Lymington delights!
What a splendid article by Keith Widdowson on the branch line to Lymington in the June issue. But what a surprise to see Ivatt 2-6-2T No. 41224 in the headshunt at the pier. We always thought of No. 41224 as a Northampton engine and in fact I rode behind it on the last day of operations from Northampton to Wellingborough at 2pm on Saturday May 2 1964. I had long thought it was scrapped upon the closure of Northampton shed in September 1965. It was a regular performer on the Northampton to Wellingborough and Kettering run and I had many a spirited non-stop ride behind it along the Nene valley to Wellingborough. The sheds there were a treat for spotters and if you were really lucky the shed foreman would let you take a peek inside from a safe distance.
Also where was shed 70F (Bournemouth – Ed) and does anyone have a potted history of this locomotive? I presume it must have been transferred south after the closure of the Northampton depot
