A Terrier in Yorkshire by A.G.S.Davies

First published in issue 96 of The Tenterden Terrier Spring 2005
Reproduced with permission of then-editor Mr P.D. Shaw
and current editor Mr B. Janes

Our Terrier locomotive “Knowle” paid a visit to the West Somerset Railway in September 2004. So her visit to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, in October 2003, is now just a memory and these lines are penned in the hope that they may still be of interest. Be warned, however – the writer may well lapse into memories of August 1953 and January 1954. Those trips, to the “old” K&ESR, provided his first memories of Terriers in action. Another warning, however – the writer is also a “timing” fan!

Perhaps one might go even further back down memory lane, to a wartime home at Tangmere in West Sussex and boyhood tales of a railway, inhabited by a species of     0-6-0T known as Terrier, on an island called Hayling, some miles to the west. Eventually one paid a visit to that line, in July 1960, and spent a pleasant day toing and froing between Havant and Hayling Island. Curiously, my trips, on a Sunday, were a month before a visit paid by Derek Winkworth. His recordings were described by the late O S Nock in “The Railway Magazine” for August 1964 (page 629). No.32661 [the original “Sutton”] attained 53mph before the slack over the wood timber [sic] structure of Langstone Bridge. These runs were with three modern coaches; about 100 tons.

So the capability of these little engines was held in high regard. On the K&ESR [and] even the Bluebell, there is little opportunity for “running” – maybe No.32678 had a chance on the West Somerset, but, knowing that line, maybe not? Again, the Severn Valley Railway, which 32678 visited on her way “to the Moors” in September 2003, may have provided an opportunity. I do not know. But when I learnt that, on the NYMR in October 2003, “Knowle” would be used only on the shuttles from Pickering to Levisham and back – yes, here was an opportunity!

Firstly, a brief word on topography. From Pickering, the line rises at 1 in 332 for some four miles to MP10m20ch [about 63 feet] (New Bridge Crossing is half a mile north of Pickering). This is followed by half a mile [40ch] on 1 in 229 [about 11.5 feet], to Farnworth Cottages, and then almost a mile of 1 in 179 [just under 30 feet] before the gradient eases to 1 in 238 through Levisham Station [roughly 110 feet in total]. The only curvature of note is the reverse curve at Kingsthorpe (MP9), which is restricted to 15mph. So in distance alone, some five miles, just a bit further than he Hayling Island branch, which is [rather, was] more or less level. For my first three runs we had two coaches, not more than 65 tons all told. However, for my final run, on the Saturday of “Wartime Weekend”, we had three Gresley coaches, 103 tons tare.

The drivers all took the Terrier with the greatest of ease – I say this as a passenger, with little knowledge of “what was going on” on the footplate. Indeed, on my first run, with Driver Dave Jackson, he seemed to be thoroughly at home, and one recalls him buffering up to the coaches at Levisham, after running round…He “knew his brake”. On the initial runs, with the light two coach load, there was no problem running up to the line limit

The real test came on the final Saturday, with three Gresleys. Although Pickering Station platform was crowded with service personnel – so it seemed – the 11am shuttle was lightly loaded. The start was hampered by “operational reasons” and Driver John Fletcher took matters very steadily out to Kingsthorpe. He then let fly. Along this stretch of line, gently curving through the wooded part of lower Newtondale, “our” Terrier must have made a fine sight. Line speed was well maintained over the last stretch, more steeply graded, and the fireman did not seem unduly concerned by his efforts on arrival at Levisham. Pressure was 120psi, but this was the last uphill stretch. The line, now practically straight, was always a great source of joy to those who rarely heard the chatter of a Terrier at speed! However, there did seem to be something different about the “stack noise” from the chimney of “our” Terrier on these Yorkshire occasions. Subsequent reflection reminds me that – yes! – 32678 carries a Marsh (or is it a Drummond?) chimney.

There must be few such stretches of line where it is possible, today, to hear a Terrier hard at work, and at speed, over such a length of line. Even on the Hayling Island branch of long ago, the effort required to attain 53mph from the start (as above) could not have been sustained for more than five minutes. Yet here was 32678 “going home” for over seven minutes, from Kingsthorpe curves to Levisham, and mostly on an upgrade. The Severn Valley Railway (as below) has its stretches of line where an engine may be put to it, but I was not present for “Knowle’s” visit. At least the Winter 2003 issue of “The Tenterden Terrier” (No.92) tells us, on page 5, that the Terrier “chirruped along in great style, surprising everyone with its turn of speed”. This was on a load of two well-filled coaches and a PMV, and over the relatively level road between Kidderminster and Highley [of] some eight miles. I can well believe it!

There are photographs of “our” Terrier in “Moors Line” for Autumn 2003 (No.140) and again in Winter 2003/4 (No.141). In the latter 32678 is reported as running 304 miles in 2003 on the NYMR – compared with 12024 by Schools 30926 “Repton” and 40 by Beattie 30587! The Terrier was based at Grosmont and although she worked out light engine one morning, she usually piloted (and usually to a Black Five 4-6-0) on a regular working. However “Moors Line” No.141 does have a photograph (page 33) showing the 3.20pm Pickering to Grosmont on 18th October, 32678 piloting 45157 tender first; this train did have the Schools assisting, alone in rear! This was probably “as near as one could get” to seeing a Terrier paired with the Schools. However, it was amusing to note that 30926 was used, solo, on Pickering to Levisham shuttles during the May Gala Weekend.