D1921 - D1928

do you remember the days, that D1921 -D1928 took over majority of our Steam Workings, from Waterloo to Bournemouth. But then, we had our heyday. Due to problems with the Clayton Boiler, for Steam Heat, we had a Bulleid steam engine.

Come on Don, Bryan and Tony, and John; surely you remember those days? And our poor, good old fitter, couldnt rectify them?

Out of interest, some of those are still about, D1921 is now 47755 and is preserved, D1922 is now 47245 with Riviera Trains (WCRC), D1924 is 47810 "Captain Sensible" with Cotswold Rail (out of service, no OTDR), I believe that, as D1924, this loco worked the Bournemouth Belle on 09/07/67?.
D1927 is stored at Barrow Hill as 47249, D1928 was rebuilt as a class 57 and is now Virgin Trains 57302 "Virgil Tracey"

The others are now scrapped.

Good job you didn't get your muckies on D1787 (aka 47306 "The Sapper") -still no boiler in that one, as built

Yes I remember these Brush Type 4s as they were known then. I really thought we would escape them on the Bournemouth line in the last few months as I suspected the authorities would not want to train everyone on them. No such luck! I did manage to avoid many runs with them but as steam turns dwindled they became pretty unavoidable.

You are quite right that D1924 powered the last down Belle (See p181 of John Bird's book Southern Steam Sunset). I always thought that not putting steam on the last Belle was one of the great lost opportunities. It would not have affected the general public's views on electrification and only went to show that authority had no sense of tradition.

As we were young and idiotic at the time I know we christened the first three 47s, Scrubbing Brush, Paint Brush and Lavatory Brush.

Time heals however and on a recent Cathedrals Express we had 47 245 and I remember thinking with some affection 'Ah, Paint Brush'! So now old and idiotic!