BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0
| Designed at Brighton, with some additional work farmed out to Derby, Doncaster and Swindon (is this an early example of "political correctness"?) the 75xxx class of 80 lightweight 4-6-0 locomotives were built at Swindon to work secondary main line traffic - both goods and passenger - on virtually any secondary route. The first loco entered traffic during May 1951 and was, in many respects, a tender version of the LMS 2-6-4 tanks built under Stanier and Fairburn (some of the latter were built at Brighton after nationalisation of the railways) but with the same smaller cylinders and higher pressure boilers of the Standard 4 tanks that started to leave Brighton works during July 1951. |
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Nº75016 on shed at Eastleigh, 14th August 1964 photograph by Alan Robinson. |
| The class, noticeably smaller then the Standard Class 5 introduced the previous month, was allocated to work in the Midland, Southern and Western Regions of British Railways, whilst some achieved everlasting fame by working the legendary "Pines Express" over the Somerset & Dorset Line, frequently as pilot engine to a West Country or BR Standard 9F. |
| Nº75073 departing Templecombe on 20th August 1964. An ex-GWR 2251 0-6-0 waits on the adjacent line. photograph by Alan Robinson. |
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| The Southern Region's allocation were paired with 7,000 gallon tenders and, in some cases, were fitted with a double chimney. This feature, quite attractive on many locomotives, didn't sit well on the Standard 4s with their fairly tall chimney. |
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Nº75075 at the head of a Waterloo to Bournemouth semi-fast on the down slow
line near Hook on 10th June 1967. The second vehicle is one of the Bulleid
coaches with a door for each compartment.
photograph by Mike Morant |
| Double chimney fitted Nº75078 at Weymouth, 21st June 1966. photograph by Ray Soper |
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Double chimney fitted Nº75069 on an evening business train takes the
Edenbridge Town line at Hurst Green.
photograph by Keith Harwood. |
| Nº75078 seen in the sidings at Weymouth....
photograph by Ray Soper |
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... and in the platform, ready to depart with her train, 21st June 1966.
photograph by Ray Soper |
75069 again, simmering in the sun at Basingstoke. photograph by Alan Robinson This colour photograph is undated but with the grime and missing smokebox numberplate it was probably taken shortly before the locomotive was withdrawn in 1967. Fortunately it was destined for preservation and was bought from Barry in 1977 and restored on the Severn Valley Railway. |
All photographs are copyright
