Andrew Barclay Crane Tank Stanton No24 basks in the sunshine at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, 3rd June 1979. It was one of a class of seven crane tanks built in 1925 for the Stanton and Staveley Iron Works and was put to work at the Stanton Works just a few miles north up the Erewash Valley from Toton. In 1967 it was transferred to the Riddings Iron Works (further north up the Erewash Valley) until withdrawn in 1969. The Midland Railway Trust secured it for preservation in 1971and it was restored to working order in 1973. However, it is now retired and is on display in the Matthew Kirtley Exhibition Hall at the Midland Railway Centre.

0-4-0ST Gladys basks in the sunshine at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterly, 3rd June 1979. It was built in 1894 by Markham & Co. of Chesterfield (works no. 109) and is the sole surviving example of the locomotives built by this company. It was built for the Staveley Coal and Iron Company for use on their internal network. By 1965 it was out of use and stored at Staveley works. The Midland Railway Trust secured it for preservation in 1971and it was restored to working order in 1975. However, it is now retired and is on display in the Matthew Kirtley Exhibition Hall at the Midland Railway Centre.

Midland Railway 2-4-0 158A has a rare bask in the sunshine at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, 3rd June 1979. It was built at Derby works as 158 in 1866 to a design of W Kirley and was one of a series of twenty nine engines. It became 158A in 1896, 2 under the 1907 Midland Railway renumbering scheme, retained the number 2 on the formation of the London Midland and Scottish Railway which it carried until renumbered 20002 in 1934. When built in 1866 it was a top link passenger locomotive however it was quickly relegated to pilot and secondary duties as the weight of top link passenger trains rapidly increased in the second half of the ninetieth century. When renumbered 158A it was actually placed on the duplicate list, which was for locomotives seeing out there days until withdrawal. Despite its age it and a few others of the class continued to find employment on the backwaters of the Midland Railway and later the London Midland and Scottish Railway and survived until eventually withdrawn in 1947. Following withdrawal it was repainted in Midland Railway livery and kept at Derby works periodically being bought out on special occasions for exhibition. It eventually moved to a museum in Leicester until ownership passed to the National Railway Museum who since 1975 have loaned the engine to the Midland Railway Centre.

Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn 0-6-0 tank Meaford No.2 heads for Dilhorne Park with the 13:00 departure from Caverswall, Foxfield Railway, 18th October 2009. Interestingly Meaford No.2 only seems to be lettered on one side at the moment.

Meaford No.2 is a Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn 0-6-0 tank built in 1951, works number 7684. The design became a standard for the British Electricity Authority (later the Central Electricity Generating Board) for use at its large power stations throughout the United Kingdom. The BEA had a requirement for locomotives capable of taking over a 1,000 ton train from a British Railways locomotive for the final stage of its journey to the coal tipplers. There were eventually twelve of these locomotives in the West Midlands Region alone. Built at the Forth Bank Works in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 7684 was delivered new to Meaford Power Station at Barlaston near Stone in 1951, becoming MEA No2. However, in October 1951 MEA No2 was moved to Nechells Power Station in Warwickshire and was renumbered "No 4". The rest of its working life was spent at Nechells until it was withdrawn from use and moved to the Battlefield Railway at Shackerstone, arriving there on 11th June 1973. It was restored to working order by its owner in 1995, and then moved to the Foxfield Railway on 8th July 1996, where it was painted in the lined green livery originally carried when new at Meaford Power Station. "No 2" has been a regular and powerful performer on Foxfield passenger trains ever since and is seen here running around its train at Caverswall, 18th October 2009.

Austerity 2-8-0 90733 departs Loughborough with the 12:15 service for Leicester North, 4th October 2009. Originally WD79257 it was built in January 1945 by The Vulcan Foundry Ltd, Newton-le-Willows for the War Department to the standard Austerity 2-8-0 design of R A Riddles. The Austerity 2-8-0 was based on the London Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier class 8F, 2-8-0 freight engine, which had been the War Departments first “standard” design. Various modifications were made to the 8F design by R.A. Riddles including a boiler of simpler construction which was parallel rather than tapered and a round-topped firebox rather than a Belpaire firebox. The firebox was made of steel rather than the rarer and more expensive copper. A total of nine hundred and thirty five Austerity 2-8-0 engines were built by the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow (545) and the Vulcan Foundry of Newton-le-Willows (390) with production commencing in 1943.WD79257 was shipped Europe during 1945 and eventually sold to the Netherlands State Railways where it became 4464.In 1953 it was sold to the Swedish State Railways (Statens Jarnvagar) and re-numbered 1931. After undergoing trials at Halmstad in Southern Sweden it was given a heavy overhaul and modified to operate in the Swedish winter and entered service in February 1954. It remained in service in the Halmstad, Landeryd, Nassjo, and Falkoping areas until October 1956 when it was withdrawn. Between November 1958 and February 1959 some minor restoration work took place at Boras prior to it being taken to an isolated forest clearing at Mallansjo where it was stored undercover until the end of 1972. It was examined by a small group of Keighley and Worth Valley Railway members in September 1972 and was purchased and repatriated. It arrived back in United Kingdom at Hull on the 12th January 1973 and offloaded at Ingrow the following day. Only a minimal amount of work was necessary to put the locomotive back into service, and with this completed 1931 entered Keighley and Worth Valley Railway service on a works train on the 4th November 1973. At the end of 1976 it was withdrawn due to boiler stay problems and its general run down mechanical condition. The second heavy repair started in 1993. The idea from the outset was to put the only War Department Austerity 2-8-0 left in the world back to its as built form and re-number the engine by continuing the series of numbers for repatriated engines on British Railways. This entailed a new cab and a new eight wheeled tender as well as a lot of less obvious items. Following a period of testing and running-in, 90733 officially re-entered traffic on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway on Monday 23rd July 2007.

LNER class 04 63601 heads for Quorn on the outskirts of Loughborough with the 11:15 service for Leicester North, 4th October 2009. In 1911 the Great Central Railway introduced class 8K heavy freight engine designed by John George Robinson, one of British railway history's great Chief Mechanical Engineers. By the start of the First World War in 1914 the GCR had built one hundred and twenty six class 8K locomotives and they had proved to be very capable and reliable. As the First World War progressed it placed considerable demand for locomotives both at home and by the Royal Engineer's Railway Operating Division for overseas war work. The Ministry of Munitions decided to commence locomotive construction on its own behalf and selected for this purpose the Robinson 8K design and built five hundred and twenty one engines. In all six hundred and sixty six class 8K locomotives would be built. When the war ended the Ministry of Munitions were left with hundreds of these locomotives to dispose of, many of which had seen little use. The locomotives were mostly purchased by the Great Western Railway, London and North Western Railway and most of all, the successor to the Great Central, the London and North Eastern Railway. The LNER ultimately owned four hundred and twenty one of these 2-8-0s and classified them class 04. Many were subsequently rebuilt in various ways. 63601 was one of the earliest examples, being built in 1911 and basically was unaltered until its withdrawal in June 1963. It entered service as GCR No.102, becoming LNER No.5102 in 1923, renumbered by the LNER to 3509 in 1946, and again 3601 in 1947 until taking its BR number in September 1949. Fortunately it was then selected to be a part of the National Collection and it languished at various locations over the intervening years until arriving at Loughborough on loan on the 6th June 1996. Although complete the engine hadn't worked for more than thirty years and thus a thorough overhaul was commenced. The work carried out by the GCR's Locomotive Department was of the highest quality and at the January 2000 Winter Gala 63601 made its public return to use.

