Photos submitted this year by Bryan Benn and Jon Elphic
Oliver Bulleid was the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway, succeeding Richard Maunsell in 1937, having previously been assistant to Sir Nigel Gresley at the LNER.
On the right we see the Bulleid Q1-class locomotive 33001 which had just arrived at Sheffield Park in 1977. It was on loan to us until 2004 from the National Railway Museum, during which time it had two periods in steam, running for part of the time numbered as Southern C1 – in Bulleid’s continental-inspired notation, the C indicated an 0-6-0 wheel arrangement.Â
Designed as a light but powerful goods locomotive for short-term wartime use, it was a no-frills austerity design, with significantly more the power of Maunsell’s Q-class for the same weight. They proved very capable locomotives, able to haul passenger trains at up to 60mph if required, and became something of an iconic favourite with enthusiasts.
33001 returned to the National Railway Museum in 2004 to take part in RailFest, and has since filled a gap in their presentation of goods locomotives and wartime designs. It is understood a return to steam would probably require a new cylinder block to be fitted, in addition to the normal mechanical and boiler work.
Below, visiting for our Giants of Steam gala in 2007, we see a morning shot (thanks to Jon Elphic) as Bulleid Light Pacifics 34007 ‘Wadebridge’ and 34081 ’92 Squadron’ are prepared for the day’s services.
The original (pre-rebuilding) “air smoothed” pacifics were designed to include features to minimise maintenance, but the innovations were only partly successful. Half of the 110 Light Pacifics, and all 30 of the Merchant Navies, were rebuilt in more conventional form under British Rail, but the originals had a reputation for free running. At the heart of the design was a superb boiler, capable of producing as much steam as a driver ever required even on poor quality coal.
Click on photos for an enlargement.
