The loco that Dr Beeching helped to save (Complete History of Fenchurch)

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The Complete History of Terrier 72 Fenchurch, the oldest engine on British Railways. How did the oldest, strongest and last LBSCR Terrier in service survive when it was only expected to last 30 years? After releasing Stepney's history video, I'd wanted to talk about Bluebell Railway's other Terrier. Better late than never, here it is. Fenchurch had a close shave when it was saved from scrap, so is lucky to still be steaming at 150 today.
0:00 - The oldest and the last
1:20 - A Cracking start to life
3:10 - Dog sold to new owners
4:20 - Life on the Docks
6:00 - Local Celebrity
7:15 - Nearly scrapped
9:15 - Oh, Dr Beeching?
10:05 - It's my party, I'll miss it if I want to
11:25 - Cosmetics that make you look older
12:50 - Birthday Basher
14:25 - Small and Mighty

[@gordieboi2340]

Hopefully people learn from this that Beeching isn't as bad as people say; and was one of the few BR workers that ACTUALLY cared about the railways

[@jordaneriksson5417]

Ok

[@TheGreyTurtleEntertainment]

Here's the thing. Beeching was in tough scrape having to fix something without the resources to do so and had to make tough choices. But narrative likes a villain, and in rail preservation Beeching fits that bill better than a savior of the rails.

[@The8224sm]

Before Beeching was commissioned to undertake the review, the executives of BR had seen the changing dynamic of British society. Freight was increasingly being carried by lorries, especially with the new motorways being built, and the future projection was that this would continue because of their ability to carry cargo from the supplier to the customer, door to door on the same day. Motor cars were becoming increasingly popular, again as, a door to door mode of transport. BR realised they were on the losing side and had to rationalise their business model, in the end, it all came down to pounds, shillings and pence. Doesn't it always.

[@nicholasaslanides9703]

Good old L S d

[@steam-powered-cyborg]

Like even Thomas fans should know that. Awdry clarified that in the forward of Stepney’s book. Haha.

[@theaverageteleporter7435]

I cannot wait to forgot about this in two minutes and find it several weeks later

[@Terrier55Stepney]

This is your alarm to remind you it's here.

[@theaverageteleporter7435]

@@Terrier55Stepneyguess I had my phone on silent

[@Terrier55Stepney]

@TuongLuKim713 Martello is high on my list to visit as it's one of two Terriers I've yet to see! One day...

[@vickielawless]

The real villain was Beeching's boss, Ernest Marples. I didn't realise the connection to Fenchurch! Still my favourite Terrier, she's even been in a music video..

[@Eliteerin]

Indeed, a totally corrupt man

[@joshuaW5621]

See? Doctor Beeching doesn’t hate the railways. I never knew he helped the Bluebell Railway save one of the oldest locomotives still in commercial service.

[@Wafthewaffle]

Yeah this confirms it. Fenchurch is THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD

[@matthewpowell2429]

Up until now, I only heard bad things about Beeching, first hearing about him from Victor Tanzig's Stories of Sodor. This video has made me realize there's a whole other side of his story.

[@joshslater2426]

It’s finally here! The long awaited history of Fenchurch! I’m always going to prefer it in Marsh Umber, but I’m glad it’s survived and is back running again. As the longest working engine on BR records, it sure deserves its praise!

[@lawrieflowers8314]

Apparently, the rail line was extended right to the end of the approx. 2400 foot long Newhaven breakwater to (a) deliver coal to the steam engine generating electricity for the lighthouse (b) transport cement, ballast etc for the (constant) repairs needed to the breakwater itself.

[@Terrier55Stepney]

Thank you for this info, I hadn't considered coal for the lighthouse.

[@RailRocketRicky]

I had the pleasure of seeing Fenchurch in action at the Isle Of Wight Steam Railway's Spring Gala in June this year, and she is a magnificent steam locomotive.

