Correspondence – Bodiam’s Chimney
by M W Knight

First published in issue 55 of The Tenterden Terrier Summer 1991
Reproduced with permission of present editor Mr P D Shaw

Sir – Following the letters from Emma Shane and P Cooper on the subject of Bodiam’s chimney, I feel that I might be able to find the solution to the problem having worked at Eastleigh during the period, and specifically on 32655.

Whilst working in Scotland I was able to renew a contact with Bert Merritt, now retired, who was at that time the Chargehand looking after 32655’s preparation for sale. Perhaps I can quote him: “I don’t remember working on 32655, but I know a man who is a mine of information on steam engines. He does not know of any change of chimneys, only that about six were fitted with copper tops at Brighton in the early 1930s. The top of the casting was removed and a steel liner riveted in. The copper top, hand beaten in two halves was riveted to the steel liner and the top beaded over. Over the years the steel liners rusted away and the chimneys were nearly all replaced with the original cast iron type. It is quite possible that there was an unintentional chimney change, as when chimneys were removed, they were put in a compound outside No.2 bay, unlabelled, and brought back into the shop for fitting as required.”

It would appear therefore the solution to our problem is that sheer chance was responsible for the change. Certainly, a photograph in my possession shows 32655 in BR livery, which it was not when sold, and there is evidence of recent smokebox work. Perhaps rusty liner disease caught up with 32670’s chimney

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It is also necessary to consider the two letters that prompted this correspondence…

Which Terrier’s Chimney? by Emma Shane

First published in issue 53 of The Tenterden Terrier Winter 1990
Reproduced with permission of present editor Mr P D Shaw

Sir – It is a generally well known fact , that when the Terriers were first built, each carried a ‘Copper Capped Chimney’.

Many of the Terriers at some stage had these chimneys replaced, although this was not true of all Terriers.

Terrier No.32655 was among those who chimney was replaced. On 09 May 1960 it was officially withdrawn, with a mileage of 1396027. Upon which it was sold to the newly formed Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. They wished to restore it to its original style, although retaining the A1X style too! They decided that to complete the effect the engine needed a ‘Copper Capped Chimney. As the original had been replaced, a substitute had to be found.

An article of the Bluebell’s reads “and, to put the icing on the cake, so to speak, substituted a Copper Capped Chimney from old Poplar.”

From such a statement one would naturally assume the latter to have been scrapped. Oddly enough this was not the case as the engine continued to run until withdrawal in November 1963.