Historical Background to the Battle of Britain Class - Part 5

By the mid 1950s they were allocated to locomotive sheds at Nine Elms and Stewarts Lane in London, Brighton, Dover, Ramsgate, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Exmouth Junction and Plymouth. From June 1959, electrification saw them first eliminated from the Kent Coast area, with withdrawal of unrebuilt engines due to dieselisation from June 1963, (the first rebuilt going in 1964) and by 1966 they were restricted to the sheds at Nine Elms, Eastleigh, Bournemouth and Salisbury on the lines from Waterloo to Weymouth and Salisbury.

By 1st April 1967 34057 Biggin Hill was one of only three Unrebuilt pacifics still in service (the other two being 'West Countries' - Biggin Hill succumbing in early May), the last sixteen rebuilt engines, including five Battle of Britains (34052/60/87/89/90) running until the last day of Southern Region Steam, Sunday 9th July 1967.

Last 'Battle of Britain' in steam on BR was Salisbury shed's well-polished 34052 Lord Dowding, which ran a 'perishables' van train of Channel Islands tomatoes on the 14.20 ex Weymouth - Westbury run on 9th July, then ran light engine back to Weymouth to drop its fire for the last time, replaced by electric trains from the following day.

This was the end of British Railways steam in southern England, though it fought a valiant rear guard action in the north-west until August 1968.

Many Bulleids ended their days in South Wales, far from their old haunts, to feed the steel furnaces; many ended up at Woodham's Bros scrapyard, Barry, which largely stopped cutting in 1965 and through re-sale of its contents contributed over 200 steam locos to the British railway preservation scene. Three ex Barry Battle of Britains have so far worked on preserved lines, with others under restoration.

• Complete list of Battle of Britain Class Locomotives