1938 Stock variations

Last week I visited the Isle of Wight for a day riding on heritage trains, the steam line and the old LT 38 stock.

Its a few years since I visited and the fleet has had an overhaul and repaint back into original LT colours.

When I went back through my photo collection I realised I had photographed most of the livery variations used on the 38's so I thought I would post them here

The original Livery with the window bars painted cream, many of the last units used on the Northern Line also had this livery variation to mark the end of service

This is the preserved Unit seen in 1996 at Cockfosters Depot

This is the more conventional livery seen on the vehicle preserved at the LT Museum at Covent Garden

Some units were used by the engineers and received yellow livery

This is the weedkilling unit which was taken out out service a couple of years ago but still survives at West Ruislip Depot

And now for something completely different, The tunnel cleaning train.

A heavily converted 38 stock has been turned into what is basically a giant vacuum cleaner.

Like the weedkiller was withdrawn a few years ago as the job is now done using a few modified wagons.

These are the last 38's still owned by the Underground

The Isle of Wight

 When the 38's were first taken over to the Island they had been given a full overhaul at Eastleigh and recived Network South East Livery.

When the NSE livery was getting a little shabby it was given a pale blue with dinosaur graphics, as many dinosaurs have been found on the island over the years.

For me personally I didn't like it and it cheapened the look of the classic 38's

Bringing us up to date is the original livery.

A few years ago the the Dino livery faded rather quickly and one set was painted in London Transport red allbeit with a yellow warning panel to comply with todays regulations.

It was planned for the fleet to have different liveries from various companies I.e. Southern and BR but this never emerged and the lot were pained LT red 

One unit which was never mentioned on the Island was the spares train.

The Idea was if a spare body shell was need they had two to chose from but these were stripped for spares in 1991 when the fleet was reduced in size. 

A bit of a sad ending is unit 001.

When the fleet was reduced by half in the 90's the best vehicles were kept and the rest were kept for spares.

001 is seen in the grave yard having been partially stripped of spares and was later cut up

A plethora of Pecketts

Over the last couple of months I haven't had much opportunity to get to preserved lines due to the extremely wet drought we have been experiencing.

Many of the lines I have visited have been the smaller ones who run "Industrials". For me I love to see these locos running and are just as interesting as the big main line steam engines, but most of the locos I have been seeing are Pecketts

The first I visited was the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Line, they dont have any steam of their own but do hire in a different loco every year.

This years loco was Peckett 1859 'Sir Gomer'.

I have a bit of a personal attachment with this loco as I remember seeing it run at Mountain Ash colliery  when I was a kid in the 1970's.

Also I was involved in the restoration of it at Cardiff before the then owning group then moved to Barry.

  

Another line I visited was the Bristol Harbour Railway, I was so impressed at my visit in the winter when nothing was running (see previous blog) I had to go back on an operating day.

Sadly the drought conditions ment I got drenched but the  dockside cranes made a brilliant backdrop for steam.

This line may only have one locomotive Peckett 1940, as it is a council run attraction but it is well worth a visit especially if your thinking about modelling an industrial railway.

Another place which had Pecketts was the National Railway Museum

The first running was 'Teddy' No 2012 this is claimed to be the smallest standard gauge steam loco

The second Peckett at the event was 2150 also known as the 'Mardy Monster'.

This is the largest and most powerful saddle tank locomotive in the UK.

I remember seeing this loco dumped at Maerdy Colliery in the 70's (also not two spellings of Maerdy, on the loco it's spelt the english way), back then the loco was in a condition where it could have come out of Woodhams so it's good too see it up and running.

For more of my pics of these lines and other events I went to where there are no Pecketts have a look at my Flickr site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_adams/