Old Oak Common Preview

OldOakCommon AndrewWilson

Above:Thefollowingyearon20th May1956,DickRileyphotographedtheright-handnameplateanddrivingwheelof‘Star’ No4062 MalmesburyAbbey.Swindonusedastandardbackplatewithbrassbeadingandeachbrassletterwasattached separately,andonlongernamessuchasthistheletterswouldbeplacedclosetoeachother.Thepre-1914‘Stars’lostthe brassbeadingtothedrivingwheelsplashersandtheleadingedgeofthecabduringtheGreatWar,whichwasnever reinstatedandsothepostwar‘Stars’hadthisfeatureomittedfromnew.No4062isinfullforwardgearandnotethe differenceinwearbetweenthebrakeblocksontheleadingandcentrecoupledwheel.Alsovisibleisthearrangementofthe centredrivingwheelspringswhiletheclearancebetweenthesewheelsandtheoutsidemotionbracketsisminimal.The flutedconnectingrodcontrastswiththeplainconnectingrods. RCR7281

OppositeTop:TheTalyllynRailwayPreservationSocietyhadrequestedBristolBathRoad’slast‘Star’No4056 Princess Margaret toworkthePaddingtontoShrewsburyandreturnlegsofits1956SpecialonSaturday,22nd September1956. Thoroughlycleanedfortheoccasion,thefive-coachspecialwasaneasytaskforNo4056anditscrew.DickRileywasable tophotograph PrincessMargaret atOldOakCommonthefollowingdaybeforeitwasworkedbacktoBristol.Accordingto O.S.NockNo4056washeldinhighregardatBathRoadandwasreckonedtobeasgoodifnotbetterthanmanyofthe shed’s‘Castles’.Inthebackgroundcanbeseenoneof81A’sthreeSwindonbuiltStanier‘8Fs’No48410whilebeyondthe tenderistheshed’sbreakdowncrane. RCR7998

OppositeBottom:On23rd September1956,DickRileyphotographedthenameplateandcentrecoupledwheelofNo4056 PrincessMargaret,whichwouldprovetobethelastoftheclasstobewithdrawninOctober1957.Thereareanumberof interestingdifferencesbetweenthisphotographandthesimilaroneof MalmesburyAbbey.FirstNo4056isinfullreverse gearandsecondlythedrivingwheelsplashersarerivetedtothesplashertopswhilethebrakeblockwearismuchmore even.AsPrincessMargarethadbeencleanedforaspecialworkingtheliningcanbeclearlyseenandNo4056appearsto befittedwithanarrowermotionbracketthanNo4062.Thepipeaheadofthecentre-coupleddrivingwheelisthesandfeed. RCR7997

Above:TheStandardNo7boilerwasthelargestofChurchward’sStandardboilersapartfromtheone-offfittedtohis PacificNo111TheGreatBear.OnSaturday,11th April1964,OldOakCommonallocatedNo4703isstabledinthe81A roundhousealongsidetwo‘Halls’,Nos6937 ConynghamHall and6947 HelminghamHall,and‘Castle’No4080 PowderhamCastle whilstbehindis‘6100’class2-6-2TNo6134withitssmokeboxdooropen,a‘9700’classpanniertank andanother‘Castle’.Duringtheirworkinglivesallnine‘4700s’wereallocatedtoOldOakCommon/PDNatsometime.To trafficinMarch1922,No4703wouldbewithdrawninMay1965andmaywellhaveworkeditslastrevenueearningtrain whenphotographedbyDickRiley. RCR17486

OppositeTop:Iwasfortunatetoseeallnine‘4700’class2-8-0satOldOakCommonorbetweenDawlishWarrenand Dawlishstation,buttometheirspiritualhomewas81AandIregardedthemassynonymouswiththeshed.Theseriesof photographsDickRileytookofthespeciallycleanedNo4704onSunday,27th October1957,helpstoexplainmyadmiration oftheclass.FromanyangletheywereimpressiveengineswithhugeboilersalbeitwiththestandardChurchwardcab, whichhadbeengivenextendedcabroofsfrom1927.In1932-33allninelosttheirChurchward3,500gallontendersforthe Collett4,000gallonvariant.ATCequipmentwasfittedbetweenJanuary1930andJuly1931,thepick-upshoefittedunder thefrontbufferbeam.CompletedinApril1922,No4704remainedintrafficuntilMay1964whenthelastthreeweretaken outoftraffic. RCR11385

