Bulleid Pacifics - The Spam Cans

Good Morning! :D
Among the line-up of famous, art-deco steam locomotives from the 1930s, the Bulleid Pacifics proved to be the last of this era to be released, as behind the crisp A4 Pacifics and the rounded LMS Coronation class, the distinctive Merchant Navy and West Country/Battle of Britain locomotives took on a style of their own, plying their trade as the mainstay of express passenger services across southern England for 25 years, despite inherent flaws in their design and their release during the protracted demise of steam throughout the 1950s and into the 60s.
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References:
- KentRail (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[@carribob1992]

10:45 Little note about that Merchant Navy hauled train, it has one of Bulleid's Tavern Cars which were essentially Pubs on wheels (They even had names and the interior was like that of a pub). They lasted until 1959 when they were rebuilt as normal Dining cars.

[@johnjephcote7636]

The Tavern cars even had brick effect painting on the waist panels of the BR carmine.and cream and mock beams inside.

[@fishman501]

Tavern cars sound like the kind of thing that would run on the Titfield - Mallingford line

[@Pikestnt]

Another genius idea from OVS. Why hasn’t someone recreated one for preserved railways? Never mind a few warm tins in the guard’s van - a proper pub on rails 👍👍

[@calex007]

I can’t believe Ruairdh doesn’t have more subscribers by now. This is one of my favorite channels, always good and interesting

[@DKS225]

I hear you on that Cale. Rudy does his research and narration thoroughly.

[@thomasfrederiksendk]

@barnabyjoy Perhaps the polite way of stating it is something like this: It is a lot easier to form uninformed opinions than it is to gain knowledge.

[@ordinaldragoon]

I actually prefer the latter. I always love a good read about the railway’s and actually hate picture based books.

[@JamieCrookes]

@barnabyjoy It's because we are all getting old and slowly dying. I know quite a few younger rail obsessives but look at everything else that exists to take away their focus. They don't care how it came be be, they just want to buy or use it. Industrialisation up to mass production happened far too quickly in my worthless opinion. Constant change forced people not to bother with the past, only the future. :(

[@PaulSmith-pl7fo]

@SamsTrainsIsRacist Hey, keyboard warrior, what helps you sleep at night? I have watched practically every video Sam's Trains has uploaded and not detected ANY racism!

[@PaulLemars01]

Once again a beautifully produced video. Exceptionally well researched and paced perfectly. Bravo!

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

I love the "Spam Cans" ... They are indeed a great looking Steam locomotive. This is very well done report!

[@musicgarryj]

Someone taught me this little poem when I was a schoolboy trainspotter: Bulleid put his running motion In a sort of oily potion So it was the wheels went round But hardly ever touched the ground... From Waterloo they'd gently start With hefty push from rearmost part Speeding swiftly to the west Covered in a cardboard vest! It's not exactly up there with W. H. Auden's "Night Mail", but it's been stuck in my brain for all these years! lol

[@hughrainbird8190]

...or a "Flannel Jacket "???

[@petey6415]

A thoroughly well researched and extremely interesting video. This has to be one of my favourite KZbin channels. Keep up the amazing work!

[@maunsell24]

Very interesting documentary. My paternal grandmother lived in West Byfleet which was where I first encountered the Bulleid Pacifics during the school holidays. No visit was complete without walking from her house across the footbridge over the Basingstoke Canal to the station. The London bound trains were frequently at full chat under clear signals on the fast lines. I can still remember the very first time. I was 7 years old and used to watching trains on a steeply graded branch line in Sussex. I was blown away (literally) by the gust of wind from a down express! Btw, Maunsell is pronounced Mansell (same as the British F1 champion), not Mornsell. Also, as Glenn Martin pointed out, Bulleid is not pronounced Bully-ed or Bully-id. The drawings for the Lord Nelson class formed the basis of the original LMS Royal Scot class. The Southern Railway provided them to the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow, the company that built the LMS engines.