[@suzcant3320]

You did a good job on the Fenchurch 150th animation

[@lukegreen5341]

1:52 This Famous LBSCR Terrier Class Tank Engine Fenchurch Was Built In 1872 For The London Brighton And South Coast Railway 151 Years Ago During The 19th Century Started In The 150th Anniversaries Of The Stockton And Darlington Railway And The Liverpool And Manchester Railway In 1975 And 1980 By The Late 1970's And 1980's In The 20th Century. Awesome. Thanks Mate. X

[@trainlover16]

Dr Beeching actually saved a steam locomotive? This I must know more about.

[@ajaxengineco]

He wasn't as bad as people say. If I recall rightly, he gave the opening speech for the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch, too. Ernest Marples was the true villain, and after his disastrous term as Minister for Transport he ran away to Monaco.

[@The-Signal-Man]

I'm pretty sure he also attended the openings of a few preserved steam railways

[@JosephRailwayStudios2000]

@@ajaxengineco do you think he would’ve been good friends with Sir Charles Topham Hatt or not because I heard on Twitter that On a post made by Nictrain123 that he actually helped the north-western railway by getting a few more engines as well as a spare boiler or two for Gordon

[@howardrisby9621]

Great video, thanks. After her years in black, to me the dapper Stroudley livery still looks odd on Fenchurch .... which is plain daft, as I couldn't imagine classmate Stepney wearing anything else! Nice to see the shots of No.32636 at Brighton's long lost Kemp Town Station (where Freshfield Industrial Estate now stands).

[@sudrianrailwaystudios676]

Great video, Max. I never knew Dr. Beeching saved Fenchurch until just now…

[@GeorgeLowther2000]

Fenchurch is such a legend and has had a very eventful history

[@GreatCenteralGlory]

Fenchurch is my favorite terrier

[@HuberttheLMS8F8375]

Would you ever consider doing a video about 54 Waddon?

[@Terrier55Stepney]

I will no doubt get around to making complete history videos on all of the 10 surviving Terriers, though I'll need to travel to Canada to get footage of Waddon!

[@TankEngine97]

Dr Beeching saving an engine? There's something I thought I'd never hear.

[@harbourterrier]

3:30 never would I have thought my hometown would show up in one of these videos with a a lot of detail about it

[@TRAINMASTER321]

Fantastic video Max. I don't suppose at some stage we could see a history of Bluebell the P class ? I know terriers are more your thing but it certainly would be cool to see.

[@Terrier55Stepney]

I love Bluebell, and whilst I haven't yet planned a complete history of Bluebell, I have got a video about the P class tanks that will find its way to the channel in the next couple of months.

[@TRAINMASTER321]

@@Terrier55Stepney Awesome I'm looking forward to it 😀

[@LarrysLego]

Fascinating history! Thanks for putting it together so neatly and in an interesting-to-watch way. Subscribed!

[@Terrier55Stepney]

Thank you for the kind comment. Welcome to the channel! Fenchurch certainly has had a fruitful life so far.

[@StarwarsFannick]

It looks great and you did a great job mate, cheers.

[@physiocrat7143]

The railway on the harbour wall might have been to deliver stone blocks for repair.

[@theamazingadventureofeduardo]

Who would ever thought it, that dr. beaching actually have a soft spot for the bluebell railway! PTW I have seen the video of train of thought video of dr. beaching, I am just amazed!

[@paharibrat2301]

Beeching is known as the person who killed the railways in all of the UK... it's good to see he saved a locomotive.

[@LegoMiester14]

Would you consider doing one of these for Royal Scot?

[@Terrier55Stepney]

I know relatively little about Royal Scot, but especially with the rumours about its history it would be an interesting one to do. Certainly one to consider, thanks.

[@upthebracket26]

what a nice guy Beeching was!

[@bitzbpz]

I’m surprised that the haven island locals didn’t try to preserve fenchurch themselves

[@SimJackson]

That an electrostar 378 at the start just after the intro? That was one of the first production lines I worked on when I started as an apprentice almost 10 years ago!

[@thesodorsamurai2002]

13:46 - It's pretty surreal that you'll make a reference to South Park one day.