Stanier 8F 48305 approaches Loughborough with the 11:00 service from Leicester North, 4th October 2009. 48305 was built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway in November 1943 and originally numbered 8305. In 1950, it was working from Wellingborough MPD on the coal trains to Brent Sidings, Cricklewood, and to Toton. In April 1957, it was transferred to Northampton MPD, remaining there for the next five years until its next transfer to Crewe South MPD in December 1962. After two years there, it went to Northwich MPD for three months before it made its final transfer to Speke Junction MPD in Liverpool. It was withdrawn from there in January 1968 and arrived at Woodham's scrapyard at Barry in September 1968. It remained at Barry until it was transported to Great Central Railway, arriving at Quorn on the 20th November 1985. Restoration was completed in early 1995 and it is a regular performer on the Great Central Railway

Fairburn 2-6-4T 42085 departs Rothley with the 14:00 Leicester North – Loughborough service, 16th August 2009. 42085 is one of a class of three hundred and eighty three engines built between 1945 and 1951. The class was designed by the London Midland and Scottish Railway Chief Mechanical Engineer C E Fairburn and was a development of the Stanier 2-6-4T locomotives (built 1935 -43) which in turn were a development of the Fowler 2-6-4T locomotives (built 1927 -34). The design was further developed and formed the basis of the British Railways Standard class 4 2-6-4T (built 1951 -56). The initial batches of Fairburn locomotives were built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway, however on the formation of British Railways further locomotives were ordered. 42085 is one of the British Railways locomotives, it was built at Brighton works and entered traffic in February 1951 allocated to Brighton MPD. Over the next sixteen years it would spend time allocated to Stewarts Lane (1951), Heaton (1952), Darlington (1952), Scarborough (1955), Whitby (1956), Manningham (1956), Whitby (1958), York (1959), Darlington (1961), Manningham (1965) and finally Normington just prior to withdrawal in 1967. Following withdrawal 42085 entered preservation on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, although through out 2009 it has been in use or under repair at the Great Central Railway.

Fairburn 2-6-4T 42085 approaches Quorn with the 15:15 Loughborough - Leicester North service, 16th August 2009.

Gresley N2 class 1744 arrives at Quorn with the 14:00 Leicester North – Loughborough service, 16th August 2009. In 1919 the Great Northern Railway required further suburban tank engines and decided that an improved 0-6-2T design based on the N1 class would meet this requirement.. The new design although based on the N1, featured larger diameter cylinders, piston valves (positioned above the cylinders, requiring a high-pitched boiler), a superheated boiler, and a greater water capacity.. The high pitched boiler combined with a short chimney to keep the locomotive with the Metropolitan loading gauge, gave the N2s a powerful appearance. Sixty locomotives were built by the Great Northern Railway between 1920 and 1921. The design was adapted as a Group Standard by the London and North Eastern railway and a further forty-seven were built between 1925 and 1929. 1744 is one of the Great Northern Railway engines and was built in 1921 by the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow 1744 was allocated to King's Cross on delivery from Glasgow and remained there until May 1962. It was re- numbered 4744 in 1924, 9523 in 1946 and 69523 in 1949. It was withdrawn from the New England (Peterborough) in September, 1962 having been stored there since May. 4744 was acquired by the Gresley Society in October 1963 and moved from Doncaster Works to Harworth Colliery for storage. After steaming at the colliery it moved to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. By the early 1970’s the engine needed boiler repairs and The Main Line Steam Trust offered to undertake this work as the engine was considered ideal for the Great Central Railway and it moved to Quorn on 21st November 1975. Following this repair it entered traffic as 4744 in LNER black on April 16th 1978. For the next ten years the engine saw regular use, and was repainted as 69523 on November 14th 1987. Following a ten yearly boiler overhaul, and a major rebuilt of the motion, the engine re-entered traffic on April 16th 1994. The engine has just completed another ten year overhaul and has remerged in Great Northern Railway green as 1744.

4936 Kinlet Hall storms through Attenborough with 1Z64 The Lincolnshire Poacher railtour from Tyseley to Lincoln, 18th July 2009.

4936 Kinlet Hall storms through Attenborough with 1Z64 The Lincolnshire Poacher railtour from Tyseley to Lincoln, 18th July 2009. Great Western Railway Hall class locomotive No.4936 Kinlet Hall was built in June 1929 at Swindon Works. The class was designed as a general purpose engine and during a career spanning 30 years, Kinlet Hall ran a total of 1,339,061 miles. The cost of its construction was £5,209.00. The engine led a nomadic existence, being initially allocated to Chester and transferring to Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Oxford, Banbury, Old Oak Common, Truro, Plymouth and Cardiff. The end came on 15th January 1964 when Kinlet Hall was withdrawn from service and sold as scrap to Messrs Woodham Brothers at Barry Island. After languishing for 20 years the locomotive was bought by a consortium and the long road to restoration began. She was transferred to the Peak Rail, Matlock in May 1981, but moved to the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway, Toddington in March 1985, followed by Llangollen in October 1992. After extensive efforts the engine was successful in becoming one of the first locomotives to receive a substantial award from the Heritage lottery Fund towards its repair and was transferred to Tyseley in December 1996. The first successful steaming of the locomotive for 36 years occurred on 16th February 2000, at Tyseley, and Kinlet Hall achieved its remarkable return and mainline certification on 8th June 2000.

0-4-2 Inverted Saddle Tank simmers on the siding at Swanwich on the 2ft gauge Golden Valley Light Railway, 12th July 2009. Allen Civil built this 0-4-2 Inverted Saddle Tank locomotive at his home in Uttoxeter, broadly in accordance with an early Bagnall “6 inch” design. She weighs around 6 tons in full working order. She was built new in 1997 and arrived on the Golden Valley Light Railway from the Amerton Railway, Stowe-by-Chartley, Staffordshire in 2003. It seems to have lost its Pearl 2 nameplates.

Britannia 70013 Oliver Cromwell heads north up the Erewash Valley approaching Stanton Gate on a grey summer’s day with 1Z33 “The Yorkshireman” special charter from Watford Junction to York, 11th July 2009. The train was advertised as the “The Yorkshireman” but the engine is carrying “The White Rose” headboard for some unknown reason. Built at Crewe works and completed in May 1951 Oliver Cromwell was the very last steam locomotive to be overhauled at Crewe works and became the very last Pacific in service. Regular British Railways steam ended on 3rd August 1968, but the final “end of steam” specials did not run until the 11th August 1968 when 70013 was one of a small number of steam locomotives to haul British Railways last steam train passenger train, the Fifteen Guinea Special between Liverpool Lime Street and Carlisle. Following withdrawal it was on display for thirty six years at the Bressingham Steam Museum until moved to Loughborough in 2004 for overhaul. It was steamed for the first time in forty years in the spring of 2008.

7812 Erlestoke Manor departs Highley with the 1:41pm service to Kidderminster, 30th May 2009. The first twenty engines of the “Manor” class were built in 1938/39 with 7812 entered traffic in January 1939. These twenty locomotives used parts from withdrawn GWR 4300 Class moguls (the driving wheels and motion components along with the tenders). More engines were planned but the outbreak of war forced the GWR to cancel the order for a further twenty. After nationalization, the newly created Western Region of British Railways was authorized to build ten more of the class and 7820-29 were outshopped from Swindon in November and December 1950 and were totally new engines. 7812 was originally allocated to Bristol Bath Road MPD and by 1948 had moved to Abergavenny. In 1950 it had moved to the West Country being allocated to Newton Abbott and would remain in that part of the UK (with spells at Laira and Truro) until transferred to Croes Newydd around 1962. By 1963 it had transferred to Shrewsbury where it was to remain for the rest of its career until it was withdrawn from service in November 1965. Following withdrawal it moved to Woodham Brothers yard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Purchased for preservation it left Barry in May 1974 and arrived on the Severn Valley Railway in April 1976. Following overhaul it re-entered traffic in 1979 and remained active until 1986 when it was stopped for overhaul. Twenty two years later in February 2008 it has re-entered traffic.

