Tangmere on the South Devon Banks

Bill Warriner put up many fine performances on ex-Great Western tracks, and in Table 4 there is an example which reached me from my correspondent Bill Long. This was on the ’Royal Duchy’ in 2014. The locomotive was unrebuilt ‘Battle of Britain’ class ‘Pacific’ Tangmere, with a nine-coach train weighing 340 tons gross. Leaving Plymouth 1 min behind time, and once the usual slow start out to Mutley Tunnel was accomplished, speed rose rapidly down the 1-in-83/77 to Lipson Junction and, with 64½mph attained before Plympton, the Bulleid ‘Pacific’ tore into the 1-in-41/42 of Hemerdon Bank, falling only to an excellent minimum of 29½mph at the top. David Pawson calculates Tangmere’s power output at 1,810edhp (1,980ihp) for 3½ mins from Plympton to Hemerdon. Curvature restricts speeds along the southern fringes of Dartmoor, but the gradual rise from Cornwood to Wrangaton was completed at 50mph after a minimum of 48 on a short stretch of 1-in-122 to the site of Bittaford Platform. Totnes was passed 2½ mins inside schedule, after which Tangmere embarked on the shorter but steeper climb to Dainton Summit, where the minimum was 29mph another good effort. With the train now running 2 mins ahead of time through Newton Abbot, there was no need to rush, especially as a scheduled stop at Dawlish Warren was not needed. Nevertheless, Driver Warriner worked No. 34067 up to 72½mph on the level before Exminster and, despite a signal check through St Thomas station, Exeter St David’s was reached 12¾ mins early.