1950s Steam Engines

[BobDaviesrbd]

In the early 1950s I watched the trains at St Albans City LMS Station. Would I be correct that there would have been a Black Taper engine? If so could it’s number have been 6782? If not, would this have been the number of another engine, perhaps a shunter?

 

[Cowley]

In the early 1950s I watched the trains at St Albans City LMS Station. Would I be correct that there would have been a Black Taper engine? If so could it’s number have been 6782? If not, would this have been the number of another engine, perhaps a shunter?

Welcome to the forum Bob.
By taper do you mean a tapered boiler?

 

[Harvester]

I don’t think that number (6782) existed in BR steam stock, either in WR numbering or with a (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9) prefix.

 

[Magdalia]

This is all before my time! but I suspect we are talking about Jubilees, Black Fives, or possibly a memory that conflates both classes. The date is unclear too, St Albans City was LMS to the end of 1947, then British Railways following Nationalisation. This is important regarding loco numbers: LMS numbers were 4 figures, BR added a 4 onto the front of the LMS numbers.

One reason I suspect that the memory conflates both classes is that Jubilees had tapered boilers, but they were red. Black Fives on the other hand were.... black!

There's lots on the internet about both classes, which could bring this memory into sharp focus.

 

[30907]

One reason I suspect that the memory conflates both classes is that Jubilees had tapered boilers, but they were red.

...or, by the early 50s, green.

Changing one digit (e.g. to 4782, a Black 5) might produce a result on
https://www.railuk.info/steam/steam_search.php

PS Welcome to the forum!

 

[randyrippley]

this appears to have been the only 6782

Rail UK British Railway Steam Locomotive

Rail UK

railuk.info

scrapped 1938

 

[Lucan]

could it’s number have been 6782

What made you remember that particular number? There must have been lots of different locos passing throough and around St Albans then.

If there had been a 6782 in 1958 it would have been a 0-6-0 Western Region pannier tank (which for the OP's info would look nothing like a tapered boiler loco). But the 67xx numbers did not go above 6778. Wondering if it was a 5 digit number starting that way, it would have been a Midland Region (ex-LNER) Class L1 2-6-4 tank (which would have been more likely at St Albans), but their numbers stopped at 67800 and they did not have tapered boilers.

 

[70014IronDuke]

What made you remember that particular number? There must have been lots of different locos passing throough and around St Albans then.

If there had been a 6782 in 1958 it would have been a 0-6-0 Western Region pannier tank (which for the OP's info would look nothing like a tapered boiler loco). But the 67xx numbers did not go above 6778. Wondering if it was a 5 digit number starting that way, it would have been a Midland Region (ex-LNER) Class L1 2-6-4 tank (which would have been more likely at St Albans), but their numbers stopped at 67800 and they did not have tapered boilers.

It could have been an odd loco working, perhaps from Neasden, but L1s never worked on the Midland in normal traffic.

There were plenty of Black 5s, of course, it could have been 44782 or some other similar combination. Royal Scots first made their way to the Midland on a regular basis in 1958, but they would have had a number 461xx up to 46169 (46170, the final engine, was banned on the Midland, IIRC). Perhaps the OP might look up Royal Scot class in Wikipedia and see if they matched his memory. They all had distinctive, curved smoke deflectors. 46112, which was allocated to Nottingham for a while, was certainly a regular engine through St Albans c 1960-61, perhaps earlier.

 

[grumpyxch]

BobDaviesrbd (the original poster for this subject) stated "early 1950s". After nationalisation it took a long time to give some locos their BR numbers. Perhaps he remembers a loco that was still bearing its pre-nationalisation number. Perhaps the loco was old enough even then to not have much life left so it was never given its BR number. Mind you, that doesn't mean he has remembered the number 100% accurately. After all, it was 70 years ago - I have problems remembering locos I saw in the mid 60s

 

[Harvester]

It could have been an odd loco working, perhaps from Neasden, but L1s never worked on the Midland in normal traffic.

L1 67782 was allocated to Neasden,from March 1950 to May 1954, but was not tapered. A possibility!!!

 

[Gloster]

My understanding from the original post is that the number is just recalled from memory. If not it might help if the OP said where it came from.

 

[30907]

BobDaviesrbd (the original poster for this subject) stated "early 1950s". After nationalisation it took a long time to give some locos their BR numbers. Perhaps he remembers a loco that was still bearing its pre-nationalisation number.

Indeed, he has quoted a 4-digit number.

Perhaps the loco was old enough even then to not have much life left so it was never given its BR number.

It did happen, but not to express engines with taper boilers AFAIK!

 

[Clarence Yard]

St Albans had both 1F tank 41672 and 3F tender engine 43782 in the early 1950’s, which is where the number memory might come from.

 

[patrick.hearn3]

If there had been a 6782 in 1958 it would have been a 0-6-0 Western Region pannier tank (which for the OP's info would look nothing like a tapered boiler loco).

I know what you mean, although the 5700 class did have tapered boilers

 

[4069]

the 5700 class did have tapered boilers

Sorry, they did not. You may be thinking of the 1500 and 9400 class panniers.