10D LOSTOCK HALL MPD
BR London Midland Region 1963 to 1967
In September 1963, with yet further divisional changes, the ‘parent depot’ status
became transferred to 10A Carnforth,
this meaning that Lostock Hall’s shed-code now
became 10D – but, of course, not to be confused with the previous,
10D which had
been (until Oct 1954) the former LNWR depot at Bolton, Plodder Lane.
By the early 1960s, the indigenous L&Y allocation had totally disappeared from all
ex-L&YR depots and, with dieselisation
occurring in other parts of the country, some
quite alien motive power then came to descend upon the North-West of England.
For example, at Lostock Hall, some earlier pure-Midland Railway examples of the ‘Jinties’, Nos 47201 and 47211, materialised, having been passed down the line from other local depots. Of an earlier class of 60 locomotives originally introduced by Johnson in 1899 and then rebuilt by Fowler with a Belpaire firebox, they were given the power classification 3F. The later LMS Fowler Class 3F of 1924 was based on this design, although most noticeably with an enlarged bunker. Thirty of the original type were fitted with condensing apparatus specifically for working through the tunnels of the Metropolitan Widened Lines and, remarkably, No 47211 was still fitted with the condensing pipes - a remarkable remnant of its days based at Cricklewood depot in the London area. No 47211 was in fact the last survivor to retain that equipment – albeit this not being of much use in an area of Lancashire notable for its lack of underground railways! No 47201 did eventually move to Skipton, then on to Patricroft and No 47211 moved to Rose Grove.
Yet another ‘Jinty’, No 47314, which came from Springs Branch in 1966, was actually a former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway loco, being introduced in 1929 as that Company’s No 23.
[RIGHT]Following the transfer of the initial 7 ex-LMS 3F 0-6-0Ts from the closed 24K Preston shed, No 47336 was one of the several later arrivals, having come from 8A Edge Hill in 1963. It lasted until 31st May 1966.
[FAR RIGHT] Ex-Midland Railway Class 3F 0-6-0T No 47211 was one two to arrive at Lostock Hall. Notice the dual lamp brackets.
And the condensing apparatus fitted specifically for working through the tunnels of the Metropolitan Widened Lines. No 47211
eventually moved to 10F Rose Grove shed from where it was withdrawn on 30th November 1964.
As most railwaymen will confirm, the title “Jinty” was never that much in common use. At many depots, a more usual term might have been “Dobbin”, or even “Jocko”. At its peak, there came to be no fewer that at least seven or eight of the class on the books at any one time, with No 47472 (ex-24K) probably being the most celebrated, much earlier having already acquired the unofficial name “City of Preston” – this occurring perhaps forty years before such a status was officially bestowed upon the town!
Another one-time 10D resident, No 47564, had arrived from Barrow in 1963. After a period of service here, it was withdrawn, only to be then converted at Darlington Works into a stationary boiler - albeit minus its side-tanks - as No 2022. The intention was to replace one of the several life-expired ex-L&Y 0-4-4Ts that for many years had traditionally been employed on carriage-heating duties at various locations around the North West. Upon completion of its duties (in this case, at Holyhead and Queens Road, Manchester), the remains were purchased for preservation by the Midland Railway Centre. Currently used as a source of supplies for the 3 other examples at Butterley, No 47564 may well still be restored to working order in due course.
LOSTOCK HALL M.P.D. LOCOMOTIVE ALLOCATION 1963
Fairburn 4MT 2-6-4T: 42147/54/87/286/96,
Stanier 4MT 2-6-4T: 42436/9/45/81/4/92/546/84,
Stanier 5MT 4-6-0: 44889/94/5226,
Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0: 46452/501,
Kitson 0P 0-4-0ST: 47002/8,
Johnson 3F 0-6-0T: 47201/11
Fowler 3F 0-6-0T: 47293/336/472/564/77,
Riddles ‘WD’ 8F 2-8-0: 90125/258/77/535/41/675/713/20
Class 08 350hp Diesel 0-6-0: D3368/9/71/74/565/81/846/4114/5
Total: 44
[ABOVE] Another ‘Duchess’ at Lostock Hall in not so auspicious circumstances. One of the only two Ivatt developments of the ‘Coronation’ class, No 46257 “City of Salford”, had already been in store for several months in the long-closed and roofless former Preston shed, when, in early 1965 it moved momentarily to Lostock Hall for a further period in continued storage, before being finally towed away to Troon in Ayrshire for scrap.
The engine was initially placed on one of the roads inside the shed, but later moved outside. At some stage, however, it was rumoured to have been displayed at a Trade Fair in Manchester, to which it had presumably been towed from Lostock Hall – which might explain its unusually immaculate condition and perhaps also why it had now gravitated to open store.
