50th Anniversary of the end of Steam over Shap?

[Trev52A]

Here's a shot of 92137 with a freight on Dillicar troughs. If I wanted the same view today i would have to stand in the southbound carriageway of the M6 Motorway!

 

 

92137 southbound on Dillicar troughs on 15th July 1967

 

Trevor

 

Sorry, I wanted to upload a better version of the photo but seem unable to delete the first one!

Edited December 7, 2017 by Trev52A

[unravelled]

A repost, but one which may be of interest as relevant to this topic. These are some photos I took in June 1967, during a  week at Tebay.

I did cadge a couple of rides on the banker. The first can't have been very memorable as I had forgotten about it until I came across the noteook, but the second has stuck with me. It was tipping down, with the near horizontal rain you sometimes get there. The train was 48289 with 42 unsheeted minerals, (salt was mentioned), so the load could have picked up extra weight from the rain. Anyway it was slow going, and we ground to a stop halfway up. After about 10 minutes, presumably for the train engine to rebuild pressure, we restarted, with much slipping, and made it to the summit.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157683699421971

 

A couple of samples...

 

Tebay trip 1967 by David Harvey, on Flickr

 

Tebay trip 1967 by David Harvey, on Flickr

 

Cheers

 

Dave

Edited December 7, 2017 by unravelled

[Trev52A]

Super photos, Dave! Love the shot with the 9F.

And great to see things in colour - my memories (like my photos) are all in black & white!

 

Cheers

Trevor

[LNER4479]

(210aS) 48077 Shap Wells 28-10-67 (Trevor Ermel) .jpg

48077 at Shap Wells on 28th October 1967

Trevor - this gets even more  'spooky'. Out of 700-odd to choose from, guess which number I chose for my Hornby 8F?

 

To be fair, I did do a bit of research and identified her as a late survivor, based in the area. I also found a picture (on Lostock Hall shed) to base things on. Even so, bit of a coincidence but great to have photographic evidence of her in action over Shap in 1967.

(Apologies for crummy photo. I don't seem to have a better one at the moment. She needs a bit more weathering in any case)

 

As regards the last steam passenger train over Shap, you must be thinking of the celebrated Boxing Day Carlisle to Blackpool footie special, hauled by a specially cleaned 70013. The low morning lighting and spectacular exhaust effects on the northern climb to Shap made for some super photos, as seen in the railway press of the time. Unfortunately I wasn't there to see it myself! The same loco made the return climb from the south on the return, although photos of this northbound run don't seem to have surfaced. (Perhaps it was after daylight hours?)

As it was December and a returning football special then it would almost certainly have been in the dark. According to one account I've read, the train was stopped at Tebay for a banker - but none was available! The crew therefore had no option but to go 'all out' for a solo climb with their 11-coach train. That must have made some noise.

Edited December 7, 2017 by LNER4479