34058 – SR Rebuilt Battle of Britain Class ‘Sir Frederick Pile’

Notes

Bulleid designed the Battle of Britain class pacific No. 34058 ‘Sir Frederick Pile’.

The locomotive will join fellow Bulleid designed engines here at the MHR, namely unrebuilt West Country class ‘Wadebridge’ and ‘Swanage’, rebuilt West Country ‘Bodmin’, plus rebuilt Merchant Navy class ‘Canadian Pacific’.

The Battle of Britain class are the same design as the West Country class, but were named after subjects associated with the Battle of Britain, which took place in the skies over Southern England during the Summer/Autumn of 1940. Sir Frederick Pile was General Officer Commanding of Anti-Aircraft Command, one of the elements that protected Britain from aerial attack during WWII and the Battle of Britain.

The loco was built at Brighton in March 1947 with original air smoothed casing, as can be seen on Wadebridge and Swanage, and numbered 21C158 – the Southern Railway numbering system of the time. The loco was rebuilt in March 1960, and the air smoothed casing was removed, changing its outer appearance to that of ‘Bodmin’. No. 34058 continued in service until withdrawal in October 1964, having only a brief life as a rebuild.

Parts of this engine were transported from the Avon Valley Railway near Bristol, including part of the boiler and wheel sets, with the remainder delivered by low loader in July 2011. 34508 is currently in Kent being stripped, cleaned and painted by Southern Locomotives Ltd. The chassis will then go for a full overhaul in Kent. When completed, the locomotive will return to our railway.