LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443

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46443 at Kidderminster

46443 is an LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway IvattHenry George Ivatt, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1946-1948. CME of BR (London Midland Region) 1948-1951 Class 2, designed by H.G. (George) IvattHenry George Ivatt, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1946-1948. CME of BR (London Midland Region) 1948-1951 for work on secondary and branch line duties. Locomotives of this class were often referred to as a "Mickey Mouse". It is a 2-6-0 'Mogul', rated 2MTThe 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. by BRBritish Rail or British Railways following nationalisation. The design of the BRBritish Rail or British Railways Standard class 2 2-6-0 closely followed the IvattHenry George Ivatt, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1946-1948. CME of BR (London Midland Region) 1948-1951 Class 2 design.

46443 in service

46443 was built at BRBritish Rail or British Railways’s Crewe works in April 1950 and was based at Derby for 11 years. In 1951 46443 moved to Saltley, where duties were limited to infrequent rush hour journeys. A final move to Newton Heath (near Manchester) in 1966 was followed by withdrawal in March 1967.

46443 in preservation

46443 was purchased from BRBritish Rail or British Railways by Richard Willcox in 1967, and was the second engine to arrive on the Severn Valley Railway, arriving under its own steam on 22nd April that year.[1] The SVR(H) bought the locomotive in 1972, but announced in 1983 that the locomotive had been sold as part of the deal that brought 45690 Leander to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, and would be leaving the following year. A fund was launched to 'buy back' the locomotive, during which time it gained the nickname 'The Peoples Engine', and 46443 never left the SVRSevern Valley Railway. It is now owned by the SVR 46443 Fund. A part of the successful fund-raising entailed the sale of T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase "46443 The Peoples Engine".

Although only a Class 2 locomotive, 46443 has fully earned a place in the list of SVRSevern Valley Railway locomotives that have worked on the main line. During the 1985 GWRGreat Western Railway 150 celebrations 46443 hauled a number of Bristol-Portishead shuttles. In July 1987, 46443 was asked to punch well above her weight when sent to Wales to replace Class 4MTThe 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. 75069 on the BRBritish Rail or British Railways Cardigan Bay Express service. On arrival, the BRBritish Rail or British Railways footplate crews expressed the opinion that they would be "creeping around with three coaches at 20 mph!'. The first on-time arrival at Barmouth brought forth the comment "She steams quite well, doesn't she!". An early return to Machynlleth gave rise to "She isn't a bad little engine, is she!". Within two days, "I'd take ten to Pwllheli with her anytime!".

Date Tour name Route Notes Web SVRSevern Valley Railway News
02 Jun 1985 GW150 Portishead Shuttles Bristol Temple Meads - Portishead return 79-2
21 Jul 1985 GW150 Portishead Shuttles Bristol Temple Meads - Portishead return 77-38
15 Sep 1985 GW150 Portishead Shuttles Bristol Temple Meads - Portishead return Spent total of 3 weeks in Bristol SBJ 79-26
22 Sep 1985 Wapping Wharf Steam Shuttles Bristol Temple Meads - Bristol Harbour (Wapping Wharf) SBJ
27 Jul 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2 46443 first trip 85-11
28 Jul 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2
29 Jul 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2
05 Aug 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2 86-42
10 Aug 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2 86-36
12 Aug 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2 SBJ
24 Aug 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2 86-43
25 Aug 1987 Cardigan Bay Express Machynlleth - Barmouth + return x2 86-40
26 Sep 1987 Bham Moor St - Dorridge Shuttles, also Bham -Stratford Last day of the old Moor Street Station 87-34
For further information on sources and references, see The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

A regular at the SVRSevern Valley Railway ever since, 46443 had covered 145,997 miles in preservation when withdrawn from service in October 2011. It is now on display in The Engine House awaiting its next overhaul.

46443 features on the pub sign of The Railwayman's Arms at Bridgnorth.

See also

List of Locomotives on the SVR
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

References

Past editions of SVRSevern Valley Railway News
Information display board in The Engine House

  1. A G Cleaver, "The Early Days Of The 'Severn Valley'", SVRSevern Valley Railway News 190 (2015) p19.

Links

LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 on Wikipedia