10D LOSTOCK HALL  MPD

JULY to 3rd AUGUST 1968
The Final Month of Regular Steam on the British Railways’ Main Line

And so it was that a large proportion of the final footplate personnel at Carnforth, Rose Grove and Lostock Hall steam depots
came to receive a disgustingly brief, impersonal and quite curt letter from the offices of the Preston Divisional Manager, this
advising them that, as from 5 August 1968, their services would no longer be required by the British Railway Board.

In a ‘brave new age of dieselisation, automation and speed’, the faceless bureaucrat who had prepared these missives could

not find it in his heart to add a single word, from either himself or his superiors, in even token appreciation and gratitude for the years of unstinting service that had been rendered to the Railway by each and every one of those men. Totally unacknowledged went any recognition of an art that could only have been developed over a considerable period of time in producing efficient locomotive performance and consistently reliable steam motive power, often in almost impossible situations. That much, was, indeed, a hymn to old-fashioned skills, craftsmanship, loyalty and camaraderie between fellow workmen that formed part of an unbroken tradition going back a century and more, but which would now vanish forever; to be replaced by the eternal quest for bland, boring, cost-saving efficiency…. and diesels! 

[RIGHT] A display in Preston’s Platform 9 in July 1968 - intended to depict advances in rail transport (perhaps the “past, present & future”) with a Black Five, an E-E Type 4 and even a 3000hp 25kv electric loco, accompanied by several examples of ‘modern’ rolling stock. It went without saying that the immaculate 45305 created the most interest by far!

[FAR RIGHT] An equally colourful scene at Lostock Hall on 27th July. ‘Oliver Cromwell’ was being stabled overnight before working a railtour the following day. D403 was temporarily on loan for crew-training (the class still being constructed at the time) and 45407 had been out of steam since its last booked turn two days previously, having undergone a boiler washout

The often back-breaking work, particularly for firemen, had been a skill that could only have been born of years of hands-on experience and, at Lostock Hall, there were several young lads straight from school with avowed intentions of pursuing a lifetime on the railway, but many now effectively being abandoned with no other training and precious little in the way of career prospects. The learned skills of a fireman extended far beyond simply shovelling coal all day. Indeed, the often back-breaking work was an art born of years of training and experience. The author having wielded a shovel himself on many a mainline run, can conclusively confirm just how difficult it was to maintain that steam pressure-gauge needle at just below the red line, whilst at the same time making sure that there was always still enough water in the boiler to make the steam in the first place! When discussing the job, many a driver retorted, “Any idiot can start a locomotive; it's stopping it in the right place that matters!”  They were right!

The downhill slide in standards had been proceeding apace for many years. In the last year of steam, often merely to provide motive power to operate a service, engines in quiet appalling condition were now coming to be mechanically patched-up using parts from other withdrawn locomotives.  Although each shed usually still had ‘engine cleaners’, such staff had stopped cleaning engines long before; indeed, as more and more staff generally became discarded, the remaining few found themselves with more and more work to do in other areas.

On both cold winter mornings and humid summer days alike, several hours' hard preparation was needed in order to raise steam. The patterns of shift work also expected many to start work at, say, 4 in the morning, to clear pits of burnt ashes – often still alight - discarded from yesterday's engines, or to crawl through the bowels of locomotives to oil inaccessible points or to enter still hot fireboxes to check and repair boiler tubes.

It, therefore, came as no surprise that the less faithful left the railway well before steam ended and many later said that they were glad to have done so.  In the Preston area, of course, it was common knowledge that much better paid and cleaner jobs, with far more sociable hours, were readily obtainable at, for example, the massive Leyland Motors plant less than half a mile from Lostock Hall shed, or at the British Aircraft Corporation factory, perhaps 3 miles distant.

By July 1968, only five locomotive types remained in service, equally dispersed between the 3 depots. The bulk of these were the ubiquitous Stanier Class 5MT 4-6-0s and Class 8F 2-8-0s, along with a tiny number of Standard 4MT 4-6-0s and a solitary example each of the Standard 5MT 4-6-0s and 'Britannia' Pacifics. All, bar one, of the regular steam passenger workings had disappeared and even that was now steam on Saturdays only and expected not to survive to the very end. Apart from a tiny handful of parcels trains, all steam action was (at least, on paper), supposedly restricted to freight and station pilot duties and the by now inevitably quite frequent enthusiast’s specials.

