The Men of Lostock Hall Shed

Our first few pictures take us back to LMS Days and to 23E Lostock Hall in 1945

Left: Fred Riding, Centre: Ernie May - a shunter in the goods yard at Preston and the photographer’s father. (The gentleman on the right is currently unidentified - perhaps you might recognise him?)

(Above)  Another 1945 image

Tom Brown, Jimmy Grundy, Eddie May and Ronny Hall. No 5124 was, at the time, a 32A Inverness engine and, hence, perhaps the reason for our friends posing on this probably particularly unusual visitor.  Notice also the anti-glare sheeting between cab and tender, clearly indicating that World War II was not yet quite over

(Above) And yet another 1945 gathering at 23E.  A gathering of souls who, clearly, did not appreciate someone pointing a camera in their direction

(Rear L-R)  Eddie May, Ronnie Hall and Jimmy Grundy (who eventually became an officer in the Army in France),  (Front L-R) Bill Higham, an unidentified colleague and Fred Riding

23E Lostock Hall 1945    

(Right)

Another picture of Jimmy Grundy in his cleaning days

..... and, finally,

(Left)

Eddie May and Tom Brown

(Above)  In 24C days, Driver Peter Fletcher pauses for a smoke ... and for a photo taken by his fireman, and keen railway photographer,Tony Gillett

(Above) Southport Chapel Street  6th September 1964   Final day of services on the Southport - Preston ‘West Lancashire Railway’ line.  Lostock Hall shed's BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No 78040 awaits departure time with the 13-17 Southport - Preston.  Driver: Alan Green  Fireman: Norman Callaghan

No 47008 -  the celebrated Dock Street Yard Shunter  in the capable charge of  Roy (“Straw”) Haythornthwaite

Leo Carter - A driver in the Trip Link

(Above) Another 6th September 1964 picture at Southport Chapel Street  

Loco No 78041 awaits departure time with the 14-10 to Preston.  The fireman is the late John Roach, but does anyone recognise the driver? This gentleman may well have been approaching retirement by this date and, therefore, will not necessarily feature in our 1968 personnel list.

(Above)  Liverpool Exchange 30th March 1968     

Driver Tommy Shaw  Fireman Alan Tingley.   Having arrived on the 21-25 from Preston, 10D's No 45149 stands on the turntable, immediately prior to running light back to Lostock Hall shed.

(Above)  Kirkdale Carriage Sidings, Liverpool 1965

In pre-DMU days, Driver Ronnie Hall and his unidentified fireman couple Lostock Hall’s Fairburn 2-6-4T No 42187 onto a rake of stock ready to work a Liverpool Exchange - Preston stopping service

(Right)  The Preston Station Pilot in 1965  Driver Freddie Wells ("Doctor Wells") on the footplate of long-term Preston & Lostock Hall resident No 47293    Former 10D fireman Tony Gillett says that he was a great "character" in the best meaning of that term.

Much of his spare time was given to the local St. John`s Ambulance and both Freddy and Tony both used to attend First Aid team competitions.  Freddy was also the "Make-Up" artist when any of them were acting as casualties.  On one occasion Fred was supposed to be playing a violent, abusing alcoholic husband, causing injuries to his wife, which were to be treated on a various ambulance teams in a competition. Maybe because it was so far out of character, Fred could not put up a convincing act.  A bottle of gin was produced and duly consumed by Fred, whereupon a Hollywood Oscar performance was produced!

As a Londoner, he was steeped in ex-LNWR engine-handling techniques.  "When you see red-hot fire-bars going up the chimney, it`s time to ease the regulator", he would explain.

As a final example of his humour, Tony and he once dropped on the shed at Blackpool Central. There were three grades of coal available: The rubbish for local and shunt work; ordinary grade for EP Manchesters and such-like, and the "5-star premium" stuff for long distance jobs.  

As everyone wanted the best they could get, shed staff watched the coal-wagons like hawks, but on this occasion nobody was about, so Fred and Tony were helping themselves to the best stuff ... when the shed foreman suddenly appeared and, realising they were only on a Manchester job, shouted at Fred, "Hey, stop that! That coal`s for Cockneys only".  When Fred replied in his fruitiest London accent, the foreman just stood there with his mouth wide open!  

(Above) Blackpool South - Early 1968

Having just arrived with the 12-44 from Preston (the 09-05 from London Euston), driver Ronny Hall and fireman Tony (“Yogi”) Gillett  are seen on the footplate of the very last working Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No 43106.  Notice the single-line tablet-catcher still in-situ ... a relic of the loco’s previous life on the erstwhile ex-Midland & Great Northern system. Following the its withdrawal in July 1968, the “Flying Pig” ran (in steam) light-engine to Bescot depot and then on from there to a new life in preservation, at Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway and where this sole survivor of the class can still be seen hard at work today.