Following the demise of Preston MPD, one of the more positive aspects arising from the transfer of work to 10D was the increase in passenger diagrams. With the Preston station pilot turns also now being assumed by Lostock Hall motive power, a commensurate expansion in light-engine movements ensued between the two locations. Another example was the daily journey each way of one or other of the unique former Preston shed-allocated LMS 0P 0-4-0STs, Nos 47002/8.
The London Midland and Scottish Railway 0F 0-4-0ST was a class designed for light shunting in yards where minimal track radius would present problems for longer wheelbase engines. Five were originally designed to an LMS specification and built in 1932 by Kitson & Co. of Leeds. Following nationalisation in 1948, these became Nos 47000-4. In 1955 BR constructed an additional five at Horwich Works, numbered 47005-9. No 47008 arrived new at 10B Preston shed in 1955 to replace ex-Caledonian Railway “Pug” No 56027 (which was then transferred to Crewe Works) and eventually moved to Lostock Hall in 1961, with No 47002 arriving in 1962 from 27A Bank Hall.
Being the only engines capable of shunting the very sharply-curved coal-yard at Greenbank Sidings (adjacent to the West Coast main line about a mile north of Preston Station), their journeys along the main line were considerably increased. However, possessing extremely short wheelbases, this did mean that they could not be relied upon to operate track circuits en-route and consequently it was deemed essential for them to be hauled in each direction by one the Preston station pilots (invariably a ‘Jinty’). Both were withdrawn in 1964 or early 1965 and replaced by diesels, the ultimate demise of No 47002 allegedly being as a consequence of a blowback accident in which a fireman was badly burned.
The two 0F 0-4-0 saddle-tanks allocated to Lostock Hall specifically to shunting the very sharply-curved coal-yard at Greenbank Sidings in Preston.
No 47002 [FAR RIGHT] was one of the original batch constructed in 1932 by Kitson & Co.
No 47008 [RIGHT] was one of the subsequent five constructed in 1955 by BR at Horwich Works and the differences between latter and the original batch can clearly be seen in the shorter saddle-tanks, with the extra space being given to longer coal-bunkers.
Diesels had started to arrive on the scene back in 1959, with the allocation here of brand-new 350hp 0-6-0 shunter No D3374. Upon closure of Preston shed, another half-dozen or so materialised in 1961, with that initial handful eventually rapidly growing to around 20 by 1967, these ultimately taking over many of the tradition shunt duties for smaller tank locos in and around the Preston area.
As mentioned previously, one place where even the short wheelbase of some 6-wheeled locomotives (such as the Class 08 - as they later became known), still proved to be too extreme was once more the extremely small radius tracks of the Greenbank Coal Sidings. With the imminent demise of the 0-4-0STs, four Yorkshire Engine Co 170hp 0-4-0 diesels were transferred to Lostock Hall, from both Bank Hall and Fleetwood. Being some 6 tons lighter than their predecessors, at only 28 tons they seemed ideal for the task and, for a while, several did tend to spend much of their time stabled in the remains of the much closer Preston shed.
Meanwhile, some exotic visitors continued to arrive at the shed, although these had often ‘come and gone’ before the ‘grapevine’ knew anything about it. On particularly outstanding example was in the late afternoon of Sunday 2nd August 1964. With particularly gloomy conditions prevalent, even the promise of regular steam haulage on the northbound “Mid-day Scot” had enticed only two observers to the lineside locally, to witness the surprising arrival of 55H Neville Hill A1 Pacific No 60131 “Osprey” at the head of 3X04, a Law Junction to Lostock Hall 20-coach empty stock train – which it had worked throughout via Shap.
Having disposed of its lengthy train in the carriage sidings No 60131 went onto shed for servicing. Local opinion was that it was the only one of its class ever believed to have visited the depot and, at the time, also the first LNER-design pacific to be seen here.
Certainly, such a presence was soon to create some headaches in Preston Control … possibilities then being investigated into the most practical method of returning it home. Clearly doubts must have been expressed as to whether it was permitted to work over the most direct route, i.e. back into Yorkshire via Copy Pit (although Nos 60022 and 60113 had travelled that way in years gone by!) and, in the event, “Osprey” was to stay for another couple of days before being sent back to Carlisle at the head of the ‘Lakes Express’ … now with the ignominy of being piloted by a Metrovik Co-Bo diesel!
That continual cascading of larger and more modern power from other areas now rapidly becoming ‘steam deserts’ (such as the Midlands) meant that by 1964 some very welcome Stanier 5MT 4-6-0s and 8F 2-8-0s were starting to appear on the allocation … and in considerable numbers. In fact, by 1965, all of ten Black Fives and eighteen 8Fs had materialised. The ubiquitous Riddles WD 8F 2-8-0, for so long a mainstay of freight power at Lostock Hall and having provided sterling service here for a good fifteen years, had at their peak numbered some sixteen examples. With the coming of the Stanier 8Fs, they started to disappear rapidly from depots all over the North West in 1963 and, by 1965, only two remained at 10D.
