CHAMPION THE WONDER HORSE TO THE RESCUE.
Not content with being a member of the finest class of loco’s ever built No 15 has had to help out lesser loco’s on a couple of occasions since returning to the mainline.
Having been with ‘15 since Bristol Parkway on the morning of the 26th October 2002 we arrived back at Temple Meads where a loco swap was planned with the good power running back to Old Oak.
The end of No 3 platform at Temple Meads was awash with the faithful and I had a job to get to the ‘phone on the signal to ask for the road.
When I spoke with the “bobby” he asked if I signed via Badminton. I confirmed that I did and made my way back to the cab. The red flicked to green and the reverser was placed to ‘forward’ and a little power taken before releasing the straight air brake.
A bellow of “My Lords!” went so not to disappoint the faithful I gave it quite a bit more but mindful of the 25mph speed restriction at this point. Whizzo haulage on the 26th October was over.
As we headed back towards Old Oak through the darkness we made good progress until Wooton Basset West where we were checked down. The reason for this was a Tram that was coming ‘bang road’ for some reason. As it passed us the red stepped up to just a single yellow with the next signal showing a single yellow with No 1 ‘feather’ which took us in the loop. Keen to get home I went down on the ‘phone and the signalman asked if we were a “Great Western” engine. “Well, yes. It’s probably the ultimate Great Western engine mate” I replied. “Good” he said “You’ve been asked to run wrong road to Dauntsey and rescue a HST which has slipped to a stand”. (The HST in question was the 1715 ex Bristol and it was now 2000 so the passengers had been stuck for ages)
I informed Mr Koch in the rear cab who was finished! After changing ends we made our way carefully along the Up road and eventually espied a HV in the cess. This was the driver. He was quite young and looked at ‘15 like it was from Outer Space.
Whilst we waiting to couple the phones were red hot. We were OK for Padd and I believe Paul made contact also with FGW control. My phone rang and it was the EWS Control who asked where I was. “On a Tram” I replied. “Oh! Thought you might be still on ten-fifteen as we want you to run light to Tiverton Junction where a kettle has blown up and drag it to Kidderminster. You’re the only vacuum braked engine anywhere!”
“When I said I’m on a Tram I mean I’m just about to drag a Tram from Dauntsey to Paddington” I replied. Slight pause at the other end then “MY LORDS!”
So in the space of a few minutes (in 2002 mind you!) ‘15 had been considered to rescue two trains!! Quality traction shines through.
After a brake test we moved off slowly gradually picking up speed towards eighty or so before getting the flashing yellows into the platform at Swindon. This would be the moment of truth. Would we or wouldn’t we?
D1015 Western Champion at Swindon.
Numerous platforms Berts were milling around and no-one seemed to know what was going on. It transpired that FGW weren’t too keen to have one of their trains arrive in Padd with an “old fashioned” engine on it. “Well we’ll go to Reading then and run round” I suggested. Nobody seemed to realise that the Tram was OK to go forward now. It wasn’t a failure but had just slipped to a stand.
Eventually we were told to uncouple. I hastily rang Doncaster to offer our services at Tiverton but was told that they’d found a vacuum braked Duff at Eastleigh and it was going to run light engine to Taunton to meet the slightly revived kettle. Alas further rescue was not to be so we ran home to The Oak after one of the most outrageous workings of the preserved mainline diesel era.
Fast forward now nine moths to a humid 27th July ’03. I picked up No 15 (now temporarily renamed Sir Misha Black) at Old Oak and we ran light loco to Salisbury via Reading, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton and Romsey. We were booked via Andover but for some reason which was not clear went the more circuitous route. The purpose of this was to drop on the back of the VSOE (taking over from 34027 Taw Valley which was masquerading as 34045 Ottery St Mary). At Salisbury No 15 was rededicated by Sir Misha’s son Oliver who we then gave a cab ride to Bournemouth.
This was a heavy train but No 15 made light work of the climb away from Alderbury Junction towards Romsey.
