The LNER Encyclopedia

After watching many railway dvds over the last 10-15 years usually set in the last years of steam on B.R. during the early/mid 1960s across all regions it is often said on the dvd commentary that a particular locomotive was withdrawn from traffic on a particular date so my question is who made the decision to withdraw a steam loco from traffic?. Was it a shed Master who had the particular loco 'on shed' at the time or was it someone higher up in the loco department?.

Also I have heard it said that towards the end of steam on B.R. in August 1968 that some steam locos that were still in otherwise good running condition were sometimes withdrawn from traffic if a minor fault was reported to the shed fitter for attention that under normal circumstances would have been repaired?. An example has been mentioned of a broken piece of wooden floorboard on a loco footplate that under normal circumstances would have been replaced instead the opportunity was then taken (by someone?) to withdraw the loco completely and scrap it instead or having the minor fault repaired even if nothing else was wrong with the loco?.

This was by centrally directed policy, section by section. Steam was to be withdrawn from service in identified sections (with a target date for completion) as sufficient replacement traction arrived. There were clauses in the process which varied over time, identifying the maximum level of repair which was permitted: so a defect above that level condemned the loco for withdrawal. (This was mediated to an extent by shedmasters who had sufficient resources to enable a favoured loco to be kept in service, by 'rearranging' the failure if that was possible.)

Viewed from the perspective of my business experience where rationalisations of heavy plant went on progressively for two decades, consistently conserving the newest and best of the equipment in service; BR's process was negligent of attention to such detail. Probably a result of the whole job being initiated by an abrupt change of horse midstream; and a management following patterns of thought by region, (inculcated by the their big four experience) rather than viewing the BR operation as an integral whole.

I watched a railway dvd a month or two ago and apparently the year 1968 to eliminate all B.R. standard gauge steam was chosen a number of years earlier because I just assumed that 1968 happened to be the year steam finished on B.R. by chance?.

Also I was watching another railway dvd this week and a glimpse of the LMS main line diesels 10000 & 10001 were both seen together in 1947 (they looked slightly similar to class 44/45 'peaks' on the Midland) and thought those two diesel locos were around 21 years before the end of B.R. steam and all the introduction of the B.R. Standard designs which is interesting to think about?.

Out of interest something with a LNER connection that it is noticeable on the railway dvds that were filmed during the early/mid 1960s is the small number of single wooden body maroon livered Gesley coaches that show up in a rake of B.R.Mk1 coaches on all the other regions express trains during that time so occasionally at least one ex-LNER Gresley coach can be seen on express train tearing through Basingstoke or passing through Shrewsbury or arriving in Carlisle and all parts of the country.

BR was short of catering vehicles, and there were all the LNER built buffets, with significantly the knuckle coupler and Pullman gangway that had been adopted for BR's coach construction. So slotting them into BR sets of mk1s was a solution. We were chasing the last few around the UK from about 1975, for a last Gresley ride.

I have been told - but have no documented authority for this - that the LNER full brakes which lasted so long in BR service were the cause of the relatively small number constructed of BR's mk1 BG. An MP is supposed to have asked a question of why BR was planning to completely replace these vehicles with their mk 1 design, when the LNER vehicles were fully compatible and perfectly serviceable for carrying goods various. I'd be interested to know if there was any truth to this.