7714 arrives at Highley with the 2:05pm service from Kidderminster, 30th May 2009. 7714 was built for the Great Western Railway by Kerr Stuart in May 1930. Its first allocation was Tyseley MPD, however by nationalisation it had migrated to Birkenhead MPD where it would spend most of its British Railways career It survived in service until January 1959 when it was withdrawn from Croes Newydd MPD. Following withdrawal it was sold in July 1959 for further use to the National Coal Board and was sent to Penallta colliery in the Rhymney area of the South Wales Division.

Great Western Pannier tank 5764 arrives at Highley with a train from Kidderminster, 30th May 2009. 5764 was built in 1929 at Swindon works and owes its survival into preservation on being sold by British Railways on withdrawal in 1960 to London Transport. It became L94 in the London Transport fleet and survived another eleven years until withdrawn in 1971. 5764 is a member of the 863 strong 57xx 0-6-0PT class, making them the second most produced British class of steam locomotive. The Great Western Railway had favoured Pannier Tank locomotives since 1911 when they had started rebuilding locomotives built between 1870 and 1905 into this style. By 1929 these older locomotives were in need of replacement. 5764 is one of the earlier engines of the class fitted with the original cab design and as far as I can tell, spent all its working life before preservation in London either allocated to Old Oak Common or Neasden when a London Transport engine.

Great Western Railway “Large Prairie” 2-6-2T 5164 sits in the shed yard at Bridgnorth, 30th May 2009. Although built at Swindon in 1930 the design is a modified version of the 3100 class introduced in 1903. In all two hundred and ninety engines to this basic design were constructed although there were detailed differences within various batches. After thirty three years service 5164 was withdrawn in April 1964 and would spend the next ten years at Barry until purchased by the 51XX Fund and transported to the Severn Valley Railway in January 1973. Following overhaul it re-entered traffic in 1979. It completed its latest overhaul in May 2004.

Pannier tank 7714 waits in the headshunt at Bridgenorth for the road back through the station as it runs round the stock for the 12:30 departure for Kidderminster, 30th May 2009.

Great Western Railway pannier tank 7714 basks in the sunshine at Bridgenorth, 30th May 2009.

London Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier Mogul 2-6-0, 42968 sits in the sunshine in Bridgenorth yard, 30th May 2009. Built at Crewe works in 1933 this class of forty locomotives were designed at Horwich works and were developed from the LMS Hughes “Crab” 2-6-0. They had the addition of several features brought over from the Great Western Railway by newly-arrived Chief Mechanical Engineer William Stanier, most notably the taper boiler. Due to a higher boiler pressure than the “Crabs” the cylinders could be 3" smaller in diameter and so the cylinders were able to be mounted horizontally. Like the “Crabs” they were connected to a Fowler tender that was narrower than the locomotive. The class were initially numbered 13245-84 but in the LMS 1933 renumbering scheme they were renumbered 2945-84 in 1934. British Railways added 40000 to their numbers so they became 42945-84. 42968 entered traffic on the 24th January 1934 and gave over thirty two years service before becoming the penultimate member of the class to be withdrawn when it was condemned on the 31st December 1966.After spending seven years awaiting breaking up at Barry it was purchased for preservation and moved to the Severn Valley Railway in December 1973. Returned to steam in November 1990 it is currently (May 2009) undergoing boiler repairs prior to re-entering traffic.

7714 approaches Bewdley with the 10:25 Kidderminster – Bridgenorth service, 30th May 2009. 7714 is a member of the eight hundred and sixty three strong Great Western Railway 57xx 0-6-0PT class making them the second most produced British class of steam locomotive. The GWR had favoured Pannier Tank locomotives since 1911 when they had started rebuilding locomotives built between 1870 and 1905 into this style. By 1929 these older locomotives were in need of replacement. 7714 is one of the earlier engines of the class fitted with the original cab design and was built by Kerr Stuart in May 1930. Its first allocation was Tyseley MPD, however by nationalisation it had migrated to Birkenhead MPD where it would spend most of its British Railways career It survived in service until January 1959 when it was withdrawn from Croes Newydd MPD. Following withdrawal it was sold in July 1959 for further use to the National Coal Board and was sent to Penallta colliery in the Rhymney area of the South Wales Division.

LNER class 04 63601 pauses at Quorn and Woodhouse station with the 14:15 Loughborough – Leicester North service, 25th May 2009. 63601 was built in 1911 and basically was unaltered until its withdrawal in June 1963. It entered service as GCR No.102, becoming LNER No.5102 in 1923, renumbered by the LNER to 3509 in 1946, and again 3601 in 1947 until taking its BR number in September 1949 at which time it was allocated to Doncaster MPD. Its BR career would be spent in the South Yorkshire/North Lincolnshire area being allocated to Scunthorpe (Frodingham) in 1950 Immingham in 1951, before a final transfer back to Scunthorpe around 1954. On withdrawal in 1963 it was selected to be a part of the National Collection and it languished at various locations over the intervening years until arriving at Loughborough on loan on the 6th June 1996. Although complete the engine hadn't worked for more than thirty years and thus a thorough overhaul was commenced with the engine re-entering traffic at the January 2000 Winter Gala.

United States Army Transportation Corps, class S160 2-8-0 5197 is ready to depart from Bury Bolton Street station with the 13:00 service to Rawtenstall during the East Lancs Railway 1940’s Wartime Weekend, 24th May 2009. The S160 was designed in May 1942 by Major J.W. Marsh from the Railway Branch of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps would later become a part of the Transportation Corps (USATC). The S160 was an Austerity design with many features chosen for fast construction rather than long life, eg. axlebox grease lubricators were used, and rolled plates were preferred to castings. Around eight hundred were shipped to the United Kingdom during 1943/44 and around four hundred were utilised by the UK Railways prior to their transfer to Europe during 1944/45. 5197 however was not one of these locomotives and was delivered direct from the USA to China in 1945 and where it worked until the mid 1990s as Chinese State Railway's class KD6 No 463. It was rescued from being broken up by the Chinese and brought to the UK in 1995, being delivered to the Llangollen Railway for restoration, entering service in 1999. In 2001 it moved to the Churnet Valley Railway where it is normally based.

London Midland and Scottish Railway “Jinty” 0-6-0T 47324 double heads with Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway 0-6-0 901 on the 15:00 service from Bury Bolton Street as it heads up the valley to Rawtenstall north of Ramsbottom, 24th May 2009.

LMS Fowler 3F “Jinty” 0-6-0T 47324 arrives at Bury Bolton street station with the 10:05 service from Rawtenstall, 24th May 2009. 47324 represents the ultimate development of the Midland Railway six-coupled tank, a design which had started in the 19th century. On formation of the LMS in 1923 the Midland design was used by Fowler as the basis of the LMS standard 0-6-0T and four hundred and twenty two examples were built between 1924 and 1930. 47324 was built by the North British Locomotive Company at their Hyde Park works, Glasgow in June 1926 as LMS 16407. She entered service at the former Caledonian Railway MPD at Dawsholm (to the west of Glasgow). In 1931, 16407 was transferred to Ayr MPD where she was used as a station pilot as well as working other passenger and shunting duties. In August 1933, 16407 was transferred south to England and was allocated to Liverpool Edge Hill MPD and then shortly afterwards transferred the short distance to Liverpool Speke Junction MPD. Under the 1934 LMS renumbering scheme 16407 became 7324. By 1939 it had been transferred across the Mersey to Birkenhead MPD where it would remain for the next twenty seven years. After forty years in service it was among one of the last survivors when withdrawn in December 1966. Following withdrawal it was sold to Woodham Brothers for breaking up and moved to Barry. However it was purchased for preservation and was the eighty ninth locomotive to leave Barry when it moved to Mid Hants Railway in February 1978. 47324 re-entered traffic following its last overhaul in April 2005.

Manchester Ship Canal No. 32 waits to depart from Bury Bolton Street station with a short freight for Ramsbottom, 24th May 2009. MSC 32 is Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T and was for a long time painted as Thomas the Tank Engine, however I am glad to say it is now in a more sensible livery.

