ONE OF THE LONGEST AND HEAVIEST TRAINS PULLED BY ONE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE DEPARTS SWANAGE

News Item from Andrew P.M. Wright - 20th April 2012
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright as noted
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A4 Pacific No. 4464 'Bittern' at the Swanage Railway on 19th April 2012. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

One of the longest and heaviest trains to be pulled by a single steam locomotive has departed Swanage station - 13 carriages weighing a total of 455 tonnes bound for Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

The special moment came just before 6pm on Thursday, 19 April, 2012, when the Sir Nigel Gresley-designed streamlined A4 pacific wheel arrangement steam locomotive No. 4464 'Bittern' hauled the return trip of the 'Cathedrals Express' sell out excursion train from Oxford and Banbury.

The pristine London-based locomotive - which escaped the cutting torch in 1966 and took more than 40 years to restore and return to the rails - had a three mile climb from Swanage to Harman's Cross ahead of it, much of it at a challenging gradient of one in 76, with the 455 tonne load.

A4 Pacific No. 4464 'Bittern' at the Swanage Railway on 19th April 2012. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

Swanage Railway commercial manager Martin Payne said: "'Bittern' really took the three mile climb from Swanage up to Harman's Cross in her stride and it was hard to believe she was hauling 13 coaches - one of the longest and heaviest train to ever leave Swanage station with just one locomotive on the front.

"Most previous excursion trains to Swanage have had fewer coaches with a steam locomotive at the front and a diesel locomotive on the back. The bark from 'Bittern's exhaust was wonderful to see and hear - it's a magnificent steam locomotive and like a finely oiled sewing machine," added Mr Payne.

'Bittern's driver was Wayne Thompson while the fireman was Rob Binstead - both men being supplied by the DB Schenker railway company.

A4 Pacific No. 4464 'Bittern' at the Swanage Railway on 19th April 2012. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

A restored London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) locomotive dating from 1937 - and resplendent in its garter blue livery from the 1937 Coronation of King George VI - 'Bittern' based at Southall in London was a very last minute replacement.

The booked steam locomotive had been London, Midland and Scotland (LMS) Princess Royal class No. 6201 'Princess Elizabeth' which failed its fitness to run exam on Wednesday of this week at its Tyseley base in Birmingham.

Built at Doncaster in December, 1937, 'Bittern' is the sister steam locomotive of fellow A4 class streamlined pacific No. 4468 'Mallard' which still holds the world record for the fastest recorded speed by a steam locomotive - 126 mph - recorded near Grantham in Lincolnshire during 1938.

A4 Pacific No. 4464 'Bittern' at the Swanage Railway on 19th April 2012. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

Carrying some 500 passengers in style down to Corfe Castle and Swanage during a five-hour journey, the 13-coach excursion train from Banbury and Oxford was organised by Steam Dreams of Guildford in Surrey.

Martin Payne explained: "With its characteristic streamlined boiler casing - the height of technology and very futuristic back in the 1930s - 'Bittern' is a sleek and powerful machine; the sort of impressive steam locomotive that Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot would have travelled behind."

A4 Pacific No. 4464 'Bittern' at the Swanage Railway on 19th April 2012. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

Weighing 167 tons and carrying eight tons of coal and 5,000 gallons of water, No. 4464 'Bittern' was designed for hauling prestigious high-speed express trains on the King's Cross to Edinburgh east coast main line.

No. 4464 entered service on the LNER in June 1937 and was withdrawn from service in Scotland by British Railways on Monday, 5 September, 1966, after having a total of 14 boilers - but just one tender for coal and water - during her almost 30-year career.

After more than 40 years, the mighty steam locomotive's restoration to full working order was finally completed and 'Bittern' triumphantly returned to steam during 2007.

A4 Pacific No. 4464 'Bittern' at the Swanage Railway on 19th April 2012. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

In an ironic co-incidence, 'Bittern's withdrawal in 1966 - when the locomotive carried the British Railways number 60019 - was the same day that steam trains on the ten mile line from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage were replaced by 'Hampshire' class diesel-electric multiple units at the start of the branch's five year decline ahead of closure in 1972.

To view a larger version of any photograph on this page, just click on the thumbnail photograph to view a full size version, and then click on CLOSE or 'x' on your keyboard to close it and return to this page.

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