Standard class 6 Clans operations.

[steve1023]

Hey Guys.

 

I am thinking of buying a Hornby 'Clan' and was just wondering about the operations area of the class - in particular how far north did the Kingmoor allocated loco's go on a regular basis, and would the Glasgow allocated loco's ever be seen alongside AC electrics further south?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[pH]

The Kingmoor engines regularly made it to Perth. The Polmadie engines went to Manchester and Liverpool on services from Glasgow, but I don't think they were scheduled to go south of Preston on the WCML. Since they were withdrawn at the end of 1962, it's not likely they mixed regularly with AC electrics. There's some information on regular 'Clan' workings on the 'Hengist' website - look at the 'Flying Cinders' and 'Recollections' sections. Some interesting things there - the Kingmoor engines working Stanraer to Glasgow but not the Polmadie ones, and Kingmoor apparently asking for the Polmadie engines when they were about to be withdrawn!

[Guest Max Stafford]

Kingmoor's Clans could on occasion be 'borrowed' by Perth and used on hops to Aberdeen and back too.

In 1958, the Polmadie locos were seconded to Haymarket, ostensibly for seasonal traffic, mainly taking them down the Waverley, but I'd put money on then having entered Fife and Angus on occasion too!

 

Dave.

[pH]

I’ve gone back and read a pretty comprehensive article on the Clans in ‘Back Track’ for December 2001. It contains quite a bit about the regular duties of the class. From entering service, the Polmadie engines were used on the Glasgow to Liverpool and Manchester services, and the Kingmoor ones from Carlisle to Perth and Leeds. Soon afterwards, the Kingmoor engines began to work to Stanraer. Those seem to have been the regular duties of the class until the general rundown of steam began, with the exception of the ‘Edinburgh excursion’ you mentioned, Dave, and the testing of 72009 on the GE lines in 1958.

 

The story of the Clans in Edinburgh is a bit more complicated than you’ve outlined, but this article does confirm what you say about duties. In October 1957, 72000/2 from Polmadie and 72005/6 from Kingmoor went to Haymarket. They were used on trains to Aberdeen, Glasgow, Newcastle (though very rarely on top-link duties) and over the Waverley. 72005/6 were returned to Kingmoor in April 1958. In December 1959, 72002 was transferred from Haymarket to St. Margaret’s, which already had 72001/3/4 from Polmadie (the article doesn’t say when those 3 had arrived at St. Margaret’s). 72000 stayed at Haymarket. Finally, in March 1960, 72000-4 were all transferred back to Polmadie.

 

The article also talks about some of the more unusual places where Clans turned up over the years. They got to Aberdeen from Perth (as you said, Dave) as well as from Edinburgh via Dundee, Inverness, Fort William, Blackpool, Bristol, Clacton and Norwich during the GE Line trials, and five London termini. The London stations aren't listed, but I would guess Euston, St, Pancras, Liverpool Street and perhaps two of Paddington/Waterloo/Marylebone on railtours.

 

So I think I’d stick to my original answers to Steve’s questions. The Kingmoor engines regularly got as far north as Perth (with occasional trips further on to Aberdeen), and the Polmadie engines regularly worked as far south as Liverpool and Manchester, but not in their last few years, and so were not likely to be seen with AC electric locos. But there's obviously lots of scope for the use of modeller's licence!

[steve1023]

Guys - Thanks very much for the replies & links. Very helpful.

 

Thank you.

 

Steve

[jamie92208]

I've got slides of them approaching Leeds from the North. Presumably these would ahve been Kingmoor locos.

 

Jamie

[Guest Max Stafford]

Yes Jamie, the Leeds services were Kingmoor jobs, that shed having taken over Durranhill's diagrams during LMS days.

 

Dave.

[Rugd1022]

IIRC one of Graham Onley's articles in British Railways Illustrated mag mentioned a Clan turning up on Northampton shed.

 

Nidge

[trisonic]

I've got a photograph of a Clan passing through Shenfield on the old GER rails heading for Liverpool Street in London. Afraid I can't post it...........

 

Best, Pete.

[Guest Phil]

I commend you to my "mixed doubles" posting in "Prototype", commenting on 72006 coupled to a Hall to run light from Chester to Mold Junction. The author of the book advises that he and his driver worked a local from Manchester to Chester, then light to Mold Junction to work a freight back to Patricroft with 72006.

[great central]

When I were a lad, I were at Derby for a day's spotting wi'me dad.

What looked like a Brit come out from under London Road bridge, when we saw't number it were best cop o'day!

72005, according to something I read recently, possbly in the RCTS book on the standards, had had a few days wandering and had, I believe, got as far south as Bristol, we must have seen it heading back north.

[Leander]

Saw them at Preston on Glasgow Central to Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Exchange workings. When these went over to EE Type 4 haulage they were pretty rare birds in the south.

 

The Polmadie examples also turned up on the Glasgow - Blackpool seasonal holiday trains. At Preston, that meant you saw 'em twice, first going south, usually on the East Lancs side, then 20 minutes later heading for the coast on the North Union side. Glasgow bound trains went 'the other way round'.

[jamie92208]

As a boy, I can remember seeing Clans at the old Liverpool Exchange station ready for the return trip to Edinburgh.

 

 

My father recorded his first clan at Liverpool Exchange the day i was born. He had been to Birkenhead while my mother was gioving birth in Carlisle. (Dad's weren't allowed near in those days.) He records 'James Born' as a note on the side of the page. It's nice to see he ahd his priorities right.

 

Jamie.

[scotcent]

.....The article also talks about some of the more unusual places where Clans turned up over the years. They got to Aberdeen from Perth (as you said, Dave) as well as from Edinburgh via Dundee, Inverness, Fort William, ......

 

Memory recalls that in 1956 "Clan Cameron" made it to Fort William on an excursion. All the train crew were Camerons also -- the occasion was a Clan Cameron Gathering. Memory also recalls that after it got there someone realised that the class was not allowed on the West Highland, and it was some time before they got it back...

 

Allan F

[Guest Max Stafford]

That's quite a famous working Allan, and a total 'one-off'! The occasion was the international gathering of the Clan Cameron in Lochaber, the clan's ancestral homeland. Have a look at the phone book for Fort William if you don't believe me!

 

Dave

[Timara]

I commend you to my "mixed doubles" posting in "Prototype", commenting on 72006 coupled to a Hall to run light from Chester to Mold Junction. The author of the book advises that he and his driver worked a local from Manchester to Chester, then light to Mold Junction to work a freight back to Patricroft with 72006.

 

 

I'm pretty certain I've seen a photo of either 72002 or 72005 at Llandudno. From what I can remember, it was on a holiday extra.

[StaffsOatcake]

When I were a lad, I were at Derby for a day's spotting wi'me dad.

What looked like a Brit come out from under London Road bridge, when we saw't number it were best cop o'day!

72005, according to something I read recently, possbly in the RCTS book on the standards, had had a few days wandering and had, I believe, got as far south as Bristol, we must have seen it heading back north.

 

It may have come from somewhere in the north west Blackpool,LLandudno. there is a picture of a Clan heading past Blythe Bridge Signal Box near Stoke on its way to Derby.