OppositeBottom:AllocatedtoPDNatNationalisation,‘4700’2-8-0No4705wastransferredtoPlymouthLairabetween January1957andSeptember1962whensenttoSouthallbeforereturningtoOldOakCommoninOctober1963whenit waswithdrawn.SeenatOldOakCommononSaturday,2nd April1960,alongwithnewlyoverhauled‘8750’class0-6-0PT No3688,whichwouldnotstayinex-worksconditionformuchlonger.Churchward’suseofextensionframesboltedtothe outsidecylinderswasaweaknessinsomeofhistwo-cylinderclasseswhichwasamelioratedbytheuseofstaysboltedto theundersideofthesmokeboxandthefrontframingbythebufferbeam.ItshouldbenotedthatNo4705doesnothave sniftingvalvesoutsidethesteamchestsasonNos4701-4704;insteadtheyaremountedabovetheplatform.Theclass werealsoneverfittedwithsteamheatapparatus. RCR14583

Thecabof‘4700’class2-8-0No4707was photographedbyDickRileyatOldOakCommon onSunday,16th August1959.Thereversinglever isprominentinfullreversegear,thoughstabled enginesweresupposedtobeleftinmid-gear, whiletheregulatorismountedinthecentreofthe backplate.Onthedriver’ssidethehydrostatic lubricatorfavouredbytheGreatWesterncanbe seenbelowthedriver’sbrakehandleandvalve. Thegaugesonthefireman’ssideareforthe boilerpressureandvacuumbrake.Oneofthe watercontrolsforaninjectorisatthefarsidewith twooftheashpandampercontrols.Ateyelevel onthecabsidesheetisthecautionsignabout limitedclearanceswhenleaningoutofthecab whenpassingbridges,tunnels,loadinggauges andcoalstages.Evenwiththeextendedroofthe protectionofferedtothecrewininclement weatherisratherlimited. RCR14147

OldOakCommon’sworkstained‘4700’2-8-0No 4708approachesScrubsLaneandMitreBridge inchargeofaPaddingtontoWeston-super-Mare SummerSaturdayworkingonSaturday,13th August1960.Thelastoftheclasstoentertraffic inApril1923,itwascondemnedinOctober1962 alongwithNo4700.No4708’slastGWRshed wasWolverhamptonStaffordRoadbeforebeing movedtoOxleyuntilOctober1952when allocatedtoOldOakCommon.Asmostofthe class’srevenueearningworkwasdoneatnight the‘4700s’wererarelyaprioritywhenitcameto cleaningwhichwasapityaswhenneglectedlike No4708theyreallydidlookawfulyetwhenclean andpaintedlinedgreentheyhadanaura matchedbyfewotherSwindonclasses.Capable ofrunningupto80mph,the‘4700’s’cabscarried aplateremindingdriversthattheclasswasnotto exceed60mph. RCR15299

Thepenultimatememberofthe‘6100’classNo6168,whichenteredtrafficinNovember1935,carriesexpressheadlamps asitworksadownsemi-fastpastOldOakCommonEastSignalBoxon7th September1957havingjustovertakenan emptystocktrainheadingforthecarriagesidings.ReorganisationofthePaddingtonsuburbanworkingsin1955ona regularintervalbasissawsomeofthe‘6100s’movedawayfromtheLondonDivisionforthefirsttimebutitwouldbethe introductionoflargenumbersofdieselmultipleunitsin1960thatsignalledtheendofthe‘6100s’monopolyontheinnerand outersuburbantrainssuchasthisone.AnOldOakCommonengineformostofitsWesternRegiondays,withdrawalcame from81AinMarch1962. RCR11195

DespiteNos6100and6102beingwithdrawninSeptemberandAugust1958respectively,theoverhaulsofthe‘6100s’at Swindoncontinuedinto1963withNos6112and6167receivingattentioninApril.Bythisdate,however,repaintswere invariablyintoplaingreenascarriedherebyNo6141seenatScrubsLaneon11th April1964whenonemptystockduties. Ascanbeseentheclasshadlargeleverreverserswhichdidlittletoeasetherathercrampedcabs.Behindthecab footstepsisthesubstantialbalancepipebetweenthemainsidetanksandthesmallerbunkertank,whichbetweenthem couldhold2,000gallonsofwaterwhilethebunker’scapacitywasfourtons.Apartfromthesummerof1960No6141was anOldOakCommonengineuntilAugust1964whentransferredtoSouthallfromwhereitwascondemnedinOctober1965. RCR17501