(Above) Lostock Hall shed 1966

A visitor from 9H Patricroft depot, Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 No 73039 is captured in the capable charge of 10D fireman Joseph Booth.

(Above)  Preston Station 25th February 1968   

Driver Fred Hopkinson and fireman Alan Marsden wait in Preston’s Platform 6A, on loco No 45345, ready to take over from a diesel on the Sunday afternoon Edinburgh & Glasgow to Liverpool Exchange (16.53 ex-Preston).

(Above)  Lostock Hall MPD   Fireman Paul Tuson on the footplate of No 44806, then recently acquired from 8C Speke Junction upon closure of the latter depot to steam at the beginning of 1968.  The poor external condition of this loco belied the fact that it was soon to prove to be one of Lostock Hall’s better Black Fives, ultimately to end up in preservation and now to be seen working today on the Llangollen Railway.  Paul, meanwhile, has remained a steam enthusiast since leaving the railway and his railwayana collection contains the numberplates from many celebrated former 10D engines as well as a selection of station and signalbox name-boards from the vicinity of Lostock Hall.

(Above)  Feniscowles 19th March 1967 Driver Pete Norris is in charge of Stockport Edgeley’s ‘Britannia’ Pacific No 70015 “Apollo”, as it leaves Cherry Tree Jct and heads onto the former Lancashire Union line - that once ran through to Wigan - with a special passenger working organised by the RCTS Lancs & North West Branch.

(Above) 45305 at Lostock Hall MPD 1968

Another picture of fireman Alan Tingley, this time on the footplate of No 45305 - a loco which had then recently been transferred from Edge Hill and had arrived in exemplary condition - which the clandestine amateur cleaning gang very quickly ensured was to continue to be the case.

(Above) Another picture of our friend Paul Tuson.  

A former 24F Fleetwood stalwart for very many years, but now at Lostock Hall, No 45107 passes Farington Junction with 6F33, the 18-15 Preston N.U. Yard to Warrington freight, driven by a beaming Bob Barker and fireman Paul Tuson.

(Above) Southport Chapel Street  – 21st July 1968  n order to be available to work the anticipated numerous End of Steam specials, the last working ‘Britannia’ pacific No 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" was moved to 10A Carnforth shed upon withdrawal of the other remaining class survivors. Here it is seen standing at Southport, manned by 10D's driver Ronnie Clough and fireman Joe Unsworth, having just arrived with a Roch Valley Railway Society railtour.

(Above)  Southport Chapel Street again  – 21st July 1968

On the next stage of the Roch Valley Railway Society's railtour, 10D's No 45110 awaits departure from Southport, crewed by driver Tommy Neale and fireman Dave Pollard.  45110 was another arrival at the shed immediately before the end of steam and this particular example had previously been receiving the careful attention of 9K Bolton’s own amateur cleaning gang.

(Right) Lostock Hall MPD 1967 Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No 43027 has just moved from under the coaling plant and driver John Burnett has said that he had a clack valve problem that day.   Clearly, although the coal hammer is not immediately apparent, John had just rectified the problem in the time-honoured traditional manner!

(Below)  Colne Carriage Sidings 10th July 1968       

On the footplate of 10D’s No 45073 and in a lull between shunting movements, awaiting departure with the 3P20 19-20 Colne-Preston parcels, are driver Cliff Nelson and fireman John “Fingers” Fletcher.  This diagram was one of only two steam-worked parcels jobs surviving into mid-1968 and the final one operated by Lostock Hall.

(Above) Another shot of the same loco and crew at Colne

(Left) Lostock Hall Firemen David Williams (rear) and Tony “Yogi” Gillett (front) in jocular mood!

(Right)  The Lostock Hall MPD maintenance team (1)

Tommy Baldwin passes up to a colleague the wooden nameplates made specially for No 70013 "Oliver Cromwell" when working specials.

(Left)  The Lostock Hall Depot maintenance team (2)

Fitter Pete Whelan cleans down the tubeplate of No 44713 ... By means of an unusual, but certainly easy way!

(Above) Lostock Hall MPD Ashplant    Another man with a hosepipe, but this time in the process of undertaking not one of the most enjoyed tasks at 10D.  Shed labourer, Harry Brown, hoses down the recently-deposited contents of the ash disposal pit.  Once done, he will then have to shovel this all out of the pit into tubs, so that it can be be mechanically-raised and deposited into wagons - a couple of which can be seen waiting in the background.

(Above)  The Lostock Hall Depot maintenance team (3)   Precisely what fitter Bob Gant  is up to in this picture is quite unclear. Presumably it’s something vital to the continuing operation of the locomotive involved, but it’s perhaps best not to conjecture as to precisely what!

