The LNER Encyclopedia

Can any one remember the coal train from Shilbottle to Oxwellmains cement works near Dunbar. It was the last regular steam hauled goods train across the border. I can remember getting the 7.32 DMU to either Newcastle or Alnmouth and looking for this train which was usually held in Alnmouth south loop waiting for a path after a North bound express. What was unusual was the motive power. The train engine could be anything from an A4 to a J27 with even the odd Ivatt thrown in. The reason for such a varied choice of motive power was that the engine in later days was supplied from North Blyth and due to the proximity of messrs Bolkows scrapyard the engines sent to Blyth for scrap were sometimes commandeered for this duty.
I can remember B1 61014 Oribi and A4 Lord Farringdon as well as seeing now preserved Q6 63395 come off at Alnmouth on the return empties working.
Does any one have more memories or pictures of this working

I can recall a filthy 60001 Sir Ronald Matthews pottering about at Alnmouth for some hours it seemed before heading back south with some sort of mixed goods. This would probably have been 1964, the year it met its ends at Hughes Bolckows. I can also recall 61014 Oribi doing similar around same period - may have been later.

Further recollection of an equally filthy 60016 Silver King being held in Alnmouth south loop with a freight of some sort before heading north. This would have been 1964 or 65.

Heading back south after a trip to the Northeast coast I spotted this near Alnmouth. As this was August 1973 I was very surprised to see a steam engine at all. However NCB No. 45 was waiting by the ECML. No doubt about to head back to Shilbottle Colliery a few miles inland.
IF I recall correctly this was the last steam working that I ever saw. BR steam had disappeared some years previously.

ArthurK

Minoru wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:35 am I can recall a filthy 60001 Sir Ronald Matthews pottering about at Alnmouth for some hours it seemed before heading back south with some sort of mixed goods. This would probably have been 1964, the year it met its ends at Hughes Bolckows. I can also recall 61014 Oribi doing similar around same period - may have been later.

Oribi would have been around 1966 when i saw it from my DMU to Newcastle on a rail rover ticket.
Arthur K i had many a ride up to the pithead at Shilbottle in the Austerities,

I saw what I assume was this train on a number of Saturdays in 1964 at Berwick. The power was always a K1 (62021 and 62023 seem to have been regulars) and from my very vague memories I would say the train was usually looped at Berwick to allow the 7.0 am York - Edinburgh to overtake.

Somewhere I have a record of a Blyth K1 at Berwick in the first half of 1966 - from memory I think it was 62059 on the same day as Kingfisher worked a Doncaster - Edinburgh return special, which would make it 21st May 1966. The last occasion when I photographed a K1 at Berwick was late morning (?) on Wednesday 17th August 1966, when the now preserved 62005 (52F) headed south trailing only a brakevan - that it was running tender first suggests it was returning from Oxwellmains.
Bill