The LNER Encyclopedia

Hello everybody, 1st post here, please be gentle with me

I have recently chanced across an old photo in a magazine of Kings Cross A4 60015 'Quicksilver' at Doncaster, the pic is dated August 1960 and the notes state that it had just come off the down express to Hull.

My question is... did A4's ever run all the way to Hull (or Grimsby) on a regular timetabled service? I appreciate some of them have graced Hull Paragon with specials, excursions etc but a regular service?

while i'm here... the Gresley B17 'Footballers', i recall reading somewhere that a replica of the loco's name plate over the splasher was presented to the club it was named after.. For years Hull City's was fixed above the players tunnel at Boothferry Park, the original being replaced by a replica and the original being sold off by the miscreants that were ruining the club at that time. Was the original presented as the loco came into service or when she was withdrawn? anyone any idea where the original is nowadays ?

With all the references to Hull you might have guessed im from that area, lived in Barton but went to school in Hull, traveled daily on the train and the old paddle steamer ferries across the Humber. Has anyone seen the once busy Barton on Humber station recently... its been replaced by a bus shelter!!

Thanks for your time, very interesting forum

Can't say weather this was regular, but it was proberbly an excursion, special, I have seen pictures of the A4s runing to Scarborough. If you get 'The Book of the A4 Pacifics A photographic Accompaniment: 1' on page 57 here's a phto of Seagull at topshed, sat between A3 Gay Crusader, and A1 Bois Roussel, and carrying The Scarbough Flyer headboard, also I have seen photos of them on the Scarborough run, highly polished on duty for the wedding of The Duke of Kent & Katherine Worsley in 1961 at York Minster.

It was most unusual for a King's + pacific to reach Hull, and certainly not on a scheduled service. Neville Hill A3's were fairly frequent, but not regular, visitors, as were some from further north eg York, Gateshead/Heaton etc. One of the Willie Yeadon Registers has a very definitive paragraph on this subject, but cannot find it, at the moment - will update when I can!

The Scarborough turntable was too small for pacifics (the current one, installed for the original Scarborough Spa Expresses of several years ago, is considerably extended), and generally the pacific on the Scarborough Flyer, from King's Cross, came off at York, and the train would be taken-on by a B16, although I seem to remember it going all the way with a V2, on one occasion.

It was, however, a fairly frequent event for summer holiday specials from Scotland, hauled by York A1's, to come off the ECML at Pilmoor, and run over the long-closed line to Malton (avoiding a reversal at York) to reach Scarborough. The loco would run tender-first LE to York, although I believe they sometimes turned on the triangle at Filey Holiday Camp (possibly if they were 52A/52B locos?).

The train, in the photo, having been brought to Doncaster by 60015 would have gone-on to Hull behind a D49, although by Aug 1960 there were not many left, and these duties were taken-over by K3's.

I asked a similar question a while back, here's the link to those pages, there are a couple of photos too:

viewtopic.php?p=330&highlight=#330

Tommy Knox has some information on his website "LNER Pacifics". Here's the link, it contains some interesting workings:

http://lner-pacifics.me.uk/cms/news.php?30.20.10

Here's the link to his website:

http://lner-pacifics.me.uk/cms/news.php

Hope this is some help.

Many Thanks for that JohnB, certainly answered my question

*tips his cap to the man from Hornsea*

I have just completed my research into pacifics reaching Hull.

There are 28 recorded, most of them Neville Hill A3's but one or two nice surpises including several visits by Sir Vincent Raven's City of Kingston Upon Hull as well as Flying Scotsman. There were four A4 visits, three on freight or mineral turns and Bittern in 1960 on a turn and again when in preservation in 1969.

Several Thompson A1's and A2's visited as well as such exotics as 70025 Western Star from Cardiff shed and Southern 34092 City of Wells in 1988 for filming.

There are other pacific engines which visited Hull but sadly these records are not available.

Smoky shot of Gay Crusader at one of the Kings Cross tunnels. Taking the position of the valve gear she looks as if she is backing in from Top Shed.

Re B17 plates.i am wrking on this subject for the B17 Locomotive trust. Should have some more info soon,

John B wrote:I have just completed my research into pacifics reaching Hull.

There are 28 recorded, most of them Neville Hill A3's but one or two nice surpises including several visits by Sir Vincent Raven's City of Kingston Upon Hull as well as Flying Scotsman. There were four A4 visits, three on freight or mineral turns and Bittern in 1960 on a turn and again when in preservation in 1969.

Several Thompson A1's and A2's visited as well as such exotics as 70025 Western Star from Cardiff shed and Southern 34092 City of Wells in 1988 for filming.

There are other pacific engines which visited Hull but sadly these records are not available.

I seem to recall someone mentioning a while back that 4468 made it to Hull in '88

Hi Blackout,

Yes, 4468 did two runs from York - Scarborough - Hull - Selby - York, 1988, I think. I have some poor shots of it passing Cottingham. I have some better shots of it near Malton.

Number 7 also ran into Hull (then Scarborough) in the early to mid '70s.