Heading a Bournemouth to Bradford express, grubby ex-LMS Stanier 'Jubilee' 4-6-0 No. 45643 'Rodney' is getting underway from Nottingham Victoria Station in September 1964. The traveling public must have wondered why a locomotive should have received such a forename! Along with 'Keith', 'Maude' and other similar examples, the fact that these were surnames would have escaped 99% of passengers. Surely it would have been more sensible and respectful to call them Viscount George Keith, Admiral George Rodney and Sir Frederick Maude? 45643 was built at Crewe in Dec. 1934 as LMS No. 5643 and was withdrawn in Jan. 1966.

© Stephen Barrett Archive-SA Collection