Bulleid Pacifics - The Spam Cans 

I love the "Spam Cans" ... They are indeed a great looking Steam locomotive. This is very well done report!

The boiler was so good it was rumored it could run on sticks picked up on the side of the tracks in a pinch. Bulleid’s boiler design was used as the basis for the boiler design on the BR Standard Pacifics. I’d love to see one of those with the originally planned gear-driven valves, I didn’t know about that.

Southern Railway is my favourite of the old big four and I think that the Spam Cans were truly iconic. This is a really good and informative video. As for the lines West of Exeter, what a catastrophic failure it was to axe routes that got through Devon and Cornwall avoiding the notorious Dawlish. Then it was argued, railways were only profitable in August, the short holiday season. How things have changed and how those lines could have thrived in modern times as holiday season includes all of the school holidays and the pretty much the months May to September.

I was brought up in Portland close to Weymouth and was a keen trainspotter in my youth. Bulleids ran regularly to Weymouth and we sometimes travelled up to Yeovil Junction or Waterloo, to catch the locos on the Waterloo Exeter route. By around 1964 I had copped 27 of the MNs apart from 35001, 35003 and 35028 which never ventured away from the south east routes out of Vistoria. When steam finally ceased in the south east my missing three were redeployed and I did get to see 35001 and 35003. Clan Line 35028 however remained elusive. I attended Weymouth Grammar School and from the school you could look across the river to see the station a half mile or more away. I had to stay behind for a detention one evening and one of my friends came back to tell me that Clan Line was in the station. I could see it clearly from a distance but asked myself if that really counted, so I cycled over to the station to gaze at it for about a quarter of an hour. The irony is that I have seen it numerous times since. Around the late eighties I worked for a software house in Bristol which involved regular trips up to the city. As chance would have it, Clan Line was undergoing a major overhaul at Didcot and was standing outside the shed week after week. I now live in Richmond in south west London and Clan Line regularly hauls specials on the main line. I even saw it go through Richmond station when I was not aware that it was going to be coming. After being so elusive I sometimes think it is now following me.

10:45 Little note about that Merchant Navy hauled train, it has one of Bulleid's Tavern Cars which were essentially Pubs on wheels (They even had names and the interior was like that of a pub). They lasted until 1959 when they were rebuilt as normal Dining cars.

Great video! I’m currently restoring a couple of Tri-ang Light Pacifics so this was timely and enjoyable. I didn’t know that the casing was for ease of cleaning rather than “air-smoothing”, but the slip on starting is legendary and definitive 😆 The gentle whistle of the Lemaitre chimney at low regulator openings, like blowing across the top of a glass beer bottle is also an endearing characteristic 🙂

A thoroughly well researched and extremely interesting video. This has to be one of my favourite RU-vid channels. Keep up the amazing work!

As a teenage train spotter in the late 50s I never saw any Southern steam. I dreamed of seeing a spam can. Still haven't. Well researched and presented . Many thanks.

Thank you for this study of the class of loco that were omnipresent during my boyhood linesiding days in South London during the 1950s, and of which I had the good fortune and privilege of realising a boyhood dream and working on with no. 34092 "City of Wells" in preservation. However I'd like to make two points about your commentary: The overall width of the first batch of Light Pacifics is 8'6", or "Thanet" Restriction "1", which precluded their use between Grove Junction Tunbridge Wells and Bo Peep on the Hastings line, where a width restriction of 8'1" was in force. The cause of fires under the airsmoothed casing of the "originals" was more commonly due to the boiler lagging becoming impregnated with oil thrown up from the lubrication of the motion big ends. On braking, sparks and even fragments of hot metal would be thrown up from the shoes of the clasp brakes on the driving wheels, and this could ignite the oil in the lagging, which fanned by the slipstream, would burst into flame. Peter Smith relates such an incident at Radstock during the 1950's in his book on the Somerset & Dorset Railway. On Bullied's Q1 "Austerity" 0-6-0's this oil-throwing tendency led to an unpleasant fine spray of oil being thrown up into enginemen's faces when they looked out over the cabside. Much has been discussed about the oil leaking from the oil baths, and the perceived "stretching" of the chains of the valve gear affecting performance of the "originals". Rather than simply poor welding, the cause of loss of oil-tightness could be attributed to stresses caused by movements of the main frames to which the oil bath was attached, during running. As a boy, on my first ride behind a "Spamcan" I recall the problems that the locomotive had in "lifting" our up Kent Coast express away from the platform at London Bridge up the tightly curved incline over the girder bridge across the Borough, and round to Borough Junction. During my time with 34092, while running main line, I had the pleasure of meeting the late Harry Frith of Eastleigh Works, fount of all knowledge on the Bulleid Pacifics, and one of the subjects touched on was the experimentation that was carried out on the springing of the driving wheels to try and dampen the slipping tendencies of the class. It's highlighted with the Bulleids, but all Pacifics are prone to it, as where, say a 4-6-0 tends to "sit back" on its rear driving wheels when starting away giving adhesion, the rear axle supporting the firebox and cab assembly of a Pacific precludes this. While the rebuilding of the classes gave improved reliability, most enginemen who had experience of both versions of the Bulleids would be of the opinion that the "originals" were more free-running, the introduction of three sets of walschaerts valve gear in the rebuilding tending to slightly inhibit this, but all gave credit to the free steaming of Bulleid's boiler design. Too free, at times in my experience, as with no ashpan dampers to control combustion the result could be an embarrassing expression of steam from the safety valves at the rate of around ten gallons a minute!

