It is mid-morning on Tuesday the 29th March 1960 in the north
Somerset town of Radstock. The daily routine of towns-folk coming
and going has always being interrupted by the two level-crossings in the
centre of the town. Nothing unusual then on this particular day when the
gates clattered closed across the road by the side of Radstock North 'B'
signal box. That is until the thunderous beat of a lone
engine could be heard in the Wellow valley as it approached from the Bath
direction. A heavy express passenger service this time of day?
Imagine the sight and sound as one of the most powerful freight locomotives
of the day came into view, unassisted, at the head of an eleven
coach train, weighing in excess of 400 tons, working at full
power and about to assault the northern slopes of the Mendip Hills.
The surrounding buildings vibrate as the weight and hammer-blow of this
locomotive's motion, all in prime condition, convert that immense
steam energy into tractive effort .
The bark echoes around the valley as the exhaust is ejected in a vast
white column way overhead from twin blast pipes, and slowly condenses
to fill it with a white veil.
Accompanied by the faultless rhythm of the wheels of
a seemingly endless procession of coaches over the rail joints, the last
coach finally slips past. The engine can still be heard clearly as it
powers up the 1 in 53 climb to Midsomer Norton, leaving behind on the
wind that glorious smell of smoke and steam for a few remaining observers,
unaware that they have witnessed a milestone in the history of the Somerset
and Dorset railway.
This was the first appearance of a B.R. Standard class 9F 2-10-0
on the Somerset and Dorset railway.
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