Unusual Steam loco combinations under BR and its predecessors

[Bevan Price]

There is quite an interesting report of the 13/5/62 ‘RCTS East Midlander Railtour’ in the Railway Observer. On the return run the two 4-4-0s (Schools 30925 and 2P 40646) ran from Darlington-York start to stop, in under 40 minutes with a top speed of 83mph.

The report also states that 40646 was withdrawn W/E Saturday 12/5/62 due to a life expired boiler, but was given special approval to work the train. 40646 thus worked a 300 mile railtour, with speeds in excess of 80mph while out of ticket!!

And 30925 was returned south on a Nottingham Victoria to Marylebone service...

 

[Harvester]

And 30925 was returned south on a Nottingham Victoria to Marylebone service...

And then it was commandeered for further use on the GC, regularly working Marylebone-Woodford diagrams until 22/5/62, before being dispatched back to the Southern.

 

[Strathclyder]

And then it was commandeered for further use on the GC, regularly working Marylebone-Woodford diagrams until 22/5/62, before being dispatched back to the Southern.

Did it cause much of a stir on the Marylebone-Woodford diagrams in regards to local spotter interest? In my mind at least, it surely must have.

 

[Harvester]

Did it cause much of a stir on the Marylebone-Woodford diagrams in regards to local spotter interest? In my mind at least, it surely must have.

Yes I guess it would have, especially at the Woodford end. By that summer (1962) the Schools were becoming less common on SR passenger workings, with the twenty or so survivors being withdrawn en masse at the end of the year. With the last few LMR 2P 4-4-0s also going at the same time, the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement was eliminated from BR stock.

 

[Strathclyder]

Yes I guess it would have, especially at the Woodford end. By that summer (1962) the Schools were becoming less common on SR passenger workings, with the twenty or so survivors being withdrawn en masse at the end of the year. With the last few LMR 2P 4-4-0s also going at the same time, the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement was eliminated from BR stock.

Interesting, cheers for this.

 

[Strathclyder]

Bumping this thread up as I found this while searching for something else:

61787, 73077 Crianlarich

A double headed departure from Crianlarich is seen passing the down home signal located at the southern approach to the upper station in 1959. The K2 No 61787 Loch Quoich has brought the afternoon working from Mallaig to Fort William which was then combined with the Fort William – Queen St –...

www.flickr.com

(K2 61787 Loch Quoich and Standard 5 73077 departing Crianlarich Upper with the Mallaig/Fort William - Glasgow - London train sometime in late 1959; the Ragtimer had brought the Mallaig portion down to Fort William. Taken not long before 61787's withdrawal in October that year. Copyright of Flickr's dpwill44)