(22) Rebecca
Rebecca is an ex-Southern railway west country class 4-6-2 pacific, designed by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern's premier express services, and even handling named boat trains like the Golden Arrow, or Night Ferry services. Rebecca was initially built in July 1945, leaving Brighton works with the original name she had been given, Yeovil. Yeovil, like many of the other West country class pacific's constructed at the time, was put to work on the central section for a brief period, before being purchased by the NWR to fill in the absence left in the fleet after the destruction of the original Number 4, who's story quickly gave her someone to idolize. For several years, she would assist with running the mainline express services operated by the NWR, even being assigned to a named train of her own, (The Sudrian Rose). However, in 1957, Yeovil would gain a name change to 'Rebecca' after sheltering a stranded family from a storm. In 1958, when the second number 4 arrived, Rebecca would be the first engine this new comer would properly get acquainted to, and would become very close with the new build in the few years after 1958. Rebecca would always predominantly be allocated at Tidmouth MPD, where her first train usually departs from, and can always be seen in a specially lined yellow livery with a 22 on the center of her tender.
YOU ARE READING
North Western Profiles
Historical FictionThis will primarily be a way to help those of you reading NNWRS get a better idea of some of the characters to appear in the series soon, namely discussing their shed allocations, their personallity, livery, locomotive classes, and their backstories.