One of those last two was No 90125 which had already become quite an oddity in that it carried the diagonal yellow stripe, which indicated that it was forbidden from working under 25kV wires south of Crewe. A former Western Region locomotive (as confirmed by the set of dual lamp brackets in the picture below), the top-feed is visibly taller than those on classmates originally allocated to other regions. This was a feature that was shared with some of the ex-Western Stanier 8F 2-8-0s, these including No 48775, which came to 10D right at the end of steam, but which, curiously, DIDN’T carry a yellow stripe – unlike its celebrated sister No 48773, which DID … but quite erroneously so! No 90125 was withdrawn on 31st November 1965.
[RIGHT] By the early 1960s, most of the LMR members of the WD 2-8-0 class had been withdrawn, with the majority of the survivors by now being based on the North Eastern Region and from whence they would still materialise for a year or two yet. Seen here, during its final months in traffic, is 8L Aintree’s No 90641.
[FAR RIGHT] One of the only two class members remaining on the 10D allocation in 1965, WD 2-8-0 No 90125 had already become quite an oddity in that it carried the diagonal yellow stripe, which indicated that it was forbidden from working under 25kV wires south of Crewe.
Once these last two had gone, Rose Grove shed kept a few for a while longer and after that, the only ones to be seen this far West were the occasional North Eastern visitors from Wakefield, with some representatives still appearing until as late as mid-1967.
As with the outstanding example of No 46257, mentioned earlier, in the mid-1960s quite a few other locomotives arrived at Lostock Hall, but were also not taken into operating stock.
In the face of encroaching dieselisation, three former Scottish Region Standard 4MT 2-6-4Ts found themselves briefly transferred here in 1964, No 80056 coming from 65A Eastfield, No 80125 from 63B Stirling and No 80129 from 66A Polmadie. Probably dispatched elsewhere rather than being withdrawn as a consequence of their good mechanical condition (indeed, they were less than 9 years old), none of them were ever used here. In fact they stood minus connecting rods on one of the coal-stack sidings throughout their stay, before all finally being withdrawn on 10th October 1964. No 80125 was eventually sold to Maden & McKee of Stanley, Liverpool and cut-up on 31st May 1965 and Nos 80056 and 80129 went to Crewe Works, where they were scrapped on 30th November 1964.
LOSTOCK HALL M.P.D. LOCOMOTIVE ALLOCATION 1965
Fairburn 4MT 2-6-4T: 42081/187/296/7,
Stanier 4MT 2-6-4T: 42436/42/546/625,
Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0: 43019/41/6/118,
Stanier 5MT 4-6-0: 44915/58/5107/97/226/347/402/21/44/50,
Fowler 3F 0-6-0T: 47531,
Stanier 8F 2-8-0: 48062/77/164/266/307/20/93/438/45/68/70/510/618/37/66/707/30/9,
BR 2MT 2-6-0: 78020/1/37/41,
Class 02 170hp Diesel 0-4-0: D2867/8
Class 08 350hp Diesel 0-6-0: D3368/9/71/74/565/81/782/3/846/4114/5.
Total: 54
[LEFT] No 48618 was another engine that had moved north from a Midlands depot that had dispensed with steam (in this case, Toton).
Now running around with a lined-out tender, it was only a matter of time before the Sunday cleaning gang got round to finishing the job!
[RIGHT] Although none were ever thought to have been on the allocation, there were few occasions when at least one of the Hughre-Fowler Crab 2-6-0s could not be found on the shed.
Here, Rose Grove’s No 42717 awaits its return job back home.
As time passed by, the physical variety of motive power on the allocation thinned-out quite considerably. The early/mid-1960s closing or dieselisation of local services had the effect of causing a number of still quite modern tank-engines to be prematurely withdrawn. That situation obviously also occurring elsewhere around the North West, some Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0s eventually arrived in 1966 from places like Lower Darwen and Workington. Inevitably, such a newer design gradually began to replace the Stanier and Fairburn 2-6-4Ts that had provided the mainstay for a great many years and more latterly, their higher power classification was to see-off even the Standard 2MT 78xxx 2-6-0s on the allocation.
The class, known to many as “Flying Pigs”, was noted for its quite unique American looks – with a running-plate at high level and a gap left ahead of the cylinders, many did consider it to be an ugly design – albeit functional. However, such far more modern locomotives did incorporate new mechanical features intended to reduce maintenance costs, the most important of which were rocker-grates. Bizarrely, they came to be well-liked by some Lostock Hall crews, but not by others. No 43106, the final example at 10D, survived until June 1968, by which time it was the last member of the class in service anywhere and destined for ultimate preservation.
