Trev52A

@ Chris I wonder if 92223 ever turned a wheel between my earlier shot from 17th March and yours from 9th July. Here are more Black Fives at Preston: 44806 with a short(!) freight on 2nd August A recently-cleaned 45388 waiting to leave with a southbound parcels train on 18th July Just south of the station, 45212 stands with a ballast train as 45200 passes with southbound mineral wagons on 18th July. Does anyone know what 'COLEX' means, painted on the wagon on the extreme right of the picture? Trevor Edited to delete reference to not having seen a 9F in steam at Carnforth in 1968 - 92118 is clearly in steam on my post #147. I meant not seeing a 9F in action in 1968.

Me too, Ray! The electrification flashes on my model were not applied by the previous owner, they are (presumably) as per the original Hornby loco (remember, it started life as 60030). I'll experiment and try to remove one, and hope there is still green underneath! Then I have the job of removing the cab crests, which were applied as transfers when it was renumbered to 60009. It will be good to see pictures of the 'after' versions in due course - we've already seen the 'before'' shots. Good fun. Cheers Trevor

A couple more at Carnforth from July 1968: Staying at the Youth Hostel at Arnside, I frequently caught the 09.20 (a loco-hauled train from Barrow) to Lancaster, where it was combined with a southbound express for Euston. On 17th July, hauled by D1631, we passed 73069 standing with a brake van beside Carnforth F&M Junction signal box: And here's another shot from the footbridge across the main lines: 44709 with a southbound freight on 19th July. A nice mix of vehicles in the train, including several loaded 'conflats'. I see the tender water tank top has been left open - the fireman will be in trouble if the shed foreman notices! Cheers Trevor

9F, anyone? These were all taken at Carnforth shed on 17th March 1968 That's 92118 on the right Closeup of 92077 Now I'm just being greedy! 92004, 92223 and 92009 Trevor

A slip of the finger, there, Ray? You must mean 1964? (Definitely had them out of Doncaster Works in November 1963, as we have seen) Cheers Trevor

I think we are getting to the bottom of this! Yesterday I checked with a friend of mine with a vast collection of railway pictures (not all of them his own) if 60009 had a late overhaul in Darlington Works. He sent me a picture of it receiving attention to the smokebox area, dated 3rd April 1964. This must be the occasion which has been mentioned several times on this thread, with the side-on views of the loco.Why it needed attention so soon after leaving Doncaster Works (November 1963) is still not clear (to me, anyway!) I would suggest that this seems the likely time when the crests were removed from the cab sides. Seems logical? So, pre-April 1964, with crests on cab sides. After April 1964, no crests. Regarding the last A4 to be overhauled at Darlington Works. I would also suggest 60034 Lord Faringdon. Here's one of mine of this loco taken on a Works Open Day on 3rd April 1965, with A3 60052 Prince Palatine beyond. You will have to take my word for it that it is 60034 as the cab end (which presumably had the number on it) is out of shot on the right. HOWEVER this was not the last A4 to reach Darlington Works for an overhaul. In May 1965 60010 Dominion of Canada arrived for attention (my friend has sent me a pic of this as well, dated 10th May 1065) but it was condemned due to the condition of the boiler, so it never went through the Works after all. It stood for several months on the site of Darlington mpd, (latterly minus its chimney) until it was towed to Crewe Works and cosmetically restored to BR late livery condition in 1966 for presentation to Canada. And, the rest, as they say, is history ... (Shildon Great Gathering, etc) That would make a good pub quiz question - what was the last A4 to visit Darlington Works? (Some of this information comes from the RCTS book 'Locomotives of the LNER Part 2A) Cheers Trevor

Brilliant I'll keep checking on the other site. I'll sort out a few more of mine which include other photographers (by accident!) - I might have got you. Cheers Trevor

A couple from Lostock Hall shed right at the end.. Line up on 2nd August On the last day of (normal) steam at Lostock Hall - 70013 prepares for one of the 'specials' on 4th August Trevor

Some more great 'real' steam shots, here, Chris. I love the backlighting on the exhaust from the 8F at Preston station. Here's another blast from the past, although it's been posted on another thread earlier. A shed permit dated 1st August 1968 for the last three steam sheds. Trevor

@Ray After reading all of this interesting thread relating to the crests on the cab side of 60009, I hunted my model out of the loft for a close look. This started life as a second-hand Hornby 60030 Golden Fleece which a friend of mine renumbered/named to 60009. I realise the tender is now not correct in certain details but I'm happy to live with that. I have fitted a vacuum pipe under the front buffer beam (a wirewound guitar string, although it needs a touch of matt black paint) and AWS 'bash plate', but the cab/tender fall plate and cab doors are still to do. It represents the state it was in after its final overhaul at Doncaster in November 1963, to correspond with the picture you quoted, i.e. black nameplate, straight (not curly) numbers on smokebox and with crests on cab side. Checking with my own photo from 1964 (shown earlier) I now realise the cab crests should not be there, as I wanted to have it as I remembered it! Any suggestions as to how best to remove them, please? I also see the electrification flashes are not as per the prototype so I expect some T-cut and gentle application with a cotton bud should remove them? I have some flashes from a previous job which I can apply in the correct place - i.e. on the black smokebox side casing, not the green body. And apparently none at all near the top of the boiler. Regarding the cabside crests, could it be that (on the prototype) they were only fitted for photography reasons during the 1963 Doncaster overhaul but removed before it entered traffic? The picture you posted from November 1963 (with steam obscuring the cab) was not conclusive on my monitor - can you really see the crests on the original picture? - in which case I stand corrected. We need more photos from 1963/64, I think. All part of the fun of going into the details of the subject, isn't it? Cheers Trevor