[@RHTeebs]

I've never been a big Southern bloke. I usually drift towards the Great Western, LNER, or the old GCR. But, I will always make an exception when I see a King Arthur or Bulleid Pacific.

[@simonbradshaw3708]

Thank you for another very interesting and enjoyable video. The unrebuilt Bullied Light Pacific's are my favourite class of steam locomotive and have a unique sound due to their chain driven valve gear. I always look forward to see and being pulled by one at a steam gala.

[@hughrainbird8190]

The distinctive exhaust sound was due to the uneven lengths of the exhaust passages, the ones from the outside cylinders being fed into the exhaust of the middle engine before being ejected through the multiple jet blastpipe.

[@briantitchener4829]

As a boyhood trainspotter, I spent many an hour lineside on the Waterloo-Bournemouth line. Saw many Bulleid Pacifics, even managed to 'cab' a few. Lovely-looking machines and a tribute to British engineering. This video is a wonderful documentary, full of well-researched information about these great locos. Thanks for bringing back such memories.

[@barrytillman2818]

I too watched these magnificent machines on the Waterloo to Bournemouth line on the embankment to the west of Farnborough . It bought back a lot of boy hood memories of what a freedoms we had no mobile phones , you just went out and played watched trains and made your fun

[@1951GL]

The boilers on the Bullied pacifics were the best of the era. He had a varied experience in the railway industry, including time at the L&Y Horwich works, where fast and frequently stopping engines were the norm. This is an excellent video - a tribute to a fine engineer.

[@jeremypreece870]

Southern Railway is my favourite of the old big four and I think that the Spam Cans were truly iconic. This is a really good and informative video. As for the lines West of Exeter, what a catastrophic failure it was to axe routes that got through Devon and Cornwall avoiding the notorious Dawlish. Then it was argued, railways were only profitable in August, the short holiday season. How things have changed and how those lines could have thrived in modern times as holiday season includes all of the school holidays and the pretty much the months May to September.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

The boiler was so good it was rumored it could run on sticks picked up on the side of the tracks in a pinch. Bulleid’s boiler design was used as the basis for the boiler design on the BR Standard Pacifics. I’d love to see one of those with the originally planned gear-driven valves, I didn’t know about that.

[@highdownmartin]

You’d need a LOT of sticks! No dampers on the original Loco’s. “Why would I fit my boilers with something that would stop them steaming ?” said Bullied

[@hughrainbird8190]

It'd take a lot of modification! One element to be addressed would be the tendency of the frames to flex when in movement, which I have read was a reason for the oil baths to lose oil tightness due to the stresses imposed.

[@hughrainbird8190]

@@highdownmartin I have heard that the omission of firebox dampers was due to a future plan to convert the engines to oil burning after the War, where dampers would not be necessary. BR began with this, such as with the Black Fives based at Bath on the S&D, but a sudden increase in World oil prices following the Iranian nationalisation of their oil resources in the early 1950's put an end to this.

[@jimdieseldawg3435]

Great video! I’m currently restoring a couple of Tri-ang Light Pacifics so this was timely and enjoyable. I didn’t know that the casing was for ease of cleaning rather than “air-smoothing”, but the slip on starting is legendary and definitive 😆 The gentle whistle of the Lemaitre chimney at low regulator openings, like blowing across the top of a glass beer bottle is also an endearing characteristic 🙂

[@aveedub7403]

I used to live very near Bluebell Railway in Sussex, Blackmoor Vale just took my breath away!! Amazing, and then to see Wadebridge, Eddystone et al together at a festival of giants was a once in a lifetime magic moment! Thank you Mr Bulleid. I have Hornby OO examples running at home to try to re-create that magic as I sadly moved away from my beloved Bluebell. 😥😥😥😥

[@tocaat2410]

Are you coming down this August to join the throng enjoying the Flying Scotsman again? There's always the Golden Arrow if you want to stick with Southern.

