This shot shows the second of the three steam locomotives visiting the North York Moors Railway for the Autumn Steam Gala last weekend. Here it is having a break between services, and before it's next train it would have it's water tank filled.
This locomotive dates back to the mid 1930s and was designed by William Stanier for the LMS railway. At the start of the Second World War there was a need for a standard freight locomotive for use both in the UK and abroad, and this design was chosen. Eventually there would be over 850 built at the workshops of various railway companies as well as in private workshops. This example was built at the LMS works at Crewe in 1943. As a humble freight locomotive it didn't carry a name, just a number. It was originally 8305, and was renumbered to 48305 when the railways were nationalised in 1948. It's life was spent hauling freight trains, it's final depot being in Liverpool where it was taken out of service in 1968, 25 years after it was built, and in the year that the last steam locomotives were taken out of service.
It was sent to Barry scrapyard to be dismantled, but was purchased from there by a group of enthusiasts, and in due course fully restored to working order. It has worked at a variety of preserved railways since its restoration, and it was a popular sight at Pickering last weekend.
I won't be posting a shot of the third visiting locomotive, which was 'Tornado' and which has featured only recently in our project pulling a special train into York ( https://365project.org/fishers/365/2021-09-18 ).
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
These locomotives were very much part of my childhood, with many of them working in South Yorkshire moving coal from the coal mines to power stations. Somewhere in my collection of negatives there is a shot of a locomotive depot near Barnsley taken around 1965, with a line-up of engines outside, and almost all of them are of this type.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
These locomotives were very much part of my childhood, with many of them working in South Yorkshire moving coal from the coal mines to power stations. Somewhere in my collection of negatives there is a shot of a locomotive depot near Barnsley taken around 1965, with a line-up of engines outside, and almost all of them are of this type.
Ian
Thank you Bri - I can't resist going looking for these beasts!
Ian