LMS Stanier Mogul 13268

BR Riddles 4MT 75069
BR Standard 4MT 75069
Built By	BR Swindon Works
Configuration	4-6-0
BR rating	4MT
Status	In service
Loco Number	75069
History
Built	1955
Designed By	Robert Riddles
Type	BR Standard 4MT
1973	Arrived on SVR
1984	First steamed in preservation
1994	Withdrawn for overhaul
2018	Return to service
Technical
Length	60ft 0"
Weight	67t 18cwt
Tractive effort	25,515 lb
Pressure	225 lb/sq in
Steam Locomotives

75069 at Hastings circa 1992

75069 is a BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 locomotive designed by R.A. Riddles. The Standard 4MT was designed for mixed traffic use on secondary routes where the BR Standard Class 5 and its predecessor, the ‘Black Five’, would be too heavy.

75069 in service

75069 was one of the final batch allocated to the BR Southern Region which were built with a larger tender. This gives greater coal and water capacity, but restricting the weight and route restrictions to that of the Standard Class 5.

75069 was built in 1955 at BR’s Swindon works and entered traffic at Dover. It was fitted with a double chimney at Eastleigh in 1960, returning to traffic at Stewart's Lane. After just 11 years in service around London and the South Coast, the locomotive was withdrawn from service at Eastleigh in September 1966.

Being a Southern engine 75069 is paired with a BR1B tender. This weighs approximately 49 tons (49.94 t), carrying 4,250 gallons of water and approximately 7 tons of coal.

75069 in preservation

75069 arrived on the SVR from Barry Scrapyard on 31 March 1973. Fund raising was helped by a raffle organised by the SVRA Birmingham Branch in 1973, and a further raffle to help fund the restoration and boiler re-tube in 1978. In 1983 another raffle organised by the SVRA Birmingham Branch was held to raise funds for superheater elements. The restoration which lasted more than 11 years was completed just in time for the locomotive, still in undercoat, to take part in the September 1984 Enthusiasts’ Weekend.

In addition to service on the SVR during the following 10 years, 75069 also made a number of appearances on the main line. In 1987 the locomotive was due to work a full Cardigan Bay Express season along with 7819 Hinton Manor, but was unable to complete this due to a crack in the back left hand flange of the firebox. 'Mickey Mouse' 46443 was sent to Machynlleth to deputise and proved a worthy replacement. The firebox was repaired by the insertion of a new copper lap and a re-studded seam; however subsequent investigation of the boiler led to 75069 missing the 1988 season while the flue tubes were replaced.

75069 resumed service in 1989 and also returned to main line duties in 1991. The last main line tour was a one-way working from Kidderminster to Minehead in April 1994, following which 75069 spent the season on hire to the West Somerset Railway. During the visit, the boiler incurred some failures to tubes and elements and following a return by road, cracks were found in the back firebox flange, resulting in the locomotive being withdrawn from service.

A full list of 75069’s main line appearances between 1984 and 1994 is as follows:

Date	Tour name	Route	Notes	Web	SVR News
02 Mar 1985	Red Dragon	Newport - Swindon - Gloucester	75069 first main line run		76-30
27 Jul 1985	Red Dragon	Newport - Worcester Shrub Hill	D/H with 92220, after attending Newport open day	SBJ	77-10
27 Aug 1985	GW150 Celebrations Excursions	Swindon - Gloucester - Swindon	Shared duties with Clun Castle	SBJ	77-16
01 Sep 1985	GW150 Celebrations Excursions	Swindon - Gloucester - Swindon	Shared duties with Clun Castle	SBJ	77-16
22 Mar 1986	South Yorkshireman	Tyseley (LE) - Saltley - Marylebone	Took over from 777 Sir Lamiel	SBJ	79-6
12 Apr 1986	William Shakespeare	London Marylebone - High Wycombe - Banbury - Stratford		SBJ	80-14
31 May 1986	Red Dragon	Hereford - Newport - Swindon	D/H with 5690 (SBJ incorrectly shows as 31 March)	SBJ	79-20
28 Jun 1986		Swindon-Newport-Herfeford	D/H with 5690		81-40
28 May 1987	Cardigan Bay Express	Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2			85-33
29 May 1987	Cardigan Bay Express	Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2			85-33
12 Sep 1987	John Player Special	Nottingham - Tyseley	Tour continued to London with Clan Line		86-11
13 Sep 1987		Derby - Matlock x2			87-2
16 Jun 1991	Cambrian Limited	Barmouth - Shrewsbury	(7819 worked the outward leg)	SBJ	100-38
23 Jun 1991	Cambrian Limited	Barmouth - Shrewsbury	(7819 worked the outward leg)	SBJ	100-38
19 Oct 1991	Cam 85 Special	Crewe - Hereford - Kidderminster	W.A. 'Cam' Camwell Birthday special	SBJ	106-50
07 Jun 1992	Ashford 150 Festival	Ashford - Hastings - Ashford		SBJ	103-19
28 Jun 1992	Devon Belle	Exeter Central - Salisbury		SBJ	103-19
28 Dec 1993	Christmas Steam Special	London Victoria - Brighton - London Victoria		SBJ
27 Apr 1994	Exmoor Explorer	Kidderminster-Minehead			111-41
For further information on sources and references, see The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

After a lengthy period in storage, hopes of a return to service were raised in early 2009 when work was carried out to assess the condition of the boiler. However this assessment revealed that significant work would be required and 1501, seen as a potential quick turnaround, was selected for overhaul instead. 75069’s Heavy General repair finally began in early 2013: the boiler barrel and much of the firebox was entirely new and many of the fittings and almost all of the pipework were replaced. A new cab, new smokebox and chimney, replacement steelwork in the tender coal space and new drag box were among other major repairs. Work cost over £900,000 and involved more than 25,000 man hours of effort. Although initially advertised as returning to traffic prior to both the 2017 and 2018 Autumn Steam Galas, the locomotive's first test runs started 11 December 2018 with her boiler exam two days later. She returned to traffic 16 February 2019 at the start of the season's services.

In the early morning of 22 July 2019, 75069 collided with a fallen tree between Hampton Loade and Country Park Halt while running light engine from Bridgnorth to work a service train from Kidderminster. The locomotive’s bogie was derailed and although the bogie axles were found not to have been bent, a number of front end fittings were damaged including the guard irons, steam heat and vacuum pipes, and a cylinder drain cock casting and drain pipe. After repairs, the locomotive resumed service on Friday 6 September.

At the end of 2019, 75069 had recorded a total of 63,467 miles in preservation on the SVR. The reported total may include mileage on the main line and on hire to other railways. The locomotive is owned by The 75069 Fund.

See also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line
SVR-based locomotives visiting other events

Links

BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0 on Wikipedia

British Rail or British Railways

Robert Arthur "Robin" Riddles, Member of the Railway Executive for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering responsible for the design of the British Rail Standard Class locomotives

The British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic.

Severn Valley Railway

Great Western Railway

London Midland & Scottish Railway

Southern Railway

London & North Eastern Railway