156 - I couldn't resist another detour from our tour around York city walls. We find ourselves again at the railway station, and this is one of the locomotives being used on a regular steam hauled train service to Scarborough during the school holidays. Here it waits at platform 5 at York railway station, ready for the sound of the guard's whistle despatching it on its way.
This is quite an authentic recreation of the days of steam, since locomotives of this type would in the 1950s and 1960s regularly have hauled excursions through York to Scarborough.
The locomotive was built in 1945 at Horwich Works in Lancashire, and was one of several hundred of this design built for the LMS railway. It now works for West Coast Railways and is normally based at Carnforth.
Twelve coaches were well filled with trippers to the seaside. The weather was sunny and hot - an ideal day for an outing!
I live just near Horwich where they made this, you know they've flattened the huge loco works in the last couple of years and built a new estate on it.
Fantastic! I've been to the Railway Museum in York on two occasions and found it well worth the visit, but I've never seen one of the steam trains actually in service. Lucky you! We were probably there at the wrong time of year.
Great caption and photo. I did visit the Museum in York when I was there and enjoyed it greatly. I have been to several train museums in the US and enjoy them. I'm glad these machines are being collected and restored.
Horwich works has gone the way of many other works - the ones in York closed several years ago. But at least many skills required to maintain these wonderful beasts are kept alive at places like Bury.
Thank you both. The Harry Potter locomotive was used on this service a few years ago, and it was on display at the museum in York at the beginning of June - see http://365project.org/if1/365/2012-06-06
Thank you Katharine - I too like the North York Moors route - it is great for photography, and much of the route is followed by footpaths, which is a great help!
Thank you Ann, glad you like it! The steam service only runs during the school summer holidays on Tuesday to Thursday. It isn't operated by the railway museum, but by an independent company - West Coast Railways
Thank You! - it just stood there for a while simmering!
Thank you Caren, glad you like it!
Horwich works has gone the way of many other works - the ones in York closed several years ago. But at least many skills required to maintain these wonderful beasts are kept alive at places like Bury.
Thank you both. The Harry Potter locomotive was used on this service a few years ago, and it was on display at the museum in York at the beginning of June - see http://365project.org/if1/365/2012-06-06
Thank you Katharine - I too like the North York Moors route - it is great for photography, and much of the route is followed by footpaths, which is a great help!
Thank you Jason - it sat there simmering for several minutes so I was able to capture it from a variety of angles!
Thank you Ann, glad you like it! The steam service only runs during the school summer holidays on Tuesday to Thursday. It isn't operated by the railway museum, but by an independent company - West Coast Railways
Thank you Brian - it's certainly well looked after and much cleaner than when it was in everyday service when I was a young lad!
Thank you Marie, I'm pleased that you like it!
Thank you Roslyn, and quite right, it's the same service but with a different locomotive.
Thank you Bob, glad you like it! - it's great to see so many of these machines preserved, but even better to see some of them at work!
on a smaller scale sure, I remember when York was shut down there was lots of guys let go. Sad times.
Sad indeed, and it looks as if Derby could go the same way soon.
Thank you Tin, glad you like it!
Thank you Calx - there is something special about a steam engine!