THE BRIGHTON BALTIC TANK ENGINEMEN |
The information & photos below have been extracted and adapted from the book called
“The Brighton Baltics”
by A.C. Perryman
Brighton Loco June 1925
In the early days of the Baltics, each one had its own driver,
No.327, “Charles C Macrae” was in charge of Driver Ted Purser,also tried out all the other Baltic tank engines when they were new.
Ted later became a locomotive inspector.
No.328, Driver Fred Streeter, a driver of very short stature and his fireman Osborne.
These two engines had the driver's name painted up in the cab. By the time the second batch appeared Nos 329-333, after the First World War, the practice of "one engine, one driver" had been discontinued, and no more names appeared in the cabs.
The following drivers, however, kept fairly well to the engines mentioned, though it is possible other drivers handled them when their "regulars" had a rest day or were on sick leave.
No.329, “Stephenson” was allocated to Drivers Arthur Rodgers, Freddie Groves and Jack Yeates
No.330, was allocated to Driver Fred Christmas, and his fireman was Fred Marchant and later on Reg Moore.
No.331, was allocated when new to Driver Charlie Grainger and fireman G. Burtenshaw.
No.332, was allocated to Driver Arthur Huntley, Harry Hoare and fireman Jack Monet.
No.333, “Remembrance” when new, was given to Harry Funnell; and his fireman was Horace/Harry Fleet. It was also handled by Fred Horsman and his fireman, S. Clark.
These drivers were the “regular” enginemen who drove this engine. The Drivers Harry Challen & Fred Wilson taking over on rest days and probably assisting on other locos as well.
Loco Inspector Ted Purser
This section features the Brighton Baltic Tank Enginemen from 1914-33 and the enginemen that worked on these locomotives. The information has been extracted from a book called The Brighton Baltics.
The author as tried to find anyone of the old drivers who handled these machines in their tank engine days, but at the time of writing this article they had departed from this world. However he did, however, find one who had fired them in their heyday. The author would only identify the engineman by his first name Jim. This was due that at the time of writing the engineman was still alive.
Jim started his career as a cleaner with the old LB&SCR early in 1914 and within a few months the Great War was to burst upon us. The effect of this at Brighton Running Shed, where he worked, was, to use his own words "round the clock manning", and he found himself transferred to the office as a sort of general messenger boy. His duty was from 7.30 p.m. until 8.00 a.m. the following morning. Jim was-a passed fireman by 1916, but there was not always a loco available for him and then he would be confined to the yard, cleaning, or footplate duty in the yard. Pay for this was 3/3d. per day! If he managed to pass the yard signal, and get out on the running road, he qualified for "firing pay which put it up to 3/9d. per day. A top link fireman was paid 4/6d. per day, and a top link driver 8/- per day. "Days" then were about 10 hours.
The Baltics apparently were not too popular with the drivers, not because they were not up to their job. This they did very well, but not very economically. The office had worked out a coal allowance for each class, and drivers werepaid 1d. Per cwt. for all they could save out of this figure.
It would depend, of course, on what sort of duty you were on, but 56 Ibs. per mile was not uncommon! Needless to say,Baltic drivers did not figure very high up on the coal bonus sheets. All sorts of dodges were used to try to boost this, and Jim remembers his driver stopping their engine level with a wagon of coal in Victoria yard. Jim was sent up on the wagon and instructed to pass as many large lumps over as he could. It was large stuff and jolly good coal apparently. It was destined for one of the London Hotels. Anyway, they helped themselves to enough to make a difference to the amount officially burnt on the journey.
Remeberance 333 with its allocated engine drivers Fred Horsman (left) 24.06.1889) and Harry Funnell (right).
The photo was taken on the turntable in Brighton Loco
On 30th September, 1922, Brighton Driver John Yeates was moving his engine No. 329, 'Stephenson,' on to the Brighton turn table. As often occurs the balance was wrong and before turning could commence, Driver Yeates had to reverse a short distance and then run slowly forward across the turn table until the engine's weight was correctly poised. Unfortunately, he forgot the superheater had to be taken into account and although the regulator was closed in time, Stephenson rolled majestically on and over the turn table, through an 8ft.-high brick wall crashed into New England Road injuring a passer by.
At the inquiry, Driver Yeates was severely criticised for driving a superheated engine within the shed precincts without having the cylinder drain cocks open and therefore not being in full control of its movement.
Stephenson comes to a halt demolishing the Brighton loco wall
Top Link driver Fred Christmas and fireman Ray/Reg Moore early 1920s
Fred Christmas started in February 1883
On the Baltics, the cab floor-boards tended to shrink a bit in service, with the heat, so that coal dust fell through thejoints, on to the framing below. On the faster sections Jim says the draught coming through, was very unpleasant, and brought some coal dust with it! .
Fred Christmas decided he'd do something about it, and managed to "acquire" several of the afore-mentioned carpets.These the crew placed strategically over the board joints and conditions were greatly improved. Not for long however! An eagle-eyed loco inspector spotted them, and asked a lot of awkward questions concerning their origin! The result was that they lost their first class carpets, and had to revert to bare boards again!
Driver Charlie Granger, Fireman G. Burtenshaw Ted Purser Locomotive Inspector.
