50 years since the end of steam in NE England

[Trev52A]

September 2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end of steam in North East England, with sheds at Blyth, Tyne Dock, Sunderland and West Hartlepool all closing to steam in September 1967. To mark this half-century (gulp!) how about sharing some pics and memories of that final year?

 

I apologise in advance if I have inadvertently missed any similar threads.

 

To start, a couple of photos in the Gateshead area: 1) 63346 crossing the River Derwent at Derwenthaugh (that's the Tyne on the left) with coal for Stella South power station (near Blaydon) on 20/5/67. It had been held at signals for a while, hence the steam from the cylinder drain cocks. and 2) 65879 passing the site of today's Metrocentre station, Dunston, with empties from Stella South on 8/7/67. The cooling towers in the left background were actually Stella North, on the other side of the Tyne near Newburn.

 

Any takers?

 

Trevor

[R Marshall]

September 2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end of steam in North East England, with sheds at Blyth, Tyne Dock, Sunderland and West Hartlepool all closing to steam in September 1967. To mark this half-century (gulp!) how about sharing some pics and memories of that final year?

 

I apologise in advance if I have inadvertently missed any similar threads.

 

To start, a couple of photos in the Gateshead area: 1) 63346 crossing the River Derwent at Derwenthaugh (that's the Tyne on the left) with coal for Stella South power station (near Blaydon) on 20/5/67. It had been held at signals for a while, hence the steam from the cylinder drain cocks. and 2) 65879 passing the site of today's Metrocentre station, Dunston, with empties from Stella South on 8/7/67. The cooling towers in the left background were actually Stella North, on the other side of the Tyne near Newburn.

 

Any takers?

 

Trevor

Great Pictures!

[APOLLO]

Not "really" the North East (but BR North Eastern Region), I visited Leeds, Normanton & Wakefield sheds on 7 October 1967, first trip on my own, aged 15 !!!

 

Gawd - Half a century ago !!!

 

Album here  https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/albums/72157681062553696  Most locos ready for the scrapper, a couple in steam visiting from Lancashire - but not for much longer !!.

 

Brit15

Edited September 28, 2017 by APOLLO

[Iain Popplewell]

 The last day of steam I remember that, or at least I have a final memory of my last steam engine.

 

I was eight years old and playing with my mates in what we called "The Beck", more of an open sewer, that flows down the side of the TA barracks across the road from the mighty Tees Yard. Some time during the morning what I now believe to be a J27 or possibly a J26 passed with a coal train towards the Boro. I remember how clean it was, and we all waved to the train crew and they waved back, just brilliant for us kids.

The day wore on and later the same engine running light sped back past us towards Thornaby, it was going like the clappers, and we all waved frantically back to the train crew who again gave us a cheery wave.

Then that was it, we never ever saw another steam train.

That was our last and remains my final memory of North Eastern steam.

 

Does anyone know which engine this might be? It was certainly cleaned up for the day and I'm fairly sure was probably running on the last day of NE region steam. We certainly never ever saw any Tees Yard steam activity afterwards.

 

Happy Days!

Edited September 28, 2017 by Iain Popplewell

[Alcanman]

Great pics Trev and great memories for me.

 

 I had left school in the summer of '67 and was due to start work in September.  However, I did manage to visit North Blyth, Sunderland and West Hartlepool sheds at the beginning of the month in

 

the last days before the sheds closed.

 

 

West Hartlepool

 

 

 

 

Sunderland

 

 

 

 

 

 

More September '67 pics to follow.

 

Mal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[R Marshall]

 The last day of steam I remember that, or at least I have a final memory of my last steam engine.

 

I was eight years old and playing with my mates in what we called "The Beck", more of an open sewer, that flows down the side of the TA barracks across the road from the mighty Tees Yard. Some time during the morning what I now believe to be a J27 or possibly a J26 passed with a coal train towards the Boro. I remember how clean it was, and we all waved to the train crew and they waved back, just brilliant for us kids.

The day wore on and later the same engine running light sped back past us towards Thornaby, it was going like the clappers, and we all waved frantically back to the train crew who again gave us a cheery wave.

Then that was it, we never ever saw another steam train.

That was our last and remains my final memory of North Eastern steam.

 

Does anyone know which engine this might be? It was certainly cleaned up for the day and I'm fairly sure was probably running on the last day of NE region steam. We certainly never ever saw any Tees Yard steam activity afterwards.

 

Happy Days!

