End of Steam

[SwindonManor]

Termini:
Liverpool Lime Street
Stops
Manchester Victoria
Carlisle

Fifteen Guinea Special

This was the last day of Steam for BR. A special tour. Hauled by various engines. Interesting - and actually the perfect ending to the steam era.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I don't follow what you mean? This is not its anniversary.

Yes, 11th August 1968's 1T57 "Fifteen Guinea Soecial" is - arguably - the most documented UK steam era tour - and amongst the most documented of all UK railway tours.

45110	Liverpool Lime Street - Rainhill - Earlestown - Eccles - Deal Street - Manchester Victoria
70013	Manchester Victoria - Windsor Bridge No.1 - Windsor Bridge No.3 - Bolton - Darwen - Blackburn - Clitheroe - Hellifield - Settle Jn - (via S&C) - Petteril Bridge Jn - Carlisle
44781 + 44871	Carlisle - (reverse of outward route) - Manchester Victoria
45110	Manchester Victoria - (reverse of outward route) - Liverpool Lime Street

The price of that tour was controversial as it excluded those less comfortably off. 1968, 15 guineas was £15.75; however, factoring the inflationary element, today that is £292.25

23rd November 1968, the NCB ran a steam hauled service for passengers. Details are a little sketchy, here is one source:

Six Bells Junction

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Approximately 450 folk reportedly travelled on the "Fifteen Guinea special" on Sunday 11th August 1968 according to the following day's newspapers. A 314 mile, 10+ hours, round trip (costing around a shilling a mile, with claims made that B.R. was profiteering) which set off from Liverpool Lime Street at 9.10 a.m. and was billed as the last journey ever to be made by a British Railways steam train on a standard gauge track.

When the Stanier Black Five locomotive pulled into Liverpool's Lime Street Station at 7.58 p.m., having reached a top speed of 76 m.p.h. on its return trip, the 11-coach train was greeted by a salvo of detonators, and that was the "end of the line" for steam on British Rail. Apparently thousands turned out to view the day's proceedings, particularly so at Rainhill, site of the 1829 trials.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

There is a plaque at Preston Station giving a slightly different story about the end of steam.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There is a plaque at Preston Station giving a slightly different story about the end of steam.

The blue plaque at Preston station claims/states that the 21:25 departure from Preston on Saturday 3rd August 1968 (to Liverpool Exchange) was the official "end of steam traction on British Railways".

Almost certainly correct, as the Liverpool Lime Street / Manchester Victoria/ Carlisle (and return) round trip working, eight days later, on Sunday 11th August 1968, essentially seems to have been an "enthusiasts' special".

 

[Bevan Price]

The blue plaque at Preston station claims/states that the 21:25 departure from Preston on Saturday 3rd August 1968 (to Liverpool Exchange) was the official "end of steam traction on British Railways".

Almost certainly correct, as the Liverpool Lime Street / Manchester Victoria/ Carlisle (and return) round trip working, eight days later, on Sunday 11th August 1968, essentially seems to have been an "enthusiasts' special".

3 August 1968 was the occasion of the last steam working on "normal (public)" standard gauge passenger services.

On Sunday 4 August 1968, there were several steam hauled railtours in North West England, some venturing into parts of Yorkshire. And there was at least one steam-hauled engineering train (seen at Rose Grove) hauled by an 8F 2-8-0.

(Steam remained on the BR-owned Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge railway.)

And I should add - Alan Pegler's "Flying Scotsman" retained its contract to operate steam tours on BR until it went on its "overseas holiday".

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Bevan Price. Thanks for that. As ever, the devil's in the detail.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Indeed- thanks for the clarification everyone.

 

[Harvester]

There were two steam hauled passenger departures from Preston on the evening of Saturday 3rd August 1968 in close succession. They were the 20:50 to Blackpool and the 21:25 to Liverpool, hauled by Black Fives 45212 and 45318 respectively. When 45212 returned LE from Blackpool it took over station pilot duties, and subsequently shunted sleepers on the overnight service from Euston into a bay platform, providing steam heat until Sunday morning. This shunt would have likely been the last steam movement of passengers in normal BR service.

 

[SwindonManor]

I don't follow what you mean? This is not its anniversary.

Yes, 11th August 1968's 1T57 "Fifteen Guinea Soecial" is - arguably - the most documented UK steam era tour - and amongst the most documented of all UK railway tours.

45110	Liverpool Lime Street - Rainhill - Earlestown - Eccles - Deal Street - Manchester Victoria
70013	Manchester Victoria - Windsor Bridge No.1 - Windsor Bridge No.3 - Bolton - Darwen - Blackburn - Clitheroe - Hellifield - Settle Jn - (via S&C) - Petteril Bridge Jn - Carlisle
44781 + 44871	Carlisle - (reverse of outward route) - Manchester Victoria
45110	Manchester Victoria - (reverse of outward route) - Liverpool Lime Street

The price of that tour was controversial as it excluded those less comfortably off. 1968, 15 guineas was £15.75; however, factoring the inflationary element, today that is £292.25

23rd November 1968, the NCB ran a steam hauled service for passengers. Details are a little sketchy, here is one source:

Six Bells Junction

I was not aiming to mention it's anniversary - merely pointing out a vital part of railway history that I find very interesting