| 31/08/1921 |
Chester G.W.R. sheds in 1921 |
The recent demise of Chester (West) shed as a loco. depot adds a touch of nostalgic interest to an August, 1921, allocation list of the depot in its Great Western heyday. This list was carefully compiled for two interested schoolboy visitors, by one of the clerks, with the help of the fitter's labourer who had been furnished as the boys' guide. It was probably quite reasonably accurate at its date. Supplementary notes added at the time were : 4309 was the 'pick' of the passenger engines, 3510 a poor steamer so restricted to station pilot duty (Chester General), 2883 just received from the Factory-we were shown the uncompleted receipt for it; no.1 had also just been through the Factory, and was 'all green', with blacked-over chimney-cap. Engines at Chester : (Passenger and Mixed Traffic) 4-4-0 'City': 3709 Quebec, 3711 City of Birmingham, 3719 City of Exeter; 'Flower': 4146 Sydney; 2-6-0 43xx : 4309, 4337, 4341, 4365, 4374, 4381, 4395, 4398, 5315, 5318, 5322, 5336, 5368, 5369, 5370, 5371, 5385, 5386; 2-4-0 'Stella': 3202; ditto (r/b. from 2-4-0T): 3507, 3508, 3510, 3511, 3518, 3519; 0-6-0 'Dean goods': 2419, 2423, 2431, 2438, 2452, 2477; 2-4-2T: 3609; 2-6-2T: 4517, 4528; 2-4-0T: 1; 0-6-0T '2721 class': 2733(s/t), 2778(p/t); 0-4-2T '517' : 1475. (Freight): 2-8-0: 2810, 2818, 2842, 2862, 2864, 2867, 2883; 2-6-0 'Aberdare': 2628, 2653, 2654, 2678; 0-6-0 D/F. 'Beyer': 357; 'Standard Goods': 512, 601, 701. 4' 7½' 'Coal' : 934, 942; 0-6-0T '655 class': 655, 1741, 1745; '850 Class': 857, 987(s/t); '1501 class': 654, 1501(s/t), 1548(s/t). '1854 class': 1863. Total engines: 68 (16 tank.) Two additional engines were also noted during the visit both bearing CHR shed mark : 2-4-0 3505 and 0-6-0 D/F. 'Standard Goods' 403. At that time, 'Dean Goods' 2452 was a war veteran; in the 1939 war Nos. 2419/23/38/77 were requisitioned; the first three were lost, and 2477 was one of the engines sent to China as an U.N.R.R.A. contribution, after return from war service. F.H. |
SLS/196009 |
