LAST DAYS OF B.R. STEAM
North West Freight 1968 and Carlisle Kingmoor 1967.
Mainline steam in the UK had its last fling in the North-West, around Manchester and Preston. Mostly the last locos to survivewere ex-LMS Black 5s and 8Fs, though some of them were actually built in the late 40s under British Rail.
(Above, left) 8F 2-8-0 48257, fitted with small snowplough, storms through Blackburn with an eastbound train of empty mineral wagons on 14th March 1968, while on the same day Black 5 4-6-0 45436 (foreground) and 8F 48727 head westbound freights.
(Above, left) Passing the almost deserted shed just before midday at Rose Grove on 14th June 1968 is 8F 2-8-0 48423, running tender first with empty mineral wagons. Three months earlier 8F 48476 waits in the loop at Blackburn for the DMU to pass. Note the smokebox number-plate picked out in white, which was sometimes done as the rest of these locomotives got dirtier and dirtier, the small water tower, the stove to prevent the water from freezing, and the calling-on signal on the column at the far right..
Black 5 4-6-0 44910 heads into Blackburn at 9am on the 14th June 1968 with a short mixed freight.
On 4th August 1968 Black 5s 44874 and 45017 wait their turn at Manchester Victoria for one of the last day steam specials. Earlier, (above right) 8F 48168 waits for the road into Manchester Victoria on 1st June 1968.
Preston was a good place to catch some action in the last months of steam. (Above left) Black 5 45025 pulled out strongly on a parcels train to the North, while sister engine 45149, leaking steam just about everywhere, was acting as station pilot, both on 14th March 1968.
The shot (above left) of BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 73040 shunting at Bolton on 14.3.68 is one of my favourites - because of the largecollection of luggage trolleys on the platform. (Above Right) A fitter gives some attention to a lineside track greasing device on the sharp curve through Burnley station as 8F 48278 starts a loaded coal train out of the loop.
Carlisle Kingmoor 1967
An unidentified 9F 2-10-0 storming North out of Carlisle at the head of a coal train on 28th October 1967.
There's smoke at the rear of the train too - could there have been a banker ? I don't remember.
More 9Fs at Kingmoor. Left, 92110 heads towards the marshalling yard with a train from the south, and right, 92056 comes on to the shed. Both on 28/10/1967.
Below, left, Black 5 4-6-0 no. 45236 heads into the shed on the same day, while 45281 heads for the yard with another down freight, passing the turntable in the foreground.
By this time, this was the scrap line at Kingmoor (below).. Closest to the camera is Black 5 44795,
then Britannia Standard Pacific 4-6-2 no 70038.
