, brilliant as it is I would easily swap it for a vid of an 08 pulling parcels vans up the slope out of Temple Meads Goods Depot, or an 03 shunting cement wagons at Avonside, or Western Pride shunting coal wagons down the docks.

Or a sprinter at Sea Mills