‘Last’ Swindon pannier reborn at Nene Valley
WHILE the type would never have run over the line in LMS days, the Nene Valley Railway held a special gala on March 7/8 to mark the 70th anniversary of the last Gwr-design pannier tank leaving Swindon Works.
It was on December 12, 1950 that Charles Collett 57XX 0-6-0PT No. 6779 entered service, and was allocated to Cardiff East Dock shed on January 31 the following year.
Reallocated to Swansea Paxton Street (Victoria) on June 16, 1956, No. 6779 was withdrawn in June 1959. It was scrapped at Cashmore’s yard in Newport in December 1960, having been in WR service for just a decade.
With 863 built, the 57XXS were the most prolific class of the GWR, and one of the most numerous classes of British steam locomotive of all time.
For the gala, No. 4612 was borrowed from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and for the weekend, carried the cabside number 6779.
It has been hoped to hire a second pannier for the event, but a fault developed with it and it was unable to attend.
As panniers were replaced by Class 14 diesels, also built at Swindon Works, ‘No. 6779’ was joined by Class 14s No. 9520 and 9529 at the gala.
A spokesman for the railway said that the event, the last to take place before the line’s services were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, was surprisingly successful.
➜ See also pages 30-31.