Apart from the Ivatt-design 2MT 2-6-0s displaced from Preston, curiously, no other BR Standard types were ever on the allocation, even in the final year or so. Enthusiast, Bob Gregson once asked an engineman, “Why were there so few BR Standard engines based at Lostock Hall?” “The 9Fs aren’t bad,” that driver replied, “but they aren’t needed round these parts – and the others haven’t got the guts! Put it this way, a Black Five in bad nick can still handle a heavy load … a Standard in bad nick is a non-starter!”
The 2MTs were also not that popular, due to the draughty nature of their cabs, with crews having to use them (from at least the mid-1960s) on station-pilot duties at night. However, slightly earlier in time and when they were still extensively used on local passenger turns, often turn-and-turn-about with larger locomotives, there were fewer complaints. On the former West Lancs line to Southport (entirely steam-worked right until closure), many crews felt they were an absolute delight to handle, even with the numerous station stops and starts along that very rural route.
[RIGHT] Christmas 1965 and the sheer number of engines present had dictated that many engines had to be stabled outside on other than the main shed roads.
[FAR RIGHT] Used in earlier years on Southport and Liverpool stopping trains, by this time one of the remaining tasks of the allocation of Standard 2MT 2-6-0s was normally officiating as Preston station pilot. Two are seen here (on the right) after also having been specially cleaned on 25th December 1965. No 78037 is actually one of the locomotives that was seriously damaged during the disastrous fire at Preston shed in June 1961. Nos 78037 & 78041 were withdrawn on 31st May 1967, both going to Wishaw, near Motherwell for scrapping.
LOSTOCK HALL M.P.D. LOCOMOTIVE ALLOCATION 31/12/1966
Fairburn 4MT 2-6-4T: 42187/224/97,
Stanier 4MT 2-6-4T: 42546,
Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0: 43019/41/6/118,
Stanier 5MT 4-6-0: 44915/58/5107/97/226/347/402/21/44/50,
Fowler 3F 0-6-0T: 47531,
Stanier 8F 2-8-0: 48062/77/164/266/307/20/93/438/45/68/70/510/618/37/66/707/30/9,
BR 2MT 2-6-0: 78020/1/37/41.
Class 02 170hp Diesel 0-4-0 : D2861/2/3/8
Class 08 350hp Diesel 0-6-0: D3005-7/210/368/9/71/74/410/530/65/81/782/3/846/97/4114/5.
Total: 63
As will be appropriately addressed on pages to follow, Lostock Hall came to survive until the very end of steam on BR and to become an active and much-visited centre of steam operation during its final years.
Stanier 8Fs and 'Black Fives' now comprised the bulk of the allocation and in December 1966, for example, over fifty engines could regularly be seen in steam on the shed. Indeed, on Christmas Day of that year, former ‘Lostock Hall Engine Shed Junction’ signalman, David Hardman, visited the shed and was able to record the following present:
Fairburn 4MT 2-6-4T: 42096/2105/87/224/97,
Stanier 4MT 2-6-4T: 42546/611/65,
Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0: 43019/41/6,
Stanier 5MT 4-6-0: 44665/832/4/7/915/5069/107/41/97/402/44,
Fowler 3F 0-6-0T: 47314/26/472,
Stanier 8F 2-8-0: 48000/2/46/62/77/201/307/20/393/438/41/5/68/550/618/66/79/707,
Britannia 7MT 4-6-2: 70014 “Iron Duke”,
Standard Caprotti 5MT 4-6-0: 73128,
Standard 4MT 4-6-0: 75058,
Standard 2MT 2-6-0: 78020/1/37/41/57,
Standard 9F Ex-Crosti 2-10-0: 92027,
Class 02 0-4-0 Diesel Shunter: D2862,
Class 08 0-6-0 Diesel Shunter: D3005/210/368/71/4/530/1/81/782/846/7/4114
Total: 65
That was, of course, by no means a record. In earlier times, far in excess of that number actually came to be present – December 25th traditionally being the one single day of the year when nothing at all moved anywhere on British Railways! Sadly, as far as the writer of these notes is concerned, his own records have not survived, but he does clearly recall the pleasure of being able to cycle up to the shed every single Christmas Day and, despite the place always being crammed to capacity, to then find not another soul present!
Remaining with that festive time of year for a moment longer, another memory does also stand out. In an age well before firework displays became the vogue in commemorating just about everything, the marking of the advent of the New Year appeared to have far more meaning to just about everyone, particularly for those in occupations unfortunate enough to dictate that they could not share the moment with their families.
Three miles away from the shed, the Port of Preston was still in its prime well into the 1960s and, as on the railway, every available space in the docks would be occupied with ships berthed over the Christmas holiday period. Slightly before the stroke of midnight, front doors of houses were opening everyone for the ceremony of ‘first-footing’. A piece of coal brought indoors at this time was considered to be particularly lucky and there certainly was no shortage of that in those days!
