Bullied Southern Pacific WELLS 34092

 

Here our very own Spam Can. Built to O. V. S.

 Bullied’s Southern Railway design, 34092 was

 built in 1949 after the nationalisation of the railways

 in Britain lt was originally named “Wells” but was

 renamed “City of Wells” a year later. When completed,

 it went directly to the London being regularly used on

such prestigious duties as the “Golden Arrow” boat train

 between London and Dover. The engine also had the honour

 on 18th April 1956 of hauling the train carrying leaders

Bulganin and Kruschev from Portsmouth to London

 Victoria and later same year hauled the Royal Train

carrying KingFeisal of lraq from Dover to Victoria.

 

The engine was withdrawn from Salisbury in November 1964 and sold to Woodham Bros. scrap-yard in South Wales, remaining there until being purchased by a group of individuals in 1971 who brought it to the KWVR in November of that year.
The engine was returned to service in 1979 with a re-dedication/naming ceremony at Keighley station being carried out by the then Mayor of Wells, Mr Ernest Wright on 1st April 1980. The loco was maintained to main-line standards and worked all over the country on special charters, earning it the nickname ‘the volcano’ due to its volcanic chimney ‘eruptions’ when working hard. The locomotive was withdrawn in 1989 to begin, what turned out to be, a 25 year restoration back to running order.

 

The rebuilding of the engine, including a return to as-built appearance, was finally completed in August 2014, triumphantly returning to traffic on the 16th August. The locomotive is named 'Wells' after a second rededication ceremony, bringing it back to original. Being a large express engine, ‘Wells’ is popular with both enthusiasts and members of the general public.

 

I seem to remember Richard Hardy telling of firing

34092 on an up Golden Arrow and saying it was a

real sod to fire. Wonder if it's the same, after all he

was shed master at Stewarts Lane at the time.