At
Brockenhurst we were looped for some unit or units to pass us and during the
stop an impromptu crew phot stop was undertaken.
Above :
D1015 at Brockenhurst. The details of
the journey can be found elsewhere on this site however we pick up the story
back at Poole where after reversal No 15 was to bank the kettle to Bournemouth,
detach and then run light back to The Oak. During a
conversation with the Steam Inspector it seemed that all was not well with the
loco but they were going to have a go. We detached as planned at Bournemouth and
sat in the Up main platform awaiting our departure time. The loco as usual was
surrounded by admiring enthusiasts and “normals”. It was now a
glorious Summers evening to be abroad as we sped through the New Forest but as
we approached Southampton we began to pick up adverse signals until we were
stopped at the gantry outside the station. Speaking to
the signaller we were informed that the kettle was in trouble and would we
assist to London? Would we?!!! After running
past the train we dropped onto the front of 34045 (34027) and coupled up and
brake tested. As is usual in these circumstances the two crews had a brief to
ensure what was to take place. Officially 34027 should not take power when being
assisted but it was agreed that in order to regain some time it should on the
long climb from Eastleigh up through Wallers Ash to Worting Junction. Strict
instructions were given to the steam crew that they shouldn’t do anything until
after Northam so that No 15 could show her aptitude pulling away from a crowded
Southampton. A goodly
amount of thrash was required to get the 700 odd tons moving even upto the
maximum speed of 20mph for the permanent restriction at Notham. Unfortunately
spurious TPWS interventions occurred three times bringing the train to a stand
at Northam and twice between Winchester
and Worting Junction. Still, it did give the punters three more standing starts
although they were probably not appreciated by the diners in the Pullmans! Away from
Northam and both Whizzo and kettle were given the lot. I’m told by two
correspondents that the sight at both Eastleigh
and Winchester was most impressive not spoilt by too much horn/whistle blowing.
(I’d very much like to see shots of that; there were photographers at both
locations but I’ve never seen a shot – yet!) There was a
final burst of high speed thrash between Worting and Byfleet before we diverged
off the mainline and ran through Chertsey, Staines etc in order to access the
Eastern side of Victoria via the Ludgate lines and the Battersea reversible. Once the stock
and 34027 had been drawn away to Stewarts Lane we made out way home via Kenny O,
South West Sidings and the Greenford loop before dropping onto The Oak just
after midnight with yet another job well done by The Mule. Incidentally,
as I write this just to my left is a bottle of Black’s Beauty brewed by Moor
brewery (unopened!) which Mr Alden gave me after the Penzance trip in July ’03.
The label shows me driving ’15 somewhere on the Southern during the above trip.
Try as I might I can’t identify the location so any clues please? Although not a
rescue in the sense of the above two incidents a little reported service train
working took place on the Dunster by Candlelight tour on 1st December
’05. Before departure from Bristol the crew were asked to convey passengers to
Westbury because a Sprinter was unavailable for a Brighton service. As we were
booked to call at the principle stations between Temple Meads and Westbury
anyway there were no Special Stop Orders required but a few lucky travellers
enjoyed good power before swapping onto the Wessex standby set which was top and
tailed Gary Goyles! Still who’d have thought you could have gone from Bristol to
Brighton on loco hauled stock as late as
December 2005? None of this
would have been possible (nor would my life long ambition of driving a Thousand
in and out of Exeter St Davids after spending so much time and money riding
behind them in my youth) without the dedication and professionalism of the
gentlemen of the DTG. And
furthermore who of us who stood at Padd, slightly damp eyed, as it approached
midnight on 26th February 1977 that thirty years later we could still
be privileged to travel behind a member of greatest diesel locomotive ever
created?? Thank you! Nick Edwards
(D1012)
Mr Black was most intrigued by
the numbers of lineside photographers and he was informed just what an
influential man his father was! Oliver was further informed that the correct
response to linsiders was the universal raised arm salute. So someone, somewhere
in the New Forest has a shot of the son of Misha Black bellowing out of No 15’s
secondmans window!