As promised, IÆve been up the attic
Here is what the railway press had to say about steam working onto the Western region in general at the turn of the year 1965/66. Of course, just because the railway press reported it doesnÆt necessarily mean to say that that is what happened
As well as possibly answering some of the question posed by Patrick and myself, this lot may also be of interest to younger readers who werenÆt about at the time, as it gives a general flavour of the everyday story of the transition from steam to diesel in the mid-1960s. For this reason I have gone a little bit beyond simply quoting events on the ex-MR main line into Bristol.
When (if???!) you read all this, please remember that these were pre-computer days when reports in the railway press were often a couple of months old before they got onto the news stands. Everything below comes from Modern Railways, January to May 1966
JANUARY 1966
To mark the withdrawal of regular steam working within and into the Western Region, a special train left Paddington at 9.18 on November 27 for Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads; the route thence was via the ex-MR route to Gloucester Eastgate and to Cheltenham St James; return to Paddington was via Gloucester (ex-GWR) and Swindon. The train was the last steam-hauled excursion from Paddington, where regular steam working ceased some months ago. The last active Castle no. 7029 headed the train from Paddington to Temple Meads (reversal) where the engine was serviced, and from Gloucester to Swindon. Motive power from Gloucester to Cheltenham and back was a ôWesternö diesel hydraulic. From Swindon to Paddington two English Electric type 3s hauled the train.
Despite its official closure at the end of October for allocated steam power, Southall shed still services a large number of steam locomotives most of which arrive on Birmingham line freights. Stanier 2-8-0s and various standard classes are most prominent and few GW locomotives are now in evidence.
As the WR has intimated to the LMR that steam servicing facilities will no longer be available in the WR after January 3, Birmingham û London freights will have to be rapidly dieselised, although some workings will undoubtedly be transferred to the LMR for electric haulage south of Rugby.
LLanelly MPD closed officially on October 3 and its locomotives were condemned except for two 0-6-0PTs nos. 3654 and 9609, which are employed at Swansea High Street as station pilot and for steam heating duties. As there are no water columns available the engines have to take water from a ground standpipe and a hose connection. The closure of Llanelly thus removes the last steam servicing point in South Wales and brings to an end all steam workings west of Gloucester with the exception of the Swansea pilot.
Steam power continued to be employed on a number of Midland line freights between Birmingham and Bristol. From 15 November the remaining steam duties were to be handed over to diesel traction
FEBRUARY 1966
The WRÆs intention to abolish steam traction within the region by the beginning of the year was thwarted by the postponement of the closure of the Somerset & Dorset line which continues to be steam worked. Elsewhere in the region, and particularly in the London area, it was not clear as this issue closed for press whether steam locomotives had in practice given way to diesel traction, although by the end of December reports showed that workings by English Electric type 4s displaced from the Western Lines services by electric traction on Birmingham area û London freights were on the increase.
Steam power also continued until the New Year on the Poole û York and ôPines Expressö services south of Oxford, with SR pacifics prominent. During November and December the northbound Poole û York train was also steam hauled north of Oxford, usually by an ex-GWR 4-6-0; the steam locomotive presumably worked as far as Banbury where a change to diesel traction was made. Oxford itself continued to see a considerable variety and quantity of steam power until the end of the year; on December 22, for example, no fewer than 50 locomotives were in steam at Oxford shed, ranging from Grange and Hall 4-6-0s to 2-10-0s, WD 2-8-0s, class B1 no. 61121 and Stanier class 5 4-6-0s and class 8 2-8-0s.
On November 27 Swindon-built type 1 diesel hydraulic D9521 was employed on passenger duty when it replaced a failed steam locomotive on the 1700 Gloucester û Cheltenham. On December 6 the last active Castle no. 7029 was on the same train. 7029 had not been expected to return to Gloucester following its trip on the last steam run from Paddington on November 27, but in practice it was at work almost every day during the first two weeks of December (on December 11 it was on Sapperton banking duty).
MARCH 1966
Steam power has not quite disappeared from the WR other than on the S&D line, for the 1008 York û Poole and the 1025 Poole û York trains remain steam worked over the WR. The trains are now worked between Poole and Banbury on alternate days by a Bulleid pacific and a Banbury class 5. The alteration of the locomotive changing point from Oxford to Banbury means that the WR is not involved in servicing the locomotives or in crew arrangements.
Two other LMR steam workings continue to penetrate the WRÆs London division; one is a class 9 2-10-0 on the 0900 Banbury û High Wycombe freight and corresponding return train. Here too the WR is not responsible for servicing or for the crew. Two steam locomotives reached Paddington as steam-heating pilots on January 22.
The other principal area where visiting steam locomotives regularly penetrated the WR, Gloucester and Bristol (which at the end of last year were still receiving steam powered from the LMR via the ex-MR line) has seen a considerable reduction in such turns, but steam has not been entirely eliminated. All WR steam locomotives in the area are now out of service but Gloucester Horton Road shed, although without any steam duties of its own, can still provide coal and servicing facilities for the isolated visits by LMR steam locomotives.
Before the WR steam ban became effective, the last active Castle 7029 worked the 1700 Gloucester û Cheltenham on January 1. An unusual visitor to Gloucester on the same day was B1 no. 61058, although details of its workings to and from Gloucester have not been reported.
APRIL 1966
The official end of steam power on the WR has not yet brought an end to visits by steam locomotives from other regions; indeed, isolated workings have been reported from places as far afield as South Wales, Bristol and London. The essential feature of the workings, however, is that the WR generally does not have sufficient coal and water for the return trip to the LMR or SR, although there are exceptions. Stanier class 5 4-6-0s have been employed occasionally as steam heating pilots on a number of Birmingham line services.
In the Bristol area, as in London, steam power is still active; indeed there appear to be one or two regular duties, one of which brings one of the S&D Stanier 2-8-0s on a Bath Green Park duty to Bristol East Depot, and an ôas requiredö duty which brings an SR pacific to Bristol with an oil tank train from Poole to the Midlands. The locomotive returns light to the SR at about 0600.
Other SR locomotives are used to tow condemned locomotives for South Wales scrapyards as far as Bristol, and Stanier class 5 4-6-0s still make spasmodic appearances on Midland line freights. Servicing facilities are not provided for steam locomotives but, in an emergency, locomotives can obtain water after a fashion at Bristol Bath Road depot. South Wales too continues to see isolated steam workings. On February 2 B1 no. 61173 worked through to Severn Tunnel Junction; after turning the engine returned light to Gloucester.
MAY 1966
Steam power is now virtually confined to transit workings between the LMR and SR. Steam working on freight over the Midland line between Birmingham and Gloucester virtually came to an end in the middle of March.
