steamers to the scrap yard

[Down_Under]

Question:

 

when was the last scrap steam movement over BR metals to a scrap yard? Any ideas which one? Or types? Or where the final locos withdrawn all cut up the site they where withdraw? Last towed scrap loco;1968? 1969?

[Phil Bullock]

Question:

 

when was the last scrap steam movement over BR metals to a scrap yard? Any ideas which one? Or types? Or where the final locos withdrawn all cut up the site they where withdraw? Last towed scrap loco;1968? 1969?

 

Derby Sulzer web site at http://www.derbysulzers.com/69.html tells us that in 1969:

 

The clear out of the remaining steam locomotives continued at a somewhat pedantic pace, at the beginning of March Lostock Hall shed still contained twelve machines. However March 10th saw 5238 remove 44713, 44950, 45073 & 45269 to Drapers, Hull, whilst sixteen days later 5262 followed with 44874, 45318, 45386 & 45444. The last machines there, 44894, 45017 & 45388 remained until late April when they moved on to Drapers, Hull, haulage unrecorded, this move was the last of any non-preserved standard gauge steam engines to leave a BR shed

 

Meanwhile in Newport at Cashmores 73069 was the last BR steam loco to be cut there, photo in February 1969

 

http://railphotoprints.uk/p914818736/hC738B74#hc738b74

 

Phil

[jonny777]

What annoyed me about spotting in the 1960s were the unidentifiable steam locos from a short distance (say 100 yards or far less at times). I must have seen twice as many WDs and O4s than I ever underlined in my ABC, because I just couldn't read the cabside number.

 

This was also a problem when viewing lines of withdrawn locos from passing trains.

[jamie92208]

What annoyed me about spotting in the 1960s were the unidentifiable steam locos from a short distance (say 100 yards or far less at times). I must have seen twice as many WDs and O4s than I ever underlined in my ABC, because I just couldn't read the cabside number.

 

This was also a problem when viewing lines of withdrawn locos from passing trains.

Or for me trying to read cabside numbers from across the valley at Settle with my father's telescope.

 

Jamie

[62613]

Derby Sulzer web site at http://www.derbysulzers.com/69.html tells us that in 1969:

 

The clear out of the remaining steam locomotives continued at a somewhat pedantic pace, at the beginning of March Lostock Hall shed still contained twelve machines. However March 10th saw 5238 remove 44713, 44950, 45073 & 45269 to Drapers, Hull, whilst sixteen days later 5262 followed with 44874, 45318, 45386 & 45444. The last machines there, 44894, 45017 & 45388 remained until late April when they moved on to Drapers, Hull, haulage unrecorded, this move was the last of any non-preserved standard gauge steam engines to leave a BR shed

 

Meanwhile in Newport at Cashmores 73069 was the last BR steam loco to be cut there, photo in February 1969

 

http://railphotoprints.uk/p914818736/hC738B74#hc738b74

 

Phil

In the photograph, is that the hull from a Churchill Tank in the background?

[Phil Bullock]

In the photograph, is that the hull from a Churchill Tank in the background?

 

It is indeed - Cashmores had 2 or 3, they disappeared and reappeared as the pile of scrap ebbed and flowed....

 

Phil

[jamie92208]

It is indeed - Cashmores had 2 or 3, they disappeared and reappeared as the pile of scrap ebbed and flowed....

 

Phil

 

I believe that they were bridgelayers and feature in several photos in 'Steam for Scrap'.

 

Jamie

[Down_Under]

Derby Sulzer web site at http://www.derbysulzers.com/69.html tells us that in 1969:

 

The clear out of the remaining steam locomotives continued at a somewhat pedantic pace, at the beginning of March Lostock Hall shed still contained twelve machines. However March 10th saw 5238 remove 44713, 44950, 45073 & 45269 to Drapers, Hull, whilst sixteen days later 5262 followed with 44874, 45318, 45386 & 45444. The last machines there, 44894, 45017 & 45388 remained until late April when they moved on to Drapers, Hull, haulage unrecorded, this move was the last of any non-preserved standard gauge steam engines to leave a BR shed

 

Meanwhile in Newport at Cashmores 73069 was the last BR steam loco to be cut there, photo in February 1969

 

http://railphotoprints.uk/p914818736/hC738B74#hc738b74

 

Phil

 

Thanks Phil for the post and the link. Had no idea it was so late and a totally modellable train that fits just into my era of modelling (early 70s Pre-Tops BR blue era). I see Bachmann even make a model of the correct C.25 in the right two tone green livery.

 

Thanks!

Edited March 23, 2017 by Down_Under

[Phil Bullock]

Welcome!