 

The last J27s in the North East were shedded at Sunderland (65811/55/79/82/94). 65894 (now preserved) was certainly cleaned up for some of its final turns, but I don't know whether any of Sunderland's allocation would have taken coal down to Teesside. West Hartlepool shed only had a couple of Q6s and a set of WDs.

 

Sorry to be unable to help more.

[Trev52A]

@ Brit15

You got there right at the death it seems. but happy memories for you. By then Holbeck was on its last legs, although I remember it in better times.. The K1 at Holbeck had been transferred there from Tyne Dock after it closed in September. 

 

@Iain Popplewell

That's interesting, Iain. Well. it wouldn't have been a J26 as they had all gone several years earlier. Unlikely to be a J27 coming all the way from Sunderland - unless anyone knows differently? The nearest steam allocation was West Hartlepool which had Q6 and WD locos by then. A clean West Hartlepool WD? Unlikely. But Q6 63387 was quite smart at the end, from pics I've seen of it. The cleanest Q6 was 63395 which was the target for the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group and received attention from Group members and really sparkled - but again, that was a Sunderland loco (and was active on Tyneside on 9th September, the final day - but see below). Tyne Dock's K1 62005 was clean at the end too, as it was used on a Special on 9th September (taking over from Clun Castle for the last lap into Newcastle Central Station, due to platform clearance issues for the Castle) but it would be unlikely to be on Teesside. I think your best bet is 63387. 

 

@ Alcanman

Yes, I recognise those views and look forward to the next batch. Good stuff - keep them coming!

 

All of which raises the question - when exactly was the 'end'? I've always believed the final day for NE steam was Saturday 9th September (the first day of Clun Castle on Tyneside - it returned South on another Special the following day.) But Paul Bolger's book 'BR Steam Motive Power Depots, NER' states that Sunderland and West Hartlepool closed on 17th September! Where did that information come from? All the locos involved were withdrawn on 9th September according to the stock updates in 'Railway World' etc.

 

Anyway, a couple more of mine at Sunderland.

1) 5xJ27 at the turntable on 3/9/67. The middle one is 65894, another NELPG target.

2) A 'different' view, with 90417 outside the window on 22/8/67

 

Trevor

 

[bike2steam]

Lucky ol' you lot , the one area I didn't make it to, just a little too outta reach, distance, and financially for a steam mad Essex schoolboy. But do like the pics, keep 'em coming, especially for me , a WD fan ( I know, no hope!).  

Edited September 29, 2017 by bike2steam

[pH]

West Hartlepool, Sunderland and Tyne Dock sheds on 28 September 1967. Some of the engines still had water leaking out of tenders and tanks.

 

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=80572914%40N06&sort=date-taken-desc&text=%2228%20september%201967%22&view_all=1

[Alcanman]

 

@Iain Popplewell

That's interesting, Iain. Well. it wouldn't have been a J26 as they had all gone several years earlier. Unlikely to be a J27 coming all the way from Sunderland - unless anyone knows differently? The nearest steam allocation was West Hartlepool which had Q6 and WD locos by then. A clean West Hartlepool WD? Unlikely. But Q6 63387 was quite smart at the end, from pics I've seen of it. The cleanest Q6 was 63395 which was the target for the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group and received attention from Group members and really sparkled - but again, that was a Sunderland loco (and was active on Tyneside on 9th September, the final day - but see below). Tyne Dock's K1 62005 was clean at the end too, as it was used on a Special on 9th September (taking over from Clun Castle for the last lap into Newcastle Central Station, due to platform clearance issues for the Castle) but it would be unlikely to be on Teesside. I think your best bet is 63387. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are pics of 62005 at Newcastle Central working 'Tyne Dock's Farewell to Steam' and 7029 'Clun Castle' at Gateshead shed on 9.9.67.

 

Q6 63387 was West Hartlepool on 2.9.67, sadly I have mislaid my photo.  Still trying to sort out my other pics.

 

 

 

 

 

Wish I'd had a better camera back then. I had just bought my first 35mm camera, a Kodak Colorsnap to replace my Brownie 127!

 

Mal

Edited September 29, 2017 by Alcanman

[Trev52A]

@ pH.

There's always something sad about the sight of locos minus their coupling rods, isn't there? It smacks if finality - next stop the scrapyard.

