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My
first visits to the Lickey Incline would have been in the early 1950's.
Probably 1951 or 1952. Banking duties were in the hands of the 0-10-0
"Big Bertha" and a small fleet of 0-6-0 Jinty tank engines.
There was also the LNER Beyer-Garratt, though I never saw it. It's spell
on the Lickey was short lived. Big Bertha remained until withdrawal in
1956, and the Jinty tank engines were replaced a little later by ex Western Region
class 84xx Pannier tanks.
But it was not until 31st December
1954, that I travelled up and down the Incline. The down came first, on
45660 Rooke from from Birmingham New Street to Cheltenham Spa. There
was, I believe, a 27mph speed restriction down the incline, which was
rarely observed. Coming off the 1 in 37 at Bromsgrove station was
quite a sensation. In the afternoon, I returned from Cheltenham Spa on 45561
Saskatchewan, and much to my disappointment, we had a pair of Jinty
0-6-0T's assisting up the bank. In fact I was never banked by "Big
Bertha". My next run came in July 1955, when I returned from
Gloucester Eastgate to Birmingham New Street on the Devonian with 45663
Jervis. A few months later, in December 1955, I had Compound 4-4-0
no 40932 on a Worcester to Birmingham stopper. Then nothing until 1958,
when I had three Black 5 climbs within a six week spell. 44815, 44662,
and 44819. Finally, a Jubilee climb with 45649 Hawkins in April 1960.
In March 1955, trials were made on
the incline with Jubilee 45554 Ontario, and Black 5 no 44776. The
Jubilee had 8 coaches, including Dynamometer Car, making 252 tons,
and the Black 5 one coach less, making 222 tons. From a start at Stoke
Works Junction, both locomotives climbed the incline without assistance.
A second test included stops on the incline. Both locomotives had
difficulty restarting. 44776 succeeded at the second attempt, but 45554
was unable to restart. As a result of these tests, banking arrangement
on the Lickey Incline remained as they were.
The tables below show the detailed
timings and average speeds of my seven climbs.
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