92 Squadron 34081 Steam Locomotive #3
by Gordon James
Title
92 Squadron 34081 Steam Locomotive #3
Artist
Gordon James
Medium
Photograph - Photography Digital
Description
34081, was released to traffic in 1948 and was allocated to Ramsgate as its first shed. Here it hauled many prestigious expresses such as the Thanet Belle, The Man of Kent, Night Ferry and the Golden Arrow as well as on more mundane commuter trains. It was originally painted in malachite green with three yellow stripes but no name plates. Most of the class ran for several months (sometimes years) before being named.
In 1950, 34081 was repainted into Brunswick Green at Brighton Works and had its name plates affixed for the first time though it never had an official naming ceremony. The name of 92 Squadron is after the famous Spitfire Squadron that was based at Biggin Hill in Kent from where took part in the Battle of Britain in the skies above Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
The SR West Country and Battle of Britain classes, collectively known as Light Pacifics or informally as Spam Cans, are air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway by its Chief Mechanical Engineer Oliver Bulleid. Incorporating a number of new developments in British steam locomotive technology, they were amongst the first British designs to use welding in the construction process, and to use steel fireboxes, which meant that components could be more easily constructed under wartime austerity and post-war economy.
They were designed to be lighter in weight than their sister locomotives, the Merchant Navy class, to permit use on a wider variety of routes, including in the south-west of England and the Kent coast. They were a mixed-traffic design, being equally adept at hauling passenger and freight trains, and were used on all types of services, frequently far below their capabilities. A total of 110 locomotives were constructed between 1945 and 1950, named after West Country resorts or Royal Air Force (RAF) and other subjects associated with the Battle of Britain.
Due to problems with some of the new features, such as the Bulleid chain-driven valve gear, sixty locomotives were rebuilt by British Railways during the late 1950s.The results were similar to the rebuilt Merchant Navy class.The classes operated until July 1967, when the last steam locomotives on the Southern Region were withdrawn. Although most were scrapped, twenty locomotives are preserved on heritage railways in Britain. The one shown is the 34081, also known as 92 Squadron.
Uploaded
November 14th, 2022
Statistics
Viewed 1,776 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 03/27/2024 at 6:58 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments
There are no comments for 92 Squadron 34081 Steam Locomotive #3. Click here to post the first comment.