Stoneleigh set for three-way tussle for top honours

THE FIGHT between three of the Big Four to be top dog will be a highlight of the Great Central Railwayana sale at Stoneleigh Park on September 1. In the brown corner is Knight of the Thistle, in the green corner 603 Squadron, and in the maroon corner The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers South Lancashire.

As reported on pages 40/41 of this issue, the knight comes from GWR Star 4-6-0 No. 4012, a 1908 Swindon product that was withdrawn by BR from Newton Abbot (83A) in 1949, while the greens’ representative, which comes with its squadron badge, is from SR designed, BR-built, Battle of Britain No. 34077.

This Pacific emerged from Brighton works in July 1948 and ended its career at Eastleigh (70D) in March 1967 as main line express steam was taking its last breath.

The third contender for the podium was carried by LMS Royal Scot No. 46137, built by North British Loco in October 1927 and withdrawn from Carlisle Upperby (12B) in November 1962. Two other NBL-built locomotives whose nameplates will also be going under Mike Soden’s hammer are Loch Arkaig, making is auction debut, and Dick Turpin.

The Loch comes from LNER K2 class 2-6-0 No. 61764, built in July 1918 and withdrawn from Glasgow Eastfield (65A) in September 1961, and Dick Turpin from another LNER engine, A3 Pacific No. 60080, built in November 1924 and retired in October 1964 when shedded at Gateshead (52A).

The GWR contingent is completed by Heveningham Hall, Charles J. Hambro and Princess Beatrice. The Hall class loco, No. 7909, was built by BR at Swindon in January 1950 and withdrawn from Oxford (81F) in November 1965, while Charles J. Hambro comes from Saint 4-6-0 No. 2978, which started life in April 1905 as Kirkland and was renamed in May 1935 after a GWR director who was to become chairman in 1940. It was withdrawn in August 1946.

Read more in Issue 244 of HR – on sale now!

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