GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Rowington Junction & Troughs: gwrrj1479

Great Western Railway 2-6-0 43xx class mogul No 6385 picking up water as it heads north with a rake of ex-SECR stock in 1933. This is probably the 9:10 Deal to Birkenhead cross country service which ran via Ashford, Redhill, Reading, Oxford, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and Chester, arriving at Birkenhead at 18:15. This express normally comprised eight coaches including a restaurant car. The two companies took turns in supplying the coaching stock with the Great Western Railway responsible on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the Southern on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The engines were normally changed at Reading. In 1921 the Great Western Railway placed an order for fifty 43xx class locomotives with an external manufacturer - R. Stephenson & Co. (Lot 218). Thirty five locomotives were constructed by the company including No 6385 and the remaining fifteen were supplied in parts to Swindon for assembly. Completed in August 1921 No 6385 was modified in April 1932 when outside steam pipes were fitted. No 6385 was known to be allocated to Reading shed (RDG) in January 1934 and in December 1947, prior to nationalisation, allocated to Worcester shed (WOS). No 6385 was withdrawn from Didcot shed (81E) in December 1963 and scrapped in June 1964 by RA King of Norwich.

Robert Ferris

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