SR Merchant Navy Class No. 35009 Shaw Savill is a 're-built' SR Merchant Navy class 'Pacific' (4-6-2) steam locomotive, named after the Shaw Savill Line, a British merchant shipping company. The locomotive was built at Eastleigh Works in June 1942 in its original air-smoothed form, and given the number 21C9. One of a batch of eight Merchant Navy class locomotives whose air-smoothed casing was made of asbestos board, 21C9 was from the start in wartime black livery.[1] It was allocated to Salisbury shed.[2]
Between 1945 and 1947, the Merchant Navy class were repainted in Malachite green livery, with yellow lining. 21C9 was one of several in a variant of this livery, in which the smokebox cowls were painted green instead of black.[3]Shaw Savill was repainted in British Railways blue livery in August 1949, and in Brunswick Green in February 1953.[4]
Between 1956 and 1960, locomotives of the Merchant Navy class were rebuilt and the air-smoothed casing removed. Shaw Savill was rebuilt in March 1957,[5] withdrawn from service in July 1964[5] and arrived at Woodham Brothersscrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, in December 1964. At the time of withdrawal it had travelled 1,127,452 miles.[6]
Some time after 1984[when?], the locomotive left Barry for preservation on the Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line). It spent just over 4 years there but with the Mid Hants railway buying more locos it was decided to move 35009 Shaw Savill again, to Bury.[6]
By late 2009, Shaw Savill lay dismantled at Buckley Wells shed in Bury. Its current owner Ian Riley had previously offered the locomotive for sale.[7] By 2019, Shaw Savill was still in unrestored condition following years of storage outside the shed in Bury; in September it was announced that the engine was to be restored to working order. The engine's frames, boiler and other parts were moved to Riley & Son Ltd in Heywood for restoration to mainline standard.[8]
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35009 Shaw Savill (left) with Battle of Britain class 34073 249 Squadron (right)
Boiler of Shaw Savill in the yard at Baron street, Bury
