The last days of steam at Willesden

[Martello]

I've been looking back at loco spotting notes of trains on the LNW main line up to the end of steam operation. I went round Willesden shed on Sunday 15th August 1965 and found 54 steam locos on shed, of 9 different classes. This included ten tank engines (mostly Fairburn tanks) that had recently been withdrawn. The shed closed five weeks later on 27th September.

Eleven of the locos on shed that day were ‘visitors’, from a variety of sheds (if the shed allocation lists are to be believed) – 2B Nuneaton, 2C Northampton. 5B Crewe South, 6B Mold Junction, 17B Burton, 17C Coalville, 24B Rose Grove, 26C Bolton, 84B Oxley, 84C Banbury and 89A Shrewsbury.

I had frequent trips to Northwick Park train spotting on the LNW line, and the last date I saw any steam working was 13th Sept, when I noted three 8Fs and 78029 (and also steam working on the GC line).

Was there any steam activity at all on the LNW line after 27th September?

 

[Harvester]

With Northampton shed closing at the same time as Willesden, and with Rugby and Bletchley closing a few months earlier, Nuneaton would have been the nearest steam shed on the LNW by autumn 1965! It’s possible that the odd steam loco on freights from Wellingborough (until closure in May 1966), working to Northampton may have ventured further south.

 

[Martello]

With Northampton shed closing at the same time as Willesden, and with Rugby and Bletchley closing a few months earlier, Nuneaton would have been the nearest steam shed on the LNW by autumn 1965! It’s possible that the odd steam loco on freights from Wellingborough (until closure in May 1966), working to Northampton may have ventured further south.

The reason I posed the question was partly curiosity, but also to try and confirm a sighting of 92085 at Wembley Central on 15 Jan 1966. There was a car park alongside the LNW line, close to the bridge where the Neasden to Ruislip GC line crossed over so I could see trains on both routes. I think 92085 was allocated to 8H Birkenhead at the time.

I had assumed it had found its way onto a GC line train and would have been on the empty newspaper vans from Nottingham Vic to Neasden, but there's a possibility that it was actually working on the LNW line. My spotting notes show that the switch to 25kV electric locos was rapid after Sept '65 and the Type 4 EE diesels became a rarity by the end of 1965 so the prospect of a 9F creeping in under the radar in January '66 seems remote. There was still a small amount of steam activity in west London, and as late as 1st Nov 1965 I photographed a couple of 4MT moguls at Ealing, 76033 (70D Eastleigh) running light engine on the down slow and 76037 (2B Oxley) on the up slow on a train of vans.

 

[AidWall]

I recall a photo of 34037 Clovelly passing through Kensington Olympia on 8 July 1967 hauling ex-LMS stock on what was described as a Portsmouth to Preston extra. I am fairly sure that this was in a Michael Welch album although I can't confirm that for sure. I assume that the locomotive came off at Mitre Bridge, as it worked a Waterloo - Southampton boat train extra later in the day, this being one of the very last steam hauled departures from Waterloo.

 

[Harvester]

I recall a photo of 34037 Clovelly passing through Kensington Olympia on 8 July 1967 hauling ex-LMS stock on what was described as a Portsmouth to Preston extra. I am fairly sure that this was in a Michael Welch album although I can't confirm that for sure. I assume that the locomotive came off at Mitre Bridge, as it worked a Waterloo - Southampton boat train extra later in the day, this being one of the very last steam hauled departures from Waterloo.

On Saturday 8 July 1967 34037 worked as far as Willesden Junction on the 11:26 Portsmouth to Colne extra. It then ran LE to Nine Elms before working the 18:20 Waterloo to Southampton East dock, which was the very last BR steam hauled departure from Waterloo. After that the only steam seen at Waterloo were Pacifics 34021 and 35030 on arrivals the following day (Sun 9th).

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Any LMS express locos or had they all gone by then?

 

[Harvester]

Any LMS express locos or had they all gone by then?

When SR steam ended (9/7/67) there were 3 surviving ex LMS Jubilees (45562, 45593 and 45697) still in service, allocated to Leeds Holbeck. They lasted until Holbeck closed to steam on 30/9/67.

