73082 CAMELOT - LAST OF THE "STANDARD ARTHURS"

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73082 Camelot is one of a total of 172 British Railways Standard Class Five 4-6-0s which were built at Derby and Doncaster Works over a six year period from 1951. Twenty of these locomotives, including 73082 (then un-named), were allocated to the Southern Region from new, in two batches of ten. The first batch consisted of locomotives 73080-89, built at Derby, and paired with BR1B tenders. They entered service from Stewarts Lane between June and September 1955, 73082 entering traffic in June.

These new BR Standards were put to work on the Kent Coast line and on Dover and Folkestone boat trains. They continued on this work until the Kent Coast electrification scheme was completed in 1959, when they were transferred to Nine Elms. This had been the first depot to which the second batch of Southern Standard Fives, 73110-19, had been allocated when new. At this time a Staff Suggestion put forward the idea of transferring the names from withdrawn Urie King Arthur class 4-6-0s 30736-55 to the newer engines. 73082 duly received the name Camelot, formerly carried by 30742, in August 1959. With the onset of dieselisation and the Bournemouth electrification the Standard Fives became scattered around the South Western Division, Camelot moving to Guildford in 1965 and withdrawal from there followed on 19 June 1966. After storage at Eastleigh, Camelot was bought by Woodham Bros in November 1966 and moved to the now famous yard at Barry, South Wales.

In 1974 a visitor to Barry realised that she was unique, being the only surviving named Standard Five and, to secure her future, the 73082 Camelot Locomotive Society was formed with the aim of buying Camelot and restoring her to working order.

The Society came into existence in March 1974 and started to raise money to buy Camelot from Woodham Bros. After several years, and several price increases, the money was raised and Camelot was bought in January 1979 for £8,100 (including VAT). The Bluebell Railway was chosen as Camelot's future home as they had already helped to obtain a suitable tender chassis from a South Wales steelworks - there were no Standard tenders remaining at Barry. Camelot was moved from Barry to the Bluebell in October 1979.

It was clear that the first task had to be the overhaul of the tender chassis, together with the construction of a new BR1B-pattern tender tank, this being the type of tender originally provided for Camelot when new. The chassis was duly overhauled - and straightened! - and re-railed in August 1984. Construction of the tender tank was contracted out to Shipyard Services of Brightlingsea and the new tank was delivered in February 1985 and lifted straight onto the restored chassis. The total cost of these two essential steps in the restoration programme was in excess of £10,000.

Attention was turned to the locomotive itself in mid-1985, the first task being to prepare the boiler for lifting, which took place on 4th November 1985. During 1986 work was concentrated on the boiler and by the end of the year the outside had been needle-gunned and painted and all the small tubes replaced with new. It was subsequently decided to replace the large superheater flue tubes as well.

On 14th March 1987 the final stage of dismantling was reached when the frames were lifted off the driving wheels and bogie. The frames and wheels were cleaned and painted, the tyres re-profiled and the axlebox guide liners ground and re-shimmed to give the correct clearances.

Once the frames had been re-wheeled pipework for the sanding system, cylinder lubrication, cylinder drain cocks and steam chest drain valves was fabricated and fitted into place. Work in 1993 concentrated on refitting the boiler to the chassis; this was achieved on 19th May. The boiler cladding was then completed and a new cab constructed. On 12th March 1994 Camelot entered the Bluebell's Locomotive Workshop for the final stages of the restoration programme. Entry into traffic took place on 28th October 1995, exactly 16 years since Camelot arrived at Sheffield Park from Barry.