MD&HB Secret Steam

Thanks to a friend on the LUPTS (Liverpool University Public Transport Society) site here is a gem of story about what was probably the last steam run the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Railway. Anyone know where the loco is now?

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=54648

 

Brilliant photos, thanks for posting them. There is one MDHB steam loco preserved in the Liverpool Museum large objects collection. It maybe that saddletank.

 

Hi,

There are 2 ex MDHB Avonside 060st in preservation, one in the collection at Liverpool, & the second is at Ribble Steam Railway in Preston, ex Skelmersdale & Fleetwood. However the loco pictured is a small oldish Andrew Barclay 040st.

 

The loco was named "Efficient". Is it at Ribble Steam Railway?

Tim

 

The loco you are thinking about is probably 'Lucy' ,Avonside 1568/1909, which is virtually identical to the M.D.H.B. Avonsides.
She worked for Hutchinson Estate & Dock Co. at Widnes from 1909 until approx 1970. One of the Wirral History compilations on Youtube has some film of the last 'Birkenhead Docker' railtour in 1972 with 'Lucy' featuring. She is now at Preston with 'Efficient'.

Bob

 

Martin,

When we bought 'Efficient' she did have a full cab back, but a committee decision was to replace this with the two poles, manufactured by myself from an old boiler tube. I was very proud of that job - a major engineering project in the early days !

Bob.

 

Great pics when i'm down there next i will have to use some imagination
Lcocs not Efficent defianetley an Andrew Barlclay

 

I don't remember the event, the LLPG bush telegraph mustn't have been working that week. The loco is a small Barclay then called Chemicals which was owned by a former founder member of the LLPG Keith Rose. If I remember correctly it later went to Embsay and then back into industrial service shunting a scrap yard in Shipley. I think it was renamed Harry or something like that. I have no idea where it is now.

The Liverpool Loco Preservation Group engines, Barclay Efficient from Mckechnie Chemicals Widnes and Avonside Lucy from Hutchinson Dock estate Widnes were both shedded on the Wirral side. The 1972 Birkenhead Docker Rail Tour was not actually the last one as it was rerun in July 1978 and Lucy was brought down from Steamport for the occasion. Two ex-MDHB Avonsides do exist B2 number 1 in Liverpool Museum and B3 number 26 at Ribble Steam Railway.

Hope this answers the questions
Ray

 

I think that photo is of Tom Parry which is also an the P&BR. Harry is mentioned on this page

http://www.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk/pages/LOCOS-STEAM/locos-steam.html

But there is no mention of the link with Liverpool and it's restoration there.

 

The loco in Liverpool is Chemicals now named Harry at Blaenavon. It went to Embsay after this and was used there in the early days when they just ran to Bow Bridge.

 

Hello Folks,

Thanks for posting these photos, and the other postings... Very much appreciated! I'm pretty sure that is Harry/Chemicals in the photographs, the mechanical lubricator is in the same place. The links to Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway show Tom Parry as stripped down. Harry is still in one piece.

Kind regards,
Ian (Harry's owner)

 

So then, we off for a secret trip round the ironworks when harry is up and running!

AliG

 

Both "Chemicals" and "Efficient" are Andrew Barclay 0.4.0ST locos, hence the confusion! "Chemicals" is the smaller loco of the two built in 1926 as works number 1823 with 12" cylinders, "Efficient" being a 14" loco built in 1918 as works number 1598.

In the photos "Chemicals" has yet to be repainted so this was the first outing the loco had on the MD&HB, when stored at Princes Dock loco shed, which still retained all the faciliteis for the MD&HB steam locos that had been replaced by Diesels. On the second outing of "Chemicals" along the dock system, the loco had been fully cleaned and painted in plain black livery. This time the loco made it into the MD&HBs Riverside Station, only months before it was demolished. It would therfore have definately been the last steam loco ever at Riverside, and possible the last ever loco to enter the station!

It was then moved to Embsay for some years but sold on to a scrapyard at Wakefield (Crossleys) where it was repainted into royal blue lined in black and white, a "Crossleys" logo on the cab and gained the name "Harry". Although already having been preserved, the loco was put back to use in this industrial role. I believe from there the loco found its way to Peak Rail (possible via other railways) and as already mentioned, is now named "Harry" and is at Pontypool needing serious firebox work.

 

I don't know about serious firebox work, but, AFAIK, it was last in steam when it was at Middleton and was taken out of service there because water was dripping through the bottom of barrel plate!
Pedantic mode on: Crossley's was at Shipley, not Wakefield.

 

The boiler on Harry/Chemicals is an unknown quantity. There are some large patches in the firebox, that I'm not too happy about. The boiler barrel is a known Barclay 'achiles heel'. I can only assume that there is a corrosion element, introduced when the boiler barrel meets the cast iron smokebox saddle. However.... We had a similar situation at Caerphilly, in the 1980's. The AB there, 'Victory', developed a leak, just behind the smokebox. The doom sayers were all for condemming the loco, but it turned out to be a leak from the bottom corner of the tank....

BTW, I should mention that Harry/Chemicals has had the wheels out & turned, and the boxes re-metalled. In addition, we've made all new spring link pins, and the links have been re-bushed.

Many thanks for the information contained within the postings. It's all priceless stuff!

Kind regards,
Ian