30517 just after Raynes Park on the way to Chessington South.
“These were part of the clear out of many of the interesting classes which had survived on the Southern”
30585+30587 passing Wimbledon on the first leg of the tour, the 11 am Waterloo to Hampton Court.
This tour was run jointly by the Stephenson Locomotive Society and the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society to mark the withdrawal of the Beattie well tanks and the H16 class pacific tanks in December 1962. These were part of the clear out of many of the interesting classes which had survived on the Southern. The tour ran on Sunday, 2 December 1962 and was repeated two weeks later on 16 December. The engines were 1874 built class 0298 2-4-0 well tanks numbers 30585 and 30587, classified 0P and commonly known as the Beattie tanks after their designer. They had worked on the Wenford Bridge line in Cornwall until replaced by ex Great Western small pannier tanks numbers 1367, 1368 and 1369 in the autumn of 1962. Together with classmate 30586 all three were withdrawn from service after the tour on 16 December. Both 30585 and 30587 survived into preservation. The third engine involved, No.30517, was one of the five powerful pacific tanks classified 6F which dated from 1921 of Urie design for heavy freight and latterly used for shunting at Feltham, trip freight working and passenger empty stock duties in the London area. This engine was also withdrawn after the tours to join its four classmates which had gone at the end of November.
The tour, comprising 30585 double heading with 30587 on six coaches left Waterloo at 11 am and first operated to Hampton Court via East Putney and Wimbledon, where it was photographed by me and two of my brothers amongst many others on a very cold but bright morning. We then cycled to New Malden to get the pair in lovely light returning on the second leg, the 12.50 pm from Hampton Court to Wimbledon Yard. We then moved to a position close to the Kingston bypass near Raynes Park to get a shot of 30517 working the next section, the 1.29 pm Wimbledon yard to Chessington South and the return working at 2.05 pm from Chessington, again to Wimbledon yard. Finally in fading light we moved to the field next to Carter’s Seeds near Raynes Park to catch the pair of Beattie well tanks on the 2.44 pm from Wimbledon Yard to Shepperton before deciding to call it a day and cycle home to Shirley, near Croydon. For the record the final leg of this quite extraordinary tour was at 3.45 pm from Shepperton to Waterloo via Richmond. Not sure why we didn’t travel on the repeat trip but it may well have been the usual problem at that time: a shortage of cash. Or maybe it was the latest friend of the other gender!
30587+30585 returning from Hampton Court past New Malden.
Wadebridge, 24 July 1962. 30587 with Ivatt 2MT tank 41272.
30517 approaching Raynes Park returning from Chessington South.
30585+30587 passing Carters Seeds at Raynes Park with the penultimate leg to Shepperton.