LOSTOCK HALL M.P.D. STEAM LOCOMOTIVE ALLOCATION AT BEGINNING OF JULY 1968

Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0: 43106,  

Stanier 5MT 4-6-0: 44713/806/16/78/942/50/71/5149/212/305/45/53/86/8/407/44/,

Stanier 8F 2-8-0: 48253/93/4/476/546/646/723/65  

Total: 25 steam

[RIGHT] The first of only two steam specials to run in July 1968. On 21st July, Black Five No 44888 is seen heading the Roch Valley Railway Society's train out of Manchester, on the ex-LNW route towards Earlestown.

[FAR RIGHT] Somewhat later in the day, and after its third time of passing through the Southport area, the special, now with sister engine No 45110 at the head, approaches Bescar Lane, on ex-L&Y tracks, heading for the CLC route back to Manchester Central.

The second tour operated the following weekend, on 28th July. The Manchester Rail travel Society / Severn Valley Railway Society “Farewell to BR Steam Tour” had started in Birmingham, with steam taking over at Stockport to traverse various routes via Carnforth, Skipton, Wigan, Todmorden and Bury. For this very circuitous itinerary, motive power was provided by all three surviving steam depots.

[RIGHT] The MRTS/SVRS special of 28th July approaches Elslack, on the now-closed Skipton-Colne line, headed by Lostock Hall's No 45073 and Rose Grove's No 45156.

[FAR RIGHT] The same combination passes Pleasington, a short while afterwards. In the foreground are the tracks of the former Lancashire Union line to Chorley and Boars Head Junction, latterly only remaining in-situ in 1968 for about one mile to Feniscowles.

Unfortunately, during that final month for steam, a national ‘work-to-rule’ had already been in place for several days and the detrimental effect of this upon operations was becoming increasingly apparent. The country's rail network had already been thrown into disarray from 24 June by the dispute of the NUR, before ASLEF then joined in the affray soon afterwards. The situation was to endure for 12 days, with chaos worsening, particularly when the quite incredulous fact was considered that, at this period in the 1960s, more than 20% of day-to-day railway work was currently being conducted during ‘overtime’.  

Those last weeks had, equally unfortunately, also coincided with the annual holidays (or ‘Wakes Weeks’) in several East Lancashire towns, with the knock-on effect from further (planned) cancellations to other freight workings. Most noticeable were the absence of the otherwise quite frequent Parkside and Bickershaw to Whitebirk coal workings – which, traditionally, provided much of Rose Grove’s and some of Lostock Hall’s work. Despite that, some trains did appear to have been unaffected, such as parcels and trip workings.

According to the official loco diagrams, by the final month, the very last regular steam-hauled passenger was supposed to be the 1P58 (Saturdays Only) 20.50 Preston to Blackpool South (a portion of a through train from London Euston).  Despite the official edict, however, for a variety of reasons, other steam passenger workings still did occur, even if somewhat sporadically and, at times, not even to the knowledge of the ‘grapevine’, until after it was all over.  

[RIGHT] Saturday 26th July 1968 and a specially-groomed No 45388 has just arrived from Lostock Hall shed, to stand in the bay at the north end of Preston's Platform 5, awaiting the arrival of the 17-05 from London Euston.

[FAR RIGHT] With the imposing spire of St Walburge's Church silhouetted against the last rays of the setting sun, at 20-50hrs No 45388 and 1P58 set out for Blackpool South and pass beneath Preston's huge and equally impressive semaphore signal gantry.

1P58 was rostered for a Lostock Hall Stanier 5MT. After completion of its duties in stabling the stock at Blackpool South, the loco was then booked to return light from Blackpool to Preston, to officiate for a while as a station pilot – or more specifically to provide steam heat for the 2 sleeping cars that it was to attach (along with a BG) to the rear of the 20.30 Windermere-London at around 22.30.  Although little-recognised as such, technically, this too, was a ‘passenger’ working, albeit merely for a matter of a few hundred yards and only between the platforms at Preston. It was not the only example, either – a similar task on a daily basis involved another 10D loco, in the removal at 03-46 of yet 2 more sleeping cars plus a BG from 1P54, the 23.15 Euston-Windermere. The BG later going forward at 04.10 attached to a Manchester-Blackpool parcels, these vehicles were stabled in a bay platform with the loco steam-heating them until around 08.00 the following morning.

