Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
80 years ago this month, pioneering pacific 2IC1 "Channel Packet" was unveiled at Eastleigh. She was the very first of Bulleid's ground breaking steam locomotives.
Designed from the ground up, this was the first pacific locomotive ever built for the Southern Railway and she was also the largest, heaviest and most powerful.
2IC1 included many features that were new to the UK such as thermic syphons, chain driven valve gear / oil bath and a welded boiler. More obvious to the public was the Bulleid Firth Brown spokeless wheels (often referred to as Boxpox wheels) and the striking "air smoothed casing". As well as being great for publicity, the casing was designed to help reduce labour when cleaning the locos during the war - they could go through the mechanised carriage washing plants!
Bulleid didn't stop there. He introduced a brand new livery that was perhaps the brightest livery ever seen on a UK steam locomotive. Don't forget this was 1941 - the darkest depths of WWII when everybody else was repainting their red, blue and green engines black. Bulleid even reinvented how his engines would be numbered by introducing a novel system that incorporated the wheel arrangement of the loco.
As for the model, Hornby released this absolute gem a few years ago. As well as being a good looker, it is highly accurate, detailed, beautifully made and is satisfyingly heavy. The model can run extremely fast with 11 coaches on the drawbar - make sure you subscribe, and look out for the next Neville Grove video...
Ben of Bluffers_to_Buffers is the proud owner of this one, and the weathering brief was for a well looked after, but intensely used steam locomotive. The combination of road dirt, ash, soot and plenty of polish fitted the bill nicely. I hope you agree it suits the factory applied finish very well. See more of her running on Neville Grove and on home turf: youtu.be/9C8JwxyYGjI
80 years ago this month, pioneering pacific 2IC1 "Channel Packet" was unveiled at Eastleigh. She was the very first of Bulleid's ground breaking steam locomotives.
Designed from the ground up, this was the first pacific locomotive ever built for the Southern Railway and she was also the largest, heaviest and most powerful.
2IC1 included many features that were new to the UK such as thermic syphons, chain driven valve gear / oil bath and a welded boiler. More obvious to the public was the Bulleid Firth Brown spokeless wheels (often referred to as Boxpox wheels) and the striking "air smoothed casing". As well as being great for publicity, the casing was designed to help reduce labour when cleaning the locos during the war - they could go through the mechanised carriage washing plants!
Bulleid didn't stop there. He introduced a brand new livery that was perhaps the brightest livery ever seen on a UK steam locomotive. Don't forget this was 1941 - the darkest depths of WWII when everybody else was repainting their red, blue and green engines black. Bulleid even reinvented how his engines would be numbered by introducing a novel system that incorporated the wheel arrangement of the loco.
As for the model, Hornby released this absolute gem a few years ago. As well as being a good looker, it is highly accurate, detailed, beautifully made and is satisfyingly heavy. The model can run extremely fast with 11 coaches on the drawbar - make sure you subscribe, and look out for the next Neville Grove video...
Ben of Bluffers_to_Buffers is the proud owner of this one, and the weathering brief was for a well looked after, but intensely used steam locomotive. The combination of road dirt, ash, soot and plenty of polish fitted the bill nicely. I hope you agree it suits the factory applied finish very well. See more of her running on Neville Grove and on home turf: youtu.be/9C8JwxyYGjI