 

[anothertyke]

When SR steam ended (9/7/67) there were 3 surviving ex LMS Jubilees (45562, 45593 and 45697) still in service, allocated to Leeds Holbeck. They lasted until Holbeck closed to steam on 30/9/67.

Dear Harvester,

Hoping we are allowed a bit of thread drift. I have three questions you might be able to answer.

1. Was the last public (ie non charter) passenger train worked by a Jubilee the relief Thames Clyde Express from Leeds to Carlisle on 26/8/67?

2. Did that train actually depart from Leeds City or did it change engines on the curve by Holbeck Shed? Ray Trader's book makes me think it was the latter.

3. The stories about that last summer are all about the northbound workings (the 1017 from Leeds and the relief Thames Clyde). What were the balancing southbound workings? Presumably not passenger trains.

 

[Harvester]

Dear Harvester,

Hoping we are allowed a bit of thread drift. I have three questions you might be able to answer.

1. Was the last public (ie non charter) passenger train worked by a Jubilee the relief Thames Clyde Express from Leeds to Carlisle on 26/8/67?

2. Did that train actually depart from Leeds City or did it change engines on the curve by Holbeck Shed? Ray Trader's book makes me think it was the latter.

3. The stories about that last summer are all about the northbound workings (the 1017 from Leeds and the relief Thames Clyde). What were the balancing southbound workings? Presumably not passenger trains.

1) The 06:40 (SO) Birmingham-Glasgow and 09:20 (SO) St Pancras-Glasgow, both running via the S&C, were booked for Jubilees from Leeds, in the summer 1967 timetable. Both trains finished on 26/8/67 and were hauled that day by 45562 and 45593 respectively. I am not aware of any normal BR passenger train being Jubilee hauled after that date.

2) The Railway Observer mentioned that the St Pancras-Glasgow changed locos close to Holbeck depot, and did not call at Leeds City. The 06:40 Birmingham-Glasgow did a reversal and loco change in the station.

3) The Jubilees were booked to return as required, before the following Saturday. If no suitable passenger/freight workings were available they would return LE.

 

[Grumpy]

1) The 06:40 (SO) Birmingham-Glasgow and 09:20 (SO) St Pancras-Glasgow, both running via the S&C, were booked for Jubilees from Leeds, in the summer 1967 timetable. Both trains finished on 26/8/67 and were hauled that day by 45562 and 45593 respectively. I am not aware of any normal BR passenger train being Jubilee hauled after that date.

I used to commute from Leeds to York around this time. Between Church Fenton and York we used to cross a York to Hull train which was regularly Jubilee hauled. I'm not sure when this finished.

 

[778]

I went round Willesden shed on Sunday 15th August 1965 and found 54 steam locos on shed, of 9 different classes. This included ten tank engines (mostly Fairburn tanks) that had recently been withdrawn. The shed closed five weeks later on 27th September.

Do you know if any of those locos were preserved?

 

[Harvester]

I've been looking back at loco spotting notes of trains on the LNW main line up to the end of steam operation. I went round Willesden shed on Sunday 15th August 1965 and found 54 steam locos on shed, of 9 different classes. This included ten tank engines (mostly Fairburn tanks) that had recently been withdrawn. The shed closed five weeks later on 27th September.

Do you know if any of those locos were preserved?

Not sure if you are referring to the recently withdrawn Fairburn tanks the OP mentioned, or all 54 steam locos seen? It’s extremely unlikely that the only two Fairburn tanks preserved (42073 and 42085), which at the time of the visit were allocated to NER sheds 56F and 51A, were ever at Willesden.

I went round Willesden shed a year earlier on Monday 31st August 1964, and recorded 69 steam locos and 12 diesels. The steam on shed included 18 Brits, a third of the class, but of the 69 steam locos seen, only two made it into preservation (45000 and 78018). In contrast of the 12 diesels seen, two D318 and D8007 are preserved.

 

[Martello]

I went round Willesden shed a year earlier on Monday 31st August 1964

18 Brits! That year made all the difference. I was old enough to go round Willesden with my dad in August 1965 but probably wouldn't have got away with it a year earlier. By summer 1965 the Britannias had all moved away. We had to go to Kingmoor (in Sept 65) to find a few of them!