73050 City of Peterborough departs Wansford with a driver experience duty, 22nd May 2009. The British Railways Standard class 5 4-6-0 was a development of the London Midland and Scottish Railway “Black 5”. One hundred and seventy two Standard class 5’s were built from 1951 until 1957 with 73050 being built at Derby works, being released to traffic on the 14th April 1954. It did not enter traffic immediately as it was chosen to represent the class at the "International Railway Congress, Willesden, London" between 26th and 29th May 1954. Following this it was finally released to traffic allocated to Bath Green Park MPD to take up duties on the Somerset & Dorset line from Bath to Bournemouth. 73050 remained on the Somerset & Dorset until 1964 when it was moved to Shrewsbury, before spending some time in store. In 1966 it transferred to Agecroft, in Manchester, before finally transferring to Patricroft from where it was withdrawn in July 1968, having run approximately 825,000 miles in fourteen years. Quickly sold for preservation 73050 moved from Manchester to Peterborough in steam on the night of 11th September 1968 (one full month after the end of steam on British Rail). Following repairs it was steamed for the first time in preservation in 1972 and was named "City of Peterborough" by the Mayor of Peterborough on 28th August 1972. By 1987 the locomotive required another overhaul, which was started in the early 1990s and 73050 re-entered traffic in July 2005

Britannia 70013 Oliver Cromwell has just taken the road to Lenton North Junction at Lenton South Junction with 1Z61 “The Palatine” special charter from London Victoria to Sheffield, 9th May 2009. When I was a lad in the late 1960’s and 1970’s the curve from Lenton South Junction to Lenton North Junction would see a constant stream of coal trains (loaded and empties) to/from the Leen Valley collieries and Engineers trains to/from the Central Materials Depot at Lenton North. Today there is no booked traffic and whilst the Down line showed some signs of recent use prior to 70013 making its way round to Lenton North the Up line looked as though it had not seen any use for weeks. Will the curve survive the Nottingham area re-signalling in the next few years?

Britannia 70013 Oliver Cromwell has just taken the Main to Goods crossover at Lenton South Junction prior to taking the road to Lenton North Junction with 1Z61 “The Palatine” special charter from London Victoria to Sheffield, 9th May 2009. The train was advertised as the “The Palatine” but the engine is carrying “The Cathedrals Express” headboard for some unknown reason. The last time I saw a Britannia at Lenton South Junction was in the summer of 1966 when 70026 Polar Star appeared totally unexpectedly on a parcels train from the Trent direction. Half an hour later Polar Star re-appeared light engine, being turned on the Mansfield Junction – Lenton North Junction – Lenton South Junction triangle and headed back towards Trent. Oliver Cromwell was built at Crewe Works and completed in May 1951. It was the very last steam locomotive to be overhauled at Crewe works and became the very last Pacific in service. Regular British Railways steam ended on 3rd August 1968, but the final “end of steam” specials did not run until the 11th August 1968 when 70013 was one of a small number of steam locomotives to haul British Railways last steam train passenger train, the Fifteen Guinea Special between Liverpool Lime Street and Carlisle. Following withdrawal it was on display for thirty six years at the Bressingham Steam Museum until moved to Loughborough in 2004 for overhaul and was steamed for the first time in forty years in the spring of 2008.

73050 departs Wansford tender first with the 14:20 service to Peterborough, 3rd May 2009. On entering traffic in 1954 it was one of three Standard class 5’s allocated to Bath Green Park MPD (73050 – 73052) for Somerset and Dorset line duties from Bath to Bournemouth. For these duties these three engines were built with the larger BR1G tender (normally fitted to Standard class 9F locomotives) which held 5000 gallons of water and 7 tons of coal. Whilst these tenders held slightly more water than most of the other types of BR1 tender fitted to the Standard class 5 locomotives (BR1 – 4250 gallons, BR1B – 4725 gallons, BR1C – 4725 gallons, BR1H – 4250 gallons) they were not the largest, which was the BR1F tender paired to 73110 – 73119 which held 5625 gallons. If water was an issue on the Somerset and Dorset line one wonders why the BR1F was not used on these three engines.

73050 City of Peterborough passes Ailsworth with the 12:40 service from Peterborough, 3rd May 2009. The British Railways Standard class 5 4-6-0 was a development of the London Midland and Scottish Railway “Black 5”. One hundred and seventy two Standard class 5’s were built from 1951 until 1957 with 73050 being built at Derby works, being released to traffic on the 14th April 1954. It did not enter traffic immediately as it was chosen to represent the class at the "International Railway Congress, Willesden, London" between 26th and 29th May 1954. Following this it was finally released to traffic allocated to Bath Green Park MPD to take up duties on the Somerset & Dorset line from Bath to Bournemouth. For these duties the three Standard class 5’s allocated to Bath Green Park (73050 – 73052) were built with the larger BR1G tender. 73050 remained on the Somerset & Dorset until 1964 when it was moved to Shrewsbury, before spending some time in store. In 1966 it transferred to Agecroft, in Manchester, before finally transferring to Patricroft from where it was withdrawn in July 1968, having run approximately 825,000 miles in fourteen years. Quickly sold for preservation 73050 moved from Manchester to Peterborough in steam on the night of 11th September 1968 (one full month after the end of steam on British Rail). Following repairs it was steamed for the first time in preservation in 1972 and was named "City of Peterborough" by the Mayor of Peterborough on 28th August 1972. By 1987 the locomotive required another overhaul, which was started in the early 1990s and 73050 re-entered traffic in July 2005.

A regular performer of the early years of the Great Central was 0-6-0ST colliery engine Littleton No.5 which is seen here wrapped in steam as it shunts its train at Loughborough Central, 25th January 1976. This large engine was built by Manning Wardle in 1922, works number 2018, for the Littleton Colliery to work the colliery yard and four mile steeply graded connecting line from the colliery to the exchange sidings at Penkridge (between Wolverhampton and Stafford). Following withdrawal from colliery service it would find its way to the Great Central Railway and following the fitment of vacuum brakes and steam heating capability it would become one of the principle passenger engines in the early years of the Great Central Railway. It is currently (April 2009) at the Avon Valley Railway awaiting overhaul.

Standard class 2 78019 heads for Quorn on the outskirts of Loughborough with the 14:15 service to Leicester North, 18th April 2009. The Standard class 2 design was derived from the London Midland and Scottish Railway Ivatt class 2MT 2-6-0 design with a reduced cab to enable it to fit into the composite BR loading gauge and other standard fittings, most notably a taller chimney. They were all attached to a BR3 tender. Darlington works was responsible for building the entire fleet of sixty five engines with 78019 being completed in 1954. With a low axle loading of just 13 ton 15cwt. it allowed the class to operate on most lightly laid routes and secondary lines. 78019 worked for some of its life as station pilot at Euston station, other allocations including Kirkby Stephen, Wigan Springs Branch and Crewe South. Following withdrawal it was sent to Dai Woodham's scrapyard in Barry, South Wales. In 1973, a group of preservationists from the Severn Valley Railway, based at Bewdley, rescued 78019, however it sat untouched in Kidderminster station yard, at the end of a long line of engines requiring the attention, until 19th March 1998, when 78019 arrived at the Great Central Railway to begin restoration.