Outside Brighton M.P.D
One afternoon in late LBSCR days, Harry Rampton was in charge of 327, with Fred Weston as his fireman. On this particular day there was some trouble with the turntable at Victoria, and Harry was unable to turn his engine. Nothing daunted, he went back, and coupled on to his train, his engine now facing Brighton bunker-first! He made an excellent run, and arrived with a few minutes in hand. Fred Weston reported that the engine rode superbly throughout. This is to believed to be the only recorded instance of a Baltic working a first class express bunker-first.
Early In its career 327 was involved' in an incident so fantastic, that it is hard to believe. Driver Charlie Peters, who was also over at the shed at this time and actually received the telephone message saying that 327 was' off the road.The loco was hauling the 8.10 a.m. "Up" fast to Victoria on August 17 1914 and near Hassocks the coupled wheels actually left the road and left tell-tale marks on the sleepers! What is even more fantastic is that some distance further on they re-railed themselves and neither the engine nor the train suffered any damage. Ted Purser's report stated that he noticed the engine was riding rather roughly near Hassocks! It was this incident which led to the withdrawal of both 327 and 328 and their confinement to Brighton Shed for some time, whilst the works evolved the cure for their erratic behaviour.
Driver Charlie Peters Trails Driver, Mr Gatson the Foreman Painter & Bob Bolton Fitter.
Jim also had a turn on 329 Stephenson with Arthur Rodgers. This latter man was a real “fireman killer”, the only driver he was ever with, who would have the regulator right over on the second valve, going down from Balcombe Tunnel to Horley. Jim swears that they must have done ninety down there! Rodgers liked Jim's firing, and asked him if he would like to be his regular fireman and he would get him transferred to 329. As Jim was unable to put the shovel down, until they cleared Balcombe Tunnel going "up", he declined the offer! Jim says that 329 was fitted with valves of the "trick" pattern and when starting away from East Croydon, under the bridge, with a down train, Arthur Rodgers would open the regulator wide, many times hitting him with the other end of the handle! 329 would then momentarily "Set back into the train" before taking it away without a trace of slipping. At this time, on the Brighton, the first class compartments had a lush carpet on the floor, with the Company's initials in monogram form, worked into the pattern.
Engine Driver Harry Funnell (18.10.1889) & his Fireman Horace/Harry Fleet () standing on Battersea Shed.
Engine Driver Harry Funnell (18.10.1889)
Harry Funnell was not only a loco driver by profession, but a great locomotive enthusiast. He spent over 42 years in the company's service, 20 of which were on the main line, as a typical LB&SC engineman. His early main line experience was with the Marsh 13 tanks, until he took over 333 and many fine runs with the latter stand to his credit.
Upon the advent of the "King Arthurs" at Brighton Shed about 1926, Harry changed to No.799 Sir Iron side leavingRemembrance to Harry Rampton and Harry Challen.
He was appointed to the post of Test or Trial Driver in April 1930. He had just completed a test run to Littlehampton, and on arriving back at Brighton, he collapsed and died beside his engine on June 17th 1931, at the age of 59. Railway enthusiasts thus lost a genial man, ever ready to discuss locomotives with those interested in them, by whom he was much respected.
Fireman Osborne leaning out of the cab on the 8:03 Brighton - Victoria in August 1919.
With 56 1/2 tons on the coupled wheels, and 22" x 28" cylinders the Baltics could get away rapidly with a heavy trainand Jim says that some drivers considered them superior to the "King Arthurs" in this respect. They were also very smooth riding machines, vastly superior to the "Arthurs", At one time Jim was posted to "King Arthur" No.797, andsays it so shook him up that he was laid up for 3 months. He asked to be posted back on Baltics upon returning to duty. He considers all locos with no carrying wheels under the cab to be "rough riders".
With the closure of 1932, saw the withdrawal of steam locomotives working regularly between London and Brighton. The last steam “Southern Belle” from Victoria, the 3.5 p.m., on Saturday, December 31, 1932, was hauled by ex L.B. & S.C.R. ‘L class' Baltic tank No. 2332, “Remembrance”. Engines of this class had not been used for the “ Southern Belle” for some years, and mdd it a fitting finale.
The last regular Steam service from Victoria to Brighton was the 12:05 a.m. on the morning of the 1st January 1933. Hauled by ex L.B. & S.C.R. 'L class' Baltic Tank, no 2329 “Stephenson”, and worked by Engineman Rodgers (is standing next to the locomotive) and Fireman C. Stoner is seen leaning out of the cab. (Bro. C. Stoner, later served as Brighton No.2 Branch of A.S.L.E.F. Branch Secretary between 1951 - 1964.
The naming ceremony of the last Brighton built locomotive to be produced by the L.B.S.C.R.
L. Class “Baltic Tank" locomotive at Brighton locomotive works No. 333 Remembrance in 1922
The quality of this video is very poor but its how London Bridge in 1931 with an electric suburban train trying to catch up with a Brighton express train being hauled by a Brighton Baltic engine.
The Remembrance Class returning to Brighton
Class N15x No. 32329 “Stephenson” on Brighton Shed, 23rd June 1956. This was one of her last duty before withdrawal was a commemorative train from London Bridge to Brighton, and was aptly for the Stephenson Locomotive Society, the journey was completed in 60 minutes