(Above) Lostock Hall MPD - 1st August 1968                                   

Driver Jock Cumming and fireman Martin Crimp prepare to leave shed with the Lostock Hall breakdown train, which was normally stabled on No 1 Road.  

A loco was usually kept in steam for this specific task and available to depart at a moment’s notice.

(Above)  Farington Junction (undated)                  

With Lostock Hall's driver Frank Finney and his fireman Bill Nowell, at the controls of No 70039 "Sir Christopher Wren", they are about to depart at the head of a special working via Blackburn and heading for the Settle & Carlisle line.

(Left)  Heysham Harbour Sidings 24th February  1967 A picture clearly taken before No 45345 received the attention of the Sunday cleaning gang (and the restoration of its cabside lining ... with the assistance of the milled edges of a half-crown piece!), Driver Fred Barron and fireman David Pollard take a pause between workings.

(Above Left & Right)  Heysham Harbour (1968)     No 45388 has just arrived at the head of 7P11, the 10.50 (SX) Ribble Sidings - Heysham freight.  Driver is Lostock Hall’s Vinny Commons and fireman is Harry Fowler.

(Left & Below)  No 45388 at Heysham Harbour again                                            

Having put the bag in the tender, Vinny’s fireman Harry Fowler keeps an eye on the rising water level, prior to departing back home with 6P52, the 14.30 (SX) Heysham - Preston N.U. freight.

(Left)  No 45305 climbs Farington Curve on May 5th 1968                                           

Their day’s work over, driver Ernie Heyes and fireman Tom Jones make what is apparently a rather leisurely return with their light engine to Lostock Hall.

(Above and Above Left)   Three pictures of the late Robert  “Jock” Cumming

(Left)  Lostock Hall 20th April 1968     Driver George Hesketh and fireman Bob Ridley are about to depart light engine for Wyre Dock and where No 70013 will take over a railtour (the RCTS "Lancastrian No2") that will visit Windermere, Southport and Liverpool. Exchange during the course of its itinerary.

(Below)  Parkside Colliery Sidings - 4th June 1968           

Lostock Hall’s No 48294, crewed by driver Frank Finney and fireman Ron Parkinson, awaits the right-away from the guard with 8P11, the 08-15 Parkside to Whitebirk (Blackburn) Power Station coal train.  This usually very heavy train was a regular working for Lostock Hall men and locomotives.

(Above)  Preston Station - early 1968           

Passing on the Up Through line with mineral empties, presumably heading for Farington Yard, is 10D’s Black Five 44942. Although not very clear in this view - enlarged from a much larger picture - the driver is the late Terry Campbell, brother of shed foreman Barney Campbell. Indeed, Terry himself was at times an acting shed foreman.

(Above  Courtaulds Sidings  5th July 1968           

With a somewhat grubby Lostock Hall 8F 2-8-0 No 48476, No 63 Target pauses between shunting movements of the daily coal working to the limit of working along the truncated remains of the former Longridge branch.  

Driver Arnold Ainsworth and fireman Howard Blakeley are joined by the guard to have their photograph taken.  This working (No 63 Target - the 12-30 from Farington Jct) continued to be frequently operated by steam until the very end of the final week of steam.

(Above)  St Annes-on-Sea  Saturday 20th July 1968

A fortnight before the end of steam, in apparently jovial mood, Lostock Hall driver, John Burnett and his fireman, believed to be Mick Halsall, look out for the tip from the guard for the ‘rightaway’ with 1P58 - the 20-50 Preston to Blackpool South. This working had, by this time, become one of only two passenger turns upon which steam still appeared.

The last weekend of steam has finally arrived .... and the name of Lostock Hall Depot

is about to be indelibly written into the history books  .......                                 

(Above)  Blackpool South Station Saturday 3rd August 1968

No 45212 is the subject of a multitude of cameras pointed at it from all directions.  The last-ever regular steam-hauled passenger train into the resort and the penultimate regualr steam-hauled passenger working of all means that Lostock Hall driver Bob Barker and his fireman Ray Duckworth are inundated with requests for autographs by the dozens of youngsters present!

(Above)  Lostock Hall shed  Sunrise on Sunday 4th August 1968

No 45156 (the former ‘Ayrshire Yeomanry’) positively gleams, following  a night spent cleaning it by both the writer of these captions and also its fireman Joseph Booth.  Seen here oiling round is driver Ronnie Clough. Following his final firing turn with No 45156 on 4th August 1968, Joseph perpetuated his love of steam and is, today, a driver on the Ribble Steam Railway at the former Preston Docks.

(Above)  Lostock Hall shed  Sunday 4th August 1968

10D fireman Jim Marlor waits for his driver, Harry Bolton, having prepared 10D’s 8F No 48476 for its journey light engine, coupled to No 73069, to Manchester Victoria and where they will await the arrival from London of the RCTS ‘Last Day of Steam’ special.