 

@ Mal/Alcanman 

Those pics bring back memories of the very last day - 9th September 1967. Here's my shot of Clun Castle near King Edward Bridge Jn., Gateshead, on 9/9/67, just prior to being relieved by 62005 for the final pull into Newcastle. On the left 90417, complete with an enthusiastic crew plus a fellow spotter who I recognised at the time, is hauling probably its last coal train, waiting at a signal stop after the climb up from the Dunston direction. Goodness knows how I got so near the tracks for this shot - a hole in the fence, perhaps, but I wasn't alone if I remember correctly! This scan is from an early print - I seem to have misplaced the negative, hopefully only for the time being.

 

Trevor.

[45125]

Great pics Trev and great memories for me.

 

 I had left school in the summer of '67 and was due to start work in September.  However, I did manage to visit North Blyth, Sunderland and West Hartlepool sheds at the beginning of the month in

 

the last days before the sheds closed.

 

 

West Hartlepool

 

 

90627 & 90360 West Hartlepool 2.9.67.jpg

 

 

Sunderland

 

Sunderland shed 2.9.67.jpg

 

 

Sunderland shed 1967.jpg

 

 

WD 90009 Sunderland shed 2.9.67.jpg

 

More September '67 pics to follow.

 

Mal

 

90009 had only been transferred to Sunderland from Dairycoates July 67 and withdrawn 01 August. So the rod had whipped off fairly sharp.

Edited September 29, 2017 by 45125

[Trev52A]

I wish I had the smokebox plate off 90009. I would be tempted to mount it on the wall upside down and pass it off as an A4! 

 

Trevor

[jonny777]

I love these photos from this era.

 

They are so atmospheric, especially as the infrastructure was in an advanced state of decay and neglect.

 

 

 

 

This is 92098 at Tyne Dock in the rain (or at least I am pretty confident of the loco/location). Apologies for the dodgy quality, but I have tried to spruce up the negatives as best as I can; you should have seen the state of them when I acquired them in a sale. They had obviously been stored in a damp room, and given a few more years would have probably been destroyed by mould.

Edited September 29, 2017 by jonny777

[Alcanman]

I've now found my North Blyth photos. Every sunday morning during the summer of '67 North Blyth shed was visited along with the adjacent Hughes Bolckows scrapyard. Hundreds of steam locos including some A4s were

 

scrapped there. A sad sight, indeed. 

 

By September, the only steam locos active at North Blyth were a few Ivatt 4MTs. No more J27s,Q6s and K1s to be seen on coal trains. Such a pity that the long lasting J27s didn't make it to the end.

 

The 4MTs began to arrive in 1965 and by 1966 North Blyth had quite a large allocation.

 

On the Friday,1st September 1967, armed with my new camera I was chasing 43070 around the Newsham area of Blyth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jonny777]

I think this may be Tyne Dock as well.

 

 

 

 

Certainly 63377 was a Tyne Dock loco for many years. The inclement weather just adds to the depressing scene.

[Trev52A]

@ jonny777

Yes, both your shots were at Tyne Dock - to confirm, here's a similar view of mine from 23/7/67 showing 43137 and 65811. I've been trying to work out which is the earlier view by comparing the state of the smashed windows in the background - I think it's a draw! Actually, if your turntable shot was taken on the same day as the 9F it must be 1966 at the latest.

 

And on a happier note: 62007 with a coal train at Low Fell, where I did my earliest spotting, taken on 4/3/67. The train is climbing up from Low Fell Sidings (or Low Fell yard, as we knew it.) Looking north with the ECML on the right.

And to show how things have changed, a shot at the same spot 50 years later (29/7/17, in fact) of 60103 climbing the bank after a water stop, with a southbound Special.

 

Trevor

 

[Alcanman]

After visiting Sunderland and West Hartlepool on 2nd September 1967, news of the impending closure of North Blyth resulted in a visit on Wednesday 6th Sept.

 

The 2 locos in steam were 43137 and 43070. Both locos worked local coal trains in the final week.

 

 

 

 

The following day I caught 43137 at Newsham.

 

 

 

 

On the 9th September 1967 North Blyth shed closed, however, a final visit was made on Sunday 10th Sept.

 

43070 once again...

 

 

 

and inside the roundhouse 43000

 

 

 

 

Some years later 43000 inside North Blyth shed featured on a postage stamp

 

 

 

On Monday, 11th September I started work and my teenage trainspotting days were over.  50 years later I still make regular visits to North Blyth to photograph trains.

 

Happy days and happy memories!