[@knuckles1206]

Great video! always nice to see a video from you on steam locos! One of the reasons why the Southern Railways didn't mass produce top link express locomotives between the King Arthur and Bullied Pacifics was that with the electrification scheme taking priority, there wasn't so much money ( or need ) to withdraw still far from old pre- grouping locomotives like the LBSC Alantics and SECR 4-4-0s (the latter infact evolving into the L1). Locos which under LMS ownership would have been scrapped by the mid 30s unless they were Midland designs.

[@Infrared73]

I was really surprised with hearing that they wanted to keep the Steam trains running until the 1990s. What a weird concept. The Shinkansen started operating in 1964.

[@Isochest]

Japan had steam later than the UK. Rapid dieselisation was a bad mistake in the UK. It would have been better to electrify instead.

[@Isochest]

@Alfred Wedmore Politicians botched the GWML electrification on purpose. Big oil wants to promote Hydrogen even though this is only any good for fertiliser. Look up the Liebreich table. Anyway £50000 gets you a place at the table and a take at the public purse. We can't afford corruption but it "works" for them.

[@LN997-i8x]

They were a proven, mature technology. The viability of classes like the 9F to have served into the 70's or even 80's shouldn't be underestimated.

[@thecrazyjamman]

@@LN997-i8x Its thinking like that which led to the strategic steam reserve theory. A fascinating concept

[@bazza945]

I went to the same Primary School that Oliver Bullied started at. Mind you, I started there quite a few decades later. This was in NewZealand, I think he was born here in 1885.

[@merape99]

I was brought up in Portland close to Weymouth and was a keen trainspotter in my youth. Bulleids ran regularly to Weymouth and we sometimes travelled up to Yeovil Junction or Waterloo, to catch the locos on the Waterloo Exeter route. By around 1964 I had copped 27 of the MNs apart from 35001, 35003 and 35028 which never ventured away from the south east routes out of Vistoria. When steam finally ceased in the south east my missing three were redeployed and I did get to see 35001 and 35003. Clan Line 35028 however remained elusive. I attended Weymouth Grammar School and from the school you could look across the river to see the station a half mile or more away. I had to stay behind for a detention one evening and one of my friends came back to tell me that Clan Line was in the station. I could see it clearly from a distance but asked myself if that really counted, so I cycled over to the station to gaze at it for about a quarter of an hour. The irony is that I have seen it numerous times since. Around the late eighties I worked for a software house in Bristol which involved regular trips up to the city. As chance would have it, Clan Line was undergoing a major overhaul at Didcot and was standing outside the shed week after week. I now live in Richmond in south west London and Clan Line regularly hauls specials on the main line. I even saw it go through Richmond station when I was not aware that it was going to be coming. After being so elusive I sometimes think it is now following me.

[@cr10001]

What a happy circumstance to be able to relate! :)

[@geoffreyking4515]

We never got many up Nottingham way except on football specials on the G.C.but I always liked to see a spam can

[@mycroft1905]

Thanks for posting. Excellent as always. But isn't it 'bulleed' and 'tredle'? Just checking %~))

[@highdownmartin]

Yup! But we knew anyway

[@bigben5051]

Fantastic video crammed with info and great archive and contemporary footage! A few notes: - The rebuilding of the locos by Jarvis wasn't a direct result of the Crewkerne incident. The crank axles were redesigned prior to the decision for a full rebuild. - The balance weights fitted to the rebuilt locos wasn't the cause of the hammer-blow. It was the increased reciprocating weight of the additional valve gear that caused this, the balance weights being fitted to partially alleviate the issue.

[@bjoe385]

34046 and 35018 are running today (9th of April) on railtours.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

And 34067 too

[@johnkeepin7527]

The overall design was up to date when it was new, and while you mentioned the use of all steel for the boilers, other significant items were the use of Le Maître exhaust (which has a noticeable audible effect on their performance), and the use of Traitment Integrale Armand (TIA) for the water, to minimise problems with hard water. Both concepts being acquired from across the channel.

[@Shark30006]

Nice presentation on the video of the SR Merchant Navy and West Country and Battle of Britain Classes.