[LEFT] At journey's end, Blackpool South, later on 26th July, Driver John Burnett and fireman Mick Halsall awaited the signal to take the empty stock of 1P58 out to Bloomfield Road carriage sidings.

[RIGHT] One week later and on 27th July No 45388 was once more in charge of 1P58. An extremely fast run took place on this occasion and upon nearing Moss Side on the coast line a top speed of 74mph appears to have been achieved!

On parcels traffic, there were now only 4 regular turns.  The first was a ‘out-and-home’ working, booked for a Lostock Hall ‘Black Five’, namely 3P00, the 02-50 Preston to Colne and 3P20 19-14 (MX) Colne to Preston.  On the main line, there was 3P24, the (MSO) Preston to Barrow (also a Lostock Hall ‘Black Five’) and 1P24, the 20-28 Barrow to Preston (a Carnforth ‘Black Five’).

[LEFT] On 5th June 1968, and in somewhat inclement weather conditions, Lostock Hall's No 44942 passes the crumbling and still gas-lit platforms of Brierfield, with 3P20, the 19-14 Colne-Preston parcels.   

[RIGHT] On 6th June, another Lostock Hall engine, No 45353 arrives at journey's end with 3P24, the (MSO) Preston to Barrow parcels. It will return light engine back to 10D - a most uneconomic exercise if there ever was one!

[LEFT] On the evening of 26th July, No 45388 was on 3P20, the 19-14 Colne to Preston parcels.  Here the train is seen immediately upon arrival at Preston's Platform 5.

[RIGHT] On 1st August 1968, No 45110 was on the same diagram and is seen near Rose Grove West, heading for Accrington.  The front-end embellishments had been applied by the 10D fireman, Joe Booth, who was on the same turn for much of the week. Joe's driver on this particular occasion was John Burnett.

On the freight side, workings were somewhat elusive and working timetables for these appeared to have been published more as a ‘guide’ than for any other ulterior motive, particularly as no-one could predict when, or even if, and particular train would run!

In the Preston area on weekdays, about 20 or so steam freights still passed by (but not all necessarily through Preston Station itself). These included the more reliable local trip workings between the various yards in the area with those at Garstang, Horwich, Chorley, Deepdale and Courtaulds – the latter 2 being on the truncated former Longridge branch. Ballast trains also ran, as required, between the Preston and Lancaster areas, and longer-distance general-merchandise traffic traversed the various routes between Carnforth, Warrington (Arpley), Bolton (Burnden Jct), Manchester (Ancoats) and Liverpool Edge Hill.  However, by far the majority of the remainder of the traffic – of which 10D engines were occasionally utilised- consisted of coal trains between the Bickershaw and Parkside Collieries (in the Wigan area) and Whitebirk Power Station (just beyond Blackburn), this complemented by additional workings between Rose Grove or Burnley Central and Wyre Dock or Burn Naze (Fleetwood).  There were also 2 or 3 workings over the Copy Pit route, usually as far as Healey Mills Yard, near Wakefield in Yorkshire.

[RIGHT] A Lostock Hall 8F passes Broadfield Estate on the old Longridge branch with No 63 Target, heading from Farington to Deepdale Coal Sidings and Courtaulds Red Scar Sidings.

[FAR RIGHT] An un-identified 8F drags its load of coal empties off the 1 in 75 of Farington Curve and crosses over the West Coast main line at Farington, to head off in the direction of Rose Grove.

Listed below are the known regular workings from Lostock Hall and, although it is accepted that this may well be far from complete (and, almost certainly, will not be totally accurate), it does assist in conveying a fairly reasonable impression of the sphere of operation of what little steam action did remain.  (Once again, full listings of the working from all three of the final depots are included in the book.)

* = Occasionally steam-worked   A/R = As required   (Dly) = Monday to Saturday

All passenger workings down the Windermere branch having been made diesel duties some time previously, the turntable and water column were removed from Windermere Station Yard on Saturday 27 July. It was a fact that they had seen little use in recent times, as the Carnforth engine on the daily trip working, Target 47, worked down the branch tender-first and only took water in Kendal Goods Yard when necessary.  