Class N7 0-6-2T 69621 has just past Loughborough distant signal with the 14:00 service from Leicester North, 18th April 2009. The A.J.Hill designed 0-6-2T first appeared in 1915 and although 69621 was built to the Great Eastern Railway design it was ordered as part of a batch of ten locomotives in March 1923, by which time the GER had become part of the London and North Eastern Railway. Originally 999 it was built at Stratford and entered traffic in March 1924, it was the last engine built at Stratford works. It became 7999 under the 1924 LNER renumbering scheme, 9621 in January 1947 under the 1946 LNER renumbering scheme and 69621 in January 1949 following the formation of British Railways. The design was classified as N7 by the LNER and was adopted as a Group Standard. The LNER who built another one hundred and twelve class N7 locomotives (with detail differences) making a total of one hundred and thirty four N7’s. The original Belpaire firebox was replaced by a round top firebox in February 1946. They were designed and built for the intensive Liverpool Street suburban services and 69621 spent most of its career on these duties mainly allocated to Wood Street MPD. However it would spend a spell at Neasden MPD in 1925 and Colwick MPD in 1951 – 1954. When steam on the Great Eastern ceased south of March on the 9th September 1962 69621 and was one of the last eight survivors of class (all allocated to Stratford) and was withdrawn. Following withdrawal it was sold and it was stored at Leeds Neville Hill depot for ten years, where I saw it on a couple of occasions including during a visit on the 11th October 1969. In 1973 it moved to the East Anglian Railway Museum and arrived at Chappel on the 9th September 1973. It was restored to full working order in 1989 and overhauled again between 1999 and 2005.

With steam to spare as it coasts towards Loughborough Great Eastern Railway 0-6-2T 69621 ambles past Woodthorpe on the outskirts of Loughborough with the 14:00 service from Leicester North, 18th April 2009.

Whilst the destination board might say Enfield Town class N7 0-6-2T 69621 is actually heading for Leicester North as it approaches Woodthorpe on the outskirts of Loughborough with the 15:15 service from Loughborough, 18th April 2009.

Southern Railway S15 class 4-6-0 825 has just arrived at Pickering with the 14:00 service from Grosmont, 11th April 2009. Richard Maunsell’s Southern Railway S15 locomotives were a development of the Urie design for the London and South Western Railway, introduced in 1920. 825 is actually a combination of two S15 locomotives, 825 built at Eastleigh in 1927 and 841 built at Eastleigh in 1936. 841 was withdrawn in 1964 and sent to Woodham Brothers, Barry for breaking up. It was rescued from Barry in 1972 and restored to full working order in 1975. It was overhauled again between 1981 and 1986. When its third overhauled commenced in 1995 a set of frames from 825 (also withdrawn in 1964 and sent to Barry) were used as they were in better condition instead of the original frames from 841 and keeping with tradition the engine has been returned to traffic as 825.

A regular performer of the early years of the Great Central was 0-6-0ST colliery engine Littleton No.5 which is seen here taking water at Loughborough on the 11th April 1977. This large engine was built by Manning Wardle in 1922, works number 2018, for the Littleton Colliery to work the colliery yard and four mile steeply graded connecting line from the colliery to the exchange sidings at Penkridge (between Wolverhampton and Stafford). Following withdrawal from colliery service it would find its way to the Great Central Railway and following the fitment of vacuum brakes and steam heating capability it would become one of the principle passenger engines in the early years of the Great Central Railway. It is currently (April 2009) at the Avon Valley Railway awaiting overhaul.

London, Midland and Scottish Railway “Black Five” 4-6-0, 5231, 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment receives a bit of attention in the siding at Quorn and Woodhouse on the Great Central Railway, 11th April 1977. Built in 1936 by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co. Scotswood Works, Newcastle on Tyne, it was one of a batch of two hundred and twenty six engines (which was the largest order ever placed with a private builder by a British Railway Company) worth £2.7 million. Initially allocated to Carlisle Upperby MPD 5231 was then transferred to Patricroft MPD in February 1943. Under British Railways it became 45231 and transferred briefly to Northampton in September 1954, and to Aston MPD, Birmingham in November 1954, where it would spend the next nine years until a short spell at Rugby MPD between February and June 1963. Its next transfer was to Chester MPD (until April 1967) followed by a year at Speke MPD and a final transfer to Carnforth MPD until it was withdrawn at the end of steam on BR in August 1968. It was one of the earliest arrivals at Loughborough and, worked the official opening train to Quorn in September 1973. It proved to be one of the mainstays of the service during the mid 1970s and was named '3rd (Volunteer) Battalion the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment' in a ceremony at Quorn on the 9th May 1976. It was out of service for overhaul from mid 1977 until returned to traffic in July 1988, without the nameplates. The engine ran on the Nene Valley Railway from April 1989 until March 1993. It was last overhauled in 2004.

North Eastern Railway 0-8-0 63395 approaches Levisham with the 12:30 service from Grosmont with the fireman (in this case firewomen) ready to exchange the single line token with the signalman, 11th April 2009. 63395 was built as 2238 at Darlington Works in the autumn of 1918 for the North Eastern Railway. It spent all its career in the old North Eastern area with spells at Blaydon, Newport (Middlesbrough), Darlington, West Hartlepool, Hull Dairycoates, Selby and Consett MPD’s before the engine was finally sent to Sunderland South Dock on 23rd May 1965. 63395 was the last of the class to be overhauled at Darlington Works in September 1965 and this enabled it to see out steam in the North East and, along with 63387 of Hartlepool shed, was the last of the class in service. Following withdrawal, on the 9th September 1967, 63395 was moved into store at Tyne Dock shed pending preservation. The locomotive was purchased by the NELPG on 1stApril 1968 can normally be found on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Standard class 2 78019 is working the Great Central Railway “Driver Experience” duty as it approaches Rothley light engine, 4th April 2009. The Standard class 2 design was derived from the London Midland and Scottish Railway Ivatt class 2MT 2-6-0 design with a reduced cab to enable it to fit into the composite BR loading gauge and other standard fittings, most notably a taller chimney. They were all attached to a BR3 tender. Darlington works was responsible for building the entire fleet of sixty five engines with 78019 being completed in 1954. With a low axle loading of just 13 ton 15cwt. it allowed the class to operate on most lightly laid routes and secondary lines. 78019 worked for some of its life as station pilot at Euston station, other allocations including Kirkby Stephen, Wigan Springs Branch and Crewe South. Following withdrawal it was sent to Dai Woodham's scrapyard in Barry, South Wales. In 1973, a group of preservationists from the Severn Valley Railway, based at Bewdley, rescued 78019, however it sat untouched in Kidderminster station yard, at the end of a long line of engines requiring the attention, until 19th March 1998, when 78019 arrived at the Great Central Railway to begin restoration.

Stanier 8F 48305 heads for Leicester North, tender first with the 11:15 service from Loughborough, just south of Rothley, 4th April 2009. 48305 was built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway in November 1943 and originally numbered 8305. In 1950, it was working from Wellingborough MPD on the coal trains to Brent Sidings, Cricklewood, and to Toton. In April 1957, it was transferred to Northampton MPD, remaining there for the next five years until its next transfer to Crewe South MPD in December 1962. After two years there, it went to Northwich MPD for three months before it made its final transfer to Speke Junction MPD in Liverpool. It was withdrawn from there in January 1968 and arrived at Woodham's scrapyard at Barry in September 1968. It remained at Barry until it was transported to Great Central Railway, arriving at Quorn on the 20th November 1985. Restoration was completed in early 1995 and it is a regular performer on the Great Central Railway.

London, Midland and Scottish Railway Royal Scot Class 4-6-0, 46115 Scots Guardsman powers away from Nottingham at “Boots Bridge” Beeston with “The Fenman”, an Kings Lynn – Nottingham – Melton – Kings Lynn special charter, 21st March 2009. The Royal Scot class were built shortly after Sir Henry Fowler became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LMS. They were built in two batches with parallel boilers, the first fifty being built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow in 1927 and the remaining twenty being built in 1930 at Derby Works. Although built under the direction of Fowler the design was predominantly North British and lent heavily on the Southern Railway Lord Nelson class built by North British in 1926. 46115 was built as 6115 in 1927 and named Scots Guardsman a year later in 1928. Between 1943 and 1955 the Royal Scot class were rebuilt with a new tapered type 2A boiler and cylinders with 6115 being rebuilt in 1947. On nationalisation in 1948 46115 was a Crewe North engine, however by 1950 it had transferred to Longsight and was to remain there until its final transfer to Carlisle Kingmoor for its last few months. Whilst at Longsight in the 1960’s it was a regular performer on the Midland on the 14:25 St Pancras - Manchester service. It was the last of the class to be withdrawn when it was condemned in December 1965. Recently overhauled at Carnforth in 2008 Scots Guardsman is now a regular performer on the main line.

