I have seen a photo of a Southern Loco No.555 Its an 0-4-2, not a tank engine.
Sorry I cannot post the photo at the moments it does not belong to me.
Can anyone identify this? Any additional info would be appreciated.
Thanks
Fratton Fred (welcome to the forum by the way) - I find the A12 interesting too. It looks like a classic unnoticed type of steam locomotive from that era, probably just getting on with its job day after day with nobody paying too much attention...
Do you have any more details at all?
Is it possible that you could post the photo, and perhaps credit the photographer?
There’s a few people on here (30907 and 34102 amongst others) that’d know more about it than me, but the A12 seems like a class that worked from east of Guildford, right over to at least Salisbury, and all over the core of the LSWR network?
It’s interesting to note too, that although 555 itself lasted most of the way through the Second World War, until possibly 1944 (potentially a half century of service if Wikipedia is to be believed).
The majority of the class were withdrawn before 1938.
There were plenty of decent (Maunsell/Urie) mixed classes being introduced around this time. But a handful of these clung on for a surprisingly long time (again possibly due to WW2).
Anyway I found a lovely picture of a kit built model of an A12 that was being sold via Vectis Auctions 11 years ago. Which is here (not my photo):
Rather classy in LSWR livery don’t you think?
Would anyone know if one of these would’ve made it down to Exeter on the odd freight in the 1910s?