That was not the end of the story of steam to Windermere, however. Even during the final countdown for steam, there were a number of footplatemen who always preferred working with steam. To them, the realisation that they were within days of a momentous change that was going to affect their lives, it went without saying that one or two would actively seek opportunities to have a ‘last final fling'.  On Monday 29 July, Driver Peter Norris booked on duty at Lostock Hall in order to collect the loco rostered to work 2P83, the 08.15 Preston to Windermere passenger and its balanced return at the head of 1P27, the 11.00 Windermere-Crewe. Somehow, the rostered Brush Type 4, D1855, had mysteriously managed to ‘fail’ on shed – although the reasons surrounding that remained unclear - and the other 3 or 4 Class 25s close by, allegedly, already all had booked duties.  Some fairly reliable sources suggest that a certain ‘steam enthusiast’ then employed in Preston Control just possibly might have been involved in more than an element of collusion in permitting ‘Black Five’ No 45110 to be prepared for the job.  Indeed, there were also suggestions circulating that it was then intended to use steam on the duty for the whole of the remaining week.  Sadly, for reasons about to be revealed, the latter consideration just did not occur.

[LEFT] Black Five No 45110 was a very recent addition to stock having moved to 10D upon closure of Bolton MPD at the end of June. Always a favourite with the 9K amateur cleaning gang, such an immaculate legacy continued to be perpetrated by the clandestine counterparts at its new home. Here, No 45110 is seen in light steam on the shed and about to be prepared to work the Windermere passenger.

[RIGHT] Three that didn't quite make it to the end and had been replaced by examples of 'cascaded' motive power in better mechanical condition. Indeed, for months now, the former coalstack sidings had been crammed full of locomotives awaiting that final call from which they would never return.

All went well, No 45110 was in good mechanical order and the 5-coach train ran to time throughout its northbound journey.  However, things started to go awry immediately upon arrival at the Windermere terminus. Today, forty years on, Driver Norris has openly acknowledged that he had obviously not read any of the Notices at shed properly and that his enthusiasm had paved the way to become unstuck, facing him with an uncomfortable dilemma. Upon looking for the turntable in order to turn his engine, Pete was horrified to discover that there was just a gaping hole in the ground where this really ought to have been.  Not only that, but the water column had also disappeared from its own familiar location! Both items had been removed for scrap a mere two days previously!

A tender-first return, although unsatisfactory, was not impossible – indeed, it was the only real option.  An abortive attempt being made to replenish the tender during the stopover from a hose-pipe linked to the station toilet water tap was clearly going to take too long and departure time was fast approaching.  There was believed still to be a working column in the goods yard at Kendal, but that would not solve the problem of turning the loco. Pete’s choice was either to run to Carnforth MPD to turn and run back light engine, but thereby delay his return train (which would nave required some explaining to the powers-that-be!), or he could have taken a chance and run tender-­first! Although, by that date, much of the trip work for the remaining ‘Black Fives’ did involve an element of tender-first running at slow speed, the major issue there was that 45110’s return job was at the head of a Class 1 express passenger and, not only that, but with a first booked stop not scheduled until Lancaster Castle!

So, 1P27 set out regardless for Preston, but, with little water remaining in the tender, there was no alternative but to halt at the column on the platform-end at Carnforth. In order then to make up time, some exhilarating running ensued, especially on the straight, fast stretches between Lancaster and Preston (some say 74mph was reached!) and with only a minimal delay… all things considered!

LOSTOCK HALL M.P.D. STEAM LOCOMOTIVE ALLOCATION AT END OF JULY 1968

Stanier 5MT 4-6-0: 44713/806/16/88/950/71/5055/73/5110/212/60/9/305/53/86/8/407/44/,

Stanier 8F 2-8-0: 48253/94/476/723/65/75  

Total: 25 steam

On Thursday 1 August, fireman John Fletcher and his driver Cliff Nelson booked-on at Lostock Hall ready to collect the engine booked to work 7P11, the 10.50 Ribble Sidings-Heysham – a regular 10D duty and with 45407 chalked-up on the roster-board for them. They were told to wear clean overalls, as “somebody from the press” would be accompanying them.  Eventually it transpired that the “somebody” was to be a junior reporter from the ‘Sunday Times’ whom, they were told, was writing a feature on the end of steam. What they were not prepared for, however, was that the reporter turned out to be an attractive young woman clad in a particularly short mini-skirt!  John’s most vivid recollection of that day (apart from the mini-skirt, that was) was the fact that the journey was to be extensively delayed due to a tanker train having de-railed itself in Morecambe, causing 45407 spending a considerable time ‘inside’ at Oubeck Loop – in the middle of nowhere!

