Southern Steam - the naming of Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No.21C1 as 'Channel Packet' in

The SR Merchant Navy Class, also known as Bulleid Pacifics, Spam Cans or Packets, was a class of 30 air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid. The Pacific design was chosen in preference to several others proposed by Bulleid. The first members of the class were constructed during the Second World War, and the last of the 30 locomotives in 1949.

Incorporating a number of new developments in British steam locomotive technology, the design of the Packets was among the first to use welding in the construction process; this enabled easier fabrication of components during the austerity of the war and post-war economies. The locomotives featured thermic syphons and Bulleid's innovative, but controversial, chain-driven valve gear. The class members were named after the Merchant Navy shipping lines involved in the Battle of the Atlantic, and latterly those which used Southampton Docks, an astute publicity masterstroke by the Southern Railway, which operated Southampton Docks during the period.

Due to problems with some of the more novel features of Bulleid's design, all members of the class were rebuilt by British Railways during the late 1950s, losing their air-smoothed casings in the process.

First to emerge from Eastleigh Works in 1941 was No.21C1, seen here her naming ceremony (at Eastleigh) on 10th March that year.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Merchant Navy
• Navy
• Class
• Spamcan
• Packet
• Bulleid Pacific
• 21c1
• 35001
• 4-6-2
• steam
• british
• rail
• railways
• locomotive

[2010ditta]

What livery would she have been in? Wartime grey or the malachite green? Thank you.

[SouthernRailwayFilms]

@2010ditta Channel Packet was released to traffic sporting a matt Malachite livery in February 1941. Repainted black in December 1943, regular gloss Malachite in December 1945, BR Blue in October 1949 and finally BR Brunswick Green in May 1952.

[NikkiAist]

Such an important event, and the driver manages to mess up starting off and spinning the wheels, that must have been embarassing...

[SouthernRailwayFilms]

@NikkiAist They were extremely prone to slipping when starting, even when rebuilding lowered their boiler pressure and thus reduced their tractive effort. With experience, a good driver could just about avoid it, but how many drivers were experienced MN handlers in March 1941? Gresley's LNER pacifics (which Bulleid had a hand in, of course) and their progeny were no less prone to spectacular displays of spin.

[JimTLonW6]

Interesting film, I hadn't known that these were actually built during WW2, it must have been difficult to get authorisation then, so the Southern must have been able to make a strong case.

[baldgit646]

Does any one know if any of the coffee tables that were made with the enamel centres have survived ?