What was it like in the run up to the end of BR Steam?

[Bittern]

For any of you that were around back then, what were the last few days of BR steam like for the enthusiast? These days interest me greatly as the accelerated kicking-out of steam is something I'll never fully understand.

Also of note is the day after the special. Now, I'm aware that despite the new ban on steam, Oliver Cromwell travelled under her own steam to Norwich (presumably from then-closed shed 10D Lostock Hall) so I'm assuming she attracted some attention, but what was it like in the first few days after steam had gone? Was it strange? Was it boring, or exciting?

 

[curly42]

Here's a couple of pictures that sum up the end of steam -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/curly42/6014098560/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curly42/5966761292/in/photostream

dirt,grime,filth - all very sad.

As regards the days after,most of the people I knew threw themselves into searching out the remaining steam locos in industrial service,and there were some real rarities to be had.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/curly42/5884241483/in/photostream

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The two letters, M M, for minimum maintenance, summed up the last days of steam on British Railways.

 

[Bittern]

That I know very well. What I was asking is what was it like for the enthusiast ie. Did many justify traveling far and wide to where the last stand of steam was taking place or did many just adapt to the dieselization that had occurred in their region. Was the fact that the final steam locos were nothing more than Black Fives and a few Standards enough to warrant long distance travel for those from afar?

 

[caliwag]

I Perth, I worked in an office that overlooked the South approaches...As I recall Perth's last steam was around April '67. (mainly because coaling facilities etc were removed). Up to then there were regular turns with exceptionally grubby black 5s and Kingmoor Brits.
Periodically a string of dead locos would be hauled through Perth from Aberdeen and Dundee after April.
I travelled to the North West, mainly around Preston, to watch the last workings. Someone thoughtfully made available timetabled steam workings, for the cost of an SAE...with no guarantee of steam of course. Rose Grove was very interesting.

It was both exciting and sad. I just thought they'd ignore the closure date, but I understand that the edict came from on high that if a diesel wasn't available, then cancel the train! I think if you check the Railway Observer journals of the period (available for 50p per month from KWVR magazine store) one or two shedmasters did ignore the final date, though were no doubt dealt with by the authorities.

 

[Bittern]

I Perth, I worked in an office that overlooked the South approaches...As I recall Perth's last steam was around April '67. (mainly because coaling facilities etc were removed). Up to then there were regular turns with exceptionally grubby black 5s and Kingmoor Brits.
Periodically a string of dead locos would be hauled through Perth from Aberdeen and Dundee after April.
I travelled to the North West, mainly around Preston, to watch the last workings. Someone thoughtfully made available timetabled steam workings, for the cost of an SAE...with no guarantee of steam of course. Rose Grove was very interesting.

It was both exciting and sad. I just thought they'd ignore the closure date, but I understand that the edict came from on high that if a diesel wasn't available, then cancel the train! I think if you check the Railway Observer journals of the period (available for 50p per month from KWVR magazine store) one or two shedmasters did ignore the final date, though were no doubt dealt with by the authorities.

Working at the Seafield Colliery Fife was Thornton shed based J36 65345 who was to be withdrawn under the order of BR officials near the end of Scottish steam. Not content with just surviving up until the end of Scottish steam, 65345 proved to be a bit of a rebel and decided to survive beyond it BR service...albeit it, unbeknown to BR. The Clayton diesel sent to replace the J36 proved to be unreliable, and those at Thornton shed decided to keep the J36 around. 65345 happily worked on the colliery for three months after the end of Scottish steam until the authorities at BR heard about this and sent an English Electric Type 3 diesel to replace a perfectly suitable 65345.

An interesting fact, 65345 was a North British Railway loco. This loco survived from the pre-grouping era all the way to beyond the end of Scottish BR Steam in service.

This photo was taken during her borrowed time after Scottish steam officially ended.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That I know very well. What I was asking is what was it like for the enthusiast ie. Did many justify traveling far and wide to where the last stand of steam was taking place or did many just adapt to the dieselization that had occurred in their region. Was the fact that the final steam locos were nothing more than Black Fives and a few Standards enough to warrant long distance travel for those from afar?

I think that whilst certain locomotives were kept in better condition than others by British Railways as they were used for running special trains up to the official end of steam, enthusiasts would have basically only seen examples of the then current steam locomotive fleet running in that period. This did not deter many enthusiasts from travelling long distances to travel on these special trains or to use photography to capture the images available.

 

[142094]

At least some of the private operators were still using them, such as NCB a good few years after mainline steam went.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The last official steam-hauled passenger train passenger service ran on British Railways main line system, prior to the official withdrawal date of steam locomotive traction occurred on 11th August 1968 and was an official railtour to celebrate the event called "The Fifteen Guinea Special".

Its route was Liverpool - Manchester Victoria - Carlisle...and return.

The steam traction used was as follows:-

Liverpool to Manchester Victoria...Black 5 45110

Manchester Victoria to Carlisle.....Britannia 70013

Carlisle to Manchester Victoria.....Black 5 44781 and 44871 (double headed)

Manchester Victoria to Liverpool...Black 5 45110

 

[caliwag]

Have to say Bittern, that's a crackin' snap of 65345...I had not realised that it ran on for months. Does anyone suspect something similar might have occured, say, in Lostock hall or Rose Grove?

Good thread, let's keep it running guys.

 

[Bittern]

I found it on Google.

 

[The Crab]

I did hear a story that on the Monday after the End Rose Grove were short of power for one turn and fired up an 8F before being told to stop. I assume that it was 5th August rather than the 12th. Anyone know if there is any truth in this?

 

[Madge Wildfire]

For any of you that were around back then, what were the last few days of BR steam like for the enthusiast? These days interest me greatly as the accelerated kicking-out of steam is something I'll never fully understand.

Also of note is the day after the special. Now, I'm aware that despite the new ban on steam, Oliver Cromwell travelled under her own steam to Norwich (presumably from then-closed shed 10D Lostock Hall) so I'm assuming she attracted some attention, but what was it like in the first few days after steam had gone? Was it strange? Was it boring, or exciting?

Didnt Oliver Cromwell go to Norwich overnight? Or is my memory really shot?

For me the whole of 1968 was sad. So sad in fact that I decided that I didnt want to witness the end of steam with run down 8Fs and Black 5s wheezing around in the rain on occasional parcels and freight trains, followed by hoardes of men with cameras.

My sadness and dejection came from the speed at which locos were taken out of service from about 1962 onwards. I remember beginning to see Brush Type 2s instead of Gresley O2 2-8-0s on iron ore trains to Frodingham, and wondered why I hadnt seen any of the latter for a few months.

A look at the latest Combined ABC when it came out filled me with horror - there were no O2s in the book. At first I assumed the page was missing, but no the pages were all there, it was the entire class that was missing, along with most of the 200 K3s that I was used to seeing.

A similar thing happened a couple of years later when I looked at the page for the A3s and found them down to just two locos.

A severe depression descended and I virtually gave up trainspotting completely but I had subscribed to a railway magazine and by some coincidence the cover one month was a photo of a train along the sea wall at Dawlish next to a long sandy beach.

My mother (who loved sandy beaches) saw the photo and asked where it was, and as a consequence of that my parents booked two weeks in a wooden chalet affair at Dawlish Warren.

So I spent the last week of BR Steam watching Warships, Westerns and class 22s (amongst many other classes) from either the sea wall or even in the sea if the tide was quite high.

It worked for me, but I just wish I could have afforded a decent camera.

 

[Oracle]

Wasn't there a loco used as stationary steam heating boiler after the end? I am trying to recall reading a Railway Magazine item from 1968.