Below:Anotherlineupof‘8750’panniertankswaitingtocomeoffOldOakCommononanunrecordeddateheadedbyNos 8751and8771,bothcarryingtop-feedboilers.Theengines,however,carrydifferentownershipemblems.No8751stillhas fadedGWRwhileNo8771hasthepost-1957BritishRailwaysheraldiccrest.Thereasonforsuchanomalieswasthatwhen apanniertankwascalledintoamainworksforoverhaul,ifthepaintworkwasthoughttobeingoodenoughconditionitwas notrepaintedorsimplypatch-paintedandsoretaineditsexistingletteringorcrest.Boththeseenginesspentthe1950sat 81AwithNo8771withdrawnfromtheshedinJuly1962whereasNo8751wastransferredtoNewportEbbwJunctionin April1960andwithdrawnfromthereinJanuary1963. WS2134

OppositeTop:OldOakCommon’s‘8750’class0-6-0PTNo8769hassteamtospareasitpassesScrubsLaneandthe formerGWRwagonworkstotheright,inchargeofa‘K’classfreighton3rd September1955.Thepanniertanks,ratedas ‘4F’byBritishRailways,handledmuchoftheheavylocalgoodsworkthatincludedworkingovertheWestLondon ExtensionLinetoKensingtonAddisonRoad/OlympiaandClaphamJunctionandtheothercross-Londonlinestothe LondonMidlandandEasternregions,aswellastheemptycoachingstockmovementsbetweenOldOakCommonand Paddington.No8769wasallocatedtoPDNatNationalisationandonlymovedawayinMay1959whentransferredto Southallfromwhereitendeditsworkinglife. RCR6641

OppositeBottom:OnSunday,20th May1956,twoof81A’sHawksworth‘1500’class0-6-0PTs,Nos1503and1504,are foundstabledoutsidestoresandshedofficewhileanunidentifiedCollett‘9300’series‘4300’2-6-0isonthenorthern accessroadtotheroundhousebesidetherepairshop.The‘9300’series,Nos9300-19,wasCollett’supdateofthe Churchwarddesignprovidedwithside-windowcabs,screwreverse,outsidesteampipesandshortsafetyvalvebonnets.At thetimeDickRileyphotographedthepanniertanksbothwerecarryingmixedtrafficlining,thevestigesofwhichcanbe seenonNo1503’ssidetanks.BothworkedoutofOldOakCommonfromnewtowithdrawalandwerecreditedwith 173,745and163,673milesrespectively.ThehighestdailymileageworkedbyeitherenginewaswhensenttoSwindon, CaerphillyorOswestryworksforoverhaulasinnormaltraffictheyrarelyexceeded50miles. RCR5962

Chapter18

TheEndofSteamat81A

Below:ThesteamshedatOldOakCommonwasdeemedtobeunsuitableforhousingthegrowingfleetofdiesel-hydraulics anddiesel-electricsandin1964astartwasmadeindemolishingthebuildings.However,asthelaststeamlocomotives werenotmaderedundantuntilMarch1965itcouldnotberazedinonefellsweep.On11th April1964,thetwoeastern turntableswerecutupandtheroofandsupportingwallsoverthemremovedleavingtheentrancefaçadestillstanding.In thisviewa‘Hymek’canbeseenstabledalongsideoneofthewesternturntables.Boilerwash-outswerestillcarriedoutat thefarendoftheshedbutmostlocomotivesstillrosteredforworkwerestabledalongsidethecoalstage. RCR17480

Opposite:By12th September1964,OldOakCommonhadjustthree‘Castles’leftonitsbooks,Nos7008 SwanseaCastle, 7029 ClunCastle and7032 DenbighCastle andoneofthese,No7029,isstabledoutofsteaminsidetheroundhouse building.WithlittleornoworkleftfortheclassNo7029wastransferredtoGloucesterduringthefirstweekofOctober1964 whereitworkedgoodsandparcelstrafficalongwithspecialpassengertrains.Whenwithdrawnitwasboughtfor preservationbyPatrickWhitehouseandbasedatTyseley.Aftertheshedclosedtosteamtheremainingbuildings,along withthecoalstage,weredemolishedbutoneturntablewasretained,alongwithitswoodenboardingandstablingroads,for usebytheshed’sdiesels. RCR17719