As the final seconds of the old year ticked away, for miles around the Preston area there was no need to check the time, for, right on the stroke of Big Ben on the radio, the hooter of every single vessel present in the dock started to sound. In the vicinity of Lostock Hall, something of a ‘dawn chorus’ commenced in response (if not in direct competition!), with every available member of staff on duty at the premises climbing up onto the footplate of each loco in steam, to sound its whistle in an absolute cacophony of sound! Both at the Docks and at the shed such revelry continued for a good ten minutes or more! The last time that would occur at Lostock Hall was on 31st December 1967 – for within seven months steam would be dead.
Many are the tales of the other equally memorable events that occurred during the 87-year history of Lostock Hall depot. We shall start off with the account by local enthusiast Bill Ashcroft of the Sunday morning in early 1967 when he was walking along Watkin Lane past the back of the shed, pushing a pram containing his baby daughter, but without his camera. The shed yard was being shunted at the time, as was normal in order to get locos into the right positions for their Monday morning duties, and Mick Bowden was the appointed shed shunt driver.
He was propelling a line of locos right down the empty No 2 Road, when the member of the shed staff who was acting as shunter, shouted, “RIGHT!” … when, strictly speaking, he should have shouted, “STOP!” Naturally, the line of locos kept moving … with the furthermost loco, the recently-transferred ‘Black 5’ 45339, soon jumping the triangular stops at the end of No 2 Road and continuing on its wayward journey through the rear wall of the shed!
Now, the shed was built in such a way that, should an accident like this occur, only one section of wall would be demolished. As will be observed in the accompanying photograph, each road had a large lintel and vertical gaps in the brickwork, and, as a result, a large loco-sized doorway appeared, totally unplanned, in the place of the personnel access door which had formerly been in the same position.
The tale is not yet quite over, for there were yet other encumbrances still marring the path of 45339’s wayward progress. Immediately outside the door was parked the pride-and-joy of fitter’s mate, Billy Moat, namely his fibreglass-bodied ‘Reliant Robin’ and, alongside this, also stood a brand-new radiator, only just delivered, for one of the shed’s Yorkshire Engine Co 170hp 0-4-0 diesel-shunters.
By the time that Bill had hurried home to collect his camera, the Reliant (now in what he describes as “a sorry state”!) had been removed, but the radiator was now leaning, rather bent and battered, against the wall alongside. Bill adds that, within a short time, a neatly-painted slogan appeared alongside the hole. This exclaimed, “BOWDEN’S GAP”. Former fireman, Paul Tuson, also recalls that it wasn’t long before some wag had appended this caption with the words, “….THE SHAPE OF SHEDS TO COME!”
The aftermath of Mick Bowden’s shunting. Shed staff stand the battered (brand-new) diesel loco radiator up against an outbuilding and remove the remains of the wall. No 45339 had just been transferred here from 10F Rose Grove and then only came to survive until the 30th June 1967, before being condemned. That wall was never rebuilt and, during quieter spells, at night, it is said that boards appeared over No 2 Road pit … with staff cars being driven into the shed to be serviced. It was only in later years that the Outdoor Machinery section put large doors over the gap, to keep the wind out!
There are many other stories associated with unplanned ‘demolitions’ at 10D, for example, the not uncommon occurrences of locos being moved whilst the ‘bag’ was still in the tender and with the unfortunate but predictable consequences arising. One tale, however, stands out above all others as a demonstration of initiative arising form the misfortunes of others. One night during the winter of 1966, whilst negotiating the hump-backed bridge of Watkin Lane at the rear of the shed, an articulated lorry skidded on the icy surface and collided with the covered entrance at the top of the steps leading down into the shed - this being located next to the station entrance near the bridge’s peak - half demolishing it. (As an aside, although unsubstantiated, there are rumours that, as fate would have it, yet another Reliant was parked in a similarly unfortunate location at the moment that a considerable amount of well-seasoned timber cascaded down into the shed yard below!)
Joseph Booth, by now passed-out as a fireman, arrived at the shed shortly before midnight in order to book-on at 01.25 to prepare the engine rostered for the 06.10 Blackpool North-Euston as far as Crewe. Although he could but not help noticing the consequences of the accident, he at first thought nothing of it as he had an engine to prepare and, although early, he did usually spend this time in cleaning the loco. Having a ‘brew’ in the mess, as always, Joseph looked at the Shedman's Engine Board to see what locos were on shed. He noticed that 70010 ‘Owen Glendower’ was marked down as ‘spare’ and decided to ask running foreman Alf Carnegie if Alf would agree to exchange for the Black 5 rostered. Alf was sympathetic, but stressed that the ‘Brit’ would take far too long to raise steam.
