Visitors to the Southern

Ex-LNER B1 Class

Towards the end of June 1964 B1 class 4-6-0 Nº61313 (from 41D Canklow) worked a pigeon special to Lewes. It was stopped with a hot box and spent some days at Eastbourne shed before being sent to Redhill for repairs on 6th July. It spent some weeks at the rear of Redhill shed, where it is shown here on 28th August 1964. Following repairs it was re-steamed at the end of September 1964 and worked passenger trains to and from Reading on 1st and 2nd October 1964. The following day Nº61313 worked a special freight from Earlswood to Streatham Common and from there it returned light to Cricklewood on the first stage of its belated return to its home depot.

photograph by Keith Harwood

A Thompson B1 4-6-0 at an unlikely location! This example is on the Southern's third rail system and is displaying the headcode for a Victoria to Ramsgate service. The only visible digit of the loco's number is the trailing '8' so take your pick from the list below. Two Davids, Monk-Steel and Woodcock, have supplied wonderful background notes for this image which are merged as below:

It was probably taken from the Huntslip Road overbridge (between West Dulwich and Sydenham Hill) looking north with Alleyn Park underbridge (a wartime rebuild after demolition by a bomb) in the distance. The playing fields of Dulwich College are on the right and this explains the fancy fencing which tended otherwise to only be used near stations. 14 B1 class were loaned to the BR(S) in May 1953 to help out whilst Bulleid's pacifics were withdrawn for tests following a serious accident. All went to Stewarts Lane, numbers; 61015, 61041, 61050, 61109, 61133, 61148, 61188, 61192, 61219, 61273, 61274, 61329, 61338 and 61354. All returned to the Eastern Region in June having been employed on Victoria to Kent Coast services.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

Ex-LMS Class 5MT

Introduced in 1934 as a two cylinder version of the LMS Jubilee class, the "Black Fives" were very popular engines which roamed far and wide. Here Nº45349 is seen in a siding at Bournemouth on 21st June 1966.

photograph by Ray Soper

Ex-LMS Class 8F

Introduced in 1935, some 849 8Fs were built by the LMS, and various other builders from the North British Locomotive Co to the SR's Brighton Works! As well as the LMS engines, a number were transferred to the War Department during WWII and some 80 were built for the government as 'Austerity' class locomotives.
Above: Nº48309 was photographed trundling southbound past Wandsworth Common station with a transfer freight. 8Fs weren't uncommon on these workings, which generally went only as far as the yards at Norwood. Fowler 3F 0-6-0Ts and 4F 0-6-0s were the more usual fare with the occasional J something for ER variety. C2Xs, 0-6-2Ts and Ws were the usual SR motive power for them.

photograph by Mike Morant

Nº48406 at Salisbury on 12th June 1965 with a Fawley oil train.

photograph by Dave Mant

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This page was last updated 4 January 2008