[@kevatcrewe]

Thank you for this! Two of my favourite loco types.

[@paulashley2707]

Excellent video, as always. Thank you so much Ruairidh for sharing your perspective on Bullied's pacifics - my favourite steam locos; which have such a distinctive design.

[@shipsarerubbish]

Great video, but sadly it's proven that if something is said enough times, it can be believed as facts. The information' about oil baths is something that's been passed around preservation for years. No, they were not the cause for fire's or slipping. Fires were found to be caused by the axle box keeps overflowing, running down the back of the wheels, before being thrown up into the lagging, being ignited by sparks off the brake blocks. It was found that the oil trays in the cab did not have their wicks removed, when not in use, which then still fed the axle boxes. Slipping was a mix of this oil and too quick to open the regulator up. It's a shame the oil baths seem to be the main blame for the locos problems and is still being passed on as ''facts''. Your videos are normally well researched, but sadly this point has been a let down. It's a shame that you could've posted the correct information, as it's a bit more interesting than just 'The oil bath leaked' Hopefully you do see this comment. Keep up the general good work.

[@nilo70]

What is bullied mean ? Cheers from California !

[@cr10001]

Oliver Vaughan Bulleid, their designer.

[@Pedro_Dactyl]

Uploaded after I saw Clan Line in person for the first time yesterday. What a coincidence

[@DKS225]

During my U.K visits in 2010 and 2014 i rode behind two of The Preserved West Country Class. As built 34007 Wadebridge in 2010 at The Mid Hants railway. And Rebuilt 34028 Eddystone at The Swanage railway in 2014. Though my memory of the latter is a bit vague as it may have been 34046 Braunton.

[@LMS5935]

And when I found out that you’re making a video about bullied Pacifics I click the video quicker than the Road runner running away from a coyote

[@macjim]

Next, the bullied Q1…or even better, the Leader class loco Ruairidh!

[@tinkertaylor6965]

The N15s, the Lord Nelson's and the Schools classes were not really 'a motley selection' of long-distance steam locomotives: the LNs and Schools were both designed by Maunsell, who also took over the development of the hitherto rather lacklustre Urie N15s at the grouping. The LMS fleet at the time of Stanier's appointment was far more varied and deserving of the term motley. Of course, that's not to say there wasn't a need for more powerful passenger engines on the Southern by the late 1930s.

[@brianwillson9567]

Both in original and rebuilt forms, Bulleid’s Pacifics are beautiful and powerful machines. Bulleid’s problem, emphasised in the Leader, was that his brain was a quarter century ahead of the available technology. Hence the decision to rebuild and get rid of the ingenious but problematic valve gear. End result a more reliable machine, but without some of the elan of the original machines when they were fully ‘on song’Thank you for this video.

[@andrewhowe555]

Brilliant (as always) , so informative and brilliantly put together 🚂🙏😊

[@adrianrutterford762]

Wonderful stuff! Thanks for an interesting video

[@Tindallhall]

Excellent video and a pleasure to watch - informative narrative delivered with pace and accompanied by some stunning archive footage. We could also mention their appearances on the Somerset and Dorset!

[@Firebrand55]

As a lad, I was sat on a suitcase at Ashford Station when one of these engines screamed through at speed...the slipstream knocked me onto the unyielding platform! Later, the type trundled through Barnstaple regularly, always making a distinctive clanking sound.

[@RogerAlan]

Let’s start a campaign to get Rudrick more subscribers than Mark Felton

[@johnnypoker46]

I 'spotted' most of the Merchant Navy class and the majority of the light Pacifics when I lived near the LSWR main line in the early 1960s. Oddly enough, most of the preserved Merchant Navys are among those I missed, so I reckon I have a second chance while I'm still here

[@lovewidors6thtoc658]

A superb potted history of these beautiful Pacific machines, they've been a favourite of mine for years along with the BR 4MTs. Nice touch with acknowledging Mr Woodham in the preservation of so many Bulleids. Thoroughly enjoyed everyone's entertaining comments on here, too.

