NO BULLEIDS AT SWANAGE AS ‘SKP’ SIDELINED
‘Light Pacific’s’ withdrawal leaves Southern Locomotives Ltd without a working Bulleid 4-6-2.
Southern Locomotives Ltd, owner of five Bulleid 4-6-2s, is without a working ‘Pacific’ after ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34053 Sir Keith Park was withdrawn with an axlebox problem. The rebuilt ‘Light Pacific’ has been taken out of traffic owing to “a loose and/or cracked crown on one of the driving wheel axleboxes,” says SLL chairman Simon Troy. “We have talked to the South Devon Railway with a view to using their wheeldrop, and they’re ready to do everything they can to help. Hopefully the repair will be swift as a replacement ’box is being prepared, although we may simply remove the current one and repair that – we’re still deciding.” The withdrawal of Sir Keith Park six months after it arrived at the Swanage Railway ‘Purbeck Line’ from the Severn Valley Railway, temporarily left the ‘Purbeck Line’ with two operational steam locomotives – ‘U’ 2-6-0 No. 31806 and BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No. 80104 – as ‘T9’ No. 30120 was out of traffic for attention to its bogie, and recently overhauled air-smoothed ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34072 257 Squadron, which is also owned by SLL, is still yet to enter revenueearning service. Mr Troy said: “We brought ‘257’ to the railway a little too soon because of the need to bring Eddystone into the limited space of the works. The problem has been exacerbated both by the extra hydraulic test, which meant a lot of dismantling, and the difficulty of getting the locomotive over a pit owing to the needs of the Swanage Railway’s running fleet. However, with assistance from the Swanage Railway locomotive department, we hope that the locomotive can be in traffic shortly, and that virtually all of the snags have been rectified.” The ‘T9’ was expected to be put back onto its wheels on June 18. Swanage Railway General Manager Matt Green said: “We would ideally like to enter the peak season with five steam locomotives