Description

Staged in connection with the IRC meeting that year, it took place before any announcements concerning the Modernisation Plan launched the following year, it gave a very strange impression of the technical progress made by British Railways in the six years since nationalization, the majority of locomotives were steam, of the British Railways standard classes. There was only one diesel electric main line locomotive, no. 10203, the last of three designed by Bulleid for the Southern Railway, but only just completed. The single main line electric locomotive, on view no 27002, again a pre-nationalisation design by the LNER for the Woodhead route. There were also two oddities, Gas-turbine loco no.18000, from the Western Region, and the 4-8-4 Fell diesel mechanical locomotive, no. 10100 built by the LMS at Derby.

The “Star” exhibit, the sole British Railways Standard class 8 “Pacific” no 71000 “Duke of Gloucester” was so new that there was no photograph available when the catalogue went to print and a line drawing had to be used as an illustration.

Visitors to the exhibition probably felt that British Railways was marching determinedly down several technological blind alleys at once!

PREVIEW BELOW – MAY TAKE A WHILE TO LOAD.