Atomic Systems

I've just got back from The Bell at Trysull (good real ales at reasonable prices and a steam nut gaffer) and the gaffer was showing me a postcard of him driving Gordon on the SVR.

I told him that the first time I saw 600 was at Snow Hill going south on (I think) a freight. None of us could find anything in our Ian Allens so I wrote to Trains Illustrated and they kindly wrote back and told me about Gordon.

Question is when would this have been? My main days at Snow Hill would have been about 1958 - 1964. Peter thinks he recalls reading that 600 went to Crewe at some point for a major overhaul. Could have come back via Shrewsbury etc but I'm sure it was working.

Maybe it wasn't uncommon to see Gordon away from LMR?

Gordon was sent Down south to take part in a film, which after it was sent to Marchwood Military depot for cover storage or some place the current SVR chairman had militery links and bought it for some knocked off cheap discout price and its been on the SVR since.

couldnt have been too long after 1965 as thats when 43106 and 45110 was at bridgnorth.

The MoD still own the engine.

regards

Dan

Gordon was at longmoor until it shut in 1969 and possibly later, Marchwood was another military railway where it was moved to before the SVR. So more than likely it was seen in the move between the 2. I'll have a look in a book i have about Longmoor. 45110 can't have been at Bridgnorth in 1965! it was the final steam loco to haul a 'proper service' a parcels train to Liverpool in 1968 and featured in the 15 Guinea Special and was then purchased by the SVR and is one of only 2 locos actually owned by the Company (the other being hagley hall). 43106 was only sold out of BR service in 1968 also last being shedded at Lostock Hall. I do believe however that 3205 arrived early at bridgnorth perhaps as early as 65 but i wouldn't swear o it.

PS just seen your possible dating, of course this is far earlier than when 600 left longmoor it was DEFINITELY based there until 69, but it was not uncommon for LMR locos to go to BR workshops for overhaul and judging by its excellent condition when it came to SVR it may well have had one around the early 60s..........I'll have a look in my LMR book tonight and see what i can find.

I can't find no mention of Gordon going to Crewe for overhaul, but it does not mention anywhere that it went elsewhere to work trains, but It says LMR locos were given minor repairs at Longmoor and else where for major overhauls so Gordon to Crewe in the late 50s early 60s seems a possible explanation and it may well have been towed back in a freight or even worked back light engine perhaps with a brake in tow as was the case for some privately owned locos returning from overhaul. Also lcoos overhauled at Crewe often visited Shrewsbury on running in/test/proving runs and a long freight train would have been just the job for Gordon, although if a non-BR owned loco would have done this i don't know, so that's another possibility. the loco was at Longmoor until 1971 and was transferred straight to Bridgnorth. It still remains the property of the Mod as Dan rightly states. At the moment we are unsure at SVR wht is to be done about the loco and who will pay an overhaul bill when its time comes.

However the identical LMR loco Kitchener was sent to BR in 1958 for trials with oil firing and ran with them based at Carlisle for a year running in its LMR blue and returned to Longmoor so that may have been what you saw and not Gordon...........

the likeliest option to me seems a running in turn from Crewe works after overhaul

Taken straight out of the SVR stock book:

"WD No. 601 Kitchener was loaned to B.R. in the late '50s, but its shed-fellow at Longmoor, 'Gordon', was only seen on B.R. when repaired at Eastleigh Works, near Southampton, from time to time, and on one occasion when repairs were effected by Bagnalls at Stafford."

Mystery solved!

regards

Dan

salopiangrowler wrote:Gordon was sent Down south to take part in a film...

Thomas the Tank Engine: The Movie?