What was the very last steam engine to work on BR at the end of steam on each region and the date

Again these were interregional workings off the LMR and not ER jobs.

Peter

 

I think the last Rylstone steam working was 25th June 1968 written in my diary at the time, but who worked it I can only guess at Rose Grove men.

 

I like all these answers. So @martin1656 , what was your question?

Last steam operated by a BR region?
Last steam within a BR region?
Last steam into/out of a BR region?
Passenger/freight/le/special?

There's really a lot of answers to your question, depending. It all comes together nicely for the LMR and SR.

 

Probably the last steam to Healey Mills was the first week in August 1968 from Rose Grove, I saw one at dusk on Copy Pit on the evening of Thursday 1st August 1968, 48423 banked from Rose Grove by 48393.

 

Vale of Rheidol no. 7, not 4498/60007 No. 7.

 

I'm blowed if I can find the source right now, but I believe that a contender for the last steam loco at work on the Southern Region was the Wainwright C class 592. After withdrawal in I think 1963, it went into departmental service as DS239, one of a pair of C class locos kept as shunting engines around Ashford Works. It was then nominally withdrawn in December 1966, but gained a second life as a portable steam supply for cleaning axle boxes. In that form, it survived until August 1967, following which it was preserved. I believe (but can't provide evidence right now) that it was still capable of movement under its own power at that point, and last steamed on either August 5 or August 12 1967, following which it was purchased by the Wainwright C Class Preservation Society. That would be a month after the end of mainline steam on the Southern.

Tom

 

Did the C, O1 or H move to the South Eastern Steam Centre under their own power? Does this count?

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And more precisely, it was BR No 7, as detailed in loco spotter's ABC books of the period!

 

Sorry. I stand corrected. I did not know that the VoR ran in the winter months.

Peter

 

The last timetabled train under BR auspices was on November 4th 1988, but they ran a Santa Special on December 18th. The next time the VoR ran, in 1989, it had been privatised.

John

 

I don't know - I suspect for the O1 and the C at least it was under their own power. the H was initially preserved at Robertsbridge but that was before 1967 - how it moved to Ashford I don't know.

I did hear a story of the H class being called on to shunt a failed train at Ashford that involved a trip out onto the mainline - that would have been at some point in the early 1970s.

Tom

 

I think that the C and O1 were already stored there when the Ashford Steam Centre was set up so they did not have to move, at least not very far. Happy to be corrected about this though.

Peter

 

Yes, I think so. I believe (but am open to correction) that the H class moved from Robertsbridge by rail in a goods train (i.e. not under its own power).

Tom

 

Is this where I ask about steam powered self-propelled cranes?

 

I did wonder about stationary boilers as well...

 

Wasn't there a working B1 boiler at Rotherham for quite a while?

 

You must have missed my earlier query.

 

Whoops!

 

There was a works open day in Ashford about 1970. The O1 and H were in steam in the works yard. At the end of the day they moved off under their own power to return to the steam centre. I do not remember if they were piloted by a diesel. The C was also there bu not in steam


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I think that you need to tighten your criteria a bit more, Peter. The title says "What was the very last steam engine to work on BR at the end of steam on each region and the date". That would seem to include inter-regional working. If, as it seems from your later posts, you mean last steam loco movement originating in each region, that is different. For the NER, it was probably 45562, which worked a special on 28th October 1967 but this railtour didn't start on the region so does this count? I think that 45562 was the last NER based loco to work a train but I also think that 62005 was the last to be withdrawn on 30th December 1967. Even this wasn't the end as it was used as a stationary boiler at ICI. According to NELPG it was sold by BR on 30th May 1969. (The last steam loco sale, excluding the VOR?)