1962 - SER Survivor, with Crane..
Taken in 1962
Ex-South Eastern Railway O1 class 0-6-0 31065 in the rain at Ashford shed, in 1962, after withdrawal.. This loco had been operating for many years on the Kent and East Sussex line, which finally closed down in 1961.
The loco is next to an old breakdown crane – possibly DS208, dating from 1903..
31065 had entered service in 1896 with a domeless boiler and smaller round-topped cab, designed by J Stirling, and was then rebuilt as seen here by Wainwright in 1908, with a similar boiler and cab to a C Class..
It was withdrawn by BR in 1961, and was very nearly cut up for scrap, with the coupling rods actually being chopped, but this was halted, and the loco was purchased privately at scrap value. It was the last surviving ex-SER loco in service.
It had its coupling rods restored, and ended up at the ill-fated Ashford Steam Centre, where it was in operation for a time, and then was dismantled for complete overhaul, but ended up in pieces, with some components stored many miles from the rest of the loco.. Many years later, the various parts were moved to the Bluebell Railway, and the restoration was finally completed in 1999.
After its must recent overhaul in 2017, the loco was purchased from the owners by the Bluebell Railway, and today (2024) it is in operation on that line..
Restored from an under-exposed grainy purple-colour-shifted original..
Original slide - property of Robert Gadsdon
1962 - SER Survivor, with Crane..
Taken in 1962
Ex-South Eastern Railway O1 class 0-6-0 31065 in the rain at Ashford shed, in 1962, after withdrawal.. This loco had been operating for many years on the Kent and East Sussex line, which finally closed down in 1961.
The loco is next to an old breakdown crane – possibly DS208, dating from 1903..
31065 had entered service in 1896 with a domeless boiler and smaller round-topped cab, designed by J Stirling, and was then rebuilt as seen here by Wainwright in 1908, with a similar boiler and cab to a C Class..
It was withdrawn by BR in 1961, and was very nearly cut up for scrap, with the coupling rods actually being chopped, but this was halted, and the loco was purchased privately at scrap value. It was the last surviving ex-SER loco in service.
It had its coupling rods restored, and ended up at the ill-fated Ashford Steam Centre, where it was in operation for a time, and then was dismantled for complete overhaul, but ended up in pieces, with some components stored many miles from the rest of the loco.. Many years later, the various parts were moved to the Bluebell Railway, and the restoration was finally completed in 1999.
After its must recent overhaul in 2017, the loco was purchased from the owners by the Bluebell Railway, and today (2024) it is in operation on that line..
Restored from an under-exposed grainy purple-colour-shifted original..
Original slide - property of Robert Gadsdon