It was 40 years ago this week when British Rail brought the 150-years reign of steam to an end. A number of special trains ran in the North-West from Manchester and Carlisle, to commemorate the event.
In the West Midlands steam had been phased out gradually and had disappeared well before 1968.
The last steam-hauled expresses on the ex-GWR line through West Bromwich ran in March 1967, the last steam hauled freights had also ended by that date.
On the ex-LNWR lines around Bescot and Walsall, steam-hauled local passenger services were gradually replaced by DMU's from the late 1950s, some of these in turn being replaced by EMU's on the electrified lines, from 1965 onwards.
Steam-hauled freights from Bescot were thought to have come to an end by the close of 1966. A colleague ("needmorerail") was witness to what was possibly the last steam departure from Bescot when an immaculate Class 8F locomotive left the North End yard on a mixed freight train, and took the Bescot Curve line towards Wednesbury and Dudley, the former South Staffs route. A number of BR employees and officials saw the train off, which would seem to indicate that this was the very last working for a steam locomotive from Bescot. This was thought to have been in 1966 or possibly 1967, but needs confirmation.
The Walsall Chronicle article above shows ex-Bescot driver and Train Crew Supervisor Ken Broome with a model of former Bescot-allocated LMS Stanier Class 8f 2-8-0 engine which is up for sale via auction.
No comments:
Post a Comment