End of Steam on the British Railway Network

[Stefen1988]

Can someone tell me on which dates the six BR Regions ended their Steam Operations?

 

As I know the Midland Region was the Final one on August 11nd 1968, but when was the End of Steam on the other Regions?

 

Thanks for Answers

[Edge]

Not sure of precise dates, but I believe Southern, Eastern and Western were amongst the first to divest themselves of steam in the early 1960s (63-64). The north eastern and Scottish followed (66-67ish) and the London Midland was the last in 1968.

 

however, as always the devil is in the detail. Steam continued on ad hoc in all of these regions as needed and there wasn’t really a blanket ban imposed on steam traffic for any of them until the end of steam proper in 1968, although any steam activity would have increasingly become the exception rather than the rule. After 1968 the only steam on BR rails would have been Flying Scotsman and the Rheidol locos until railtours began again.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Edge

[Phil Bullock]

Official end of steam operation on the WR was 31st December 1965 when Worcester Gloucester Oxford and Barrow road depots closed. 
 

But …. Oxford steamed 6998 for a working to Banbury … see link Here …. and Worcester still had a pannier rank in steam on 1st January 1966. Penetrating workings from the Midlands to Gloucester continued but reduced as 1966 wore on …. I had thought the last working was a 9F to Gloucester in September but it has recently emerged that Saltley steamed a withdrawn Ivatt Mickey Mouse and sent it to Gloucester on a freight via Stratford in January 1967!

 

I originally omitted the Somerset and Dorset line from the WR, a line they acquired but plainly did not want…. Apologies and thanks to @H2O for pointing this out. Through trains ceased in September 1962 but despite the best efforts of BR management the last train was 7th March 1966 … steam to the end, there’s a final day video Here

 

Then there was the Southern …. 9th July 1967 was Waterloo Sunset, the end of Southern steam and up to not too long before that date Southern Pacific’s continued to work to Oxford on Cross Country trains …. And Midland locos still worked in to Oxford until September 1966. Southern locos also got to Westbury until the end of Southern steam. 
 

The North Eastern finished with steam in September 67 … I think Scotland was March 67 but others will know more than me on those . Again I suspect there is no straightforward answer! 
 

Phil

Edited February 16, 2023 by Phil Bullock

[rodent279]

Someone will be pedantic enough to say this eventually, so it may as well be me.....arguably LMR steam & therefore BR steam, did not truly finish until 1988, when the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge line passed into private ownership. 

[Phil Bullock]

1 minute ago, rodent279 said:

Someone will be pedantic enough to say this eventually, so it may as well be me.....arguably LMR steam & therefore BR steam, did not truly finish until 1988, when the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge line passed into private ownership. 

I was going to mention that …. 😀 but forgot to include it….

[Wickham Green too]

3 hours ago, rodent279 said:

Someone will be pedantic enough to say this eventually, so it may as well be me.....arguably LMR steam & therefore BR steam, did not truly finish until 1988, when the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge line passed into private ownership. 

Indeed - but British Rail(ways) had still been operating steam elsewhere until 1981 : -

 

New Holland Pier : 25/6/81

[Johann Marsbar]

12 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Indeed - but British Rail(ways) had still been operating steam elsewhere until 1981 : -

 

New Holland Pier : 25/6/81

 

PS Lincoln Castle finished in 1978, so the service was run by the diesel paddler Farringford until it finished in 1981. 

Strange, I've actually been watching that Online Video DVD of Paddle Steamers this afternoon!

[rodent279]

I suppose if one wants to be really pedantic......when was the last steam crane taken out of use?

[Wickham Green too]

 

1 hour ago, Johann Marsbar said:

PS Lincoln Castle finished in 1978, so the service was run by the diesel paddler Farringford until it finished in 1981.  ...

Apologies, I knew I'd missed the boat in 1988 but hadn't realised that PD Farringford had been struggling on single handed for three years. Anyway, in case anyone doubts us, here's the Tattershall Castle in 1972 : -

 

 

.... hmm .... pedantic steam cranes ..... yes !

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, rodent279 said:

I suppose if one wants to be really pedantic......when was the last steam crane taken out of use?

 

For that matter, when did steam heating finally fall out of use?

[rodent279]

Now that really is pedantic!

 

I'd guess about '88 as well. Got a feeling steam cranes lasted into the 80's, but not sure how long.

[Colin_McLeod]

Don't they still have steam in those complicated coffee machines.

 

Not part of BR but still a UK nationalised railway, the last company operated passenger and goods steam trains on Northern Ireland Railways was 1970.

[H2O]

6 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

Official end of steam operation on the WR was 31st December 1965 when Worcester Gloucester Oxford and Barrow road depots closed. 
 

But …. Oxford steamed 6998 for a working to Banbury … see link Here …. and Worcester still had a pannier rank in steam on 1st January 1966. Penetrating workings from the Midlands to Gloucester continued but reduced as 1966 wore on …. I had thought the last working was a 9F to Gloucester in September but it has recently emerged that Saltley steamed a withdrawn Ivatt Mickey Mouse and sent it to Gloucester on a freight via Stratford in January 1967!

 

Then there was the Southern …. 9th July 1967 was Waterloo Sunset, the end of Southern steam and up to not too long before that date Southern Pacific’s continued to work to Oxford on Cross Country trains …. And Midland locos still worked in to Oxford until September 1966. Southern locos also got to Westbury until the end of Southern steam. 
 

The North Eastern finished with steam in September 67 … I think Scotland was March 67 but others will know more than me on those . Again I suspect there is no straightforward answer! 
 

Phil

I'm fairly sure the last steam service that the WR was responsible for was running the northern section of the old S&D. This closed in spring 1966, although originally scheduled earlier.  So later than Jan 1st that year.

