Hampden L4135 over Radlett

Hampden leaving Radlett

The picture in question also appears on page 56 of a fascinating book called Images of Aviation – Handley Page compiled by Alan Dowsett and published in 1999 by Tempus Publishing The Mill, Brinscome Port, Stroud, GL5 2QG. Well worth getting hold of …

All except one were based in B’ham.

Not wishing to be too pedantic (especially as this is the ‘wrong’ forum!) but I think that they were all based at either Toton or Hasland.
http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&id=112680&type=S&loco=7999

Oweeeeee !!!! What Nice pics.

Beautiful pics. of 2 extinct classes of transportation. I never saw a Hampden, but did see those amazing LMS Garratt Steam Loco’s many times at Tamworth (Train Spotting) and using my local (Moseley /Kings Heath) Birmingham diversion line back in early 1950’s. All except one were based in B’ham and that one in pic looks like one of them, with what looks like the aft rotating coal bunker. There are narrow gauge (Ex-South African ) Garratts working here now in UK up on the Welsh Highland Railway,( Caernarfon–Porthmadoc, in Nth. Wales ) that will give you an idea of their majesty.

Bill T.

I found one, now in search of a clearer version.

Thanks for your efforts. I have contacted the RAF Museum and failing that will contact Flight Global.

With the renownd HP test-pilot Major James Cordes flying!
I would say the photo is Flights’ own image, these can be purchased directly from Flight Global.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939%20-%201004.html?search=HP%20Hampden

c’mon guys – I haven’t seen this photo for years – I would be really ‘Chuffed’ 🙂 to see it again LOL

With my railway enthusiast ‘hat’ on, the loco was indeed a London Midland and Scottish Railway Garratt class loco. They actually had a single boiler supplying steam to two chassis units.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Garratt
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=552&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=HLYgPtAmLkvD5M:&imgrefurl=http://www.ehattons.com/42902/Heljan_UK_266204_Beyer_Garratt_2_6_0_0_6_2_7983_in_LMS_Revolving_Coal_bunker_1938_48_Pristine_2_m/StockDetail.aspx&docid=zAxstO0BRQkJsM&imgurl=http://www.ehattons.com/images/products/266204_37361_Qty1_2.jpg&w=1200&h=456&ei=FEQDUICaNIfM0QXskoyCBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=959&vpy=160&dur=3289&hovh=138&hovw=364&tx=246&ty=84&sig=102406245490026470300&page=1&tbnh=54&tbnw=141&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:91

Many thanks I will persue that line of enquiry. I believe the locomotive was a Beyer-Garratt steam engine, and as you say had the double boiler.

I think this is a Charles E. Brown picture. His archive is, I believe, in the care of the RAF Museum, so you may be able to obtain a pukka copy from them. There’s a suspicion in my mind that the locomotive is a double-boilered Garrett.