British Railways (Southern Railway) 4-6-2 No. 35018 (21C18) 'British India Line'
Carnforth, Lancashire, UK 		Location: West Coast Railway Co.
Status: Operational
Posted: Jan 31, 2025 @ 06:01:06 by Russell Newman
Following the photo press launch at Derby Litchchurch Lane Works for the official Rail 200 “Greatest Gathering “, its been confirmed that ex Southern Railway rebuilt Bulleid Merchant Navy Class Pacific No. 35018 "British India Line", will one of many locomotives on display at the Greatest Gathering at Derby Litchurch Lane works as part of the Railway 200 celebrations from the 1st to 3rd of August 2025. As part of 200 years of opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and 200 years of the moden railway we all know today.
Posted: Jan 28, 2025 @ 13:01:32 by Russell Newman
The ex Southern Railway rebuilt Bulleid Merchant Navy Class Pacific No. 35018 "British India Line", will be travelling down to Derby to take part in a photo line up at Derby Litchchurch Lane Works for the official Rail 200 “Greatest Gathering “Launch Event. To help premote the Greatest Gathering, the main event to celebrate the 200 years of opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and 200 years of the modern railway we all know in 2025.
Posted: May 24, 2024 @ 06:05:24 by Russell Newman
The ex Southern Railway rebuilt Bulleid Merchant Navy Class Pacific No. 35018 "British India Line", is the 8th and final visiting locomotive for the Swanage Railway’s Strictly Bulleid 2 Gala on the weekend of the 7th to 9th June 2024, which will see the biggest gathering of now up to eight ex Southern Railway Bulleid Pacific Locomotives in preservation and more bigger then the first Strictly Bulleid Gala in 2017. This is the first time that No. 35018 will visit a preserved railway on it’s old stomping ground of Southern metals to operate public services. In addition to the Gala No. 35018 will also be bringing six of West Coast Railway Company’s MkI Coaching Stock down from Carnforth to act as extra stock for the event too.
Posted: Feb 16, 2020 @ 06:02:11 by Russell Newman
As part of the line up of motive power to haul the Railway Touring Company’s Great Britain 2020 railtour around the UK this year. No. 35018 "British India Line" will be breaking new ground by becoming the very first Southern Railway Merchant Navy Class Pacific to work along the Highland mainline in Scotland for the very first time. No. 35018 will haul the Great Britain from Edinburgh via the Forth Bridge and then along the Highland Main Line from Perth to Inverness on the 18th April 2020. Then on the following day on the 19th of April 35018 will travel from Inverness to Stirling with the Great Britain which will be quite the site seeing a Bulleid Merchant Navy Class Pacific working hard on the highest mainline in the UK then.
Posted: Jul 18, 2018 @ 03:07:38 by Russell Newman
No. 35018 "British India Line" will making a visit to the Wensleydale Railway for their Leyburn 1940s weekend on July 21st and 22nd 2018. This will be the locomotive s first ever visit to a preserved railway since it was fully restored last year and a very rare occasion that a steam locomotive from West Coast Railways mainline steam fleet does a visit to a preserved railway these days.
Posted: Sep 30, 2017 @ 09:09:31 by Russell Newman
35018 "British India Line" has made its first public mainline railtour run today on the "Lune Rivers" tour from Carnforth to York. The Bulleid Pacific is now fully painted in proper British Railways Green livery.
Posted: May 17, 2017 @ 12:05:40 by Russell Newman
35018 made its first public appearance in steam today for the camera s at Carnforth Station as it was being tested in and around West Coast Railway Company s depot there. There is a possibility that the Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific will be having a mainline test run very soon.
Posted: Mar 13, 2017 @ 18:03:28 by Russell Newman
Heritage Railway Magazine has shown the first photos of 35018 as it has been painted in a black undercoat for testing as the locomotive is now all complete. Its still undergoing steam test and small test runs at West Coast Railway Companys Carnforth Depot still before it can do its mainline test run. Which a mainline test could happen round next month on the Carnforth, Hellifield, Blackburn and Preston Circuit.
Posted: Dec 22, 2016 @ 06:12:02 by Russell Newman
35018 British India Line is nearing the end of its long restoration to mainline standards as in November it was steam tested and did some short trial runs at Carnforth Depot. 35018 mainline test runs could be taking place in February in the New Year which it will running in time to take part in the 50th anniverary of the end of steam on the Southern.
Posted: Apr 24, 2012 @ 05:04:25 by Steve Weight
Two abnormal load trucks turned up at Portland late yesterday afternoon (I work across the way at South West Coaches). When I spoke to one of the drivers he said they were there to take British India Line to Carnforth. The trucks were still there when I went out on my run this morning, still unloaded but one of the trailers had been deployed in front of the loco and all of the clutter that had built up around her cleared away.
Posted: Apr 19, 2010 @ 06:04:08 by Mark Lilley
She was the second Merchant Navy to leave Barry 35005 Canadian Pacific was the first I believe in 1973
Posted: Jul 4, 2009 @ 17:07:48 by MSJ67
Locomotive arrived form Barry on the Mid-Hants is 1980, the first MN to escape Barry. The new owners heavly (but with Woodams knowlegde and therfore 100% legal) stripped 35011 for parts, including most of the remaing motion and brake gear. Sadly after many years of work on her the politics of railway preservation stopped progress, and after many years of sitting around on the MHR with the eliments undoing much of the hard work she was removed to a engineering company in Portland (South Coast Steam ltd), where today she resides. No apparent progres has been made on 35018 for something like 10-12 years (as of mid 2009) and so one must assume the owner (Richard Heather) is unable to progress finacially with her restoration. However credit must be made to Mr Heather for purchasing and funding much or her previous work as she is substancially complete and in far better condition than many other locomotives of her class.