 

Have a similar project in mind for Abbotswood ....75002/6/13 plus 92138 towed by D1725 to Birds at Long Marston, late 67

 

Phil

[br2975]

The last moves of BR steam to the scrapyards overlapped with the first moves of steam from scrapyards e.g. Woodham Bros. to preservation.

.

IIRC 43924 left Barry for the KWVR in September, 1968, one month after the official end of BR steam.

.

A goodly proportion of those early moves were by rail, at a snails pace, constant stops and often with the new owners, or any other Tom, Dick or Harry on the footplate.

.

Brian R

[Phil Bullock]

The last moves of BR steam to the scrapyards overlapped with the first moves of steam from scrapyards e.g. Woodham Bros. to preservation.

.

IIRC 43924 left Barry for the KWVR in September, 1968, one month after the official end of BR steam.

.

A goodly proportion of those early moves were by rail, at a snails pace, constant stops and often with the new owners, or any other Tom, Dick or Harry on the footplate.

.

Brian R

 

Absolutely - theres a nice video of such a move - 80079 to SVR - here

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yca74p4s-2o

 

Phil

Edited March 29, 2017 by Phil Bullock

[br2975]

Absolutely - theres a nice video of such a move - 80079 to SVR - here

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yca74p4s-2o

 

Phil

 

In particular, I recall LMS Cl.2 2-6-0 No.46521 being dragged through Cardiff General by a Cl.47, en-route to the SVR.

.

Also later in 1973, 43xx No.5322 (by then restored to running order) towed past Ebbw Junction en-route from the site of Caerphilly Works to the GWS at Didcot.

 

Brian R

[Down_Under]

So it's seems that black 5's and 8fs were the last to all be towed away.

 

Picking up from earlier posts - locomotive with a brake van or two between each loco.

 

 

 

Seems like a good place to start practicing building a few rolling chassis. Comet chassis and airfix/Hornby bodies here we come

[Pacific231G]

What annoyed me about spotting in the 1960s were the unidentifiable steam locos from a short distance (say 100 yards or far less at times). I must have seen twice as many WDs and O4s than I ever underlined in my ABC, because I just couldn't read the cabside number.

 

This was also a problem when viewing lines of withdrawn locos from passing trains.

My school's railway society ran a number of shed bashing trips during the mid 1960s and most had a scrap line of withdrawn steam locos. The spotters loved them because they could cross out loads of numbers in their ABCs. I just found them very sad though the sheds we visited were always also still home to active steam locos.

 

Most of the sheds were Western and Southern ones that we could reach on a Wednesday or Saturday afternoon (the school's half days) but we did make some longer day trips. The most ambitious of these was to Darlington which I think had the largest concentration of locos including some very odd (to my eyes) types such as Sentinel Y1/Y3s. I must admit though that my main memory of that trip was travelling at 100MPH for the first time in my life behind a Deltic from King's Cross. For me at least, the journeys to get to them, especially if behind steam, were more important than the actual shed visits.

 

I'm not sure which (if any) sheds scrapped steam locos on site and which sent them away. A good proportion had their gear disconnected and sometimes the coupling rods removed and I assume that was to make towing to a distant scrapyard easier after they'd been disused for a few years.

Edited April 13, 2017 by Pacific231G

[Horsetan]

.....Such convoys could be steam or diesel hauled; in some cases they would be hauled by a withdrawn loco - the late Alan Jarvis photographed a withdrawn SR Mogul in steam at Cardiff East Dock shed having hauled a convoy destined for one of the South Wales yards.....

 

That might even have been "N" 31874 (or possibly "U" 31618), which brought in a convoy of dead engines and itself for Woodhams. It was one of the very few that made it into Woodhams with all its motion intact because it had worked into the yard, and was a very early seller because of this. Normally dead engines would have had connecting rods removed at the very least, and often coupling rods as well, to ease their movement.

[Phil Bullock]

 

I'm not sure which (if any) sheds scrapped steam locos on site and which sent them away. A good proportion had their gear disconnected and sometimes the coupling rods removed and I assume that was to make towing to a distant scrapyard easier after they'd been disused for a few years.

 

A few were scrapped where they stood on shed as unfit to move - 2 at Worcester, 1 at Weymouth and certainly some at Banbury too IIRC

 

Coupling rods (joining the wheels) were often left on - it was usually the connecting rods (to crosshead and piston) that were disconnected as on many locos there was no lubrication to these areas if the loco was not in steam. Valve gear left intact but placed in mid gear eliminated most of the valve travel too to avoid problems in that area.

 

Phil

Edited April 13, 2017 by Phil Bullock

[jamie92208]

A few were scrapped where they stood on shed as unfit to move - 2 at Worcester, 1 at Weymouth and certainly some at Banbury too IIRC

 

Coupling rods (joining the wheels) were often left on - it was usually the connecting rods (to crosshead and piston) that were disconnected as on may locos there was no lubrication to these areas if the loco was not in steam. Valve gear left intact but placed in mid gear eliminated most of the valve travel too to avoid problems in that area.