Posed on the turntable at Steamtown, Carnforth is 5690 Leander, 16th April 1979. 5690 was built at Crewe Works in March 1936 and named Leander after HMS Leander, a light cruiser of the Royal Navy built in 1930. Following nationalization in 1948, Leander was renumbered 45690 by British Railways. After a working life of twenty eight years, mostly allocated to Bristol Barrow Road MPD 45690 was withdrawn in March 1964 and initially dumped at its home shed. By August 1964 it had made its way through the Severn tunnel to the opposite side of the Bristol Channel and could be found languishing at Woodham Brothers scrap yard at Barry. Purchased from Woodham Brothers in 1972 it was the eighteenth engine to leave Barry for preservation and was quickly restored by Derby Works, steaming for the first time since 1964 in August 1973. It completed its last overhaul in 2002 and is nominally based on the East Lancashire Railway.

Stanier “Black Five” (in Green!!!) 44932 provides the traction for the Steamtown, Carnforth demonstration line, 16th April 1979. 44932 was originally 4932 and was the first of a batch of thirty four engines built, as part of lot 174, at Horwich works in 1945/46 for the London Midland and Scottish Railway. It would spend most of its main line career in the North West with spells at Blackpool Central, Accrington and Manchester (Agecroft) MPD’s before spending the first half of the 1960’s in Nottinghamshire at Annesley and Kirkby in Ashfield MPD’s before at the end of 1966 heading back to the North West at Rose Grove MPD. Although not officially withdrawn until the end of steam in 1968 it was by November 1967 out of use and stored at Carlisle Upperby along with 75027, 45262 and 41264. It is currently (July 2009) undergoing an overhaul at Carnforth.

Stanier 8F 8233 arrives at Bewdley with a service from Bridgnorth, 15th April 1979. 8233 was originally built in 1940 by the North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow, on the orders of the War Department, which had adopted the London Midland and Scottish Railway, Stanier Class 8F as its own standard freight locomotive. However, following the defeat of France in the summer of 1940 it could not be sent to mainland Europe to support the British Expeditionary Force, as originally intended. Instead, it was allocated to the LMS who gave it the number 8233 and initially allocated it to Toton MPD followed by spells at Holbeck and Westhouses. In 1941,. 8233 was requisitioned by the War Department and sent to Persia (Iran), becoming Iranian State Railways 41-109. In 1944, it was converted to oil-firing. By 1948 it was at Suez (Egypt) needing a new firebox, and was almost broken up, but was then returned to England in 1952 and overhauled at Derby works. By 1954, the engine was based on the Longmoor Military Railway as WD 500. In 1957, WD 500 was taken into British Railways stock as 48773. It was allocated initially to Polmadie MPD, Glasgow, and was withdrawn from there in 1962. However, it was reinstated during 1963 and transferred to Carlisle Kingmoor. It was then transferred to Stockport (Edgeley), Buxton and then to Bolton in September 1964. With the end of steam looming, steam made its last stand in the North West, with 48773 being transferred to Rose Grove MPD in July 1968 just prior to withdrawal in August 1968 at the end of steam on British Railways. Following withdrawal it was for preservation and restored on the Severn Valley Railway.

7819 Hinton Manor at Bridgnorth waiting to depart for Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway, 15th April 1979. The first of the “Manor” class entered traffic in January 1938 and 7819 entered traffic in February 1939. These twenty locomotives used parts from withdrawn GWR 4300 Class moguls (the driving wheels and motion components along with the tenders). More were planned but the outbreak of war forced the GWR to cancel the order for a further twenty. After nationalization, the newly created Western Region of British Railways was authorized to build ten more of the class and 7820-29 were outshopped from Swindon in November and December 1950 and were totally new engines. 7819 was originally allocated to Carmarthen MPD and by 1948 had moved to Oswestry where it was to remain for virtually the rest of its career until it was withdrawn from service in November 1965 from Shrewsbury. Following withdrawal it moved to Woodham Brothers yard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is currently (February 2009) owned by the Severn Valley Railway, but is now on static display at the Swindon Designer Outlet.

Great Western Pannier tank 5764 arrives at Bridgnorth with a train from Bewdley, 15th April 1979. 5764 was built in 1929 at Swindon works and owes its survival into preservation on being sold by British Railways on withdrawal in 1960 to London Transport. It became L94 in the London Transport fleet and survived another eleven years until withdrawn in 1971. 5764 is a member of the 863 strong 57xx 0-6-0PT class, making them the second most produced British class of steam locomotive. The Great Western Railway had favoured Pannier Tank locomotives since 1911 when they had started rebuilding locomotives built between 1870 and 1905 into this style. By 1929 these older locomotives were in need of replacement. 5764 is one of the earlier engines of the class fitted with the original cab design and as far as I can tell, spent all its working life before preservation in London either allocated to Old Oak Common or Neasden when a London Transport engine.

London Midland and Scottish Railway, Stanier “Black Five” 45000 under repair at Bridgnorth, 15th April 1979. 45000 was built at Crewe in 1935 as 5000 and was initially the first numerically of its class. It however was not the first to be built because the Vulcan Foundry had turned out the first of their simultaneous order, 5020 in 1934. It also ceased to be the first numerically numbered “Black Five” when 4800 was built in 1944, after the LMS ran out of available numbers after No. 5499 was built. After thirty two years service mainly on the ex London and North Western Railway West Coast Main Line with long spells allocated to Rugby, Crewe South, Holyhead and Chester it was withdrawal in 1967 from Lostock Hall, 45000 was selected to represent the eight hundred and forty two strong class as part of the National Railway Collection. 45000 has been steamed on the Severn Valley Railway and on the mainline in preservation, however, it is currently (February 2009) a static exhibit in the National Railway Museum in York

A busy moment on the Great Central as Britannia 70013 Oliver Cromwell passes a mixed freight as it approaches Quorn and Woodhouse with the 1:00pm service from Loughborough, 31st January 2009.

With the low winter sun reflecting of the paintwork as it drifts through Quorn and Woodhouse station heading back to Loughborough tender first is Britannia 70013 Oliver Cromwell with the 16 ton mineral wagons, 31st January 2009. Built at Crewe Works and completed in May 1951 Oliver Cromwell was the very last steam locomotive to be overhauled at Crewe works and became the very last Pacific in service. Regular British Railways steam ended on 3rd August 1968, but the final “end of steam” specials did not run until the 11th August 1968 when 70013 was one of a small number of steam locomotives to haul British Railways last steam train passenger train, the Fifteen Guinea Special between Liverpool Lime Street and Carlisle. Following withdrawal it was on display for thirty six years at the Bressingham Steam Museum until moved to Loughborough in 2004 for overhaul and was steamed for the first time in forty years in the spring of 2008.

