Another shot from yesterday at the North York Moors Steam Railway, and this time a locomotive visiting from the Great Central Railway in the East Midlands. It's in a simular position to yesterdays shot, but I've moved up onto the footbridge so I could shoot over the heads of people along the platform.
This locomotive was once considered part of a new future for the railways of Britain. In 1948 the railways of Britain were nationalised, and the decision was made shortly afterwards that a new series of standard designs of steam locomotive should be built. The severe financial effects of the Second World War meant the alternative of electrification or dieselisation could not be considered. This loocomotive was one of the new designs, fitted with features to make maintainance much easier and the environment for the train crew more comfortable.
By the mid 1950s it had become obvious that the railways would need to change to diesel or electric power because of the problem recruiting labour for the railways. So, by early 1960 the last steam locomotive had been built and there was a rapid change to the new forms of power.
This locomotive had been built in late 1956 and was to spend only eleven years in use before it was replaced. It was taken to Woodhams scrapyard in South Wales where it spent 18 years rusting in the sea air before it was bought from the scrap merchant for preservation. It took until 2017 for it to be fully restored, so it is quite a recent addition to the ranks of working steam locomotives.
Nice capture! There's something special about the old steam engines. I live close to Essex Steam Train and love seeing them when I drive by. And the best is the sound of the old horn!
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I did enjoy the steam gala, but it was all rather more orderly clean and tidy when compared with the railways when they were still mainly operated by steam in the 1960s!
Bring them all back into full service. I spent a whole weekend trying to book train tickets Preston to London for November. They are simply not available! We decided to drive to Crewe and leave from there. There are more lines going through Crewe than or Avanti North Western to Nowhere.
Good idea Paul! It seems to me that we have more disruption on the railways now than we have ever had - and Avanti, Northern and Transpennine seem to be having a competition to see who can achieve most disruption!
Ian
September 29th, 2022
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Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I did enjoy the steam gala, but it was all rather more orderly clean and tidy when compared with the railways when they were still mainly operated by steam in the 1960s!
Ian
Good idea Paul! It seems to me that we have more disruption on the railways now than we have ever had - and Avanti, Northern and Transpennine seem to be having a competition to see who can achieve most disruption!
Ian