Building and Main Line Running

1955. Locomotive 73082 Built at BR Engineering, Derby.

1955. Allocated to British Railways Southern Region at Stewart's Lane to work on the London Victoria - East Kent Services.

1959. East Kent Electification Completed and reduced demand for steam. Re-allocated to Nine Elms to work on the Southern Region South Western Division to work on London Waterloo - Bournemouth, Salisbury and beyond.

1959. Following the withdrawal of the original twenty Urie "King Arthur" class locomotives, the names were transferred to Standard Five locomotives at Nine Elms.

1963. Although not allocated to Bath Green Park or Bournemouth West, Camelot was observed at Green Park. This is the only confirmed sighting (so far) on the Somerset and Dorset Railway.

1965. Continuing electrification of the South Western Division further reduced the need for steam. Re-allocated to Guildford. There were sightings on the Western Region Main Line during this time, so Camelot must have worked through to Reading and beyond.

Scrapping and Preservation

1966. Withdrawn. Sold to Woodham Brothers (scrapyard), Barry, South Wales; but not scrapped.

1974. 73082 Camelot Locomotive Society formed. Locomotive and tender were reserved with Woodham Brothers. Sales Stand established for fund raising.

1974 - 1979. Society working parties kept the locomotive painted and greased to conserve the structure. The Sales Stand team worked to raise the purchase price.

1976. First Model Railway exhibition, held jointly with the Urie S15 Group, in Surbiton. This was repeated in 1977; and in 1979 and 1980, in Eastleigh. More MREs were organised in Haywards Heath, jointly with the Bluebell Railway, in 1982, 1983 and 1985.

1978. Woodhams sold the reserved tender to another group. Members of the Bluebell Railway helped the Society to find a BR Standard tender frame that had been converted to an ingot carrier at Briton Ferry Steel. This was purchased by the Society and stored at the Bluebell Railway.

1979. Locomotive purchased by the Society. The Bluebell Railway agreed to host Camelot and the locomotive was moved there to join the tender frame.

The long road back, rebuilding the locomotive at Sheffield Park.

1980. Superheater elements removed. Clinker removed from smokebox. Boiler cladding removed, boiler cleared of rust and painted.

1981. Southern Railway CCT (Covered Carriage Truck) purchased as parts store. Parked in Horsted Keynes yard.

1981 - 1984. Tender frame straightened and rebuilt.

1983. Shipyard Services of Brightlingsea contracted to build new tender tank.

1985. New tender tank delivered to Sheffield Park and united with frame.

1985. Boiler lifted out of locomotive frames.

1986. Boiler needle gunned and inside pressure hosed clear of scale.

1987. Frames lifted from wheelsets.

1987 - 1990. Work on wheelsets, frames, cylinders and pistons.

1990. Frames and wheelsets reunited.

1991 - 1993. Work on pipework, springs and motion.

1993. Boiler hydraulic test completed. Boiler returned to frames.

1994. Locomotive goes into the Bluebell Railway workshop to complete the restoration.

Back in service for the first time

1995. Re-entered traffic on the Bluebell Railway.

1995. The CCT was left largely empty, with most of the parts back on the locomotive. At some date unrecorded, was moved to Kingscot. Its condition deteriorated over time.

1998. "Camelot" ran briefly as extinct shedmate 73087 "Linette".

2005. Withdrawn again, for a ten year overhaul.

Second Overhaul

2005 - 2006. Conservation work: oiling; tender tank and coal space emptied, cleaned and repainted.

2007. Dismantling started, parts removed and stored, boiler lifted.

2008. Removal, fettling and storage of parts continued. Parts of the boiler and chimney found to need repair, smokebox required scrapping and replacement, new one fabricated. Front tube plate removed, new one ordered from external supplier.

2009. Frames lifted, cleaned and painted. Wheelsets cleaned. Cab removed from frames.

2010. Cleaning and painting continued. New smokebox undercoated. Wheelsets sent to South Devon Railway for new tyre fitting. Cannon boxes and bearings repaired and repacked with grease.

2011. The South Devon Railway workshop completed work on the wheelsets and returned them. Work started on the frame stretchers and hornguides. A rear dragbox drawing was obtained for fabricating a new one on contract.

