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

I see what you mean Steve, but I read the title as asking when each region finished operating its own fleet of steam locos. Some regions, like the Western, the Southern and Scottish Regions made a big issue of it at the time but this did not prevent other regions sending steam over their borders. Of course the LM made the biggest noise of all but by then there was no one else left with an operational steam fleet. I really do not know enough about the Eastern and NE regions during this period but I had thought the last NE steam sheds closed around October/November time in 1967. Once your last shed has lost its steam allocation you are not going to be able to run any sort of steam service yourself.

Peter

 

On that definition, it looks as though the last scheduled (as opposed to charter) passenger working was 45428 of Holbeck on 30/9/67 on the 1650 Leeds City to Bradford Exchange, and the last freight operated from an NER depot was on 4/11/67 by 48276 from Royston. Source Keith Widdowson-- Riding Yorkshire's Final Steam Trains.

Edit -- there's a picture of 45428 at Bradford Exchange with the 1420 to Leeds (for KX) on 1/10/67. Said to be the penultimate ER steam passenger train, the 45562 excursion being the last.

 

Prehaps i should have worded it different, what i meant was the last steam working from any particular depot and what that duty was, foristance one of the last i heard about was an standard tank working a van train Bournmouth to Weymouth, then ran light engine under its own steam To Yeovil then Salisbury where it joined the queues of withdrawn engines, awaiting removal to the scrap yards, dropped its fire, and that was that, i think this was the 10th July 1067

 

The North Estern Region formally finished with steam on 30th September 1967 with the closure of the remaining steam sheds in the West Riding. As noted in my previous post Holbeck's 45562 worked a railtour at the end of October and was retained specially for this purpose. Some time later Holbeck's 45428 went to Tyseley under its own steam. A reference on RMWeb states that this was on 24th August 1968. There is supposedly a photo of this in the November 1968 Railway Magazine.

 

This begs a different question. When did North Eastern Region get merged into Eastern Region? Wiki tells me that it was 31st December 1966, in which case I assume these references are actually to ER as a whole?

 

I used to live on the hill above Shipley overlooking the Aire Valley line. In May / June 1968 I had just finished my O levels and spent many an hour relaxing in the garden! With binoculars I saw quite a few 9Fs +1 on Heysham tanker trains heading for Leeds and / or the steam coming out of the ventilation chimneys in Thackley tunnel. I have seen articles in various magazines showing such trains up to @10 June? I wonder if anyone has any details?

 

I'm fairly certain that is not correct. The last day of Southern steam operation was Sunday 9th July '67. During that weekend operational locos were worked in ones or twos to designated assembly sheds at Salisbury and Weymouth. The final recorded steam working was a Bournemouth to Weymouth vans train on the evening of Sunday the 9th, hauled by 77014, which then retired to Weymouth shed for disposal. The following day was completely steamless.

Peter

 

Did I read that J17 65567 worked the last steam hauled service out of Lowestoft? (It’s a town, not a region, I know)

 

The last steam rain through Temple Meads - coal going to Portishead was hauled by an 8F

 

I think you are referring to the Bath to Bristol West coal train, operated by 48309 during the morning of Saturday 5th March 1966. The loco returned light to Bath at lunchtime for final disposal.

The following day, Sunday 6th March, Salisbury shed's 34013 Okehampton worked light throough Temple Meads to Highbridge to work the RCTS S&D Farewell tour from there back to Bath. Later in the day the Ivatt tanks, 41283 and 41249,also off the RCTS special made their way light from Highbridge to Bath for final disposal. This would have been the last normal WR steam operation through Temple Meads.

Peter

 

Last out of Norwich apparently possibly Lowestoft too https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/65567-ger-1217-lner-8217-lner-5567-br-65567/

 

What is the position with departmental locos? I'm sure I read something about a USA tank at one of the Southern region sleeper depots being the last loco in steam (excluding cranes etc)

 

Well, I did post DS239 as still running in August 1967, a month after the end of steam on the Southern region, but it fell on deaf ears!

Also on the Southern Region, Bradley gives a withdrawal date of September 1967 for a couple of the USA tanks, though other sources seem to imply they were not in use after June.

Tom

 

There are anomolies for this all over the place. Best to just stick to locos in capital stock capable of being rostered to work revenue trains IMHO.

Peter

 

Far too logical, old chap ..... where's the fun in that?

 

Why not have both? I find the anomalies just as fascinating.

 

Of course, why not have both. I agree about anomolies being interesting, but so are the details relating to the last steam services, which is what I understand this thread to be about.

Peter

 

Since when could logic not be fun. Railways are logical operations and also great fun - at least to those of us on this forum.

Peter

 

Oh yes I agree completely - but no harm discussing both in the same thread is what I meant.

 

At this juncture, dare I point out that the colour in which anything gets painted* in has no practical effect whatsoever on the logical operation of a railway? I'll cheerfully agree, it adds greatly to the debate!

http://www.semgonline.com/steam/n15xclass_03.html
[Link to semgonline.com included solely to stir things up a bit]

*at any rate, assuming you don't go covering it all in some hue particularly attractive to hornets, sheep or deer ticks, dragons ..... or whatever.