RAILWAY HISTORY MADE AS FIRST FIRE IS LIT IN MANSTON SINCE 1964 - 9th September 2008

Photo Report from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 10th September 2008
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
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Southern Locomotive Ltd's unrebuilt Bulleid Pacific locomotive Manston is fired for the first time since 1964 at Swanage on 9th September 2008.

History has been made with a fire being been lit in the newly restored Battle of Britain class Bulleid Pacific No. 34070 'Manston' - for the first time since the summer of 1964 and the last day that the massive steam locomotive worked for British Railways at Exmouth Junction in Devon.

Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied over 30 photos of this historic moment. To see the full set of photos, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Weighing 128 tons and with a water capacity of 4,500 gallons and a tender that can carry up to five tons of coal, 'Manston' was rescued from the Barry scrapyard in South Wales 30 years ago - after languishing there for 18 years - and has cost £750,000 to restore to full working order.

With a tractive effort of just over 31,000 lbs and a boiler pressure of 280 lb per square inch, it is hoped to have 'Manston' in light steam - and on display at Swanage station - for this weekend's Swanage Railway's annual Grand Steam Gala and Vintage Transport Rally which runs from Friday to Sunday, 12 to 14 September, 2008, inclusive.

It is hoped that the annual steam gala will feature the Swanage Railway's four resident steam locomotives - Victorian-designed M7 tank No. 30053, West Country class Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ from the late 1940s and two ex-BR Standard Class 4 Tanks built at Brighton in the mid-1950s, No. 80078 and No. 80104.

There will be an intensive train service with departures from Norden park and ride and Swanage every 40 minutes transporting visitors to the vintage transport rally close to Harman’s Cross station.

Swanage Railway fitter Graham Froud has the honour of lighting the first fire since 1964 in Southern Locomotive Ltd's unrebuilt Bulleid Pacific locomotive Manston at Swanage on 9th September 2008.

The first fire was put into the massive firebox of 'Manston' - restored by Southern Locomotives Ltd over more than four years at the Swanage Railway's Herston engineering works on the outskirts of Swanage - at 6.30pm on the evening of Tuesday 9 September, 2008, in the headshunt at Swanage station - opposite the restored Victorian engine shed.

The person who had the honour of starting the first fire in the fully restored Bulleid Pacific - which is almost 70 feet long - was Swanage Railway fitter Graham Froud, observed by James Cox - the Swanage Railway's locomotive carriage and wagon manager. Also on hand to witness a piece of railway history was Swanage Railway volunteer driver Ian McDavid.

Swanage Railway's heritage DMU driven by Pete Frost on the 6.35pm Norden park and ride to Swanage train runs into Swanage past Manston as the Bulleid makes steam.

As 'Manston' gently raised steam, the gleaming locomotive was periodically passed by the Swanage Railway's two-coach Class 108 Western Region DMU operating the last week of the daily evening train service from Swanage to Herston Halt, Harman's Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden park and ride.

With giant six feet two inch driving wheels, Battle of Britain class Bulleid Pacifics - known as ‘spam cans’ because of their futuristic air-smoothed casing over the boiler - hauled prestigious express trains between London, Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth as well as London, Salisbury and Exeter - between the mid-1940s and 1967.

Southern Locomotive Ltd's unrebuilt Bulleid Pacific locomotive Manston is fired for the first time since 1964 at Swanage on 9th September 2008.

Manston was the last Bulleid Pacific to be numbered using Oliver Bulleid's unusual system and it emerged from Brighton Works in November 1947 as No. 21C70. Manston was the last locomotive to be built by the Southern Railway before nationalisation by the Government into British Railways during 1948.

With its versatile 18-ton axle loading, an all-steel welded boiler, chain-driven valve gear, inside motion enclosed in an oil bath and ‘air-smoothed’ casing, Manston was initially allocated to Ramsgate for duty on the main line services to London. Its power classification for passenger work was seven and for freight work it was five.

On 31 May 1948, Manston made railway history when it had the distinction of working the inaugural ‘Thanet Belle’ Pullman train between Ramsgate and London Victoria.

In common with the other Bulleid numbered engines, Manston was given a conventional British Railways number, No. 34070, and in 1950 it was transferred to the Stewarts Lane motive power depot in London for work on the important BR Eastern Section services to Folkestone and Dover.

Swanage Railway's heritage DMU driven by Pete Frost on the 7.10pm Swanage to Norden park and ride service leaving Swanage past Manston as the Bulleid makes steam.

Manston was also used to haul trains on the BR Central Section services to Brighton. In 1955, Manston was moved to Dover where it was used on the Continental boat trains - including the Night Ferry.

The completion of the Kent Coast electrification in May 1961 meant that there was no longer any suitable work at Dover for Manston and it was transferred back to Stewarts Lane and then to its last shed, Exmouth Junction, in Devon.

Southern Locomotive Ltd's unrebuilt Bulleid Pacific locomotive Manston is fired for the first time since 1964 at Swanage on 9th September 2008.

In common with the other Exmouth Junction-based locomotives, Manston worked over the Southern's extensive system in Devon and North Cornwall as well as the main line between Exeter and Salisbury. It was finally withdrawn by British Railways in August 1964 and sent for scrap to Woodham's at Barry Island in south Wales.

Grand Steam Gala and Vintage Transport Rally rover tickets giving unlimited train travel on the day of issue - as well as free entry to the Vintage Transport Rally - are £18 for adults, £15 for children and concessions, and £42 for families (two adults and three children.) Greater discounts apply if passengers purchase two-day or three-day rover tickets.

To see the full set of photos, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.