MidlandRed.net

Today, Bank Holiday Monday 29 May 2023, saw the Pathfinder 'Crompton Torbay Venturer' charter train at Worcester Shrub Hill hauled by rather work-worn West Coast Railways 33029 and 33025. A total of 98 of these Type 3 locomotives were built between 1960 and 1962 by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) of Smethwick for the Southern Region of British Railways. Powered by an 8 cylinder Sulzer 8LDA28 of 1,550 BHP, built under licence by Vickers Armstrong of Barrow-in-Furness, attached to a Crompton Parkinson main generator these relatively small locomotives were, and still are, lively performers for their size with an allowed maximum speed of 85 MPH.

For a time in the 1980s they could be found working through Hereford on Cardiff to Crewe services interworked with Cardiff - Bristol - Portsmouth Harbour trains, so quite well travelled in their final days of service.
I lived in Somerset for a couple of years and managed to time these locomotives on their 'home' ground, 33001 on 26 February 1983 working Brighton to Exeter service and on 27 August 1983 33063 and 33045 double-heading the Brighton to Penzance service.

Great stuff Tim. Got to love a 33!
Rode behind 33002 'Sea King' today on the South Devon Railway, was in fine form!

MattW wrote: ↑

20:18 Monday 29th May 2023

Great stuff Tim. Got to love a 33!
Rode behind 33002 'Sea King' today on the South Devon Railway, was in fine form!

The South Devon Railway is well worth a visit, nice friendly volunteers and a very scenic journey alongside the meandering river Dart - if you're lucky might even see a pair of Dipper birds doing their thing among the stones and boulders where the shallower sections of the river pass through wooded glades. The Worcester Locomotive Society GWR Pannier tank 5786 has been working there for some time now and its boiler certificate is up tomorrow if websites are correct. Buckfastleigh has an extensive engineering facility and allegedly makes good money undertaking repairs for other preservation railways, so plenty to see when you get there. In past years there has also been an open top bus ride around the local area using a very raucous ex-Devon General AEC Regent V of late 1950s early 1960s vintage.