Joseph thought about this for a moment, and then a thought struck him. Was there not a ready supply of combustible material right outside the door - the remains of the entrance building? So, Joseph asked Alf if he would roster the ‘Brit’ should he be able to raise enough pressure in time. Although obviously believing that this could not be done, Alf agreed! Joseph hurried quickly to the scene of the accident and to the pile of combustible material awaiting him on the ground. What an appropriate solution to everyone’s problem, indeed, and he proceeded to carry as much as he could over to the awaiting 70010 in the shed.
After managing a couple of trips unobserved, it was only a matter of time before he came to be approached by the police officer attending the incident. What on earth did he think he was doing, he was asked? Joseph replied that the wood was needed for an engine needing to be steamed quickly – which was a quite truthful statement, of course! The officer countered this by advising that Joseph was removing evidence from the scene. However, Joseph adds that the officer was then obviously distracted enough with matters up above on the roadway for him to continue in the darkness until he had obtained all that he needed. Needless to say, the wood burned really well, with 150lb easily being raised. Alf, true to his word, then agreed to the change and off went 70010 light-engine to Blackpool.
Joseph also remembers that, at around this time, 70010 carried painted-on nameplates to replace those originals which had been removed, officially or otherwise. One side bore the name ‘Owen Glendower’ in English and the other side was in Welsh, as ‘Owain Glyndŵr’. The author admits to more than an element of involvement in that particular exercise, recalling a necessity to cycle home to discover the correct spelling in his Ian Allan ‘ABC’! The matter did later cause much amusement to those involved, particularly when correspondents to the various railway periodicals of the time could not agree on the actual name being carried – evidently being totally unaware that this varied from side to side!
[RIGHT] ‘Britannia’ Pacific No 70036 ‘Boadicea’ was the first of probably 16 members of the class to be ‘renamed’ during their weekend sojourns at Lostock Hall
[FAR RIGHT] If time permitted, the whole loco was cleaned, particularly if, as was usually the case, it was scheduled to work the following morning’s Blackpool-London express as far as Crewe. Here, the final touches are being put to No 70014 ‘Iron Duke’ on 25th December 1966 by one of the co-conspirators to this website!
It is thought that, between 1965 and 1967, no fewer that sixteen ‘Britannias’ were re-named at Lostock Hall, with one or two more being treated in a similar (clandestine) manner at Bolton and Stockport. Indeed, what is not quite so commonly known is that No 70013 “Oliver Cromwell” actually had its nameplates ‘restored’, albeit in paint, at Lostock Hall in late 1966, this occurring well before entering Crewe Works for its final overhaul. Indeed, it may well have been Lostock Hall that had set a precedent here, for 70013 emerging from shops in 1967 with its name neatly repainted on the smoke-deflectors over the previous artwork, was something that certainly had not previously occurred with other ‘Britannias’.
[ABOVE] ‘Britannia’ No 70025 “Western Star” has just received ‘the treatment’ from the resident unofficial cleaning gang, including re-naming. In this instance, work proved to be easier and somewhat more leisurely, given that the loco was recently ex-shops and the whole 1965 Christmas period was available in which to undertake the task. This particular ‘nameplate’ was pre-prepared on a sheet of black self-adhesive ‘Fablon’.
In November 1965 a line of 4 BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-2Ts appeared in the siding adjacent to Lostock Hall goods shed (the opposite side of Watkin Lane to the shed building). These were Nos 84010, 84016, 84015 and 84028. The engines had, once more, been sent to Lostock Hall as surplus to requirements. With the ending of the Fleetwood to Blackpool North via Poulton Curve push & pull service, Fleetwood shed had little further use for 84010/16 and, likewise, with the ending of the Earby-Barnoldswick auto train, Skipton shed was in a similar position with 84015/28.
The story going around at the time was that these engines had been selected to go through works in order to receive cut-down cabs, etc, to permit them to be sent to the Isle of Wight, in order to replace the ageing Class O2 0-4-4 tanks that had been the mainstay of traffic for many years. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be ultimately decided that, with steam in decline everywhere else, it wasn't worth the expense to undertake such a conversion and that the preferred option should be to electrify the one remaining route on the island and to purchase second-hand ex-London Transport tube stock for this. The steam locos, therefore, stood in the same position at Lostock Hall for quite some time, before quietly disappearing to the Central Wagon Co scrapyard at Ince near Wigan.
[RIGHT] Blackpool Central shed's No 45584 "North West Frontier" passes through Lostock Hall station hauling three dead Scottish Region Standard 4MT 2-6-4Ts, displaced by dieselisation further north.
[FAR RIGHT] No 45584 temporarily deposits the three locos on No 4 road and the fireman proceeds to uncouple them.
We make no apology for exhibiting three fine pictures of one single event.
On Saturday 15th February 1964, Preston North End played Carlisle United at home in the 5th Round of the FA Cup.
