Banchango
Clan Line at Bounds Green Depot
Monday 4th May 1987 at Bounds Green Depot Open Day. Southern Railway Merchant Navy Class pacific locomotive 35028 Clan Line was the steam locomotive on display and the star of the day.
Designed by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern Railway this locomotive entered service in 1948. Originally it was built with air- smoothed casing which gave the class the nickname of Spam Cans. It also had Bulleid’s design of chain driven valve gear which proved less than successful. In the 1956 a start was made on rebuilding the whole class with conventional boiler cladding in place of the air-smoothed casing and with three sets of more conventional Walschaerts valve gear. Other changes and improvements were included in the rebuilt locomotives. Clan Line was the last of the Class so rebuilt in 1960. Like the rest of her class Clan Line proved to be a very successful locomotive after being rebuilt although also like the others had a short life in this form as the end of steam on British Railways brought their careers to an early end.
Clan Line was purchased direct from British Railways by the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society in 1967 and is still maintained in an operational condition. It is currently certified for use on the main line network.
In all 11 members of this 30 strong class have survived into preservation although many are still waiting for restoration.
Clan Line at Bounds Green Depot
Monday 4th May 1987 at Bounds Green Depot Open Day. Southern Railway Merchant Navy Class pacific locomotive 35028 Clan Line was the steam locomotive on display and the star of the day.
Designed by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern Railway this locomotive entered service in 1948. Originally it was built with air- smoothed casing which gave the class the nickname of Spam Cans. It also had Bulleid’s design of chain driven valve gear which proved less than successful. In the 1956 a start was made on rebuilding the whole class with conventional boiler cladding in place of the air-smoothed casing and with three sets of more conventional Walschaerts valve gear. Other changes and improvements were included in the rebuilt locomotives. Clan Line was the last of the Class so rebuilt in 1960. Like the rest of her class Clan Line proved to be a very successful locomotive after being rebuilt although also like the others had a short life in this form as the end of steam on British Railways brought their careers to an early end.
Clan Line was purchased direct from British Railways by the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society in 1967 and is still maintained in an operational condition. It is currently certified for use on the main line network.
In all 11 members of this 30 strong class have survived into preservation although many are still waiting for restoration.