Southern Railways Merchant Navy Class 35018 British India Line
1,575 views · Published 21 October 2018 · 2:00 · Indexed 7 October 2026
Channel: Trains Trains Trains · 2018 · People & Blogs
Please follow me on social media Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/TravelandTrainsAdventure Twitter:- https://twitter.com/JudithSchooling Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/judithschooling/ Please watch: "The abandoned Eurostar" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq14YnFOewQ --~-- 35018 British India Line was one of the first batch of twenty SR Merchant Navy Class steam locomotives to be built by the Southern Railway in 1945. Completed at Eastleigh Works in May 1945, British India Line was first shedded at Nine Elms shed, where it was to remain for most of its career, under both the Southern Railway and British Railways. On 24 November 1960 it was re-allocated to Bournemouth's 71B shed, but in January of the following year it returned to Nine Elms 70A shed where it was to remain for the rest of its career with BR. 35018 was withdrawn from service in August 1964 and was sold onto Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales where it arrived in December of the same year. When built in 1945 no 35018 emerged in a streamlined condition with air smoothed casing, all-welded firebox, chain-driven valve gear, which was sealed in an oil bath, thermic siphons, electric lighting for both front of engine and cab (powered by a steam-powered generator) and a steam reverser. The original engines also had a higher boiler pressure of 280psi (later reduced to 250psi during rebuild) Owing to mechanical issues with the unrebuilt merchant navy's including an accident at Crewkerne in 1953 which involved classmember 35020 Bibby Line, it was decided to rebuild the entire class to a more conventional design. This would include the removal of the air smoothed casing which would be replaced by conventional boiler cladding and replacement of the chain-driven valve gear with three sets of Walschaerts valve gear. The unique Bullied Firth Brown wheels would remain as well as other original parts which did work but the rebuilt engines would emerge in a completely different shape to their original form. 35018 Emerged from Eastleigh works in Feb 1956 and was to become the first engine of the class to emerge in the new modified shape. Following the rebuilding of all the merchant navy class engines the success of the modification programme was also to influence the design of the future modification of 'Light Pacifics'. Despite being rebuilt in 1956 it was to only remain in service for eight more years till August 1964 when it was withdrawn from service becoming the fifth member of the class to be retired from operation. Following her withdrawal from service by BR it was purchased by Barry Scrapyard for eventual disposal, it arrived at Barry Island in March 1965.
