Wadebridge 34007 Shareholder Page
Wadebridge Newsletter 2025
The 2025 newsletter can be downloaded from here.
Wadebridge Newsletter 2023
The 2023 newsletter can be downloaded from here.
Wadebridge Newsletter 2021
The 2021 newsletter can be downloaded from here
Wadebridge Articles of Association
The latest Articles of Association can be downloaded from here.
Shareholder Privacy Notice
A Shareholder Privacy Notice is now available for shareholders (Last updated March 2021
Trivia
Did you know that...
...the last BR-operated engine to steam into Penzance was N°34002 Salisbury?
...the last 'spamcan' to work Southern metals west of Exeter was Wadebridge with a brake van tour to Meldon Quarry on 11th December 1964 (until Tangmere visited Okehampton on 4th October 2003)?
...the last normal steam working to arrive at Exeter was rebuilt WC Nº34032 Camelford with the 1:00 p.m. Waterloo-Exeter, returning with the 7:45 p.m. "perishables" to Nine Elms, on 29th November 1965?
...after they were rebuilt by BR the locomotives were too heavy to work the "Withered Arm" lines north of Meldon Junc.?
...the steam operated firebox doors, popular with West Country drivers, were replaced because Nine Elms drivers didn't like them?
Time for some fun? Have a go at some WADEBRIDGE jigsaws:-
Links
The Bluebell Railway, the Premier Southern line's website.
The Bodmin Railway website.
web site.
Full Service History
Steam Locomotives, like all things mechanical, require regular servicing and, as with servicing a car, not all services are equal! The Southern Railway classified "repairs", as locomotive services are known, by letters and BR(S) classified by name but basically it all boiled down to the same thing. It is interesting to note that the scheduled servicing interval for a Bulleid Light Pacific was 100,000 miles but in many instances Wadebridge would cover in excess of 200,000 miles. The information below is from Wadebridge's record cards, unfortunately some of it is now a little indistinct.
| SOUTHERN RAILWAY Card | |||||||||
| Engine arived | Work commenced | Mileage since last Gen. Rep. |
Class of Repr. |
Boiler No. |
Tender No. |
Extension of mileage |
Date to Work |
Repd. at |
|
| New Engine | 1269 | 3268 | 1.9.45 | B | |||||
| 12.46 | 7.12.46 | 10.12.46 | 67,674 | C | '' | '' | 11.1.47 | E | |
| Tender changed at Exmouth Jct. | 3266 | 31.7.47 | Ex J. | ||||||
| 12.47 | 9.12.47 | 13.12.47 | 103,671 | A | 1272 | '' | 31.1.48 | E | |
| 1.3.49 | 43,655 | D (BTN) | '' | '' | 25.3.49 | E | |||
| 10.49 | 28.9.49 | 30.9.49 | 63,814 | L/Inter | '' | '' | 28.10.49 | E | |
| 4.51 | 11.4.51 | 11.4.51 | 136,057 | Gen | 1375 | '' | 25.5.51 | E | |
| 6.53 | 25.6.53 | 25.6.53 | 90,425 | L/Inter | '' | '' | 8.8.53 | E | |
| 8.54 | 9.8.54 | 9.8.54 | 134,243 | Non Class | '' | '' | Pressure 250lbs psi |
14.8.54 | E |
| 3.55 | 17.3.55 | 17.3.55 | 159,411 | L/Inter | '' | '' | 16.4.55 | E | |
| 5.56 | 18.5.56 | 18.5.56 | 211,967 | Gen | 1369 | '' | 23.6.56 | E | |
| 5.57 | 11.5.57 | 11.5.57 | 57,541 | L/Inter | '' | '' | 1.6.57 | E | |
| 8.57 | 13.8.57 | 13.8.57 | 16,925 | H/Inter | '' | '' | 6.9.57 | E | |
| 2.59 | 6.2.59 | 6.2.59 | 149,665 | L/Inter | '' | '' | 7.3.59 | E | |
| 8.60 | 22.8.60 | 22.8.60 | 224,755 | L/Inter | '' | '' | 17.9.60 | E | |
| BRITISH RAILWAYS SOUTHERN REGION Card | ||||||
| DATE OUT OF TRAFFIC |
DATE INTO TRAFFIC |
SHOP OR SHED AT WHICH REPAIRED |
BOILER NO. |
TENDER NO. |
MILEAGE SINCE LAST REPAIR |
CLASS |
| 16.11.61 | 30.11.61 | EASTLEIGH | 1369 | 3266 | 264,188 | NON-CLASS |
| 30.4.62 | 12.5.62 | EASTLEIGH 2326 | '' | '' | 276,737 | L/CASUAL |
| 25.10.62 | 8.12.62 | EASTLEIGH 2331 | 1364 | '' | 289,698 | GENERAL |
| 29.1.63 | 6.2.63 | EASTLEIGH | '' | '' | 780 | RETURN |
| WITHDRAWN 17.10.65 | ||||||
Interesting reading, isn't it? As time goes by the intervals between repairs get longer and longer. What went wrong in 1962/3 that she was back in the repair shop after just 780 miles?
The Southern Railway card starts with beautiful copper-plate writing and the same hand is in evidence until 1957 after which the writing deteriorates until the final entry, with no mileage or anything else beside it, is not much more than a quick scribble.
Other relevant dates:
31 January 1948 - S prefix added to number
25 March 1949 - Renumbered 34007
25 May 1951 - Wedge shaped cab added and repainted in BR Standard Green
17 September 1960 - AWS and speedometer fitted
8 December 1962 - Anti-glare screen added. Tender 3266 cut down
Tales abound about Bulleid pacifics catching fire, and of them "spraying" the track with oil. Read what Dave Mitchell has to say on these topics!
The Company
Originally made up of many small shareholders who contributed by buying shares, there is now one large shareholder, The Watercress Line Heritage Railway Trust Ltd (a registered charity and company limited by guarantee), in addition to all the small shareholders. The day to day running of the company is in the hands of nine directors with considerable business and engineering expertise.
Membership of the Bullied Owners Association also allows us access to a wide pool of further knowledge.
Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Ltd.
Registered address: The Railway Station, Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9JG.
Registered in England : Registration number 1673483
VAT number GB 591 2250 52
Email:
Telephone: 01962 733810
| DIRECTORS | |
| Chairman: | Stephen Evans |
| Company Secretary: | Peter Greenwood |
| J Barrett | |
| Steve Crowther Gregory Watson David Ford Colin Roberts John Barrett Dave Williams |
|
| Accountants: | Cochrane & Co Accountants Ltd, 38 Kings Road, Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, PO12 9NU |
How to Find Us
Whilst the Wadebridge company and the railways operating WADEBRIDGE are pleased to welcome interest from shareholders and other visitors, please note that the locomotive is in a working railway environment where special safety rules apply.
WADEBRIDGE is a resident loco the Mid-Hants Railway and is currently being overhauled. It is not possible to visit the locomotive at the current time.
Visit the Wadebridge page on the Mid-Hants Railway website.
