BR’s card fo rNo. D829 showing whatshe didduringthe
last days of herlifeinAugust1972.ACURTISCOLLECTIONNo wonderMagpiewasn’t sold asarunner.Itw as re-instatedinadreadfulexternal condition in March 1972, and
is seen herewithdrawnatSwindon in May1973.RAIL ONLINEJMYoung, assistant (sales),clarified: “In
your letterof May1, yo ustateyou werepromised
anameplate if it was not sold toaprivate
enthusiast, but as we arenot awareofa ny such
promise having been given to you, perhaps
you would advise the Stores Controller of the
identity of the person who made the promise
to you, so that the Stores Controller may take
this into account when considering the sale of
the nameplate.”
He also included the address of the stores
controller at Euston, but things weremoving far
moreswiftly on the railway itself.
During August, No. D829 was struggling.
It failed on the 16th atWestburywith coolant
problems while in charge of the 15.55 Paignton-
Paddington service. On the 24th,anote on the
engine’s BRrecordcardstated: ‘Required LairaASAP forremoval of components’.
Much of its last week centred on stone trips
betweenWestburyand Merstham, her last one
being the 20.00 back toWestburyonAugust 25.At 02.30 the following morning, she worked
light to Exeter and then from thereat0 5.
to Laira and withdrawal, having completed
975,000 miles.
But its futureremained unclear,even at this
stage. However,anote in the margin of
JMYoung’s letter to SueTurner,which had
been added on September 11, suggested
preservation was slipping out of its grasp, as well
as the nameplates for Thames TV.
It read: “The locomotive is now withdrawn
and the Supplies Manager is trying to sell
it complete. Until theresult is known the
nameplates arenot available.”
JCrone, the sales controller at Derby’s
supplies department, wasresponsible for trying
to findabuyer for the engine, and he had
receivedatelephone call fromaMrRussell at
Thames TV who, he said, was plugging the value
of aTVfilm about the nameplates.
He told Dennis Joiner in BR’s PR
department: “It seems to me that they may be
wanting us to present the plates to them, but
Iaminclined to ‘jib’ at this and would think
it preferable (if we decide to sell the plates to
Thames TV at all) to do so atafair price. These
are, after all, likely to be an appreciating asset.
“If we weretos ell the complete ‘Magpie’
locomotive for preservation, the plates would go
with it, but this course of action seems unlikely at
present. It is justadiesel locomotive, of obsoletetype, and may well be cannibalised for spares. Of
course,Idon’t think Thames TV would want to
buy the whole thing from us.Iwould certainly
be pleased to pursueadeal with them for the
nameplates atareasonable price.”
The WesternRegion’s own publicity
department said while therehad beenalink up
with Thames viaaprogramme on Laira Depot
some years previously and another on the
Didcot Open Day,they werenever promised
the nameplates.
However,they said it would be to BR’s
advantage to present at least one of the
nameplates to them, and as the current market
value of ‘Warship’ plates was around £50, the
other one could be placed on sale in the normal
way.And beforethey went ahead and discussed
the matter further with Thames, they wanted
clarification from Mr Crone at Derbyregarding
the sale position of the locomotive itself.Ominously
His senior assistantRCBrown said, in
aletter dated October 11, that while the
locomotive was being cannibalised to keep other
members of the classrunning, they could obtain
missing parts from other locomotives if there
was agenuine enquiryfor it asa‘runner’ from a
preservation society.
Otherwise,MrBrown added,somewhat
ominously:“We believe thatthe possibilityof
the locomotivebeing soldasa‘runner’for a
preservation societyora nybody else for that
matter,isaremoteone; apartfromanything else,
the only thing thatsets it apartfromother
Class42l ocomotives is the name.
“But we think it would,perhaps,bewise if we
weretodeferarranging for thePR department,
Paddingtonto exploit the possibility of a
programme centredonanameplate presentation
ceremony,towhich we have no objection,until
after the locomotive’s ultimatefateisc lear.”
No. D829in themeantime had left Lairafor
Bristol Bath Road de pot on October5,amove
that manyobservers believedwas aheadofa
possible sale.Thiswas clearly notthe case. That
chance had already gone.
The loco founditselfatSwindonWorks for
cuttinginDecember1972, andspent ayearin
No. 37shop (con yard) beforebeing givenan
officialscrap date of January30, 1974.
However,asafinal twist, Derbywas reporting
the enginehad been brok en up by March1973.Ithink theterminology was meanttos ay that
it ha dbeenstripped ofpartsand wasnol onger
capableof beingarunner.
RCBrown put the final nailintoThames
TV’s hopesofgetting the plates andrevealed
the fateoft he programme’s adopted diesel, in
correspondencetothe various British RailPR
departmentson March6.
He wrot e: “Furthe rtoprevious
correspondence,we note that the locomotive
was ‘cannibalised’to such an extent as torenderit
unsuitablefor sale as a‘runner’.
“The nameplates from thislocomotiveare not
required inconnectionwith th esale of anyother
locomotiveoft his class and, in thecircumstances,
disposal of themmay now be effected. No doubt
the Pressand Publicity RelationsOfficer ,BRB,
HQ, willfollowupasnecessarysofar as the
interestof ThamesTelevisi on is concerned.”
So, from being apossible preservation
contender forthe DartValley to having its
nameplatessecured by the TV show Magpie,
No. D829,perhapsthe most famouscelebrity
‘Warship’Class42ofthem all, simplybecame
another scrapyard casualty.
However,atl east the story behind Magpie’s
Magpieinterest has now been told. ■August 2019 •TheRailway Magazine•