[@hughrainbird8190]

Thank you for this study of the class of loco that were omnipresent during my boyhood linesiding days in South London during the 1950s, and of which I had the good fortune and privilege of realising a boyhood dream and working on with no. 34092 "City of Wells" in preservation. However I'd like to make two points about your commentary: The overall width of the first batch of Light Pacifics is 8'6", or "Thanet" Restriction "1", which precluded their use between Grove Junction Tunbridge Wells and Bo Peep on the Hastings line, where a width restriction of 8'1" was in force. The cause of fires under the airsmoothed casing of the "originals" was more commonly due to the boiler lagging becoming impregnated with oil thrown up from the lubrication of the motion big ends. On braking, sparks and even fragments of hot metal would be thrown up from the shoes of the clasp brakes on the driving wheels, and this could ignite the oil in the lagging, which fanned by the slipstream, would burst into flame. Peter Smith relates such an incident at Radstock during the 1950's in his book on the Somerset & Dorset Railway. On Bullied's Q1 "Austerity" 0-6-0's this oil-throwing tendency led to an unpleasant fine spray of oil being thrown up into enginemen's faces when they looked out over the cabside. Much has been discussed about the oil leaking from the oil baths, and the perceived "stretching" of the chains of the valve gear affecting performance of the "originals". Rather than simply poor welding, the cause of loss of oil-tightness could be attributed to stresses caused by movements of the main frames to which the oil bath was attached, during running. As a boy, on my first ride behind a "Spamcan" I recall the problems that the locomotive had in "lifting" our up Kent Coast express away from the platform at London Bridge up the tightly curved incline over the girder bridge across the Borough, and round to Borough Junction. During my time with 34092, while running main line, I had the pleasure of meeting the late Harry Frith of Eastleigh Works, fount of all knowledge on the Bulleid Pacifics, and one of the subjects touched on was the experimentation that was carried out on the springing of the driving wheels to try and dampen the slipping tendencies of the class. It's highlighted with the Bulleids, but all Pacifics are prone to it, as where, say a 4-6-0 tends to "sit back" on its rear driving wheels when starting away giving adhesion, the rear axle supporting the firebox and cab assembly of a Pacific precludes this. While the rebuilding of the classes gave improved reliability, most enginemen who had experience of both versions of the Bulleids would be of the opinion that the "originals" were more free-running, the introduction of three sets of walschaerts valve gear in the rebuilding tending to slightly inhibit this, but all gave credit to the free steaming of Bulleid's boiler design. Too free, at times in my experience, as with no ashpan dampers to control combustion the result could be an embarrassing expression of steam from the safety valves at the rate of around ten gallons a minute!

[@gangleweed]

Just as a matter of interest, a model loco designer and builder who went by the pen name of LBSC, as Curly Lawrence was known to thousands, redesigned the spam can to what he would have designed it and added it to the plethora of engine designs in the Model Engineer magazine during the 60's........the engine was named Pamela.......it is a 2 cylinder 4-6-2 with Walshaearts valve gear or Baker valve gear in 3 1/2 inch gauge.......drawings supplied by Percival Marshall and co.

[@novakingood3788]

Great video. I'm still not sure how Bulleid's name was pronounced: I've heard 'Bullied', Bullide' and now 'Bullyid'.

[@glennmartin17]

For future reference: 'Bulleid' rhymes with 'succeed', lots of great footage of the Bulleid Pacifics doing their thing.

[@0759trainz]

The design of these locomotives look amazing

[@meltonin8837]

Excellent video, as ever, although, as Bulleid put it himself - ''Bulleid rhymes with 'succeed', Maunsell rhymes with 'cancel'''.

[@macjim]

I can just see the reaction of the H&S bods when they watched the shunter hanging onto the door exterior seen at the end of the show… changed days.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Shunters could be seen doing similar things long after the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 provided they had been properly trained and such activities had been properly risk assessed and passed as safe.

