Time Capsules - Old Photographs from the past

34012 Launceston passing Chelsfield in 1961

34012 was a West Country Class Pacific 4-6-2 locomotive, formerly 21C112, one of 66 built between 1945 and 1950 and designed by Oliver Bulleid, CME of the Southern Railway. These were a lightweight development of his Merchant Navy Class with air smoothed casing, high boiler pressure (280 psi), multiple-jet blastpipe and chain-driven Bulleid valve gear. Classification 6MT.

34012 was one of the batch that were rebuilt from 1957 with lower boiler pressure, Walschaerts valve gear, multiple-jet blastpipe and large diameter chimney under the direction of R G Jarvis. The air smoothing was also removed at the same time.

Although 20 of this and the similar “Battle of Britain” Class have been preserved, 34012 was not among them.

Chelsfield railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley, and serves the southern parts of the built-up area of Orpington - Chelsfield itself, and Green Street Green. The line on which it is located, and the station itself, was opened on 2 March 1868 by the South Eastern Railway to shorten its route from London to Dover. The building of the route, which crosses the North Downs, was a difficult undertaking, with steep gradients. At Chelsfield the line is rising steadily on a 1 in 120 gradient through the 597yds (543m) Chelsfield Tunnel beyond the station. As can be seen in the photograph, this is a third-rail electrified line.

Photo © The Step Back Through Time Collection
Text courtesy of Peter Langsdale