LNER class 04 63601 drifts into Quorn and Woodhouse station with a short parcels train, 31st January 2009. In 1911 the Great Central Railway introduced class 8K heavy freight engine designed by John George Robinson, one of British railway history's great Chief Mechanical Engineers. By the start of the First World War in 1914 the GCR had built one hundred and twenty six class 8K locomotives and they had proved to be very capable and reliable. As the First World War progressed it placed considerable demand for locomotives both at home and by the Royal Engineer's Railway Operating Division for overseas war work. The Ministry of Munitions decided to commence locomotive construction on its own behalf and selected for this purpose the Robinson 8K design and built five hundred and twenty one engines. In all six hundred and sixty six class 8K locomotives would be built. When the war ended the Ministry of Munitions were left with hundreds of these locomotives to dispose of, many of which had seen little use. The locomotives were mostly purchased by the Great western Railway, London and North Western Railway and most of all, the successor to the Great Central, the London and North Eastern Railway. The LNER ultimately owned four hundred and twenty one of these 2-8-0s and classified them class 04. Many were subsequently rebuilt in various ways. 63601 was one of the earliest examples, being built in 1911 and basically was unaltered until its withdrawal in June 1963. It entered service as GCR No.102, becoming LNER No.5102 in 1923, renumbered by the LNER to 3509 in 1946, and again 3601 in 1947 until taking its BR number in September 1949. Fortunately it was then selected to be a part of the National Collection and it languished at various locations over the intervening years until arriving at Loughborough on loan on the 6th June 1996. Although complete the engine hadn't worked for more than thirty years and thus a thorough overhaul was commenced. The work carried out by the GCR's Locomotive Department was of the highest quality and at the January 2000 Winter Gala 63601 made its public return to use.

With a clear road through Quorn and Woodhouse to Rothley LNER class Q6 63395 makes steady progress with its train of 16 ton mineral wagons, Great Central Railway, 31st January 2009. 63395 was designed by Vincent Raven for the North Eastern Railway and was one of a class of one hundred and twenty locomotives. It was built as 2238 at Darlington Works in the autumn of 1918 and allocated to Blaydon MPD where it remained for twenty five years. It stayed in the old North Eastern area for all its life with spells at Newport (Middlesbrough), Darlington, West Hartlepool, Hull Dairycoates, Selby and Consett MPD’s before the engine was finally sent to Sunderland South Dock on 23rd May 1965. 63395 was the final Q6 to be overhauled at Darlington Works in September 1965 and this enabled it to see out steam in the North East and, along with 63387 of Hartlepool shed, was the last of the class in service. Following withdrawal, on the 9th September 1967, 63395 was moved into store at Tyne Dock shed pending preservation. The locomotive was purchased by the NELPG on 1stApril 1968 and whilst work started on the restoration at Tyne Dock, the unsafe condition of the building meant that the engine was moved to Hartlepool depot on 4thOctober 1968 for preparation for hydraulic testing and repainting. However, the working conditions here forced another move, this time to Thornaby depot, on 17th February 1969 where I saw the engine for the first time during a visit on the 11th October 1969. At Thornaby the boiler was re-tubed, hydraulically tested and, on 18th October 1969, successfully steamed. Vacuum brake and steam heating were fitted for the first time, and on 25th June 1970 the locomotive travelled in steam from Thornaby to Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it is normally based.

Heading out of the winter sun as it drifts down the gradient towards Loughborough is Standard class 2, 2-6-0 78019 with a train of 16 ton mineral wagons, 31 January 2009. The Standard class 2, 2-6-0 design was derived from the LMS Ivatt class 2MT 2-6-0 with a reduced cab to enable it to fit into the composite BR loading gauge and other standard fittings, most notably a taller chimney. They were all attached to a BR3 tender. Darlington works was responsible for building the entire fleet of 65 engines with 78019 being completed in 1954

70013 Oliver Cromwell storms out of Loughborough, passing the 11.15 arrival, with the 11.10 postal service for Rothley, 31st January 2009.

Class O4, 2-8-0, 63601 heads out of Loughborough with a mixed freight, 31st January 2009.

30777 Sir Lamiel approaches Quorn and Woodhouse with the 12.15 Loughborough to Leicester North service, 31st January 2009. The London and South Western Railway class N15 passenger 4-6-0 engine first appeared in August 1918 and following the formation of the Southern Railway in 1923, three more batches to a modified design were built. The class was named after characters from the Round Table and were therefore known as the King Arthur class. The second of the three batches was built by the North British Locomotive Company, and included E777 Sir Lamiel. They differed from the preceding engines by the fitting of a narrower cab suitable for use on the Eastern section of the Southern Railway, Ashford pattern smokebox doors and 5,000 gallon bogie tenders. It was initially allocated to Nine Elms MPD, and worked expresses to Bournemouth, Salisbury and beyond. Following problems with drifting smoke, smoke deflectors were fitted in December 1927. Sir Lamiel spent a few years at Battersea MPD from May 1934, where it worked Continental and Victoria to Margate expresses. By the start of the Second World War Sir Lamiel was back at Nine Elms MPD, but saw periods of service at Battersea MPD, and Bournemouth MPD. It was renumbered 30777 in May 1948, and returned to Battersea MPD in 1951 followed by transfer to Dover MPD. The Kent Coast electrification in June 1959 resulted in more transfers, and Sir Lamiel ended up at Feltham MPD and finally Basingstoke MPD. Following withdrawal it was stored at Fratton, Stratford and Ashford, before being adopted by the Humberside Locomotive Group in June 1978. At Dairycoates depot in Hull the engine was rebuilt and returned to steam on 21st February 1982. Following several years on the main line, a second overhaul was completed in 1989.

78019 departs Loughborough with the 11:15 service for Leicester North, 11th January 2009. This British Railways Standard class 2MT, 2-6-0 design was derived from the LMS Ivatt class 2MT 2-6-0 with a reduced cab to enable it to fit into the composite BR loading gauge and other standard fittings, most notably a taller chimney. They were all attached to a BR3 tender. Darlington works was responsible for building the entire fleet of 65 engines with 78019 being completed in 1954. With a low axle loading of just 13 ton 15cwt. it allowed the class to operate on most lightly laid routes and secondary lines. 78019 worked for some of its life as station pilot at Euston station, other allocations including Kirkby Stephen, Wigan Springs Branch and Crewe South. Following withdrawal it was sent to Dai Woodham's scrapyard in Barry, South Wales. In 1973, a group of preservationists from the Severn Valley Railway, based at Bewdley, rescued 78019, but it sat untouched in Kidderminster station yard, at the end of a long line of engines requiring the attention, until 19th March 1998, when 78019 arrived at the Great Central Railway to begin restoration.

LMS Stanier Class 5, 4-6-0, 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier storms through Huddersfield station with 1Z31, Manchester Victoria – Huddersfield – Blackburn – Manchester Victoria “Cotton Mill Express”, 22nd November 2008. Originally 5407 it was built by the Armstrong Whitworth Company, Spotswood, Newcastle in 1937 for the London Midland and Scottish Railway. It was one of a batch of two hundred and twenty six engines (which was the largest order ever placed with a private builder by a British Railway Company) worth £2.7 million. When new the engine was delivered to Kettering where it worked for a considerable time on the Midland mainline. In late 1960’s the engine was moved between various sheds ending up at Lockstock Hall in 1968. It was one of the final Black 5's withdrawn when it was condemned on the 4th August 1968. The engine was purchased from BR by David Davis for £3300 and was subsequently moved to Carnforth for restoration. In 1974 it was bought by Paddy Smith who operated the engine on the BR system. In 1989 45407 was moved to Carnforth for new tyres and onto the E.L.R. for running on Heritage Railways for the last three years of its boiler ticket. In 1997 Ian Riley bought the engine and had the engine overhauled at his works in Bury. Work included a new tender tank with greater water capacity, the fitting of air brake equipment to enable the engine to haul modern coaching stock and the fitting of TPWS. to comply with modern safety and signalling requirements.