 

Mal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jonny777]

@ jonny777

Yes, both your shots were at Tyne Dock - to confirm, here's a similar view of mine from 23/7/67 showing 43137 and 65811. I've been trying to work out which is the earlier view by comparing the state of the smashed windows in the background - I think it's a draw! Actually, if your turntable shot was taken on the same day as the 9F it must be 1966 at the latest.

 

And on a happier note: 62007 with a coal train at Low Fell, where I did my earliest spotting, taken on 4/3/67. The train is climbing up from Low Fell Sidings (or Low Fell yard, as we knew it.) Looking north with the ECML on the right.

And to show how things have changed, a shot at the same spot 50 years later (29/7/17, in fact) of 60103 climbing the bank after a water stop, with a southbound Special.

 

Trevor

 

Thanks Trevor.

 

Unfortunately these negatives I acquired came with no info whatsoever, I have to try and work the details out for myself. There are no action shots - all are depot images taken in miserable weather. Maybe a society visit.

 

For example, I have no idea where this might be; but 63459 finished its days at Tyne Dock and it may well be there also. By this time, it appears that the rain has turned to sleet and presumably is winter 65/66?

 

 

[Trev52A]

@ Mal/Alcanman

Right at the death with 'Flying Pigs!' Super signal gantry at Newsham, as well. I think it was rare for these locos to come south of the Tyne (although my earlier shot included 43137 at Tyne Dock). I only ever photographed one in the Gateshead area, at Low Fell on 28/1/67 - note the other steam activity in Low Fell Yard visible through the murk in the right background. The loco is 43000, no less!

By coincidence I was at the SLS Newcastle Area meeting on Friday when the talk was about the Blyth & Tyne lines around Newsham and points north. Plenty of shots of these locos in your stamping ground in the talk. 

 

Also here are a couple of shots at Pelaw, east of Gateshead. 65882 was heading east with coal empties on 30/5/67.

Plus a modern view of the Tyne & Wear Metro station on the same site. Half a century of change!

 

Please keep the photos coming in, chaps!

 

Trevor

 

 

[RfDforever]

I accept that this scan is rather dusty, but I think it is of some interest.

In April '67' on a three day coach bash, I visited North Blyth to find a 204 extracting a sold loco from the scrap line. That was one of the BR built Ivatt 4s in the line and it seemed at the time to highlight the strange times when a BR built loco with 'mod cons' was going for scrap when NER built or designed loco were still going strong.

But who would have thought then that the tidy-looking loco extracting steam locos for scrap would itself meet the same end within two years?

[R Marshall]

@ Mal/Alcanman

Right at the death with 'Flying Pigs!' Super signal gantry at Newsham, as well. I think it was rare for these locos to come south of the Tyne (although my earlier shot included 43137 at Tyne Dock). I only ever photographed one in the Gateshead area, at Low Fell on 28/1/67 - note the other steam activity in Low Fell Yard visible through the murk in the right background. The loco is 43000, no less!

By coincidence I was at the SLS Newcastle Area meeting on Friday when the talk was about the Blyth & Tyne lines around Newsham and points north. Plenty of shots of these locos in your stamping ground in the talk. 

 

Also here are a couple of shots at Pelaw, east of Gateshead. 65882 was heading east with coal empties on 30/5/67.

Plus a modern view of the Tyne & Wear Metro station on the same site. Half a century of change!

 

Please keep the photos coming in, chaps!

 

Trevor

 

43000 is especially useful for the roof detail in the foreground - I've got to model one like that!

 

Regards,

 

Roy

[R Marshall]

The last J27s in the North East were shedded at Sunderland (65811/55/79/82/94). 65894 (now preserved) was certainly cleaned up for some of its final turns, but I don't know whether any of Sunderland's allocation would have taken coal down to Teesside. West Hartlepool shed only had a couple of Q6s and a set of WDs.

 

Sorry to be unable to help more.

 

Further to this, Iain, I've turned up a picture of 65811 at West Hartlepool in July 67 (Colour Rail, so copyright, alas). This suggests that your memory is ok and that J27s did travel South. 65811 is pretty filthy, but others of Sunderland's allocation weren't. Maybe it was 65894?

 

Regards,

 

Roy

[Alcanman]

Sunderland received 5 J27s from South Blyth when the shed closed to steam on 28th May 1967. Here is 65855 at South Blyth,the loco later moving to Sunderland.

 

 

[Trev52A]

Two more 1967 shots at Low Fell:

 

1) D1102 and 63429 from the road bridge, looking south on 29th March

2) 63346 and D6831 at Low Fell yard on 29th April

 

Trevor