[hexagon789]

54 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

For that matter, when did steam heating finally fall out of use?

Easy ;)

 

ScotRail 02/05/1987

 

47117 on 1Z61 & 1Z62, 1020 GLQ-ADB & 1720 ABD-GLQ Footex.

 

There is even a photo of '117 in steam on one of those Footex trains listed.

[Phil Bullock]

7 hours ago, H2O said:

I'm fairly sure the last steam service that the WR was responsible for was running the northern section of the old S&D. This closed in spring 1966, although originally scheduled earlier.  So later than Jan 1st that year.

Yup there’s that one too….. 

 

Cheers

[Izzy]

The exGE area was the first to loose steam completely, late ‘62, having been among the first to get diesels, Devon’s Road, Bow, being the first BR diesel shed I believe.

 

Bob

[adb968008]

16 hours ago, rodent279 said:

Someone will be pedantic enough to say this eventually, so it may as well be me.....arguably LMR steam & therefore BR steam, did not truly finish until 1988, when the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge line passed into private ownership. 

Ah but then the WHL line steam services was in the timetable.

Edited February 14, 2023 by adb968008

[adb968008]

9 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

For that matter, when did steam heating finally fall out of use?

Still used on railtours / whl.

[RichardT]

I bet the OP is really happy with all the pub quiz pedant responses to their original, and perfectly clear, question….  I’m going to top you all by pointing out that, as kettles are still in use in crew messrooms, steam has never vanished from the National railway network 😝

 

As far as I can recollect, the Western was the first to completely abolish steam in 1966, closely followed by the Eastern.  Southern, Scottish and North Eastern followed in 1967, and the LMR in 1968.  Areas in “steam-free” regions would still see some run-through steam services from other regions to recognised engine changing points.  Long before the final abolition of steam in a region, steam locos were concentrated on a very few depots, so regions were effectively steam free in terms of public perception several years before the absolute “final” date.

 

Perhaps others could give more precise dates to these rough estimates?

 

RichardT

Edited February 14, 2023 by RichardT
Elaborating

[Rivercider]

As we have seen there are many ways the question can be answered.

A helpful guide might be when was the last day (or week) that there was diagrammed

steam working on each region, such that an enthusiast might turn up and be able

to see an ordinary service train being steam hauled.

 

On the Southern Region week commencing Monday 3rd July 1967 is the last week of steam.

These were on services to/from Waterloo, plus some other workings in the Bournemouth/Weymouth/Eastleigh area.

There were nine or ten passenger or pilot turns worked by steam on Sunday 9th July,

 

cheers  

 

 

[Compound2632]

2 hours ago, RichardT said:

I bet the OP is really happy with all the pub quiz pedant responses to their original, and perfectly clear, question….  

 

Well, that's what you get for posting such a question on RMWeb! Especially as the OP's question requires only a small amount of online research for the OP to answer it themself.

Edited February 14, 2023 by Compound2632

[The Stationmaster]

20 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

Official end of steam operation on the WR was 31st December 1965 when Worcester Gloucester Oxford and Barrow road depots closed. 
 

But …. Oxford steamed 6998 for a working to Banbury … see link Here …. and Worcester still had a pannier rank in steam on 1st January 1966. Penetrating workings from the Midlands to Gloucester continued but reduced as 1966 wore on …. I had thought the last working was a 9F to Gloucester in September but it has recently emerged that Saltley steamed a withdrawn Ivatt Mickey Mouse and sent it to Gloucester on a freight via Stratford in January 1967!

 

Then there was the Southern …. 9th July 1967 was Waterloo Sunset, the end of Southern steam and up to not too long before that date Southern Pacific’s continued to work to Oxford on Cross Country trains …. And Midland locos still worked in to Oxford until September 1966. Southern locos also got to Westbury until the end of Southern steam. 
 

The North Eastern finished with steam in September 67 … I think Scotland was March 67 but others will know more than me on those . Again I suspect there is no straightforward answer! 
 

Phil

And the LMR and SR still had a habit of sending steam engines onto certain parts of the WR after that date.  In the end the Western retaliated by ensuring that water supplies to any remaining water cranes were disconnected and there was therefore no water available.

[Phil Bullock]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

And the LMR and SR still had a habit of sending steam engines onto certain parts of the WR after that date.  In the end the Western retaliated by ensuring that water supplies to any remaining water cranes were disconnected and there was therefore no water available.

Yes I bet the crew sent to Gloucester with a Mickey Mouse in Jan 67 were having kittens about water with their small tendered loco…

 

 

[adb968008]

4 hours ago, RichardT said:

I bet the OP is really happy with all the pub quiz pedant responses to their original, and perfectly clear, question….  I’m going to top you all by pointing out that, as kettles are still in use in crew messrooms, steam has never vanished from the National railway network 😝

 

As far as I can recollect, the Western was the first to completely abolish steam in 1966, closely followed by the Eastern.  Southern, Scottish and North Eastern followed in 1967, and the LMR in 1968.  Areas in “steam-free” regions would still see some run-through steam services from other regions to recognised engine changing points.  Long before the final abolition of steam in a region, steam locos were concentrated on a very few depots, so regions were effectively steam free in terms of public perception several years before the absolute “final” date.

 

Perhaps others could give more precise dates to these rough estimates?

 

RichardT

Thats the great thing about the Anglo saxon world.

There never is a black and white answer.

Thats why we have such a well heeled legal system.

 

The alternative way however is 1500 miles east, and the answer is a simple alive or dead… Even the Russians said they had no steam 30 years ago, but they did have a lot of self powered mobile steam heating boilers.

[Colin_McLeod]

In August 1989 NIR operated some normal commuter services with steam as part of their 150th anniversary celebrations.