To transport supporters from the Border City, two special trains were organised, using specially-cleaned Carlisle Upperby engines. One was worked by Patriot No 45512 ‘Bunsen’, but the other was most appropriately hauled by Coronation No 46238 ‘City of Carlisle’.
Upon arrival he empty stock was worked out to Lostock Hall Carriage Sidings for stabling and 3X13 is first seen ([ABOVE LEFT] passing Carriage Sidings ‘box and about to enter the cross-over from the ‘back line’ into the sidings. [ABOVE RIGHT] The light engine retires to the adjacent shed for servicing and [LEFT] 46238 passes under the shed water tank (supported by what was originally the old L&Y coaling stage), having had its fire cleaned and its tender filled. The final score at the match was 1-0 to North End, who then went on to reach the Cup Final, before finally being defeated 3-2 by West Ham United.
[ABOVE] Another visitor, on 17th July 1964, was Newton Heath’s 45661 ‘Vernon’, seen here paired with 2-6-4T No 42456.
[RIGHT] On 25th April 1964 another distinguished visitor materialised in the form of the protoype Britannia Pacific No 70000 ‘Britannia’. With the end of steam in East Anglia, this former star of Liverpool Street-Norwich expresses was cascaded with several of his classmates from the Eastern to the London Midland Region and was now based at Crewe North shed.
[FAR LEFT] Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No 43046 was one of a number transferred from various other sheds around the North West and which were very soon to replace the smaller Standard 2MTs, of which No 78057 is seen here next to it on 26th December 1965. Withdrawal for No 43046 came on 25th November 1967 and for No 78057 on 31st May 1966.
[LEFT] Former Kirkby Stephen and Workington No 43027 stands on No 3 Road in early 1968. Fitter Pete Whalen is seen on the right, evidently returning to the task in hand of renewing superheater elements. Alongside stands Black Five No 45353, which had arrived from Chester in 1967. No 43027 was withdrawn on 4th May 1968, but No 45353 just missed the very end of steam, being condemned on 31st July 1968.
[ABOVE] Although at this period in time, there were few occasions when one of the ubiquitous Hughes-Fowler ‘Crab’ 2-6-0s could not be seen on-shed, curiously, none of the class were ever allocated to Lostock Hall. Here can be seen Rose Grove’s No 42717.
[ABOVE] Four of the five different classes of tank locomotive on Lostock Hall’s allocation in the early 1960s are seen in this picture. From left to right we see Fairburn 2-6-4T No 42154, Midland Johnson 0-6-0T No 47201, Stanier 2-6-4T No 42584, Kitson 0F 0-4-0ST No 47002 and Stanier 2-6-4T Nos 42546 and 42436.
[LEFT] The gloomy late afternoon of Sunday 2nd August 1964 and A1 Pacific No 60131 “Osprey” made a remarkable appearance in the Preston area at the head of 3X04, a Law Junction to Lostock Hall 20-coach empty stock train. This picture shows the special on the Up Slow line, passing Skew Bridge ‘box, immediately before branching off to climb Farington Curve.
[RIGHT]Having disposed of its lengthy train, it is then seen on Lostock Hall shed, where it was to stay for another couple of days before being sent back to Carlisle at the head of the ‘Lakes Express’ .
[LEFT] Another class not permitted under overhead live wires was the ex-LMS Fowler 4F 0-6-0. Here, No 43952, an unusual visitor from 9D Buxton shed, has been so-identified with the obligatal cabside yellow stripe. ory diagon
[FAR LEFT] At this time other quite frequent visitors included the Stanier Class 5MT 2-6-0s. Although Preston shed did possess some of this class, none moved to Lostock Hall upon closure. No 42953, from 8F Springs Branch, visited in December 1965.
Engines stored, but never used, at Lostock Hall shed. [FAR RIGHT] No 80125 came from 63B Stirling and No 80129 from 66A Polmadie. They were never used here and stood, minus connecting rods on one of the coal-stack sidings throughout their stay, before both being withdrawn on 10th October 1964.
[RIGHT] In November 1965 a line of 4 BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-2Ts appeared in the siding adjacent to Lostock Hall goods shed (the opposite side of Watkin Lane to the shed building). These were Nos 84010, 84016, 84015 and 84028. The engines had been sent to Lostock Hall as surplus to requirements and then stood in this position for quite some time before quietly disappearing for scrap.
These two Christmas Day 1965 pictures were taken during the traditional annual visit by the erstwhile “Skew Bridge Mob”, a collection of local one-time schoolboy train-spotters - in their own territory every bit ‘legends in their own lifetime’ as those that congregated at the celebrated “Tamworth Field” … and at just about every other vantage point around BR!
[LEFT] No 45197, a long-serving Upperby engine, curiously moved south to Kentish Town just as steam was drawing to a close on the Midland main-line. It soon returned north – this time to Lostock Hall.
