92134 on the GC – even more authentic than we thought
WHEN we wrote last issue that the visit of unique surviving single-chimney 9F No. 92134 to the Great Central Railway closely recreated its BR career, we didn't realise just how closely…
Andrew Royle, of photographic archive the Transport Treasury, sent us this cracking picture of the Riddles 2-10-0 actually on the GC, in January 1965. It's a little off its beaten track, for at this time, it was nearing the end of a stint at Leicester's Midland depot, from where its more normal work would have been over the one-time rival metals of the Midland Main Line. Later that year, the freight traffic was diverted away from the GC, draining this once proud route of its true lifeblood.
Let's hope No. 92134 pays a return visit to the GCR sometime in the future – then this sight can once again be recreated on the Quorn straight with the line's superb van train.
Double-header
Just as interesting is the second picture Andrew sent, showing double-headed 9Fs on the GC, a combination that, as we wrote last issue, was pretty rare in BR days.
Such a spectacular sight was recorded on film twice in the steam era: on the Settle & Carlisle line on August 5, 1967, with Nos. 92125 and 92071 providing the super-power needed for one of the super-heavy trains of concrete-sleepered track panels being run at that time in connection with engineering work on the West Coast Main Line; and on the GC on July 31, 1963, with Nos. 92093 and 92069 on a southbound freight.
But this is a new photo that shows it happened on at least one other occasion. Does anyone know of any more?