For the record, we do have the name of that cub-reporter – one Anne Robinson!  John today wonders what her ‘Points of View’ may have been about that particular assignment!  

Looking in detail at 2nd August 1968, the final Friday, this was the last day of full-scale steam freight working anywhere.  In the Preston area, the 3P00/3P20 parcels turns were worked by 45407, Target 70 to Chorley had 45318, Target 78 to Garstang had 45212, 45287 worked 7P11 to Heysham with 45287 (10F) and returning light to 10D. The 21.25 Preston-Liverpool, by then normally a diesel turn, saw steam again twice during that final week and on the Friday evening 45260 did the honours.

[ABOVE & RIGHT] The last remaining Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 in service, No 43106, is steamed on 1st August 1968 and is prepared by the Severn Valley Railway's Richard Pout for its departure at 14-00hrs, initially towards Bescot MPD and then on to a new life in preservation on the Severn Valley Railway.

[FAR RIGHT] Another view of 3P20 on 26th July 1968. Here fireman Joe Booth looks out as the train pulls out of Accrington.

This particular page is essentially a review of several of the events occurring during the calendar month between 4th July and 3rd August 1968 – in other words the final month, all bar the very final day (which is detailed on the NEXT page).  As the workings of the final three depots were inter-twined with each other, an account only examining the workings of Lostock Hall in isolation would provide a very incomplete picture. Nevertheless, to itemise everything that moved would be equally impractical and, therefore, it might be opportune to mention here that a more detailed account of the workings from all three of the final steam depots can actually be found in the book “Steam-The Grand Finale” (See “Recommended Reading” page).

During this, the penulimate month of steam, only two steam specials were run. All the major operators in the market clearly had decided that, if they wanted to fill a train, it really had to run on the very last day. Nevertheless, with some very ambitious itineraries on offer, two organisations decided to buck the trend.

However, it then wasn’t until the 21st of July that the first one came to run. Organised by the Roch Valley Railway Society, the objective of their particular tour was to travel between Manchester and Southport by four different routes … all behind steam! To achieve this, Lostock Hall’s Black Fives, Nos 44888 and 45110, were used, along with Carnforth’s 70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’.

[ABOVE]  On 6th July 1968, No 45444 stands on one of the ashpit roads having its fire cleaned. The mechanical ash disposal plant can be seen on the left with loaded wagons standing beneath the gantry.

[ABOVE]  Clear evidence of the rapidly advancing transition from steam to diesel is apparent in this picture taken merely weeks before the shed closed. Things would never be the same again.

[ABOVE]  No 45305 bulled-up on No.6 road on 17th July 1968, with even its buffers white-washed and waiting for a visit from the BBC. Much to the chagrin of the foreman concerned, it was a mere radio reporter who eventually materialised! Another Black Five, on No 8 road, is receiving a boiler washout.

[ABOVE] A recent arrival from Bolton, who had well cared for its external paintwork, No  44888 stands at the head of the breakdown train on No 1 road, as standby engine, on 23rd July 1968.  In the event that a mishap occurred somewhere in the area, a loco was always kept in steam and ready to depart at a moment’s notice with the tool-vans and steam crane.

Upon arrival at Blackpool South, 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, Lostock Hall driver Bob Barker and his fireman Ray Duckworth are inundated with requests for autographs by the dozens of youngsters present!

Due to a succession of signal checks and, with stops being made at all stations from Kirkham, Blackpool South would be reached some 15 minutes late, thus providing the usually totally uninformed local press present with ammunition that they would, in their inimitable manner, have a field day in apportioning the blame squarely upon the steam locomotive.  Notwithstanding that, No 45212 was clearly also not steaming all that well and one passenger attributed this to the loco having a number of blocked tubes.

