End of LT steam in 1971

[Mickey]

Nice pictures manna. That big fella in the all white boiler suit I presume must have been a LT. loco Inspector or manager I doubt if he was 'the driver' anyway he appeared to have rode the footplate of that demonstration ballast train all the way from Moorgate to Neasden depot because he appears in several dvds filmed along the route at Barbican, Farringdon, Finchley Road & arriving at Neasden depot.

It was a good day out with two L.T. pannier tanks 'in steam' at Neasden depot that afternoon.

[Mickey]

I suppose it was theoretically possible to have seen a ex-GWR pannier tank heading through Kings Cross York road station heading down to the Widen lines until 1970.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Yes I suppose 'Theoretically' possible, but I've never seen a picture, or even heard of one 'popping' out at York Rd..........anyone ??

manna

[rockinjohn]

Hi think more to the point why would they?, battery locos doing the job well,not seen "up" pics@ the Cross of the Drayton Park stock transfers, after the Highgate "trips' ceased which could have BR locos ex Drayton Park(BR ex.sidings) to Wellington Sidings(Highgate Woods),but have seen pics of the down stock transfer movement @ the Cross via the widened lines &agree with the use of the panniers on the Croxley tip working which was quite frequent &witnessed a few times by myself, the shunt in the sidings&unloading quite a leisurely affair.

[Mickey]

A ex-GWR pannier tank running 'in steam' through Kings Cross York road station heading down to the Widen lines until 1970?. Theoretically possible I suppose but highly unlikely I guess but a interesting supposition all the same?. I suppose on paper it was possible but something like that would have been documented.

The bridge over the main line north of Finsbury Park carrying the old Edgware branch was still in use until 1970 along with Finsbury Park no.7 box which closed in October of 1970 so I suppose it is possible that a L.T. pannier tank may have been working on a short ballast train up around Highgate wood sidings or East Finchley station area in the early hours of the morning although to get to a worksite at either Highgate wood sidings or East Finchley station the train would have had to have gone Down road from the Widen lines via the 'hotel curve' and through Kings Cross to Finsbury Park then onto the Edgware branch to either Highgate wood sidings or East Finchley station before returning back Up road after the work was finished again towards Finsbury Park and then on towards Kings Cross and the Widen lines to Farringdon station where the pannier tank could run/round to head back to Lillie Bridge depot?.

It probably never happened but an interesting thought all the same.

[StevieG]

I don't know when (but no later than 1968 I think), but sometime between the end of all BR loco-hauled trains (including the goods trips of course) to the Edgware/High Barnet Ally Pally lines, and the barring of the Up Branch flyover at Finsbury Park to all traffic, its deteriorating condition had caused all 'normal' traffic to be prohibited on weight grounds; leaving only the LT battery loco-worked transfer trips able to use it (steam would surely have been too heavy).

Also the transfer trips via any route being 'top and tailed' avoided the need for them to be run-round at any reversal points - - and I'd think were much easier with battery locos [ were they multi-working-fitted? (i.e. both controllable from one end) ] than steam locos.

So I'd say use of any LT steam loco on BR lines KX / Fins. Park / Highgate was VERY unlikley.

[Mickey]

The B.R. ban on steam after August 1968 (except for 4472 Flying Scotsman until 1971) would probably prohibit a L.T. steam loco working over B.R. metals as late as 1970 also the weight restriction placed on the bridge north of Finsbury Park on the Up Edgware line as well would prohibit it so those two conditions alone or together would prohibit such a thing happening but it could have possibly happened in the years leading up to end of B.R. steam in August 1968 although in reality it was probably unlikely to have happened.

[StevieG]

"As Stevie points out the B.R. ban on steam after August 1968 (except for 4472 Flying Scotsman until 1971) would probably prohibit a L.T. steam loco working over B.R. metals as late as 1970 .... "

I made no reference to the BR steam ban Mickey : Nothing I wrote there was intended to relate to that ban and I'm not aware that it had any relevance on the subject of this thread.

[Mickey]

I have amended my last post Stevie. From a general point of view B.R. standard gauge steam locos were banned on B.R. after the August 1968 so that ban alone would prohibit a L.T. pannier tank travelling on B.R. metals after August 1968 anyway.

[Mickey]

I presume London Underground enthusiasts are already aware of this book which was originally published back in 2008. One of the authors of this book John Scott Morgan use to work at Motor Books at Leicester Square back in the 1990s and then around 10 years ago he was working at the recently closed down Ian Allen shop at Waterloo. One day I was in the shop at Waterloo flicking through the Red Panniers book when John came up behind me and said he could highly recommend that book!.

Red Panniers book- https://arhsnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploa ... nniers.png