35027 ''Port Line'' was one of a batch of ten SR Merchant Navy class

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

s built by the Southern Region of British Railways between 1948 and 1949. Completed at Eastleigh Works in December 1948, it was named on 24 April 1950 in Southampton Docks. ''Port Line'' was shedded at

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

with others of the class such as ''Canadian Pacific''. Along with the rest of the class, ''Port Line'' was rebuilt by removal of the air-smoothed casing at Eastleigh in 1957, and this rebuilding made them similar to the BR Standard class engines of the time. Two years later, it pulled the

British Royal Train The British Royal Train is used to convey senior members of the British royal family and associated staff of the Royal Household around the railway network of Great Britain. It is owned, maintained and operated by DB Cargo UK. The Royal Trai ...

from Windsor to Hamworthy Junction. Last working from Weymouth in 1966, it was withdrawn at the end of steam on the Southern Region in 1967 and sent to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales. ''Port Line'' was not as fortunate as 35028 ''Clan Line'', which went straight into preservation. ''Port Line'' stayed in the scrapyard until May 1982, when it was saved; this was part of a BBC documentary ''The Train Now Departing''.BBC Archive
''The Train Now Departing'' Episode 6 ''The Survivors''
(first broadcast 20/12/1988) After restoration, ''Port Line'' was based at the Bluebell Railway from 1988 until 2000, last working on the Bluebell in 1996. 35027 moved to the

Swanage Railway The Swanage Railway is a railway branch line from near Wareham, Dorset to Swanage, Dorset, England, opened in 1885 and now operated as a heritage railway. The independent company which built it was amalgamated with the larger London and South ...

in early 2000, further boiler work allowing it to operate a limited number of steamings from November 2000 until October 2003, when it was stopped with firebox cracks. ''Port Line'' was sold in 2004 to

Jeremy Hosking Jeremy John Hosking (born 20 July 1958) is a British businessman and political donor. Ranked number 351 in the Sunday Times Rich List 2019, with a net worth of £375 million, he is a shareholder in Crystal Palace F.C. and a noted railway e ...

, and moved to Southall. In January 2011, transferred to the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust (RSL>), ''Port Line'' was moved to Ian Riley's workshops at Bury on the East Lancashire Railway for overhaul to mainline standard, using the boiler from 35022 ''Holland America Line''. From 2007 to 2011, 35027's tender had been in use with rebuilt West Country class 34046 ''Braunton'', owned by Hosking. It was until recently in use behind unrebuilt West Country class 34007 ''Wadebridge''.

References

{{reflist Merchant Navy 35027 Locomotives saved from Woodham Brothers scrapyard Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain Railway locomotives introduced in 1948 individual locomotives of Great Britain 4-6-2 locomotives

See also

References