[LEFT] The empty stock having been stabled in Bloomfield Road Carriage Sidings, No 45212 backs onto the turntable, ready to turn, before proceeding light back to Preston and where it would be called upon to act as station pilot - the very last steam locomotive to do so anywhere.

[RIGHT] Meanwhile, with but a mere handful of observers, Stanier 5MT No 44806 had gone about its duty of attaching two sleeping cars to the rear of 1A00, the evening Barrow-Euston express. On 3 August 1968, this proved to be the penultimate steam station pilot duty of all.      

An even larger number, however, had assembled for 1F51, the 21.25 to Liverpool Exchange, which was to be provided with No 45318  (which, it will be recalled, had earlier been shunting for most of the day on far more menial duties); the engine left shed again at 20.30, coaled, watered and with a fresh crew, for Preston Station. Word had somehow got around and a huge contingent of supporters had travelled to Preston to participate in such a historic journey, which was to be the very last ordinary passenger train to be provided with steam haulage.

Whilst all the attention had been centred upon No 45212, No 45318 had been waiting patiently for its own share in the evening’s limelight, this, too, being tucked away in bay platform 5A, pending the arrival of the 17.25 from Glasgow Central.  This conveyed through carriages for both Manchester and Liverpool and, once the Manchester portion had left with the diesel that had brought it so far, No 45318, without much ado, took up its position about the middle of Platform 6, at the head of the remaining section, destined for Liverpool Exchange.

With tripods and flashguns in profusion, the inevitable ‘gallery’ quickly formed across the platform. At this point, a member of the station staff, along with another well-heeled gentleman, came striding purposely towards the crowd, shouting in an authoritative voice, “Make way for the press!”  A certain well-known Prestonian steam photographer was heard to exclaim, in no uncertain terms, “Oh b***** the Press!”  To a man, everyone stood firm and the local newspaper cameraman, despite whatever credentials he might have possessed, was forced to take his chance with the rest of the excited gathering!

The train itself was soon packed to capacity, the normally small number of ordinary passengers quite naturally wondering what on earth was going on.  10D’s Ernie Heyes, driver of No 45318, himself reflected 40 years later on that, until the very last minute, he wasn’t even aware that he had been selected with such an honour. All that week he had been working diesels over the Long Drag on the ‘Herbranston Tanks’ and, on the Saturday night, 1F51 – the Liverpool passenger –should also have been hauled by a Class 40, until some strings appear to had been pulled at a very local level.

[LEFT] The actual work docket for 1F51, which confirms that the turn was latterly a regular diesel duty. (Although, for a "diesel driver & second man" the "coal & place on ashpit (MX)" was a somewhat curious instruction!)

[RIGHT] 'Black Five' No 45318 is the centre of attention as it blows-off whilst standing in Platform 5B at the south end of Preston Station, during the evening of 3 August 1968, whilst waiting to work to Liverpool Exchange with the very last regular steam passenger train on BR.     

[LEFT] Preston Station, 21.25 hrs on 3 August 1968 and Lostock Hall's 45318 with driver Ernie Heyes and fireman Tony Smith are coupled-up and ready for the 'right-away' with the very last steam passenger working, the 21.25 Preston to Liverpool Exchange.

[RIGHT] And, at around 22.00 hrs at the buffer-stops at Liverpool Exchange. A throng of youthful enthusiasts gather to pay homage to this particular 'Black 5', now with a revered, if largely unsung, place in the annals of history.

As soon as fireman Tony Smith scrambled down behind the tender onto the ballast, in order to couple-up and wheel-tapper James Bagshaw had completed his examination of the stock, the 'right away' was given and No 45318 eased out from under the lofty station roof against a battery of flash guns, crossing over to the Up Slow line by Preston No 1 ‘box. As if in defiance of its impending doom, the exhaust noisily rang out for all to hear, as the train crossed the wide expanse of the River Ribble and climbed steadily up towards Farington Curve Junction.

