1. A last chance to photograph 1466 in BR black before it departs for overhaul and return to GWR livery, Saturday 17th November 2018
Didcot Parkway Station, Station Rd, Didcot OX11 7NR

A last chance to photograph 1466 in BR black before it departs for overhaul and return to GWR livery, Saturday 17th November 2018

Join us for an afternoon, early evening in the last chance saloon with No.1466 in British Railways black, heavily weathered to approximate its condition on withdrawal from BR service, to photograph the locomotive before overhaul

£30.00

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About this event

On Saturday 17th November, we will have our last chance photographic opportunity to capture '1400/4800' Class 0-4-2T No.1466 in British Railways black livery before the locomotive is dispatched to a private site for overhaul. The engine will appear in weathered condition courtesy of the TimeLine team and with grateful thanks to the GWS for allowing it to happen. Our event will take a nostalgic look back to the early days of preservation as the star of BR main line steam was finally waning.

 

The story started in 1961 when a group of four young enthusiasts - John Barlow, Mike Peart, Angus Davis and Graham Perry - decided to attempt to preserve a '1400' Class tank engine. At Southall Depot, where the boys frequented the footbridge over the railway to watch passing trains, there were very few passenger classes of loco as most of the fleet based there were goods engines. This meant that they developed a special affection for the '1400' tanks based there for auto-train working.


John Barlow, being the only one of the four with access to a typewriter, wrote to the Railway Magazine in April of that year stating that as no '1400' was on the British Railways’ official list of locomotive types to be preserved, it would be good to start a group with the aim of preserving one of these little branch line work-horses. It was August of that year that the letter actually appeared in print. Between August 1961 and May 1962, donations were collected and the funds largely spent on advertising. The appeal was formally launched in May 1962 under the name of the Great Western Preservation Society; the word ‘preservation’ was later removed from the title as at that time BR was hell bent on abolishing steam and was not keen on anything that indicated steam might linger on in any meaningful form. By March 1964, £750 had been raised and the search started for a suitable loco. No.1450 was looked at, but this was still required for working on the Tiverton branch. However, No.1466 was redundant at Taunton, and it was this loco that was selected for preservation by the Great Western Society.

No.1466 initially moved to the Dart Valley Railway (now South Devon Railway) and was taken under its own steam from Taunton to Staverton Contractors Yard at Totnes and left there by BR. The first steaming of the locomotive by the embryonic society took place in April 1964 at Totnes, where the engine was driven through a ceremonial ribbon made from an old sheet. The loco remained at Totnes until 1967 during which time the DVR had offered to purchase the engine in return for shares in the Railway, an offer which was declined. Other locos started to join the Society's fleet, with some being stored at depots such as Taplow where an early open day was also held. 

At that time, the GWS established a very good working relationship with David Pattisson who was the London Divisional Manager of British Railways Western Region. The former steam shed at Didcot became available and the Society was offered, and accepted, a lease on the site. Stock began being moved to the new base on 4th November 1967 when 6106 arrived, followed by Nos.1466 and 6998 Burton Agnes Hall which arrived from Devon on 2nd December 1967. The following year saw a series of high profile trips onto the BR tracks of the by then goods only Wallingford branch using 1466 and auto-trailer 231 driven by BR crews.  Two steam running days took place during 1968, the first a low profile test event at Easter on 15 April followed by a major public event on 21 September [there was also a DMU-operated service over the branch on 15 June, with the steam locos on static display at Wallingford]. At this time when a near-total steam ban was in place, only two steam locos were allowed out on the main line, 1466 and Flying Scotsman. From these beginnings started the wonderful collection that now comprises the Great Western Society’s fleet of locos, coaches, wagons and artefacts. 

Our event aims to showcase 1466 in the condition in which it last ran on BR metals and in which it was withdrawn from service in the early 1960s before the loco was repainted into GWR green livery. This will definitely be the last opportunity to photograph 1466 in British Railways livery for some considerable time. Shortly after this event, the locomotive will leave the Museum bound for a private site for overhaul and on its return will appear in GWR green livery as either 1466 or in its earlier guise as 4866. The TimeLine team will be busy in the run up to the charter ensuring that the locomotive looks suitably weathered for the occasion, so why not join us for one more trip back to the early preservation years of the 1960s.

 

Event cost £30.00 per person.

 

 

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