Top of the Lickey
Submitted by vaughan on 5th November 2010
Taken from the footplate of Lickey banker class 9F, Jubilee number 45664 "Nelson" is seen approaching Blackwell, with a Bristol express.
The 9F is waiting for the Bristol train to pass before descending back down the 1 in 37 Lickey bank to Bromsgrove.
I took the photograph in, or around, 1960. In those days it was possible to access the yards at Bromsgrove and get footplate rides on the banking locomotives to Blackwell and back (couldn't see that sort of thing happening today!).
When I first visited the Lickey in 1954 the 0-10-0 "Big Bertha" was still being used to push trains up the hill, but only being ten years old, I did not have a camera! Oh! but I wish I had!
Vaughan.
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Hello Vaughan - That Jubilee appears to be working ' Wrong Line '? Or did the the 'down' line to Bristol pass to the left of the 9F ? Why is the 9F apparently facing chimney down the bank? I always believed that all bank engines pointed chimney up the hill! There was a notice to enginemen about ensuring this in Broomsgrove Shed. Is it possible the 9F was on a freight in a refuge? Did you footplate up the Lickey? I am old enough to have photographed 'Big Bertha' but to date I haven't found any trace of the photos I took. They have probably got lost somewhere in two trans-ocean moves. They might turn up one day! They could have been interesting as I remember being on a train with a Black Five on. We going to Tamworth [ To that famous allotment by the down line London end of Tamworth - Low Level ] Being in the 'know' we we had got ourselves into the last coach it one of those older Midland third/brake coaches with end windows - we had talked the guard into allowing us to be in the gaurds area. Anyways we were lucky to get the banker we hoped for - ' Big Bertha ' buffered up to us and we got to hear her war cry from just a few feet away as she pushed our train mightily up the Lickey. I must re-double my efforts to find them, I don't hold out too much hope though as I can't remember seeing them in over 40 years! Dreaming again, where is my time machine? Phil H. Leura. Oz.
PS - Having carefully read your text, I can now answer my question - the Jubilee is at the head of a Bristol bound express. I had firstly read it as an express from Bristol. Therefore the 9F is in the bank engine refuge between the main roads at Backwell, chimney facing towards Birmingham. That gets the loco the right way around for the bank. Sorry about my question please ignore it. Phil.
Morning Phil,
As you say, you have answered your own questions.
The 9F is at the top of the bank, facing Birmingham, and it is in the refuge siding. The main line is to the left of the 9F. The Jubilee is about to descend the bank.
Yes, I did get footplate rides up the bank. I would approach the drivers of the banking locos at Bromsgrove and ask for a footplate ride to Blackwell and back. I had many trips with them, not only on the 9F, but on the GW Pannier tanks that had replaced the Jinties at that time.
I do recall that the shed at Bromsgrove was using an ex Caledonian Pug (56020, I think) as a stationary boiler at that time. Quite a "Cop" to have it underlined in my Ian Allan ABC!
I have a resonable photo of an unrebuilt Patriot ascending the Lickey somewhere, I will dig it out and 'post' it soon.
All the best,
Vaughan.
Good evening Vaughan - I've just read your reply, I'll look out for your Patriot photo in days to come. There were quite a few visits by Un-rebuilt Patriots to Bristol in fact from the late 1950's we even had one or two shedded for a time at 22A Barrow Road. '45509 Derbyshire Yeomanry' and '45519 Lady Godiva' come to mind. I have a poor photo of 45519 moving thro Bristol Temple meads I'll post soon. I cannot recall ever seeing a rebuilt Patriot at Bristol but we did get the occasional Royal Scot. I doubt that I still have the photos of the 0 - 10 - 0 'Big Bertha' I wrote about, thinking about it I'm missing all my photos taken at Tamworth later on the same trip. They must have got lost in moving from England to New Zealand in 1973 or there to Australia in 2001. Most likely the former as I haven't given them a thought in many until your Lickey photo. Regards Phil H. Leura. Oz.