Childhood journeys from S Wales to London are etched in my memory. Shunting locos at Severn Tunnel Junction. The long descent into Hades, the three white lamps at the bottom, the red glow on the walls as the flap is dropped to put some on for the long climb ahead. Up into the cutting, ages before the sulphur-yellow liquid on the windows clears. Castles and Kings lined up outside the works. Speed builds and small stations pass in a blur. Suddenly, the brakes come on hard, and we walk up the hill into the great station. The copper chimney band is darkened from the heat, there are drops of oil on the cleading. The firedoors are open, and only a dull red glow shows from the remains of the fire. Four tons have been pulled from that tender and fed, carefully, into that box. Supreme professionals, the crew are tidying up, quietly. Busy passengers flock past. A small boy stands, looks on in wonderment.
Plenty of locos and stock remain in York, the NRM is currently undergoing a process of refurbishment, which has seen a number of items move to other museums. 1008 is still under the care of the NRM as part of the national collection.
LMS red is probably the nicest livery you can put on a Jinty. Is it possible the Half Cab 1F usually located at Barrow Hill will be repainted in Midland Railway red when it’s overhauled?
This is genuinely gutting for me. No. 1008 is one of my favourite York exhibits. It worked at Normanton, where I grew up, so I have a personal connection to it. Yet another loss for the NRM. :,(
York is two bad moves away from me never going again. If they give away Henry Oakley and ruin the Station Hall, I’ll just stop bothering and go somewhere else. Now we’ve lost the Lanky Tank, there’s barely any locos I’m bothered to go see.
Yes, unfortunately we had anticipated her move through the station being later than it ended up being, as it was shortly after Tangmere had departed, so sadly we missed capturing this