(Left)  Lostock Hall shed  Sunday 4th August 1968

Fireman, the late Billy Bamber moves Class 5MT 4-6-0 No. 45017 off the turntable, ready to work a Stephenson Locomotive Society “Farewell to Steam Railtour”.  This engine was one of several loaned by 10A and 10F to 10D in order to work the six ‘Last Day of Steam’ specials scheduled to run that day.   It’s work finally done, it would never return to its home depot.

(Below) Lostock Hall shed 8am Sunday 4th August 1968

The story of Lostock Hall could not be concluded without some form of acknowledgement to the unpaid cleaners who ensured that steam at least died with an element of dignity.  At the conclusion of the final engine cleaning session of all, when some 13 locos received their attention, some of those involved pose with 8F 2-8-0 No 48476.   They are (left to right on the running plate) – Bob Clarke, Geoff Simpson, John Barnes, Dave Lacey, Dave Wilkinson, Ken Groundwater, Alan Castle & Ian Krause...and (below, left to right)– Jim Bodfish, Pete Proud, Kev Gould, Dave Gouldthorp, Tony Bending, Barry Buckfield, Neville Stead, Dave Williams & Mick York. It should be noted that many of these personalities, even in 1968, were already involved in the steam preservation movement and later came to be instrumental in shaping this into what it has become today.

(Right)  Manchester Victoria on Sunday 4th August 1968

1L50 (the RCTS special) is already running late and the crews of the two locos provided by Lostock Hall depot have quite some time on their hands whilst waiting.

It’s their last day of working with steam and time for a group shot for the album … and for posterity!

With Nos 73069 and 48476 stood behind them on the banking engine siding, from left to right are

John Burnett (driver 73069), Jim Marlor (fireman 48476), Harold Bolton (driver 48476) John Roach (fireman 73069).

Lostock Hall MPD 10th August 1968  - the week following the end of steam.     

Surrounded by rows of silent and withdrawn locomotives, Harold Sedgebeer (former Lostock Hall shed-master) is seen in this picture taken immediately before his retirement.  A former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway man, Harry came to Lostock Hall in 1961, via various London & Midlands depots, to replace Jimmy Turner - who was also retiring at that time.  

Harry was the last shed-master in the Preston area and, following his departure, the first Area Managers' organisation became responsible for traffic arrangements. After the end of steam, those displaced drivers and firemen who hadn’t been declared redundant were trans­ferred to Preston station, and where they were merged with a larger group of footplate staff, reporting for duty at a common signing-on point within the station premises.

In the depot’s new role, initially as a diesel-refuelling point and eventually as a carriage & wagon maintenance depot, it was Harry Swindells who was eventually appointed to take Harry Sedgebeer’s place.

..... and finally, some post-steam era pictures of former 10D Lostock Hall men

‘doing other things’.                                        

( Above & Below Left)   “Jock” Cumming aboard D387 at Windermere in 1967, at Ladywell Sidings, Preston in June 1983 and on board a Class 86 heading for Carlisle in 1982

(Above)  On the footplate of 25kV electric No 86.229
Former Lostock Hall Driver Bill Taylor.  Bill was one of several ex-Kirkby Stephen men who transferred to Lostock Hall depot when the Stainmore line and its former North-Eastern Railway shed closed in 1961.  Quite a change from the ex-NER J21s and Ivatt 2-6-0s, to which Bill would have previously been accustomed.

(Left)  At the controls of a Class 40 diesel   

Former Lostock Hall driver Les Rampling was one of those who transferred from 10D to Preston Station signing-on point.   

(Above)  Another 25kV electric, No 81.004                                                                     

Preston and former Lostock Hall driver Dick Thomas.  Dick joined the LMS Railway at Lostock Hall in September 1942, but, sadly, passed away in 1982 at the early age of only 58.

(Left)  On board Class 37 No 37.219

Driver Colin Potter.  Colin joined BR in January 1957 at Lostock Hall and retired in 1989.

(Above) Two pictures of John Burnett         

[Left]  On No 45212 with fireman Eric Ashton  and [Right]  On No 44713 with fireman Colin Potter.

Th e unlined livery of the latter has clearly received the ‘half-crown’ treatment at the shed!  

(Above)  Preston's ASLEF contingent carry the banner during the 1972 Preston Guild Week.  

Left to right: Ted Aspin, Jock Cummings, 'Cheeky Bennet' , Arthur Chester, Jimmy Hogarth, Roy (Chalky) White; Geoff Ford, Jimmy Clayton, Harry Robinson, Jimmy Boyle, Brian Fayre, Dennis Leach, Wilf Buckley and Terry Kershaw.