2012. The South Devon Railway pressed a new front tubeplate and constructed a new firebox backhead. Bluebell Railway workshop staff constructed a new rear dragbox. Work continued on the small parts. Bluebell Railway decided to fund boiler repairs, to be carried out on contract.

2013. The contract to repair the boiler was let to the London and North Western Railway and the boiler was sent off to Crewe. After a stage inspection at Crewe in December, LNWR were authorised to complete the job.
At Sheffield Park, Bluebell Railway Workshop delivered the S15 locomotive 847 back into traffic, leaving room to move Camelot's frames and wheelsets back inside, where work could be done under cover.

2014. By December, LNWR Crewe were ready to conduct the hydraulic and live steam tests on the boiler. At Sheffield Park, with shedloads of space working in the shed, the frames, wheels, cylinders, motion and cab were reassembled.

2015. The boiler passed all tests in January and was returned to Sheffield Park. February to September saw a frenzy of reassembly, and painting by Heritage Painting. The last month saw:
28 September, first steaming since 2005, and first move under her own power.
29 September, boiler was retested, and a new ten year certificate issued.
20 and 21 October, light engine running-in turns.
25 October, hauled the Society's AGM Special.

Back in service again

2015. 73082 Camelot re-entered traffic on the Bluebell Railway, on 31 October, during the "Giants of Steam" Gala.

Initially the locomotive ran in her pre-1959 state, un-named and with a Stewart's Lane shedplate.

2016. The locomotive recieved her nameplate and Nine Elms shedplate back.

Members of the Bluebell Railway Carriage and Wagon Department started to restore the CCT, which was moved back to Horsted Keynes.

2018. Camelot made her first "away trip" to the West Somerset Railway's Autumn Gala.

2019. Once again, "Camelot" ran as 73087 "Linette", for the Bluebell Railway's "Giants of Steam" Gala, and for the Society's AGM the week after.

2020. "Camelot" was wintered at the start of 2020, but was expected to return to service at Easter. In the event, the Bluebell Railway was forced to close during the pandemic lockdown and the locomotive had an unexpected rest, locked down in a shed. Camelot returned to service on 16 August when the Railway reopened with "social distancing" rules.

C&W members completed work on the CCT, which entered the railway's heritage fleet. At the end of October the Bluebell Railway held a goods vehicle gala event "Off the Rails" and the CCT ran over the line in goods and mixed trains.

At the end of the year, locomotive crews reported that the firebox had developed a leak.

2021, Unexpected Overhaul, New Boiler Certificate

January

The Bluebell Railway’s Locomotive Workshop decided that the boiler should be lifted for the fiebox repair. They agreed with the Society, to use the lift as an opportunity to overhaul the boiler and obtain a new ten year Boiler Certificate.

Boiler cladding and the brick arch had been removed, and work started to replace the foundation ring rivets, by the end of the month.

February

Boiler lifted, washed out and needle gunned. Firebox welding and foundation ring rivets complete. Side stays replaced.

Driving wheels dropped and inspected. Parts ordered: boiler tubes, cylinder and horn stay bolts, coupling rod bushes, gradient pin and bushes, grate fingers. Expansion links sent to the Flour Mill for grinding and new die block machining.

Ashpan hopper replacement in progress.

March

Boiler inspection passed on 16th. Small tubes reassembled, boiler refilled and given pressure test.

Driving wheels back in place, bogie wheels removed for attention.

April

Second boiler pressure test followed by successful hydraulic test with the Boiler Inspector on 12th.

Dragbox descaled.

May

Informal Steam Test passed on 5th. Boiler and cladding reassembled. Heritage Painters started work on 28th.

June

Heritage Painters finished painting the boiler and tender body.

July

Mechanical Work continued including fitting new return crank bearings. Wheelsets painted.

August

Second Informal Steam Test on 11th. Mechanical Work continued.

September

Test in Steam with the Inspector, who issued a new 10-year Boiler Certificate, Locomotive moved for the first time, as far as the Sheffield Park advance signal, 16th.

Locomotive provisionally rostered to appear at the "Giants of Steam" Gala in October.

Three test runs 28th, two to Kingscote and one to East Grinstead.

First passenger runs, 29th.

October

Camelot appeared in the Bluebell Railway "Giants of Steam Gala", 8th, 9th and 10th.

2022+