Thank you. I have several fond memories of these amazing locomotives. Bournemouth Belle Pullmans and Atlantic Coast Expresses when trainspotting at Weybridge. Travelling to and from Weymouth on a Boat Train en route to Jersey. Seeing Winston Churchill passing through Virginia Water on funeral duty

Although I had easy access to every mainline station in London my home line of the SR was my favourite, I actually enjoyed the variety of locos and wish that I had used the years 65-67 more wisely and savoured the last days of steam out of Waterloo. Once again Ruairdh puts together a fascinating selection of clips and well written dialogue. Cheers.

Thank you for this! Two of my favourite loco types.

I've been waiting for this video for a long time. my favourite class of steam in the uk. Another fantastic documentary from Ruairidh, I thought I might add though for those who are interested: 35003 "Royal Mail" was the last steam engine to hit over 100mph authenticated under BR (105.88mph). Only to be beaten by new build Tornado in 2017. 35011 "General Steam Navigation" is the only British steam locomotive to actually contain the word "steam" in its name. It is also currently undergoing restoration, as its hulk was purchased without valve gear the society have decided to rebuild it to original air-smoothed condition at great expense. Meaning itll be the only air smoothed merchant navy around. Worth checking out their progress.

I was really surprised with hearing that they wanted to keep the Steam trains running until the 1990s. What a weird concept. The Shinkansen started operating in 1964.

I 'spotted' most of the Merchant Navy class and the majority of the light Pacifics when I lived near the LSWR main line in the early 1960s. Oddly enough, most of the preserved Merchant Navys are among those I missed, so I reckon I have a second chance while I'm still here

I've been watching these videos for years and never once commented, so Thank you for broadening my knowledge on Br railways!

Hands down my favorite British steam locomotives, sure they had some problems, but I can't help but love them for their looks.

I like the Bulleid Pacifics in their unrebuilt and rebuilt forms.

Magnificent Mr McVeigh. Thankyou!

That certainly brought back some memories. Thank you.

Another superb video history lesson. Keep up the good work of maintaining our UK railway heritage.

During my U.K visits in 2010 and 2014 i rode behind two of The Preserved West Country Class. As built 34007 Wadebridge in 2010 at The Mid Hants railway. And Rebuilt 34028 Eddystone at The Swanage railway in 2014. Though my memory of the latter is a bit vague as it may have been 34046 Braunton.

21C1 Channel Packet and 21C2 Union Castle are my favorite prototypes of the Merchant Navy

Uploaded after I saw Clan Line in person for the first time yesterday. What a coincidence

Top class video - very informative without being patronizing. Well Done!

At 7.20 > 7.30 lovely to see the "Devon Belle" Pullman train with its observation car. Nostalgic for me - my father and his friend worked on it for a time after its inauguration.

Love the Bulleid Pacifics. I have the Hornby oo models of the rebuilt version of Ellerman Lines and the unrebuilt spamcans Tangmere, 92 Squadron, and Sir Eustace Missenden.

Jarvis did a good job on those, turning Bulleid's frankly wild creations into good solid locomotives, the only real problem being the increased hammer blow. Almost unbelievably, he later worked on the HST. Bulleid was described as an "enfant terrible" by E S Cox. Some of his ideas worked, some were crazy, and he threw the whole lot at the spam cans. I think British Railways were relieved to see the back of him.

Superb documentary. Very informative and clearly narrated. Thank you and well done.

Enjoyed the footage, but one glaring error at the end. The last Bulleid Pacific into Waterloo was not 34021, but 35030 Elder Dempster Lines. I was aboard as she hauled the 14.07 from Weymouth to Waterloo on 9 July 1967.

Love me some good ol' clunky streamlined locos!

Excellent: I always thought one of their most underrated plus points were the (original) boilers.

Excellent, what more can I say. Once a year on the tiny line between Reading and Guildford I can see steam. Unfortunately I expect due to covid this didn't happen.

I watched, sadly, from an attic window of my family's house in Raynes Park as the last of the steam hauled Waterloo bound trains from Bournemouth went by. I still have my Triang model.

