35007 Aberdeen Commonwealth

Having struck lucky with a photo, here is the final send off to 35007 at Nine Elms on the evening of 8th July 1967 with a motley crew aboard!

Sorry the first posting about this superb machine is at the end but she did excel in the last week coming up on the 8.51 arrival with Driver Domm on his last steam run. We sat in the eighth coach and as we approached Eastleigh there was a deafening clatter of cinders on the coach roof. A wonderful run of which I appear to have no log. Anyone help? As you all know No 7 blew the inside cylinder cover at Brookwood but managed to reach Waterloo and that was the end. I'd like to see a class 47 blow a cylinder cover at Brookwood and reach Waterloo!!



JT

That is one Top photo!!!!

I suspect 'elf & safety would have a fit nowadays.

Anyway, Don, I have a log which I'll send

John

I suspect they would - But that is a great photo that you can all cherrish!! And Health and Safety has gone mad as we all know......

I take it that you all got up via a ladder and and not climbed up on the Rods and pulled yourselves up onto the running plate?

Is that Tony Leaver again in the middle??? If so, he is becoming a bit of an icon!!! (5th person in from the left)
And to think he has looked after me numerous times when I was a youngster!!!

So we get to the point that i would like to know that wasn't "35007 Aberdeen Commonwealth" a fab loco and reached a high speed record/timing? As I have heard she was fab in her hey-day....???

Thanks

Andy

I think i can identify most of the "motley crew" on the running plate of that fine machine 35007.

Right to left -

Peter Coton
Les Kent (me!)
John Clifford
Richard Woodley
???
David Foale
Tony Leaver
Chap only known to me as "irish"
Paul ???
Alan Hayes
???
Dick Wesham

There are two others missed off this print.standing by the tender - John Tiley and David Huntley.

Should anyone be interested!

I'm sure Tony Leaver will know who the others are - I can ask him at the Nine Elms Reunion on August 5th if you like??

One question though and that is "How did they manage to get on the running plate and on shed"???

We got on the loco fairly easily by using the footsteps on the front of
loco and walking along. Nobody fell off!

Didn't Aberdeen Commonwealth run up the highest Mileage of all the Bulleids?

35022 wrote:I think i can identify most of the "motley crew" on the running plate of that fine machine 35007.

Right to left -

Peter Coton
Les Kent (me!)
John Clifford
Richard Woodley
???
David Foale
Tony Leaver
Chap only known to me as "irish"
Paul ???
Alan Hayes
???
Dick Wesham

There are two others missed off this print.standing by the tender - John Tiley and David Huntley.

Should anyone be interested!

You've got the order wrong there. David Foale is the sixth from right, but that's not Tony Leaver standing next to him. He is eighth from the right.

I am 4th from left and great to see this again. Paul Howard

On the 6th July 1967, I was firing to Fred Domm on 35007 Aberdeen Commonwealth on the 19.14 Southampton-Waterloo (17.30 Weymouth) and remember it with pride. I am certain we would have made the ton as she was loving evry minute of it. RIP Aberdeen Commonwealth. Gone but not forgotten!

Is there any video footage of 35007 from any members?

Any more photos of 007 at Nine Elms?

Ready for my Nine Elms model project I've just got my heavily weathered version back form Howes with sound fitted!

Martin