70000 britania

[oldchapie]

i had a little prize yesterday . at tmds i got on the footplate for a few mins,smashing to see steve mathews in a sweat.

[Marsh'Un]

Whilst bunking Barrow Road, circa 1965, my brother illicitly "cabbed" 70047 and proceeded to pull the whistle chain - right alongside the enginemans' rest room !

Needless to say, he was hauled over the coals (not literally) and escaped with a caution.

It must have been worth it just to hear that chime whistle echoing around 82E...

A fine class of engine, even though most of the Western Region thought otherwise.

Did you see many Brits in Bristol during your railway days ?[

[oldchapie]

yes several from hereford to bristol .the last time was november 4 1995 with the 10-33 1z58 to swansea.70000 in green.as the inspector.loveley engines.

[Roger]

Speaking purely as an enthusiast (I never worked for the railways) I have recollections of Britannias working South Wales expresses through Patchway en route to Paddington. Others worked through Bath with workings from Cardiff to Salisbury, but my last sightings were (I believe in 1965) when some of the ex NW England batch (Firths) appeared on summer Saturday workings from Wolverhampton to Ilfracombe. I have a few photos of the latter taken with a basic camera at Temple Meads.

[free2grice]

....I have recollections of Britannias working South Wales expresses through Patchway en route to Paddington.

The Red Dragon. <BJ>

[oldchapie]

one was involed in an accident going to paddington from south wales at a place called milton i believe she went from main to relief to fast one of the out comes was the smoke shields were altered
it was a long time ago so someone there can tell more about it.

[Robin Summerhill]

Brittania pacifics were more likely to arrive in Bristol via the North & West route rather than down the Midland line, for the simple reason that the depots that normally sent steam passenger locomotives to Bristol (Saltley, Derby and Holbeck) didn't have any on their allocations (I'm talking 1962 onwards here). You were therefore more likely to see them on St Phillips Marsh than Barow Road.

My limited rcords that survive from 1963 show 70029 about the place on 16th January, 70052 on 16th February and 70006 on 24th April

[free2grice]

We also had the Plymouth based Britannias but the GWR at Laira classed them as 'surplus to requirements'. <BJ>

[free2grice]

one was involed in an accident going to paddington from south wales at a place called milton i believe she went from main to relief to fast one of the out comes was the smoke shields were altered.

Great Western crews prefered 'right hand drive' locomotives and signalling practices. This was a factor in the 1955 Milton rail crash. <BJ>

[Robin Summerhill]

Great Western crews prefered 'right hand drive' locomotives and signalling practices. This was a factor in the 1955 Milton rail crash. <BJ>

Yet Midland and LMS men who were used to left hand drive engines had GWR right hand drive cast-offs given to them at Barrow Road, Green Park, Highbridge and Templecombe but were expected not to come off the road because of it.

And come to think of it, the GWR (or at least the Western Region) also made use of Stanier and WD 8Fs, which were also left hand drive.

I'm not sure whether that tells you anything about GW driving capabilities, but it perhaps suggests something to me about there being a persuasive soul at the Board of Trade enquiry

The internet being what it is, we all now have immediate access to the report on the Milton accident:

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docume ... on1955.pdf

Draw you own conclusions

[Shovel]

I have photos taken at Filton Junction of the following
70048 17th August 1965 Penzance - Crewe Parcels
70053 17th July 1965 Wolverhampton - Kingswear
70053 31st July 1965 0800 Wolverhampton - Ilfracombe
70045 26th June 1965 0800 Wolverhampton - Ilfracombe
70045 17th July 1965 0800 Wolverhampton - Ilfrancombe
All these trains came via Yate, Westerleigh, Stoke Gifford(Parkway) or went that way.

[Robin Summerhill]

I have photos taken at Filton Junction of the following
70048 17th August 1965 Penzance - Crewe Parcels
70053 17th July 1965 Wolverhampton - Kingswear
70053 31st July 1965 0800 Wolverhampton - Ilfracombe
70045 26th June 1965 0800 Wolverhampton - Ilfracombe
70045 17th July 1965 0800 Wolverhampton - Ilfrancombe
All these trains came via Yate, Westerleigh, Stoke Gifford(Parkway) or went that way.

I see that none of these originated from an ex-MR location, which tends to bear out what I said (whilst contradicting it ) that Britannias rarely worked MR line trains from ex-MR locations.

Just having a quick look at my BR Steam Allocations database tells me that the allocations of these engines June - August 1965 were as follows:

70045 Wolverhampton Oxley
70048 Carlisle Upperby
70053 Wolverhampton Oxley

I'd forgotten that some were sent to Oxley in the final days of steam!