Recent content by The Crab

I remember EE4/40s out of The Cross in the early 70s. When did they become unusual from there in ordinary service?

Thanks to all who have contributed to this topic. It is about something I saw regularly for many years but haven't thought about for 59 years!

Thank you for your reply. I'm struggling to remember the time when I saw the train but I think it was early afternoon. I'll check with my brother, who might remember.

When I were a lad I used to see daily van trains from Cadbury at Moreton which went through the Docks to the Birkenhead - Chester line (originally via West Kirby). These were hauled by Crabs and 0-6-0Ts until these were replaced by 2-6-4Ts and Black 5s in 1967. Where did these trains go? Did...

Thank you. I didn't spot the Southall connexion.

Afternoon All. Flicking idly through Longworths "Steam allocations" I noticed that it shows a couple of O4s allocated to Oxley in the early 1950s. It is not ridiculous as Oxley ran some of the GWR ROD versions. Does anyone know if this actually happened and, if so, why?

But the "40s" weren't. 40s were EE4, 45s were Peaks.

Surely 2000hp wasn't enough?

Thanks for the replies. I thought it sounded unlikely but I think Ken Pearce moved to Australia & I wondered if there was a connexion. 1765480139 Remarkably, I have found a record for a visit to Speke Jct November 1967. There were 17 shunters in the 12xxx series, most numbered below 12033 (the...

In Kenn Pearce's book "Shedside on Merseyside" he refers to "33 withdrawn (at Speke Junction shed") diesel shunters awaiting transfer to Australia". I remember seeing many shunters lined up in 1968 but I can't remember the details. I think they were all in the 12033- series. I had simply...

The last three engines on Birkenhead shed were 92203 cleaned up for the last ore train, 92167, dirty as standby and 44913 which I think was unmovable. I had watched many engines being removed over the weekend (and the previous weekend) but I was still stunned to round the shed front and see...

The working through the docks was awkward. One Sunday I noted a 9F set off from Birkenhead shed for a ore working but it returned fairly quickly with a bent footstep. A quick chat with the crew revealed that the 9F had an argument with a car. I imagine that the car came off worse but the...

Thank you for that. However 92045/6/7 arrived at Bidston in 1956. 8Fs were common up to 1965 (I think) but then Birkenhead received a huge influx of 9Fs, many from the GC. Even then 8F still turned up occasionally but I don't recall any in 1967. As an aside, a WD 2-10-0 was allocated to...

1762975594 Thank you for your most interesting comments. My original thoughts were that the last three tons of nine could be stuck in the back of the tender for some time and would eventually deteriorate. My guess is that most Black 5 diagrams would be less than 150 miles & thus would have...

A very long shot (or two). Any idea when the last O4 working ran - I think I saw one around 1956? Other than O4, 8F and 9F what other engines have turned up on these workings? I seem to remember a Standard 5 (of all things) reported.