The only LNER designed locomotive to end up following withdrawal at Barry was class B1 4-6-0 61264. This was primarily due to a secondary life of stationary boiler duties after withdrawal from traffic which did not finish until July 1967. 61264 was built at the Hyde Park, Glasgow works of the North British Locomotive Company and entered traffic in December 1947 as 1264, allocated to Parkeston Quay. MPD. It was to stay for nearly thirteen years. hauling express passenger trains to Liverpool Street Station, London. The introduction of electric trains and main-line diesel locomotives to the Great Eastern section in the late 1950’s meant that in November 1960, following a General Overhaul at Stratford Works, 61264 was transferred to Colwick MPD in Nottingham. It was to remain there for the rest of its working life. By 1965 the end of steam was in sight and 61264 was condemned in November of that year. Rather than being broken up the loco became Departmental Locomotive No 29 and was allocated to stationary boiler duties, in which role it continued until July 1967.It was as No.29 that I use to see this engine on Colwick MPD when I was a lad. It was finally sold for scrap to Woodham Bros. of Barry, South Wales in March 1968. In 1973 a group of enthusiasts from North London, who later former the Thompson B1 Trust bought 61264 for £6325 and it is seen here in red oxide on the 25th August 1975 at Barry. It was the eighty third engine to leave Barry for preservation when it left for the Great Central Railway in July 1976. On March 6th 1997, 1264, for the first time in over thirty years, moved under its own steam

I wonder what the Health and Safety Executive would make of 5967 Bickmarsh Hall if this photograph had been taken today. It is seen here on the 25th August 1975 at Barry and the years of exposure have corroded the fastenings of the boiler cladding plates such that they are peeling away from the boiler barrel and exposing the asbestos lagging. 5967 Bickmarsh Hall is a Hall class 4-6-0 and was built at Swindon Works in 1937. It was first allocated to Chester MPD. It was withdrawn in June 1964 and sold to Woodham Brothers at Barry where it sat until it was bought by the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway and left Barry in August 1987. Little work was undertaken at the PBR and it was sold in early 2008 and moved to the Northampton & Lamport Railway where it still awaits restoration.

The rusting hulk behind the piles of wagon wheels at Barry on the 25th August 1975 is Southern Railway S15, 4-6-0 30847. Last of the class S15 locomotives to be built in 1936 and was to the modified version of the Urie design introduced by Maunsell. Originally 847 it was first allocated to Exmouth MPD, for fast goods, and occasional passenger duties on the Southern South West mainline to Exeter. In 1951 came transfer down the line to Salisbury, though still working the South West main line. In January 1960, 30847 was transferred to Redhill MPD on the Central Section of the Southern Region. The shorter turntables there necessitated a change of tender, from the Lord Nelson 5000 gallon type, to a standard 4000, 6 wheel type (formerly belonging to withdrawn King Arthur 30797). A further transfer to Feltham MPD in June 1963 was the last before withdrawal in January 1964. 30847 left Barry in 1978 and moved to the Bluebell Railway, where it has been ever since. Restored and returned to steam in the 1990’s it is currently (November 2008) undergoing overhaul.

Withdrawn over forty years ago and with little restoration to date’ the shell of 75079 rests in the yard at Ropley, 7th November 2008. 75079 is a standard class 4, 4-6-0 built at Swindon in 1956 and withdrawn ten years later in November 1966. It’s working life was spent on the Southern Region, almost totally on the Waterloo-Bournemouth-Weymouth route, but forays to the West Country were made now and again. It arrived at Woodhams yard at Barry in April 1967 and would be the one hundred and thirty ninth to depart for preservation when it left for the on the Plym Valley Railway in March 1982. An offer to sell 75079 was received and 75079 was sold, complete with all the accumulated parts, to the Mid Hants Railway and was transported to her new home on Friday 27th April 2007.

Standard class 5 73096 simmers in the station platform at Ropley following a spell of shunting in the yard, 7th November 2008. The Standard class 5 was a development of the LMS class 5 (Black five) and one hundred and seventy two were built between 1951 and 1957. 73096 was built at Derby in 1955 and was initially allocated to the Patricroft (Manchester) MPD. 73096 also had spells at Shrewsbury, Gloucester and Nuneaton and was withdrawn in 1967.The locomotive was taken to Woodhams Scrapyard at Barry in South Wales where it languished until 1985 until it was rescued by a member of the Mid Hants Railway albeit minus its tender.

34007 Wadebridge in the yard at Ropley, 7th November 2008. 34007 isone of the first batch of "West Country" class 4-6-2 mixed traffic locomotives built at Brighton in 1945 and leaving the works in August as 21C107. Allocated from new to Exmouth Junction MPD, its early years were spent in the West Country until the 11th April 1951 when it moved to Nine Elms MPD. Whilst at Nine Elms 34007 operated mainly on the old LSWR tracks to Bournemouth, Weymouth and Salisbury. The 14th September 1964 saw it transferred to Salisbury MPD for the final few months until on 7th October 1965, it was withdrawn and sold to Woodhams scrapyard at Barry in South Wales. 34007 escaped the BR rebuilding that was the fate of many of the West Country class. It left Barry for the Plym Valley Railway on the 19th May 1981 and was the one hundred and twenty seventh engine to leave for preservation. Following twenty five years of restoration the engine returned to steam in October 2006.

Hawksworth pannier tank 9466 in the “graveyard of steam”, 25th August 1975. It has obviously been sold as it has had a “repaint” in red oxide and would be the seventy fourth locomotive to leave Barry for preservation when it departed a month after the date of the photograph in September 1975. 9466 entered traffic in February 1952 at Worcester MPD. It stayed at Worcester until October 1960 when it was sent to Wolverhampton (Stafford Road) for repair. In December 1960 it moved to Bristol (St Phillips Marsh) MPD. July 1962 saw a transfer to Tondu MPD followed in July 1963 by a move to Radyr MPD from where it was withdrawn in July 1964. 9466 was sold to Woodham Bros. in November 1964 but did not move to Barry until March 1965.Restoration commenced in 1977 and 1985 saw the culmination of eight years of hard graft with 9466 being returned to steam at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. Since then this locomotive has been a regular performer both on heritage railways, London Underground at the Main Line. It has undergone two ten year overhauls and is currently (November 2008) operational and Main Line registered.

LMS Jubilee 5690 Leander departs Quorn and Woodhouse station with the 13:19 service to Loughborough, 1st November 2008.

LMS Jubilee 5690 Leander arrives at Quorn and Woodhouse station with the 11:23 service to Leicester North, 1st November 2008. 5690 was built at Crewe Works in March 1936 and named Leander after HMS Leander, a light cruiser of the Royal Navy built in 1930. Following nationalization in 1948, Leander was renumbered 45690 by British Railways. After a working life of twenty eight years, mostly allocated to Bristol Barrow Road MPD. 45690 was withdrawn in March 1964 and initially dumped at its home shed. By August 1964 it had made its way through the Severn tunnel to the opposite side of the Bristol Channel and could be found languishing at Woodham Brothers scrap yard at Barry. Purchased from Woodham Brothers in 1972 it was the eighteenth engine to leave Barry for preservation and was quickly restored by Derby Works, steaming for the first time since 1964 in August 1973. It completed its last overhaul in 2002 and is nominally based on the East Lancashire Railway.

LMS Jubilee 5690 Leander is engaged in a bit of shunting at Loughborough, 1st November 2008.

3440 City of Truro departs Loughborough with the 10:15 to Leicester North, 1st November 2008. 3440 City Of Truro is a Great Western Railway City Class 4-4-0 locomotive, designed by George Jackson Churchward and built at the GWR Swindon Works in 1903. It was reputedly the first steam locomotive in Europe to travel in excess of 100 mph. City of Truro is believed to have reached a speed of 102.3 mph whilst hauling the "Ocean Mails" special from Plymouth to London Paddington on 9 May 1904. This speed was recorded from the footplate by Charles Rous-Marten. Initially, mindful of the need to preserve their reputation for safety, the Great Western allowed only the overall timings for the run to be put into print and the milepost timings provided by Rous-Marten are consistent with a speed of 100 mph or just over. Since its withdrawal in 1931 City of Truro has been in and out of service several times. It has had two spells in the National Railway Museum at York and one in the Railway Museum at Swindon. It has also seen three periods when it was restored to working order; 1957-61, 1985-91, 2004 to the present day.