[@glenhadley7107]

What away to start a Saturday, especially as I'm in Ilfracombe!

[@davemitchell9941]

Good overall description except for the oil bath trap. All my info came from ex chief erecting shop foreman @ Eastleigh, (the late Harry Frith), who gave us immeasurable help & information, in the restoration of 34007 & other Bulleid outfits. For which we were all very grateful! Oil on tyres came from missionary tray axle box feeds ( when standing the trimmings continued feeding), (( have a look in 4’ when an unconverted moves off!!)), this ran down into wheel pockets & was also flung around to mix with brake dust, sand, ballast dust etc. Ignition was prompted by brake blocks sparking under heavy braking igniting vaporised oil from sump breathers & catching hold of the encrusted oil soaked lagging, aided by an effective draught from airflow up under casing. A solution was provided in the form of steel belly lagging sheets,material change of brake block to prevent sparking & regular steam cleaning of wheels & motion,(practised at Exmouth Junc). The M N’s weighed around 92T after Mr Bulleid went through Eastleigh works wielding a piece of chalk over the erected frames of 21c3, marking where lightening holes were to be cut. This was his drawing office staff in hit pursuit. Fabrications in place of steel castings & limpet board casing achieved the 5T reduction in weight. Rebuilt they weighed ironically 94T. WC’s were 86T as built & 91T as rebuilt & lost their route availability as a result which thankfully is why so many unconverteds survive today!🙂 Mr Bulleid’s great legacy!!

[@rwm2986]

Thank you. I have several fond memories of these amazing locomotives. Bournemouth Belle Pullmans and Atlantic Coast Expresses when trainspotting at Weybridge. Travelling to and from Weymouth on a Boat Train en route to Jersey. Seeing Winston Churchill passing through Virginia Water on funeral duty

[@dointheokecoke5548]

i used to train spot at Woking ,Waterloo side of the station, our local was just the 2 car electric, some mornings mum used to wake me early to catch the Coffee Pots moving up jenkins hill,. the other times steam came to us was Ascot races week

[@laurieharper1526]

Another excellent film, Ruairidh. Many thanks.

[@grumpyoldman47]

Two things. First, is there a source regarding the design being based around Eastern Division requirements? I ask that because many years ago I was told by a Southern engineer who was about at the time that the Spam Cans were built that a key requirement was for an express for Basingstoke and west thereof to be clear of Woking without delaying a following Portsmouth electric (he actually gave me the minutes past the hour departures from Waterloo, but I can't remember what they were). Secondly, towards the end it was quite common for BBs or WCs hauling up evening trains from Bournemouth and Weymouth to have at least two firemen on the footplate, and there was a competition amongst the crews to see who could get the furthest fastest (if that makes sense!) from the Basingstoke stop. I certainly witnessed some very quick getaways!

[@Shark30006]

Sir Eustace Missenden and Sir Trafford Leigh Mallory are my favorite Battle of Britain classes

[@tinkertaylor6965]

I don't wish to be a nitpicker, but I would like to question your assertion that the 1955 Modernisation Plan included the eradication of steam traction by the late 1960s. I think you'll find that there is no evidence of this intention in the 1955 documents. Had the decision to end steam in 1968 been made in 1955, the rebuilding of the WC/BBs would never have been started in 1957. The late 1960s date came about in the late 1950s, not (as far as I'm aware) as a single policy decision, but as a result of growing BR panic that despite the modernisation plan, the railway was losing money while diesels were becoming immediately available. ('Diesels will save us'.) Hence the sudden ditching of the more sensible pilot scheme in favour of a mad rush to order untried diesel designs. Again my intention is not to criticise. But these points are interesting and important.

[@Mounhas]

Although I had easy access to every mainline station in London my home line of the SR was my favourite, I actually enjoyed the variety of locos and wish that I had used the years 65-67 more wisely and savoured the last days of steam out of Waterloo. Once again Ruairdh puts together a fascinating selection of clips and well written dialogue. Cheers.