The other un rebuild bullied manston is undergoing an overhaul as well

Thanks for posting. Excellent as always. But isn't it 'bulleed' and 'tredle'? Just checking %~))

13:45 shows 35017 with LMS tender during the locomotive exchange trials. Done as the as designed Southern tender had no water pickup gear (due a slight absence of water troughs on the Southern)

Two things. First, is there a source regarding the design being based around Eastern Division requirements? I ask that because many years ago I was told by a Southern engineer who was about at the time that the Spam Cans were built that a key requirement was for an express for Basingstoke and west thereof to be clear of Woking without delaying a following Portsmouth electric (he actually gave me the minutes past the hour departures from Waterloo, but I can't remember what they were). Secondly, towards the end it was quite common for BBs or WCs hauling up evening trains from Bournemouth and Weymouth to have at least two firemen on the footplate, and there was a competition amongst the crews to see who could get the furthest fastest (if that makes sense!) from the Basingstoke stop. I certainly witnessed some very quick getaways!

SR Merchant Navy Channel Packet and Royal Mail could have been candidates for preservation upon being withdrawn from British Railways in the 1960s.

21C1 Channel Packet, 21C14 Nederland Line, 35023 Holland Afrika Line, 35004 Cunard White Star, 35012 United States Lines, 35003 Royal Mail and 35030 Elder Dempster Lines are my favorite Merchant Navy locomotives

To think early BR would have kept steam until the nineties boggles my head; great video

Excellent video, as ever, although, as Bulleid put it himself - ''Bulleid rhymes with 'succeed', Maunsell rhymes with 'cancel'''.

Excellent, i learnt a lot that I hadn’t known before. I must admit I’m a heathen who prefers the look of the rebuilt versions, much the same as LMS Coronation Scot’s. I often wonder what LNER A4s would have looked like??? I am always proud that my home town had irs Loco, Croydon

35020 Bibby Line was passing through Crewkerne Station at speed and was trying to break Mallard’s speed record.

They were far better locos after rebuilding where the air-smoothed casing was replaced with a conventional boiler cladding, which gave the driver a much better view forward.

Interesting that you said it was the leaking oil baths (sumps) that caused the wheel-slip. I thought it was more to do with the way the regulator didn’t have a proper 1st stage / 2nd stage valve selection? If anyone actually knows please comment below, ta.

Nice specifics about the Pacifics :)

Was 35020 Bibby Line trying to break Mallard’s speed record at speed while approaching Crewkerne Station?

The SR Merchant Navy and the SR West Country and Battle of Britain Classes were similar in comparison to their designs of streamlining and rebuilt versions. The rebuilt versions were similar in design to the BR Standard Class 9Fs. I’m just wondering why weren’t 21C166 Spitfire and 34086 219 Squadron in preservation?

30 Merchant Navy Classes and 110 West Country and Battle of Britain Classes

"Screw links" were couplings. The reversers were in-cab screw controls of valve events.

What is bullied mean ? Cheers from California !

top notch channel. thank you

nicely presented and well researched

Disposition of the SR West Country and Battle of Britain Class: 37 preserved; remainder scrapped

34019 Bideford is my favorite steam engine

Spam Cans is good in London to train spotters they were Flat Gobs and Q1s were Dustbins

I thought that 21C166 Spitfire was preserved after being withdrawn from service by British Railways in 1966.

35015 Rotterdam Lloyd is my favorite Merchant Navy locomotive

34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair was seen breaking 106 mph on the mainline in 1954

Great video, I love Bulleid's work (even the Q1) - but 'Maunsell' is pronounced 'MANsell', not 'MORNsell'.

34050 Royal Observer Corps is my favorite Battle of Britain Class

35020 Bibby Line was trying to break the Mallard’s speed record

Salisbury could also have been selected for preservation

I always wondered how Bulleid was pronounced - I guessed Bull-eyed but here it's Bully-id. I believe it but I was surprised.

I love these!

Great video :)

5:24 Another excellent video here, but damn it the pronuciation is surely "trehdl". Isn't it?

22:48 not forgetting 35018 British India Line

I like the malachite green livery with yellow lining

Brilliant!

Did any of the Bulleid Pacifics ever broke Mallard’s speed record?

Hi Ruairidh. Great video as ever. I wonder whether you have a more detailed link to the engineering drawings you have used in your video. Sorry, the pedantic in me is fighting to get out: I believe that most people pronounce "Bulleid" as "bulleed" (I stand to be corrected); also treadle (rhyming with treacle) is pronounced "treddle".

It was ashamed that 21C166 Spitfire never made it into preservation in 1966 when another engine was chosen instead due to being in better condition than 21C166 Spitfire and it was scrapped in Barry Scrapyards.

