Trains of thought

Although 25 examples of the BR ‘3MT’ 2-6-0s were listed in the building programme for 1953, the last five were cancelled, so the final five built proved to be those sent brand new to Hurlford shed on the edge of Kilmarnock. In time, the pictured No 77019 was not only numerically the last of the class but also the only one of the Hurlford quintet to stray from that sheds books, during 1963. Around that time it is recorded hard at work on the Nith Valley main line at Polquhap summit with a loaded rake of 16 ton mineral wagons.

Derek Cross

Our cover star for this month’s issue of Steam Days is No 71000 Duke of Gloucester. As you will read in Philip Atkins and Andrew’s Wilson’s article, as magnificent as this locomotive looked, its performance in British Railways days was a little disappointing, or a ‘near-miss’ in the words of Ernest Cox. Were it not for the relentless march of dieselisation in the 1950s and 1960s more development work on improving the locomotive’s performance may have been done. It was only after 71000’s preservation, and modifications made to to the locomotive’s draughting, when we were to see the engine’s performance potential fulfilled. I saw a very forlorn looking Duke of Gloucester at Crewe Works in March 1967, incomplete and later to be sold on for scrap, few at the time could have anticipated this iconic locomotive’s renaissance and return to better than ‘as built’ condition.

On that day at Crewe Works, alongside Duke of Gloucester was ‘A4’ class Pacific No 60026 Miles Beevor. This pair really were a sorry sight. Duke of Gloucester’s left-hand cylinders and valve gear had been removed for display in the Science Museum, London. The driving wheels and side rods from Miles Beevor had been ‘donated’ to No 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley, these being in much better condition than the original ones off 4498/60007. On that March day Sir Nigel Gresley was on shed and in steam at Crewe South shed, while in the paint shop at Crewe Works, looking absolutely resplendent was another Gresley ‘A4’, Dominion of Canada. Living in Worcester, far from LNER territory, these were the first ‘A4s’ I’d ever seen. What a sight it must have been to see them in everyday action on East Coast main line expresses. There are no regrets though, I feel fortunate to have seen as much as I did in the final days of BR steam in tow with my dad as we travelled the country from 1966 to 1968 often on Worcester Locomotive Society trips, but sometimes by Morris ‘Minor’.

Despite the issues