Bachmann Standard Class 5

[Tobbes]

Very many thanks to all - as some of you know, I'm doing the research for a planned model of Axminster in the summer of 1960. The intention is simple: build a layout that will as far as possible replicate the summer timetable of 1960, the last year of the Adams Radials exclusively powering the Lyme Regis branch - so if you ran the whole sequence it would as close as possible to being there. As you can imagine, this descends into a nightmare of light pacifics being rebuilt, having tenders swapped and cut down, AWS and speedos fitted, early and late tender emblems and the first few red nameplates replacing black! I (think) I've got the light pacifics into groups, showing that the only combination that doesn't seem to have happened is a high rave tender on a rebuilt LP - there seems to be a prototype for virtually every other combination of the 106 LPs not being rebuilt (the four that were in Aug 60 were 34034 Honiton, 34036 Westward Ho!, 34100 Appledore and 34101 Hartland). If folk are interested in more detail, please do say.

 

Anyway, 5MTs. We're blessed with a lot of photographs by Dr T Gough taken 10-14 August across the SW, but concentrating on the finale of the Summer Saturday double-headed Radials with the through coaches to Lyme Regis off 10.45 ex-Waterloo (arrived Axminster 1334, dep to Lyme Regis 1355 after the 1100 ex-Waterloo ACE passed at 1350 but before the 1115 ACE relief passed at 1402 - quite the show!) Where a loco's number is shaded orange in the spreadsheet, it means it is confirmed by photos (along with some of the sets, depending on the photo); the others are speculative based on what was reasonable based on allocations and those locos seen in Dr Gough's photos from that weekend. Interestingly, I've not seen at 5MT at all, but @Mallard60022's views make sense - I'll have to see where the 5MTs would have slotted in.

 

But trying to reconstruct this from the WTTs and CWNs alone is a mug's game without the input of those who were there. (Very!) tentatively, the attached is a reconstruction from the working timetables with only a few easily removed 'Rule 1' violations (notably the retention of the Devon Belle, but also including railtours that did happen at other times - allowing for 30585, 30587, 30729, 30861, 60022 and 60024 to make appearances, and on the Sunday for a ballast train to run up the branch that had actually happened early in 1960).

 

For those who were there, I'd be so very grateful for any thoughts, corrections or reminiscences.

 

Cheers,

Toby

Axminster Timetable 12-14 Aug 60.xlsx

[Dunsignalling]

I was a bit young to be remembering times in 1960, but two years later I was in my last year at Axminster primary school. A pal and I used to rush down to see a down express/semi fast (it stopped) at 4.07 pm, FWIW it was usually hauled by 35007 Aberdeen Commonwealth, and if it wasn't it would be 34004 Cunard White Star; the only other loco I ever recall seeing on it was 35002 Union Castle, on one solitary occasion!

 

Soon after that there was a Yeovil-Exeter pick-up goods, which shunted the yard and was always referred to as "The water train" because it dropped off churns of drinking water for intermediate boxes and crossings not on a mains supply and picked up the previous day's empties. usually on a flat or "Medfit" drop-side wagon immediately behind the loco but often with a churn or two on the front of the engine! I think it also conveyed sacks of coal. In the summer of 1962 the usual power was a BR4 tank (80xxx) but they were quite late arrivals in the area and I suspect it would have been a M7, a Black Motor, or possibly a N in 1960. I recall one occasion when a rebuilt WC turned up on it, but once in the yard, the squealing and other noises (including some choice vocabulary from the crew) suggested it was touch and go getting it out again!  

 

Next was a pedal home for tea and where possible, a quick turn round to see the "Perishables" at (approx) 5.50 pm which I think originated in Padstow at 3.13 and included meat in containers from Halwill Jn, or Bideford (or both), along with a number of PMVs and bogie vans B and a few ventilated vans.

 

This was one train that often did produce a 5MT, but sometimes one of 72A's "less salubrious" non-rebuilt Light Pacifics would feature, possibly indicating a booked engine change at Salisbury. It had probably been combined/remarshalled in the yard at Exmouth Junction as the Standards weren't permitted West of Exeter TTBOMK.

Edited September 28 by Dunsignalling