Farewell to the Kings Railtour, 28/04/63

[47296lastduff]

This tour was very unusual in that all the Kings had been withdrawn in 1962, and I believe 6018 was put through Swindon Works specially to fettle it for the tour.

This must have cost a considerable amount, but I have not been able to find if this was passed on to SLS, with a rather high tour fare, or whether BR Western Region had a spell of generosity and stood the cost. Any clues either way would be appreciated.

One thing I did find out is that 6018 was run in on ordinary local services from Birmingham Snow Hill in the days before the tour.

 

[4069]

Many previous histories agree that 6018 was stored at Swindon over the winter of 1962-63, and then put to work for a week on Birmingham-Leamington services to enable it to be fettled up for the SLS tour, but I have not seen any evidence that it was put through the works- where has this unlikely notion come from?

 

[Harvester]

This tour was very unusual in that all the Kings had been withdrawn in 1962, and I believe 6018 was put through Swindon Works specially to fettle it for the tour.

This must have cost a considerable amount, but I have not been able to find if this was passed on to SLS, with a rather high tour fare, or whether BR Western Region had a spell of generosity and stood the cost. Any clues either way would be appreciated.

One thing I did find out is that 6018 was run in on ordinary local services from Birmingham Snow Hill in the days before the tour.

IIRC 6018 was going to be sold to Butlins, and was put through Swindon works for a light repair and repaint with this in mind, but the sale fell through. The King was run in on local passenger workings between Snow Hill and Leamington during the week prior to the special (Sunday 28/4/63), and the Railway Observer reported that a top speed of 91mph was reached by 6018 on the special when descending Denham bank.

 

[47296lastduff]

Thanks Harvester, that makes it clear, the repair and repaint being done already for Butlins, so no significant further cost prior to the tour.

 

[4069]

Photos of the tour show that any repaintng was limited to the front buffer beam. The repair for Butlins was actually done after the tour, in July 1963:

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/king-class-6018-king-henry-vi-undergoing-overhaul--583145851746502570/

 

[47296lastduff]

I can see now that 6018 doing the tour, and going into Works are two different stories, so it must have been taken out of storage with minimal attention needed.
I understand that some of the class had full general overhauls early in 1962, then all withdrawn within months, so they must have been in pretty good condition still.