[@southsidediy]

Is there a written(detailed) account of the shunting accident with the diesel. I don't live in the UK and have never seen a terrier in real life. But I have done my fair share of reading about them and never came across that anecdote. I assume it is just a known story among people who were there at the time and are close to the locomotive.

[@harrisonallen651]

Oh Dr Beeching, what have you done?

[@Brianrockrailfan]

Awesome video 🚂👍🚃

[@Coffee_Addict757]

Hey man, just to let you know your videos are great ok? keep up the good work

[@Terrier55Stepney]

Thank you so much!

[@ReubenAshwell]

Brilliant video of the history of Fenchurch, a fine engine indeed. Shame the 150th anniversary was missed by a few months though lol.

[@cykablyat7528]

so fun fact, Ringo Starr is also in Lisztomania apparently

[@caledonianrailway1233]

Looks good

[@Trainhead23]

bluebells forever

[@Brony2T]

"Fenchurch the Unstoppable Terrier Engine"

[@HuberttheLMS8F8375]

Jolly good

[@Pyrotrainthing]

I am a simple man. I hear steam locomotive has purty whistle I smile. Surprised Beeching of all people had worked to save her, though, always thought Beeching more cold about steamers when they get withdrawn.

[@lukemendel8197]

who would invest in a new-build terrier factory?

[@peppergobnon]

Nice

[@welcometoplushworld2984]

Remember me when asked long time no see

[@dansterland1824]

Fantastic new whistle sounds great 😀😀

[@spankflaps1365]

At 26 years old it would be barely run in.

[@noahcarlosthenumber12engin38]

I still have to ask, when was Fenchurch painted brown? And for how long was Fenchurch brown?

[@joshslater2426]

It was rebuilt in 2001 in Marsh Umber and was withdrawn in 2015 (or somewhere close to then). It had its overhaul in 2022 and sadly lost the umber livery, meaning no locomotives in preservation have the marsh livery at the moment.

[@22pcirish]

When Douglas Earle Marsh took over as Locomotive engineer at Brighton he effected the livery change from Stroudley’s yellow/Oche to Umber as it was cheaper and a less complicated livery that wore much better and lasted longer.

[@trainman9024]

beeching helped save fenchurch for all of the bad stuff I said about beeching I forgive him

[@elijahstevenson2546]

If Dr. Richard Beaching gave the Bluebell Railway six months to raise money instead of four weeks, then maybe some part of him is human after all, wait, did I say that out loud?

[@soviet_3110]

2:40 bet

[@georgen9755]

step knee joint , cunning fellows

[@CarolinaSpecial-No.1397]

As an American, I must say the terriers are definitely my favorite LBSCR locomotives. I'm, not that surprised by the fact that Dr Beeching saved Fenchurch, as it was the oldest operational locomotive on BR at the time. We had a similar case here in the US, we had a preservation movement going on as early as 1956-59, saving over 2000 steam locomotives. people saved engines from industrial switchers to Army locomotives. There was a similar case of an old locomotive preserved from the New York Central, where their president at the time, saved 4-4-0 999. A few other NYC locomotives were saved, however I'm sorry to say almost every locomotive from the Central ceased to exist later on.

[@kristoffermangila]

From a fleet of thousands, just three remain of NYC's steam locomotives - thanks to one of #HistoryInTheDark's villains In sharp contrast to that person who shall not be named... Cyrus Eaton of Chesapeake and Ohio is a hero of steam locomotive preservation in the US. He did a great job ensuring that a good number of his company's steamers are preserved, and now those locomotives are now preserved in towns, museums and for a few, in operating condition on heritage and tourist railroads in the US, like #PereMarquette1225 and #ChesapeakeAndOhio2716.

[@gameoholic1994]

Beeching? Is that the same guy who made a lot of controversial changes to railways, which led to many layoffs, and ignored all the consequences?

[@gordieboi2340]

No, that's Earnest Marples. Beeching just closed branchlines that didn't renovate that much business; but BR put the blame of their shitty decisions on him

[@kiankier7330]

wait Dr Beeching did something good?

[@M013Productions]

Screw Stepney Fenchurch is the real Star