Britannia class loco

[daveinstoke]

Has anyone , got any info or pictures of a Britannia loco that lost its tender & train! this was in the late 50's or early 60's.
Thanks Dave.

 

[DerekC]

I guess you mean that the coupling between locomotive and tender failed? I don't recall an incident like that - can you provide any background - like which locomotive, where and when?

 

[daveinstoke]

only that it happened stockport / chinnley area. Yes the coupling failed between the loco & tender. I have been told by my Dad , there were pictures taken.
I will have another chat tomorrow eve with him .
Dave.

 

[Albaman]

I recall seeing a photo of the "Britannia" minus its tender following the incident described but, despite searching through my various books on the BR Standard classes , I have not yet found it. Whilst looking, one of the publications that I have is " The Britannia Pacifics - An Appreciation " published by the Stockport ( Bahamas ) Locomotive Society ( and priced at three shillings and sixpence ) which, suprisingly, makes no reference to the Stockport/Chinley incident but describes one in August 1957 when 70012 was hauling a train from Liverpool Street to Norwich and,at Ilford, the locomotive broke free from the tender and train when the pin of the coupling between the locomotive and tender fractured.

Hope this helps and I'll have another look for the book with the photo later today.

 

[Taunton]

On a passenger train with continuous brakes, the train will probably pull up quicker than the loco, so the only hazard was if the footplate crew didn't immediately recognise it, and fell off.

David L Smith in his classic books described such an event wonderfully on the G&SWR a century ago. Double-headed unbraked freight going downhill faster and faster to try to keep the couplings tight, in the darkness of the night. Pilot loco broke away from its tender with all the shocks up and down the train, the pilot crew very wisely decided to keep on going in such a situation. When the train finally stopped the main loco crew found they only had a tender in front of them ...!

 

[Clarence Yard]

I think the LMR incident was in June 1958 and involved 70014. I seem to remember seeing a pic in an old TI.

Fatigue failures of the coupling pin were not unknown - there were a few failures on ER too.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Yes, it was ... "me"

Edit 1. If I remember correctly, "I" was on the up Palatine, Manchester Central to St Pancras, in the summer of 1958.

But before my name is besmirched once again over this incident, may I remind all readers that "I" am the only Britannia reliable recorded to have attained 100 mph.

Edit 2. All you wanted to know about Britannias (except my 100 mph performance) is here

David Heys steam diesel photo collection - 91 - BR BRITANNIA CLASS 7 - 2

davidheyscollection.com

courtesy of David Hey. You will see the incident of your enquiry was near Cheadle Heath, on the third day of the Palatine working.

 

[daveinstoke]

I must have miss herd my Dad about the location. Thanks for helping out over the post.
Merry Christmas all.
David.

 

[Loppylugs]

Yes, it was ... "me"

Edit 1. If I remember correctly, "I" was on the up Palatine, Manchester Central to St Pancras, in the summer of 1958.

But before my name is besmirched once again over this incident, may I remind all readers that "I" am the only Britannia reliable recorded to have attained 100 mph.

Edit 2. All you wanted to know about Britannias (except my 100 mph performance) is here

David Heys steam diesel photo collection - 91 - BR BRITANNIA CLASS 7 - 2

davidheyscollection.com

courtesy of David Hey. You will see the incident of your enquiry was near Cheadle Heath, on the third day of the Palatine working.

I assume you were much happier on the Southern Region, lovingly looked after and working the "Golden Arrow" ?

 

[70014IronDuke]

I assume you were much happier on the Southern Region, lovingly looked after and working the "Golden Arrow" ?

Well, yes and no. I mean, Bill S was the principal man for the job, so I confess I did sulk a bit at Stewarts Lane.

OK, he was a pretty good playwrite - but heck, I saved the darned country - and Europe - from Bonaparte (with a bit of help) - without me, it might have been Fleche dOr all the darned way.

Edit: You've got me thinking (which is always dangerous), Southern days were ok, but if I had me time again, I'd have to say the days on the Midland were far and away the best.

Now it's true that we weren't give the TLC that we got on the Southern (to bring this back on topic, IYSWIM ), but when we went to the Midland in 1958 we was top dogs. That is to say, they'd never had pacifics before. Them Lizzie jobs weren't allowed on the Midland, you see.

True, in nominal terms the Scots and rebuilt Patriots were the same as us, like, for timings, but we was pacifics, and we rode better than the 4-6-0s, even if they did have a fancy inside cylinder. And we had 200 mile runs St Pancras to Manchester Central, over the Peak, yes sir. That was SOMETHING!

It was true that north of Ambergate it could be hard on the old body (even though we was still younguns, at the time, of course) but you could be reet proud of a 200 mile run. And we saw off those dandy MetroVic diesels to boot, bloody upstarts they were. In with all the newspaper headlines, catch fire, train failed, bye bye.

When we went over to the LNW, the writing was already on the wall, and of course, we were always second fiddle to the Big Lizzies, so it was never the same as on the Midland. They loved us there, even if the Kentish Town boys sometimes were a bit rough.