[@46245col]

Enjoyed the footage, but one glaring error at the end. The last Bulleid Pacific into Waterloo was not 34021, but 35030 Elder Dempster Lines. I was aboard as she hauled the 14.07 from Weymouth to Waterloo on 9 July 1967.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

The other un rebuild bullied manston is undergoing an overhaul as well

[@787Speedbrakes]

Interesting that you said it was the leaking oil baths (sumps) that caused the wheel-slip. I thought it was more to do with the way the regulator didn’t have a proper 1st stage / 2nd stage valve selection? If anyone actually knows please comment below, ta.

[@davidshenton6313]

City of Wells on E.L.R. East Lancashire railway is in regular use on this heritage railway, often seen in my home town, Rawtenstall.

[@2949james]

As a boy living in Beckenham I used to watch the Golden arrow Passing through Kent House station on its way to the coast.

[@michaelmorley7719]

The Bulleids are some of the prettiest streamlined steam locomotives ever built, right up there with the N&W Class Js and the SP Daylights.

[@alanobiwala6822]

Another superb video history lesson. Keep up the good work of maintaining our UK railway heritage.

[@robinforrest7680]

Magnificent Mr McVeigh. Thankyou!

[@daniellxnder]

Love me some good ol' clunky streamlined locos!

[@v8pilot]

Wonderful to see these nostalgic film views. I used to go to school daily from Weymouth to Dorchester. The lower front of the West Country engines were always drenched in layers of black oil. Often the train would run out of steam in Bincombe Tunnel and would sit in the tunnel until it managed to get moving again. The local train managers eventually caught on and from then, a Great Western 2-8-0 banker would assist the train, dropping off at the end of Bincombe Tunnel.

[@Shark30006]

21C1 Channel Packet and 21C2 Union Castle are my favorite prototypes of the Merchant Navy

[@stephenmcdonald7908]

That certainly brought back some memories. Thank you.

[@lukegreen5341]

19:45 Great Scotland Yard. It's Southern Railway Battle Of Britain Class Main Line Express Steam Locomotive Winston Churchill. Thanks Mate. X

[@Shark30006]

SR Merchant Navy Channel Packet and Royal Mail could have been candidates for preservation upon being withdrawn from British Railways in the 1960s.

[@thecolourblindartist9412]

I was born in 1951. Train spotting was the thing of the day. I was born in Hampshire during the time of the steam demise, a sad but understandable end. However, the diesel period proved equally unpleasant. Now there are gantries, festooned a cross the country, far more invasive from a scenic point of view.

[@Shark30006]

I like the Bulleid Pacifics in their unrebuilt and rebuilt forms.

[@doggerbendrailway6002]

Any chance you can look at the New South Wales railway’s 38.class

[@Dave_Sisson]

I find the Victorian Railways R class to be more interesting, they have even converted one to run on the skinny tracks they have in NSW.

[@macjim]

How about doing a story on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, Ruairidh?

[@DKS225]

That would be a brilliant idea not just for us but for Ivo Peters's 16mm film collection legacy on The S&DJR

[@Wally34070]

fantastic video on a fantastic class. Just one nit pick, The oil bath did not suffer leaks. the casing fires and oil consumption problems were caused by the top feed driving boxes that were overly lubricated (never a bad thing mechanically) The oil would collect in the wheel pockets and be flicked up into the casing causing the combustion issue. The adehsion came from the high power and the low adhesive weight combined with the very free steam circuit. Keep up the great work!!! :)

[@04clemea]

It's funny how the whole "Blaim the oil Bath" gets continued to be passed around as facts still. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️😂

[@hughrainbird8190]

The actual initiator of fires caused from this source were sparks or fragments of hot metal thrown up into the oil splashed boiler cladding by the shoes of the clasp brakes on the driving wheels, and fanned into flames by the slipstream.

[@mikecawood]

They were far better locos after rebuilding where the air-smoothed casing was replaced with a conventional boiler cladding, which gave the driver a much better view forward.