Once the junction had been cleared, the train gathered momentum, Ernie Heyes appearing to be urging his charge on in an endeavour to give his passengers something to remember. No 45318 dashed across the arable flat landscape of West Lancashire, with the little stations at Croston, Rufford, Burscough and Ormskirk all flashing by in a blur.  A member of the stopwatch fraternity claimed 80mph at one point - speed was certainly 78 through Maghull and previously 61 through Ormskirk and topping Aughton Bank at 57!

As an aside, Ernie recently commented that a tender-axle had overheated on the final stages of the high-speed dash into Exchange, but that he was not aware of this until advised by the fitting staff upon having returned light engine to shed and, at which point, the engine was officially withdrawn anyway.

All too soon the train was threading its way through the built-up suburbs of Liverpool, past Aintree, where the outline of the closed engine shed - its silent coaling-plant still towering into the sky - loomed in the gathering dusk as a reminder to many of happier times.  A few minutes later, 45318 triumphantly edged its way slowly towards the buffer-stops under the overall roof of Liverpool Exchange station. The start-to-stop journey had been achieved in a very commendable 33 min 48 sec from Preston!

The most significant aspect of these workings, for local enthusiasts, was in the actual selection of locomotives on the roster. Quite coincidentally, both engines had been ‘local’ (indeed, Fylde-based) engines for most of their existence. Very aptly, No 45212 was a Fleetwood engine from 1948 until 1963 and No 45318 a Blackpool Central engine from 1955 to 1963.

Both trains carried headboards declaring "The End" – the one on No 45318 being perhaps the most graphic in its impact. Upon return to Preston from Blackpool South – to-date, the last steam engine ever to do so – No 45212 shunted the sleeping cars off the 23.45 Euston-Preston into the bay at Preston and that was very definitely the last occasion upon which passengers were to be steam-hauled by a BR engine in normal service, albeit only during part of a shunt move!

Whilst all this had been going on, No 44806 had pre-heated its couple of sleeping cars and attached them to the rear of 1A00, the late-evening Barrow-Euston service.  The Barrow having departed, No 44806 returned to shed well before midnight and where it was then withdrawn from service.

As detailed earlier, after stabling the stock of 1P58 at Blackpool South in the carriage sidings and turned on Bloomfield Road turntable, No 45212 ran light-engine to Preston Station, where, as part of its regular diagram, it then steam-heated sleeping cars removed from 1P54. Officially, the engine on this turn was scheduled end its duties at approx 08-00, following which it was then booked to run light to 10D.

All of that, however, did not occur on this of all nights … but you will have to move to the next page in order to now discover what really occurred and the details of which only came to surface 40 years later!

Saturday 3 August was a much quieter day; Carnforth depot appearing to provide most of the action.  In the Preston area, 45318 had started its very busy final day at the head of Target 66.  It was seen in Farington Yard at 12.11 and then arriving back on Lostock Hall shed from the Bamber Bridge direction at 12.45 with diesel fuel tanks and coal wagons in tow.  Seen in steam on shed at various times during the day were: 44806/88/5073/110/212/60/305/18/88/407, 48476/723 (all 10D), 45156 Ayrshire Yeomanry, 45287, 48340/493 (all 10F), and 44781/871/4/94/5017, 70013 Oliver Cromwell, 73069 (all 10A). All the Carnforth engines and also 45156, 45305 and 48476 were being prepared for “Farewell to Steam” rail-tours the following day.  No 45156 had run light from Rose Grove for rail tour duty, arriving at 17.15.

Whilst all of this was going on, throughout the day dozens of enthusiasts had started to congregate in Watkin Lane on the footpath of the road-bridge overlooking the shed. Some likened this all to vultures awaiting a chance to pounce for the final kill. Whether that was a rather over-dramatic generalisation or not, certainly the shed staff had become overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. In that most chose to wander around the confines of the depot without permission and thus caused an obstruction and safety hazard to those who had work to do, the British Transport Police from Preston eventually had to be summoned.

There having been only one freight working having passed the depot all day and one more along the main line southwards from Preston, during the later afternoon, the locality surrounding shed became a magnet to all those who had travelled considerable distances, causing yet more to arrive and more to be ejected from the premises. With little to occupy to otherwise occupy the intervening hours before the grand finale promised by the evening’s events, not a few alternatively chose to sample the ‘Lion’ Bitter at the adjacent “Railway Inn” – historically a watering-hole for generations of thirsty railwaymen and which must have welcomed this sudden upturn in trade!

