Cheshire Lines Committee

Not sure if this is the correct section to ask but here goes.....
Last year, as part of the preps for the "1T57" Fifteen Guinea pecial, 8f - 48151 was hauled backwards with stock by diesel to Liverpool Lime Street from Manchester using the CLC line through Widnes.
I posted a picture on my site: http://www.pbase.com/merseyphotographic/image/101439614/medium and asked when the last time a steam loco was on the CLC track?
One guy posted a reply:
Last known steam on Stockport - Glazebrook - Liverpool CLC roue was around midnight on Friday 25 July 1969. Three light engines (in steam) en route to an open day.

My question(s) then areA) What engines were these in 1969 and B) when was the last steam hauled passenger train on the CLC line through Widnes?

Thanks in advance.
Dan

 

.......

 

HI,
Yes- not being a railway expert by anymeans I still found the ref to three light engines in steam in 1969 a little strange.
What open day would it hace been.
Thanks for your reply and it will be interesting to see if anyone else can shed light on it.
Dan

 

Clc

There was an open day at Allerton depot in Liverpool around that time. I can't remember what the locos were , but i'm sure one was a Jubilee. This depot has access straight onto the CLC line.

Bob.

 

Did the locos come from Dinting? One could have been 45596 Bahamas.

 

Bahamas moved to Dinting in November 1968.

She didn't move from the site until her main line trial to Woodhead in 1973

 

There is footage on one of the B&R DVDs of 'Lizzie' being hauled, in steam, by a diesel through Northwich en-route to the Rainhill event. Would that be 1975?

Regards

 

The Rainhill trials were 1979- I just remember sitting on my Dad's shoulders for hours watching it!
Interesting the range of replies so far. With the so called banning of steam in '68 this is posing a difficult one......

 

If there is one thing that winds me up it is the application of the phrase "so called" to actual events.

I'm surprise my TV survives BBC newscasts as they are past masters at this insidious casting doubt on what those who were there know to be fact.

After the 11th August 1968 apart from Flying Scotsman steam was banned from the main line until 1973.

I'm sure towed movements will have occurred - but not in steam - and certainly not as prime mover

 

My apologies for using the term "so called"....
A complete ban on steam haulage it was then.

 

I actually went to that open day, and the locos were Black Five 5428, 5XP 5593 and Castle 7029. All had arrived in light steam but diesel hauled.

Steam did move about the network, ostinsibly behind a diesel, pror to the lifting of the steam ban. I was an SVR volunteer at the time with the 8F Society, and in 1970 she went to Tyseley in company with GWR 0-6-0 3205 and pannier 5786. Driving the 8F was Ron Gardner. Ron was a BR driver and had signed the road for the entire route. The rumour is that he got bored at the 25 mph imposed speed limit, so instead of the Type 2 pulling the steam locos, it was propelled along by the 8F. The diesel's driver decided that 60 mph was a bit more than he wanted and applied the brake, which Ron overcame with the large ejector and by dropping the lever further down. On arrival at Tyseley, the diesel limped off with a nice set of flats on its wheels...

I'm not going to state that the story is positively true, but I knew Ron...

 

I've now found some of the photos I took that day; don't ask why I bothered looking! But they show what was at Allerton.

 

It's a matter of record that I fired a preserved steam loco from Kirkstall to Middleton over BR tracks on 3/2/69 and there were plenty of other privately owned locos in daily use on BR tracks, as well; albeit, not on passenger trains.

 

What about Bahamas. Didn't it move from Bury to Dinting light engine?, or was it Hunslets to Dinting?

 

Ah! The event was at Allerton then. Very interesting and Kolhapur was one of the loco's as well as Clun Castle?
Thanks ever so much, I back onto the CLC line at Widnes and after seeing the 8f dragged along there last year I was interested to know what loco's they must have been in 1969.
Judging by the replies the steam ban was a blanket ban but then I guess rules are there to be broken!
Thanks to everyone.

 

Bahamas moved - light engine - under its own steam - on the 11th November 1968 from Bury to Dinting - purely to get Geoff Walker out of BR's hair, and the loco off BR metals - happy to be reminded.

I was at Dinting to welcome her to what became - and should still be - her home, and have the photos to remind me.

 

1466 worked on the Wallingford branch in April & July 1968.

Didn't the steam ban officially end in 1972 following the succesful week of trips by 6000 King George V in October 1971?

 

Thanks to everyone for their input- most interesting.
To chance my luck now.....Slightly differnt line but....
Another line I pass all the time to my local- the Ferry at Fiddlers Ferry- when was the last time anyone may know of a steam loco along the "low level" past Fiddlers Ferry?
Thanks in advance.
Dan