[@simonf8902]

Nothing like a spam can. Where’s the opening key ?

[@hughrainbird8190]

Sir William Stanier is supposed to have said this when he first saw a Bulleid Q1 Austerity 0-6-0, and likened it to a child's clockwork engine.

[@duncancurtis1758]

34028 and sister 34027 were our faves in the 80s in the Woodhams restoration era. Clan Line was always around Salisbury and Yeovil.

[@Shark30006]

Which Merchant Navy and West Country and Battle of Britain locomotives are famous

[@davedear929]

As a teenage train spotter in the late 50s I never saw any Southern steam. I dreamed of seeing a spam can. Still haven't. Well researched and presented . Many thanks.

[@Earthshaker513]

Love the Bulleid Pacifics. I have the Hornby oo models of the rebuilt version of Ellerman Lines and the unrebuilt spamcans Tangmere, 92 Squadron, and Sir Eustace Missenden.

[@michaeloreilly657]

Wonderful to see your own work featured in the video again.

[@mortified776]

I hadn't known the working assumption before the modernisation plan was to keep operating mainline steam into the '90s!

[@Mehtaru]

Hands down my favorite British steam locomotives, sure they had some problems, but I can't help but love them for their looks.

[@dawnbirbeck1505]

Great video, I love Bulleid's work (even the Q1) - but 'Maunsell' is pronounced 'MANsell', not 'MORNsell'.

[@KenshinPlayz57]

I pronounce it "Monsell

[@rogercantwell3622]

Jarvis did a good job on those, turning Bulleid's frankly wild creations into good solid locomotives, the only real problem being the increased hammer blow. Almost unbelievably, he later worked on the HST. Bulleid was described as an "enfant terrible" by E S Cox. Some of his ideas worked, some were crazy, and he threw the whole lot at the spam cans. I think British Railways were relieved to see the back of him.

[@heritagemodeller8456]

I've been watching these videos for years and never once commented, so Thank you for broadening my knowledge on Br railways!

[@martinthatsall1518]

Top class video - very informative without being patronizing. Well Done!

[@michellebell5092]

An extremely interesting video packed with details, facts and analysis. Ruairdh certainly did a thorough research for this one.

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

Usual nonsense about the LEADER project.

[@billlucas8124]

I've been waiting for this video for a long time. my favourite class of steam in the uk. Another fantastic documentary from Ruairidh, I thought I might add though for those who are interested: 35003 "Royal Mail" was the last steam engine to hit over 100mph authenticated under BR (105.88mph). Only to be beaten by new build Tornado in 2017. 35011 "General Steam Navigation" is the only British steam locomotive to actually contain the word "steam" in its name. It is also currently undergoing restoration, as its hulk was purchased without valve gear the society have decided to rebuild it to original air-smoothed condition at great expense. Meaning itll be the only air smoothed merchant navy around. Worth checking out their progress.

[@RunawayTrain2502]

A case could be made for 35006 "Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co" where the S stands for "Steam" but it is a weak case. Also preserved at the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway BTW.

[@Shark30006]

35003 Royal Mail hit Flying Scotsman’s record. So is it possible that 35003 Royal Mail could have been the second famous steam engine of the Southern Railway?

[@Kolej100Filmy]

Wow, fantastic locomotive 🙂

[@thomasgray4188]

Would you ever do a break down of the various locomotives exchanges that have taken place in the UK. I think I would be very interesting. Great video as always

[@htimsid]

Super video, packed with information (as usual).

[@jcj3281]

A pleasure to watch this informative piece of British history,and many thanks for not ruining it with toots and music.

[@barryphillips7327]

Very good video, CLEAR narration as always with RMV.

[@adrianharris9091]

Superb documentary. Very informative and clearly narrated. Thank you and well done.

[@rogerhill138]

Excellent and detailed commentary.

[@Shark30006]

35011 General Steam Navigation is currently being restored to its original condition with the air smoothed casings when it was first built in 1946.