35012 United States Line could have been a candidate for preservation because it’s named after the country of North America

We should never have got rid of steam

1980?????edv

Air smooth is not considered to streamlining

Thanks for not putting me throguh.

The Big Four should have remained in service if World War II didn’t done much damage to the railways of Britain

right

35004 Cunard White Star

Once again a beautifully produced video. Exceptionally well researched and paced perfectly. Bravo!

I can’t believe Ruairdh doesn’t have more subscribers by now. This is one of my favorite channels, always good and interesting

Someone taught me this little poem when I was a schoolboy trainspotter: Bulleid put his running motion In a sort of oily potion So it was the wheels went round But hardly ever touched the ground... From Waterloo they'd gently start With hefty push from rearmost part Speeding swiftly to the west Covered in a cardboard vest! It's not exactly up there with W. H. Auden's "Night Mail", but it's been stuck in my brain for all these years! lol

Thank you for another very interesting and enjoyable video. The unrebuilt Bullied Light Pacific's are my favourite class of steam locomotive and have a unique sound due to their chain driven valve gear. I always look forward to see and being pulled by one at a steam gala.

The boilers on the Bullied pacifics were the best of the era. He had a varied experience in the railway industry, including time at the L&Y Horwich works, where fast and frequently stopping engines were the norm. This is an excellent video - a tribute to a fine engineer.

I've never been a big Southern bloke. I usually drift towards the Great Western, LNER, or the old GCR. But, I will always make an exception when I see a King Arthur or Bulleid Pacific.

Very interesting documentary. My paternal grandmother lived in West Byfleet which was where I first encountered the Bulleid Pacifics during the school holidays. No visit was complete without walking from her house across the footbridge over the Basingstoke Canal to the station. The London bound trains were frequently at full chat under clear signals on the fast lines. I can still remember the very first time. I was 7 years old and used to watching trains on a steeply graded branch line in Sussex. I was blown away (literally) by the gust of wind from a down express! Btw, Maunsell is pronounced Mansell (same as the British F1 champion), not Mornsell. Also, as Glenn Martin pointed out, Bulleid is not pronounced Bully-ed or Bully-id. The drawings for the Lord Nelson class formed the basis of the original LMS Royal Scot class. The Southern Railway provided them to the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow, the company that built the LMS engines.

As a boyhood trainspotter, I spent many an hour lineside on the Waterloo-Bournemouth line. Saw many Bulleid Pacifics, even managed to 'cab' a few. Lovely-looking machines and a tribute to British engineering. This video is a wonderful documentary, full of well-researched information about these great locos. Thanks for bringing back such memories.

I used to live very near Bluebell Railway in Sussex, Blackmoor Vale just took my breath away!! Amazing, and then to see Wadebridge, Eddystone et al together at a festival of giants was a once in a lifetime magic moment! Thank you Mr Bulleid. I have Hornby OO examples running at home to try to re-create that magic as I sadly moved away from my beloved Bluebell. 😥😥😥😥

Great video! always nice to see a video from you on steam locos! One of the reasons why the Southern Railways didn't mass produce top link express locomotives between the King Arthur and Bullied Pacifics was that with the electrification scheme taking priority, there wasn't so much money ( or need ) to withdraw still far from old pre- grouping locomotives like the LBSC Alantics and SECR 4-4-0s (the latter infact evolving into the L1). Locos which under LMS ownership would have been scrapped by the mid 30s unless they were Midland designs.

The overall design was up to date when it was new, and while you mentioned the use of all steel for the boilers, other significant items were the use of Le Maître exhaust (which has a noticeable audible effect on their performance), and the use of Traitment Integrale Armand (TIA) for the water, to minimise problems with hard water. Both concepts being acquired from across the channel.

I went to the same Primary School that Oliver Bullied started at. Mind you, I started there quite a few decades later. This was in NewZealand, I think he was born here in 1885.

Fantastic video crammed with info and great archive and contemporary footage! A few notes: - The rebuilding of the locos by Jarvis wasn't a direct result of the Crewkerne incident. The crank axles were redesigned prior to the decision for a full rebuild. - The balance weights fitted to the rebuilt locos wasn't the cause of the hammer-blow. It was the increased reciprocating weight of the additional valve gear that caused this, the balance weights being fitted to partially alleviate the issue.

34046 and 35018 are running today (9th of April) on railtours.

We never got many up Nottingham way except on football specials on the G.C.but I always liked to see a spam can

Excellent video, as always. Thank you so much Ruairidh for sharing your perspective on Bullied's pacifics - my favourite steam locos; which have such a distinctive design.

Nice presentation on the video of the SR Merchant Navy and West Country and Battle of Britain Classes.

And when I found out that you’re making a video about bullied Pacifics I click the video quicker than the Road runner running away from a coyote