[LEFT] The early evening of 3rd August 1968 at Lostock Hall. With the shed swarming with visitors, work has already commenced to prepare engines for the following day’s “Last Day” specials.  Meanwhile, ‘Black Fives’ 45212 and 44806 are about to depart for Preston Station and their final duties for British Railways. Both would survive into preservation.

[RIGHT] No 45212 did then receive some last-minute grooming and is seen, running light, approaching the south end of Preston Station to await the arrival of the 17-05 from Euston.

No 44806 had earlier worked a ballast train to/from an unidentified destination, and now arrived back on shed at 15.48.  Its day’s work was not complete, however, as it was required to go off shed again shortly before 19.30, light-engine to Preston Station to present itself for station pilot/sleeping car heating duties.  

By this time, the crowds had dispersed and with them the gentlemen in blue, thus permitting the nocturnal engine cleaners access in order to assess the situation and to prepare the materials ready for the task that lay ahead of them that night. Thanks to that police presence, it had been possible to quickly clean No 45212 on one side only and, a half an hour after No 44806, this too departed shed at 20.00 light-engine to Preston Station.  No 45212 would haul 1P58, the 20.50 to Blackpool South - the penultimate steam passenger working of all. 

[LEFT] Saturday 3rd August 1968 and No 45212 waits under Fishergate Bridge, ready to work 1P58. the 20-50 Preston to Blackpool South - the final steam-hauled passenger train into the Fylde - and the penultimate one of all.

[RIGHT] With 7 absolutely packed coaches, in the gathering dusk the soon-to-be-immortalised No 45212 heads the last-ever northbound regular steam-hauled train of all out of Preston station.

On the platform at Preston, it was all a seething mass of humanity, with virtually everyone keenly awaiting the arrival of the 17.05 from London Euston, the rear coaches of which would form the 20.50 to Blackpool South. Meanwhile No 45212 was tucked away in the short dock siding under Fishergate Bridge. More or less to time, the London train glided quietly into Platform 5 behind a nondescript Brush Type 4. Two bearded gentlemen, appropriately clad in top-hats and tail-coats, then proceeded to carry at shoulder height a mock coffin draped with slogans on the impending demise of steam and marched in a suitably dignified manner the full length of the platform. This was a gesture that was visibly appreciated by most of those present, but certainly received some strange looks from the less well-informed already on the train!

As soon as the diesel and its now-shortened first portion of the train were on their way north towards Carlisle, Driver Bob Barker (a former Kirkby Stephen man, who transferred south upon closure of that shed) slowly reversed 45212 up to the leading coach of the Blackpool-bound stock and fireman Ray Duckworth leapt down to couple-up. With its 7 coaches now packed to the seams, the ‘Black Five’ confidently lifted the train away from the platforms - the last of a great pageant of steam locomotives that had carried millions to the Fylde Coast down the years.

On Friday 2nd August 1968, No 45260 is dramatically silhouetted against the very last of the daylight, as it heads across the agricultural flatlands of Farington Moss at Moss Lane Junction with 1F23, the 21-25 Preston to Liverpool Exchange.  Through coaches of a train from Glasgow Central & Edinburgh Waverley, the main portion of which was scheduled to run through to Manchester Victoria headed by the diesel loco that had brought the combined train from Scotland.

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 the 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 of the missing pieces in the, still very incomplete, jigsaw, please do now consider making a contribution of your own.  Items of information and scanned photographs would be most welcomed. Alternatively, you might wish to share your footplate experiences by meeting up for a pint and a natter in pub, or, failing that, through merely participating in our “Discussion Forum” (as many already have done). Regardless of how you make contact and irrespective of whatever manner you feel you may be able to assist, please DO get in touch!  

NOTE: All information contained within these pages is original material - prepared specifically for the Lostock Hall MPD Website (www.LostockHallMPD.org.uk) and which remains strictly the express COPYRIGHT of the website administrators. Likewise, all photographs used remain the COPYRIGHT of the photographers identified. No item must be reproduced, or quoted from (in whole or even in part), in the absence of express prior permission being granted.  (Please refer to the “Get In Touch” page in order to obtain the contact addresses of the administrative team.)