Here's 40048 at Manors on 6th July 1975, heading for Newcastle. It could be on a train from Edinburgh or, due to the absence of heads at windows, it might be emptry stock from Heaton (despite the headcode?) Trevor

Gulp! I wouldn't risk rubbing anything abrasive (e.g. Brasso!) on my negatives or slides, although I had heard of that tactic. All of mine have been through Photoshop to remove specks and scratches and improve contrast etc. if needed. Have a look at the other thread I mentioned - you might be standing next to me on some of the shots from 15th July. Kind regards Trevor

Here's a 'Brownie 127' shot of mine at St. Margaret's shed on 20th October 1964, a few days before the 'final A4 to Kings Cross' special, as it appeared in the colour picture shown earlier, taken at Gateshead shed on 24th October by my sadly-missed friend, Ken Groundwater. Black nameplates, no crest (or worksplates) on cab, normal numbers on smokebox. Trevor

Good stuff! I was at Carlisle that day, where it also poured with rain! I was at Shap on 15th July and at Carlisle for most of the following summer Saturdays. I'd love to see more of your Shap pictures - we must have photographed some of the same trains in different locations. Have you thought of posting them on the dedicated thread '50th Anniversary of the End of Steam over Shap?'? (It's currently on page 5 of the 'UK Prototype Discussions' topics - nothing's been added for a while. Let's get it up and running again!) Kind regards Trevor

Brilliant. Well, that's put that mystery to bed. And yes, Canal A3s were indeed rare in my neck of the woods (the ECML). Cheers Trevor

Here's 40085 after arrival at Newcastle on 5th August 1980, showing some good front end detail. Trevor

@Chris Turnbull More great shots, Chris (posts #103 and #126). I'm looking forward to the next batch. I'm so pleased this era was captured in colour - I didn't try colour slides until the early 1970s and experimented at first with various brands which were, frankly, awful. If I had tried that in the 1960s I would be regretting it now, with unrepeatable steam shots which would have faded, or turned purple etc. Anyway, here's my b&w take on your view of the withdrawn locos at Carnforth shed. This was taken 9 days after yours and shows the influx of more dead metal. I remember seeing 44963, bottom right, being driven on to the end of the lineup and the crew walking away for the last time just before I took the photo. Dead locos at Carnforth on 18th July 1968 And here's another one taken from the footbridge south of Carnforth station the previous day 45394 coming off shed at Carnforth on 19th July 1968 Cheers Trevor

What a super photo! Those were the days, eh? A ten(?) coach train for football supporters, and it wasn't even for a Wembley Final! Blimey, what was the normal attendance for Carlisle home games back then? I think my original query of whether 70013 was turned at Preston was solved in post #118. Here's the clincher - you were in the first coach at Carlisle; were you still in the first coach on arrival at Blackpool? If yes, then that confirms the train did not reverse anywhere en route and the loco did not need to be turned. (Except at Blackpool shed for working the return journey, obviously.) Cheers Trevor

There's also 5 pages (and counting) of pics and memories of the end of steam in the UK Prototype Discussions section - '50 Years since the end of BR steam!' - which includes pictures at all the final sheds. Trevor

Sorted! Thanks for clearing that up, Jim. Cheers Trevor

Thank you for the football results - shame about the replay! We do know the 'Brit' worked the return trip to Carlisle. What I'm not sure of is because the train would have had to reverse at Preston to reach Blackpool, did the 'Brit' get turned (presumably at Lostock Hall shed) which must have caused a heck of a delay, or did it work the train tender-first from Preston to Blackpool? (Unlikely). The Six Bells Junction website shows 70013 at Blackpool shed that day, so it must have worked the train all the way. The Border Reiver was on this train - hopefully he will get back to us and all will be revealed! Cheers Trevor

May I add some of my own Type 4/Class 40 shots to the mix? I'm not an expert so don't know if these are unusual in any respect, but here we go.. A 'namer' on Tyneside - D229 Saxonia heads north with what looks like a ballast train (unless someone can suggest a better description?) at Low Fell, Gateshead on 6th July 1968. Named examples were rare in this part of the country at the time. On the left is the remaining part of the station building, which closed in the 1950s An ex-'namer' on Tyneside - 40035 (formerly Apapa) after arrival with a Liverpool train on 5th August 1975 ​Trevor

Unlikely to be Tyne Dock, I would suggest, with an 8F(?) on the right. The 'lie of the land' doesn't look right, either, going from memory. (But I'm happy to be proved wrong.) Darlington or Crewe Works, possibly? Do you have a date for it? Cheers

Thanks for clearing that up. Now you mention it, I seem to recall reading that somewhere ages ago but had forgotten all about it. Trevor

I hope the trip was worthwhile, apart from the run behind 70013. What was the score? Did the train travel via Preston, and if so was there a loco change? Cheers Trevor