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Station Pilots in Yorkshire

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alexl92

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Inspired loosely by another thread, can anyone tell me which stations in North and West Yorkshire would have had station pilots and what types of locos would have been in grouping days (1923-48) and BR Steam era? I'm particularly interested in the likes of Leeds, York, Huddersfield and Halifax but interested to hear of any others. How big did a station need to be to have a pilot?
 
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6Gman

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Inspired loosely by another thread, can anyone tell me which stations in North and West Yorkshire would have had station pilots and what types of locos would have been in grouping days (1923-48) and BR Steam era? I'm particularly interested in the likes of Leeds, York, Huddersfield and Halifax but interested to hear of any others. How big did a station need to be to have a pilot?
1950s:
Leeds Central (the GN and L&Y station) had no specific station pilot, but different locos were used between ECS moves to/from Copley Hill. Copley Hill 74 (a J50) was the nearest thing to a station pilot in 1957/8 as it was available 0420-0622, 0910-1200,1330 to 1758, 1838-2042,2145-2312 and 2345 to 0100.
I asked on here about Leeds City (the NE, Midland and LNW station) and the feedback was similar; locos used between other duties.
 

Ken H

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1950s:
Leeds Central (the GN and L&Y station) had no specific station pilot, but different locos were used between ECS moves to/from Copley Hill. Copley Hill 74 (a J50) was the nearest thing to a station pilot in 1957/8 as it was available 0420-0622, 0910-1200,1330 to 1758, 1838-2042,2145-2312 and 2345 to 0100.
I asked on here about Leeds City (the NE, Midland and LNW station) and the feedback was similar; locos used between other duties.
Slightly off topic but I think Leeds after the 1960's rebuild had a class 08 that used to spend time idling in the low numbered bay platforms. There was a centre road with no platform (Between the then 2 and 3) - usually with some vans and the 08. Late 60's early 70's

The bays for Bradford, Skipton, Ilkley etc were 1, 2 and 3. 4 was the east bay at the other end. 5 was the full length through. 6 was a short through facing 5 that had a cut out at the west end - that was 7.
8 and 9 were a pair of throughs. 10 and 11 were 2 bays, one each way. 12 was a through outside the train shed. Some goods lines between 12 and the south of the viaduct.
North of 1 were some parcels platforms. Think the old LMS canopies from that are now used for current plat 1
 

Harvester

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York used J72s during the fifties, up until 1961 when diesel shunters replaced them. One of the stud, 68736 was given a coat of green livery.
 

30907

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York used J72s during the fifties, up until 1961 when diesel shunters replaced them. One of the stud, 68736 was given a coat of green livery.
York had a specific issue that heavy northbound trains needed assistance, which justified a dedicated carriage pilot.
 

Ianigsy

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Scarborough had an 03 allocated when we went there for our holiday in the 1980s so would presumably have needed one in the summer at least.
 

30907

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Scarborough had an 03 allocated when we went there for our holiday in the 1980s so would presumably have needed one in the summer at least.
Well remembered - it was partly needed to shunt and release all the hauled trains IIRC.

Of course the OP was about steam - but fairly sure York and Newcastle had 03s too.

Totally OT, but places like Basingstoke employed superannuated main line locos as Carriage Pilots so they could take over from ailing Pacifics...
 
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Harvester

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Scarborough had an 03 allocated when we went there for our holiday in the 1980s so would presumably have needed one in the summer at least.
I can remember reading some time ago of a Scarborough bound excursion failing at Malton, and being rescued by an 03, which hauled the train on to Scarborough (20 miles)!!
 

6Gman

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Well remembered - it was partly needed to shunt and release all the hauled trains IIRC.

Of course the OP was about steam - but fairly sure York and Newcastle had 03s too.

Totally OT, but places like Basingstoke employed superannuated main line locos as Carriage Pilots so they could take over from ailing Pacifics...
Your last comment highlights that the term "pilot" could have different meanings.

There was the station pilot (usually a small tank engine, J67 or similar on the Eastern a Jinty on the Midland) which pottered about moving odd vans from place to place, detaching/attaching a dining car etc. There was the pilot loco (the LM might use one of those wheezy 2P 4-4-0s) which did similar duties but could be wheeled out to pilot any main line train that was overloaded or had an iffy loco. And then there were the standby pilots - in the 1950s York had two A2s, fully manned, available to replace defective locos on either Up or Down services while Darlington had a a single A3 for similar use.
 

61653 HTAFC

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In the early to mid 1980s Huddersfield had an 08 which was usually parked up in the now-removed Platform 3 (near the former stable block at the Leeds end of P1). Not sure how much use it got towards the end- the 1989 remodelling got rid of the former P3, though I can't recall if the pilot lasted right up until then.
 

The Crab

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In the early to mid 1980s Huddersfield had an 08 which was usually parked up in the now-removed Platform 3 (near the former stable block at the Leeds end of P1). Not sure how much use it got towards the end- the 1989 remodelling got rid of the former P3, though I can't recall if the pilot lasted right up until then.
Does anyone remember when the 08 pilot was withdrawn from Sheffield Midland? Did it outlast the Leeds/Hull portion work?
 

alexl92

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Scarborough had an 03 allocated when we went there for our holiday in the 1980s so would presumably have needed one in the summer at least.

I can remember reading some time ago of a Scarborough bound excursion failing at Malton, and being rescued by an 03, which hauled the train on to Scarborough (20 miles)!!

In the early to mid 1980s Huddersfield had an 08 which was usually parked up in the now-removed Platform 3 (near the former stable block at the Leeds end of P1). Not sure how much use it got towards the end- the 1989 remodelling got rid of the former P3, though I can't recall if the pilot lasted right up until then.
Ooh interesting! What would have been used before Diesel shunters?
 

Harvester

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Does anyone remember when the 08 pilot was withdrawn from Sheffield Midland? Did it outlast the Leeds/Hull portion work?
The last dedicated station pilot was 08691 (unofficially named Escafeld), and I noted it there in February 1994. It was transferred to Allerton soon afterwards, so I guess 08 pilot duties ended that year at Sheffield.
 

The Crab

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The last dedicated station pilot was 08691 (unofficially named Escafeld), and I noted it there in February 1994. It was transferred to Allerton soon afterwards, so I guess 08 pilot duties ended that year at Sheffield.
Thank you.
 

Harvester

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Ooh interesting! What would have been used before Diesel shunters?
At Scarborough, quite a variety of steam classes. In the late fifties it’s allocation included A8 and Fairburn tanks, and even a J72 for nine months in 1959. In the early sixties BR Standard 2-6-2Ts and 2-6-0s were allocated there.

When Scarborough shed lost its allocation in 1963, but retained service facilities, engines laying over were used. On busy summer weekends any arriving loco could be commandeered for ecs work. I have seen a photograph of an A1 removing empty stock from the station running tender first.
 

geoffk

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York used J72s during the fifties, up until 1961 when diesel shunters replaced them. One of the stud, 68736 was given a coat of green livery.
Two J72s, 68723 and 68736, were painted in NER lined green in the early 1960s. 68723 was used at Newcastle.
 

Harvester

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Two J72s, 68723 and 68736, were painted in NER lined green in the early 1960s. 68723 was used at Newcastle.
So was 68736, transferred to Gateshead in July 1961, surviving until October 1963. It outlasted 68723 by one month.
 
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