This verbatim article is taken from an old issue of The Railway Magazine and reports on a September 22 ceremony at Alresford Station. The extract covers the restored ex-Southern Railway express locomotive BR No. 34016, Bodmin, its renaming, return to service, and restoration background.
Councillor Charles Digby-Horton, Mayor of Bodmin, unveils the nameplate of restored “West Country” Pacific No. 34016, “Bodmin”, at Alresford Station on September 22
Renaming at Alresford Station
ON Saturday, September 22 (as reported on page 558 of our November issue), a ceremony took place at Alresford Station, on the Mid-Hants “Watercress” Line, when restored ex-Southern Railway express locomotive, BR No. 34016, Bodmin, was formally renamed, and returned to service. The renaming ceremony was carried out by the Mayor of Bodmin, Councillor Charles Digby-Horton, who was also presented with a replica nameplate from the locomotive. The rebuilt “West Country” class Pacific then took invited guests on three successive special trains to Ropley—the present eastern terminus of the railway—and back.
Entry into service
Following completion at Brighton Works in November 1945, Southern Railway No. 21C116, Bodmin, entered service at Exmouth Junction, near Exeter, handling trains between there and Waterloo.
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Renaming, rebuilding and later work
In August the following year it was named at Bodmin by the Town Mayor. In April 1958, the engine, which had been renumbered 34016 by BR in July 1948, was rebuilt at Eastleigh and soon afterwards hauled a special train conveying the Italian President from Dover to London Victoria, and subsequently handled traffic between the Kent coast and the Capital. Latterly, the engine was based at Eastleigh, frequently working the heavy Waterloo to Southampton boat trains until condemned in 1964. During this period, Bodmin is believed to have worked over the Mid-Hants line, between Alton and Winchester, from time to time.
Withdrawal and restoration
No. 34016, Bodmin, was withdrawn from passenger traffic in June 1964, having completed 811,674 miles and, along with many other locomotives during the twilight of steam on British Railways, was taken to Woodham Bros. scrapyard at Barry, in South Wales, and forgotten. There the story could have ended under the breaker’s torch but, eight years later, the locomotive was rescued by John Bunch, of Yateley, near Camberley. Restoration started during 1972 at the headquarters of the Quainton Railway Society, at Quainton Road, near Aylesbury, then in November 1976 it returned to Southern territory for use on the Mid-Hants Railway. Restoration (around 30,000 hours have been spent by the volunteer work force, often under very difficult conditions) culminated on August 28 with the final examination by insurance company boiler inspectors, the engine being in steam for the first time in more than fifteen years. It is the third—and by far the largest—steam locomotive to be restored for use on the weekend passenger services between Alresford and Ropley.
