Photo Class 34016 'Bodmin' West Country Class Southern Railway Steam Loco

Southern Railway West Country Class Steam Locomotive 34016 'Bodmin' at Alton
 Photo: Charles Moorhen

Battle of Britain Locomotive Still Battling

Belonging to a class of UK steam locomotives known as the West Country class, 34016 'Bodmin', seen here in preservation at Alton railway station on the Mid-Hants Railway also known as the 'Watercress Line', is as good today as she was when she hauled an endless succession of trains between London and Cornwall.

'Bodmin' was one of 110 locomotives, numbered 34001 to 34110, designed by O.V.Bulleid specifically for hauling passenger trains on the non-electrified main lines of the Southern Railway.

The first of the class, 34001 'Exeter', came out of Brighton Works brand-new in May 1945 where it was allocated to Exmouth Junction shed which opened on the 3rd November 1887 and covered eleven tracks. 

Production of the class increased to the point that by November of the following year, 48 locomotives of the West Country class were in traffic. They quickly earned the nickname 'Spam Cans' from the trainspotting community due to the fact that the locomotives were encased in air-smoothing body panels.

  At the beginning, the West Country locomotives were given names associated with locations in south-west England such as cities, towns and popular tourist destinations. 

In November 1946 the naming policy was changed. As more locomotives of the class began to be used around Kent, a decision was made to name a number of engines after aircraft, airfields, RAF squadrons and key personalities associated with the WW2 Battle of Britain. 

And although identical in every way, a new class of locomotive was born - the Battle of Britain class.

Detail of Box Pok Wheels and Bodmin Nameplate
Photo: Charles Moorhen

34016 'Bodmin' saw sterling service over the years on Southern rails. On more than one occasion she headed the 'Man of Kent' train between Charing Cross station and Dover Marine station, such as on the 13th September 1958.

 

In May 1958, West Country Class Pacific Class 34016 'Bodmin', hauled a 'Special' through Kent to London Victoria station.  On board was the President of Italy, Signor Gronchi and his wife.  He was met at Victoria station by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Pathe News filmed the arrival and a brief clip of 'Bodmin' can by seen near the beginning.

However, 34016 'Bodmin' was not solely reserved for hauling prestigious 'named trains'.  It also saw service heading locals, such as the 4-coach Exeter-Plymouth train on 26th August 1957.

On the 11th April 1958, she was swarmed over by railway enthusiasts at the annual Eastleigh Works Open Day as she stood resplendent in her new 'rebuilt' condition which included the removal of her air-smoothing body panels, leaving her as she appears today.

By June 1964, six years later, after 19 years of service, she had been withdrawn.

With the last of the West Country/Battle of Britain class, 34110 '66Squadron', emerging new from Brighton Works in January 1951, the writing was on the wall for steam locomotion.

As a result, the majority of the West Country, Battle of Britain, and their sister the Merchant Navy classes, ended their days cut up in scrap yards.

Luckily, avoiding one of these scrap yards, 34016 'Bodmin', made the transition from main line British Railways duties to further duties in preservation.

In 1952, according to the Ian Allen abc Locoshed Book, 72A loco shed Exmouth Junction was the one to which 34016 was allocated.

 

At the time of writing (March 2015), 'Bodmin' is out of service and stored at Carnforth.

West Country Class Locomotive Technical Specifications: (British Railways Classification).

Designer: O. V. Bulleid.
Origin: Southern Railway.
Introduced: May 1945.
Purpose: Express Passenger.
Wheel Arrangement: 4-6-2.
Number Series: 34001 - 34110.
Driving Wheel: 6ft. 2in.
Bogie Wheel: 3ft. 1in.
Length: 67ft. 4 3/4 in.
Total Weight: 128 tons 12 cwt.
Water Capacity: 4,500 gallons.
Cylinders: (3) 16 3/8in. x 24in.
Boiler Pressure: 250 lb. sq. in.
Tractive Effort: 31,050 lb.
Coal Capacity: 5 tons.
Power Classification: 7-P 5-F.

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Photo Urie Class H16 30517 Southern Railway Steam Loco

Class H16 30517 seen probably stabled at Feltham yard
Photo: Charles Moorhen

One That DIDN'T Get Away

Unlike many steam UK locomotives saved from scrapyards, such as the one at Barry, Wales, owned by Dai Williams, Southern Region Class H16 30517 was not lucky enough to avoid death from the cutter's torch.

Designed by the Scottish locomotive designer, Robert Urie, 4-6-2 30517, and four others of the class, were built at the London and South Western Railway's Eastleigh Works in Hampshire, England over the end of 1921 and the beginning of 1922.

Unlike their sister locomotives, the "G16 "Black Tanks", which were used for shunting duties at the Feltham marshalling yard near Hounslow, West London, the H16 "Green Tanks" were intended for hauling freight trains amongst yards around the London area.

The nickname, "Green Tanks" came about when the locomotives passed to the Southern Railway and were painted in lined olive green livery for limited passenger use.

During World War II, 30517 and the other four of the class were re-painted in a plain black livery; they never regained their Southern Railway green livery.

In the 1950's, the H16's were regularly seen moving empty coaching stock between Clapham Junction and Waterloo station.

With the introduction of diesel motive power rapidly increasing momentum, the final days of the 30517 and the other H16's had arrived.

In November 1962, 30516, 30518, 30519 and 30520 were withdrawn from Feltham, with 30517 following them a month later.  

The complete class of H16's was scrapped.

 

H-16 Class Locomotive Technical Specifications: (British Railways Classification).
Designer: R. W. Urie.
Origin: L.S.W.R.
Introduced: 1921.
Purpose: Heavy Freight.
Wheel Arrangement: 4-6-2.
Number Series: 30516 - 30520.
Driving Wheel: 5ft. 7in.
Bogie Wheel: 3ft. 7in.
Length: 46ft.
Weight: 96 tons 8 cwt.
Water Capacity: 2,000 gallons.
Cylinders: (2) 21 in. x 28 in.
Boiler Pressure: 180 lb. sq. in.
Tractive Effort: 28,200.
Coal Capacity: 3 tons 10 cwt.
Power Classification: 6-F

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