 

Phil

 

The connecting rods were either placed in the tender or strapped to the running plate on photos that I've seen.   Presumably because their steel content was part of the price paid by the purchaser.

 

Jamie

[unravelled]

Oxford shed, around  March 1966

 

Most  locos there had the connecting rod cut just clear of the slidebars,

 

 

but in this case it looks like the piston rod being cut

 

 

Dave

Edited April 13, 2017 by unravelled

[Steamport Southport]

There was also a handful of WD Austerity 0-6-0STs that arrived at Barry Scrapyard by road in 1963.

 

Photograph in The Barry List 7th Edition of WD 203 on a low loader.

 

The others were WD 106, 108, 119, 130, 178. All scrapped by 1965.

 

 

Jason

[adb968008]

Derby Sulzer web site at http://www.derbysulzers.com/69.html tells us that in 1969:

 

The clear out of the remaining steam locomotives continued at a somewhat pedantic pace, at the beginning of March Lostock Hall shed still contained twelve machines. However March 10th saw 5238 remove 44713, 44950, 45073 & 45269 to Drapers, Hull, whilst sixteen days later 5262 followed with 44874, 45318, 45386 & 45444. The last machines there, 44894, 45017 & 45388 remained until late April when they moved on to Drapers, Hull, haulage unrecorded, this move was the last of any non-preserved standard gauge steam engines to leave a BR shed

 

Meanwhile in Newport at Cashmores 73069 was the last BR steam loco to be cut there, photo in February 1969

 

http://railphotoprints.uk/p914818736/hC738B74#hc738b74

 

Phil

Just a quick challenge to this, but how did BR extract Jinty 47564 from Redbank, Manchester in 1972, isn't this really the last BR loco off the network ?

 

80002 is also a close contender, it was still at Cowlairs in April 1969. But on a technicality only, 92220 was supposedly on BRs ownership books until 1975 :-)

Edited April 13, 2017 by adb968008

[Down_Under]

Great photos! Presumably for all those inside cylinder locos the middle con rod was also cut. Brutal final job.

 

Couple more questions - tender locos without tenders - how were these towed away - was a hitch made and brake van attached to the former tender link coupling? Same with tenders?

 

Interesting note about the jinty - was this a heating boiler prior to rescue?

 

80002 - did this go straight to perseveration or via a scrap yard?

[Pacific231G]

A few were scrapped where they stood on shed as unfit to move - 2 at Worcester, 1 at Weymouth and certainly some at Banbury too IIRC

 

Coupling rods (joining the wheels) were often left on - it was usually the connecting rods (to crosshead and piston) that were disconnected as on many locos there was no lubrication to these areas if the loco was not in steam. Valve gear left intact but placed in mid gear eliminated most of the valve travel too to avoid problems in that area.

 

Phil

A number of the sheds we visited had a complete loco acting as a stationary boiler and ISTR that some of these continued after the shed had stopped operating steam locos. Did that save any of them or was the Dai Woodhams Steam Heritage Emporium  effectively supplying all needs?

 

I ask because it was only the chance of its final humble service in 1969-70 as a ship's bunker oil heating boiler at Dieppe Maritime that saved my Avatar (231G558) from Gertie the Gas Cutter. This loco is the only survivor of over 300 Etat Pacifics (40 of them built by North British) which would be rather like having only a solitary King to represent all the GWR's Kings,Castles, Manors and Halls. 

Edited April 14, 2017 by Pacific231G

[Phil Bullock]

Just a quick challenge to this, but how did BR extract Jinty 47564 from Redbank, Manchester in 1972, isn't this really the last BR loco off the network ?

 

80002 is also a close contender, it was still at Cowlairs in April 1969. But on a technicality only, 92220 was supposedly on BRs ownership books until 1975 :-)

 

Challenge bounced - The OP specifically asked about moves to a scrap yard - these are all preserved!

 

Hee hee

 

Phil

Edited April 14, 2017 by Phil Bullock

[Fat Controller]

The connecting rods were either placed in the tender or strapped to the running plate on photos that I've seen.   Presumably because their steel content was part of the price paid by the purchaser.

 

Jamie

They were classed as 'heavy scrap', and were proportionally more valuable than the thinner sheet used for boiler cladding; they also had large brass bearings in them, which were definitely of interest to the scrapman.

[luckymucklebackit]

Challenge bounced - The OP specifically asked about moves to a scrap yard - these are all preserved!

 

Hee hee

 

Phil

 

Although the current state of 47564 stretches the classification of "preserved" a bit, spare boiler for other Jinties and a frame that is unlikely to see use again.

 

Jim