[RIGHT] First member of the 8F class 2-8-0, No 48000, was a visitor to the area from 17A Derby and seeking lodgings on the one single day of the year that nothing moved anywhere!
ABOVE] An interesting 1966 picture. Of particular interest is the Yorkshire Engine Co 170hp 0-4-0 No D2868 that had moved from 8K Bank Hall to replace the Kitson 0-4-0STs. The remaining LMR examples of the class all having been withdrawn over a year previously, the WD 8F 2-8-0 seen, No 90076, was merely a visitor from 56A Wakefield .
LOSTOCK HALL M.P.D. LOCOMOTIVE ALLOCATION 1967
Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0: 43019/33/46/88/106,
Stanier 5MT 4-6-0: 44713/800/16/915/42/71/5000/41/149/227/345/7/53/91/421/36/44/50,
Stanier 8F 2-8-0: 48062/77/164/307/438/45/70/92/510/7/646,
Class 40 2000hp Diesel 1-Co-Co-1: D210.
Class 02 170hp Diesel 0-4-0: D2861/2/3/8
Class 08 350hp Diesel 0-6-0: D3005-7/210/367-9/71/74/410/530/65/80/1/782/3/846/97/4114/5.
Class 25 1250hp Diesel Bo-Bo: D5238
Class 11 350hp Diesel 0-6-0: 12034/8
Total: 63
[RIGHT] Arguably the most exotic visitor ever to grace the shed must have been ‘Castle’ Class 4-6-0 No 7029 ‘Clun Castle’, which was present on 12th October 1967. Now privately-owned, it had been sent from Tyseley depot in order to work the Preston - Shap -Carlisle and Carlisle - Ais Gill - Hellifield legs of an enthusiast’s special, the northbound journey of which was in the hands of 10D driver Peter Norris.
[FAR RIGHT] No 45000 had arrived from Chester in early 1967, but only survived until 31st October, before being withdrawn, allegedly due to sustaining a cracked frame. It was selected to represent its 842-strong class as a member of the National Collection, part of the reason for this being that it had the original dome-less boiler and, thus, being roughly in the condition as built.
[ABOVE] No 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" actually had its nameplates 'restored', albeit in paint, at Lostock Hall in late 1966 - this occurring well before entering Crewe for its final overhaul. The day following that initial 're-naming', it departs at 15-45 from Preston with the Manchester portion of a through train from Glasgow. In the background can be the former railway-owned Park Hotel, by this time in use as County Council offices.
ABOVE] Another fine study of the shed yard depicts in considerable detail the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway water columns, installed when the shed opened. Locos seen are Lostock Hall’s No 43088 and 48445. By this date, 26th November 1967, visits of diesel locomotives were extremely commonplace.
[LEFT] Carnforth’s ex-works Black Five No 45209, quite possibly on its first outing after returning from a 1967 visit to Crewe, has its tender de-railed after moving off the ash-plant.
The drawbar was found to be bent and had to be cut through using oxy-acetylene gear. Fortunately the steam-crane was to hand and, with shedmaster Harold Sedgebeer supervising operations, the tender was place back on the rails. Meanwhile, the engine was moved into the shed, but not before four drivers had refused to undertake the task because it was not connected to a water supply!
No 48024 on a northbound freight off the West Coast main line waits at the signal by Carriage Sidings ‘box, as No 48517 is given the road to exit from the shed onto the ‘back line’.
[ABOVE] Another inter-regional transfer had seen the arrival of No 43088 on the LMR. Still bearing the cut-out in its tender where a tablet-catcher was once fitted, this Darlington-built engine had first seen service on the former Midland & Great Northern Joint system.
[RIGHT] In a spot of trouble! In a spot of trouble! 350hp 0-6-0 diesel shunter No D3371 was one of the half a dozen class members that moved from Preston to Lostock Hall in 1961, has jumped the tracks alongside the remains of the old water-softening plant and water tower.
[FAR RIGHT] And, finally, by the close of 1967, the Type 4 (Class 40s) and Type 2s (Class 25) had become regular sights and in ever-increasing numbers. Clearly, this “Peak” (Class 45) No D93 (later 45057) was a little more unusual, so much so, in fact, that when 10D fireman Tony Gillett spotted it, he felt it worthy of a photograph. (Notice the temporarily abandoned brew-can in the foreground!)
Unfortunately that’s all we have in this section for now, so before you continue on to the next page, please do consider the following. What you have just been reading is, of course, only a small part of the story of Lostock Hall MPD …. all of it having been gratefully received from a mere handful of contributors who have so generously assisted us to-date. There are obviously many more stories out there just waiting to be told … only these haven’t as yet been passed on to us! Therefore, in order to start filling-in many missing pieces in this, still very incomplete, jigsaw, please do now consider making a contribution of your own. Items of information and scanned photographs would be most welcomed.
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