34072 - British Rail Battle of Britain Class, '257 Squadron'
43072 at Crownthorpe Bridge during the Mid Norfolk Railway Steam Gala.
Designed by Oliver Bullied, 257 Squadron was built at the Brighton Works and completed in 1948 as one of the first of the batch produced under BR ownership. The locomotive was allocated to Dover Marine shed, principally to work the Continental Boat Trains to London. One of its main duties appears to have been the Night Ferry. It also worked on local services between the Kent coast and Charing Cross.
The electrification of the Kent coast lines in 1958 saw many of the steam locomotives transferred away from the area and 257 Squadron was moved to Exmouth Junction, in February 1958. This was the Southern Region’s main shed for the West Country and 257 Squadron would have worked trains to Salisbury, Plymouth and to the Southern Regions many destinations in North Devon and North Cornwall. It moved to its final allocation, Eastleigh, in June 1964 and was withdrawn from there in the October 1964, having run a total of 698,843 miles in its working life of just over 16 years.
The locomotive arrived at Woodham’s scrapyard in March 1965 where it quietly rusted away for the next 19 years until it was delivered to Blunsdon in November 1984, where it remained until it was moved into the Swindon Works for restoration.
Network South-East requested that 257 Squadron take part in a Battle of Britain celebration at Folkestone in September 1990. The intention had been to operate a shuttle service between Folkestone Harbour and Central but this was rejected by BR on the grounds that the locomotive was too heavy and an appearance and naming ceremony at Folkestone station was arranged instead. The re-naming ceremony was carried out by Air Commodore Peter Brothers, a former 257 Squadron pilot. Later that afternoon, 257 Squadron hauled a short train to Dover and then back to Ashford.
In 1995 the locomotive acquired a newly built tender, the tender attached to 34072 when it was sold for scrap in 1965 had been sold elsewhere prior to the locomotive being purchased for preservation.
No other locomotive in preservation has operated for so long in one continuous spell, and some 12 years and 4 months after returning to traffic, 257 Squadron was finally withdrawn with serious firebox problems in 2003. After several years open storage 257 Squadron was moved into Herston works on the Swanage Railway, awaiting its turn for overhaul. By mid 2016 the work was well advanced and the boiler was returned to the frames in November 2016. It was planned to have the locomotive back in service in order to participate in a rededication ceremony at the end of September 2017 but this had to be delayed. A fire was lit in 34072 in November 2017 and the steam pressure was brought up to about 120 psi as part of the first steam testing of the locomotive. After final commissioning work was undertaken, the locomotive underwent load tests in August 2018 before returning to traffic in the following month.
The locomotive was taken out of service in April 2021 and prepared for a replacement internal steam pipe, which was fitted at Herston Works, but it was not until November 2021 that the locomotive was transferred back to the Swanage Railway. In December 2022 it was announced that the locomotive was going to be permanently based on the Spa Valley Railway. In July 2023 the locomotive moved to the East Lancs Railway where it was expected to be based until at least September 2023. In August 2023 the tender derailed whilst at the East Lancs Railway and it subsequently ran with the tender from 34092 City of Wells whilst the cause of the problem was investigated.
34072 - British Rail Battle of Britain Class, '257 Squadron'
43072 at Crownthorpe Bridge during the Mid Norfolk Railway Steam Gala.
Designed by Oliver Bullied, 257 Squadron was built at the Brighton Works and completed in 1948 as one of the first of the batch produced under BR ownership. The locomotive was allocated to Dover Marine shed, principally to work the Continental Boat Trains to London. One of its main duties appears to have been the Night Ferry. It also worked on local services between the Kent coast and Charing Cross.
The electrification of the Kent coast lines in 1958 saw many of the steam locomotives transferred away from the area and 257 Squadron was moved to Exmouth Junction, in February 1958. This was the Southern Region’s main shed for the West Country and 257 Squadron would have worked trains to Salisbury, Plymouth and to the Southern Regions many destinations in North Devon and North Cornwall. It moved to its final allocation, Eastleigh, in June 1964 and was withdrawn from there in the October 1964, having run a total of 698,843 miles in its working life of just over 16 years.
The locomotive arrived at Woodham’s scrapyard in March 1965 where it quietly rusted away for the next 19 years until it was delivered to Blunsdon in November 1984, where it remained until it was moved into the Swindon Works for restoration.
Network South-East requested that 257 Squadron take part in a Battle of Britain celebration at Folkestone in September 1990. The intention had been to operate a shuttle service between Folkestone Harbour and Central but this was rejected by BR on the grounds that the locomotive was too heavy and an appearance and naming ceremony at Folkestone station was arranged instead. The re-naming ceremony was carried out by Air Commodore Peter Brothers, a former 257 Squadron pilot. Later that afternoon, 257 Squadron hauled a short train to Dover and then back to Ashford.
In 1995 the locomotive acquired a newly built tender, the tender attached to 34072 when it was sold for scrap in 1965 had been sold elsewhere prior to the locomotive being purchased for preservation.
No other locomotive in preservation has operated for so long in one continuous spell, and some 12 years and 4 months after returning to traffic, 257 Squadron was finally withdrawn with serious firebox problems in 2003. After several years open storage 257 Squadron was moved into Herston works on the Swanage Railway, awaiting its turn for overhaul. By mid 2016 the work was well advanced and the boiler was returned to the frames in November 2016. It was planned to have the locomotive back in service in order to participate in a rededication ceremony at the end of September 2017 but this had to be delayed. A fire was lit in 34072 in November 2017 and the steam pressure was brought up to about 120 psi as part of the first steam testing of the locomotive. After final commissioning work was undertaken, the locomotive underwent load tests in August 2018 before returning to traffic in the following month.
The locomotive was taken out of service in April 2021 and prepared for a replacement internal steam pipe, which was fitted at Herston Works, but it was not until November 2021 that the locomotive was transferred back to the Swanage Railway. In December 2022 it was announced that the locomotive was going to be permanently based on the Spa Valley Railway. In July 2023 the locomotive moved to the East Lancs Railway where it was expected to be based until at least September 2023. In August 2023 the tender derailed whilst at the East Lancs Railway and it subsequently ran with the tender from 34092 City of Wells whilst the cause of the problem was investigated.