Stored steam loco1960's

[AJB200]

Good Evening. I'm collating information re- the storing of steam loco's in closed sheds across the UK during the 1960's, many of the loco's were awaiting preservation as part of the national collection. I'm looking for the loco's stored in locations such as Kipps, Hellifield, Leicester,Wigston goods shed???.and more. I have Fratton and Stratford listed so far. I realise many loco's were moved around from one depot to another but any help wuld be appreciated, Thank you.

 

[davyp]

Locos were 'stored' after closure and withdrawal at Stockport Edgeley loco shed including briefly, as I recall, Bahamas 45696. Most of the others were Black 5s and 8Fs, but also one or two tank engines.
As an aside 'Bahamas' doesn't look good in black!

 

[Towers]

Don’t forget Box Tunnel… (sorry! )

 

[Rescars]

Don’t forget Box Tunnel… (sorry! )

I guess Barry Island doesn't count either! Perhaps more helpfully, IIRC some locos were stored for a while in the Pullman Works at Preston Park.

 

[Gloster]

The 1966 RCTS Locomotive Stock Book gives Caledonian 123, GNoSR 49, Highland 103 and North British 256 at Kipps. GWR railcar 4, Great Eastern 1217, LT&SR 80, and Midland 118 and 158A at Hellifield.

There are other locations given, but it is not clear which are official BR storage and which are private.

The 1969 book only lists ‘Store’ against some locos, but doesn’t give a location. It does include ‘Leicester, (City Museum - Some locomotives not on view December 1968): Great Central 102, LNER 4771, MR 118 and 158A, LNWR 485, LMS 4027, Powesland & Mason 6, NE electric loco 1.’

 

[AJB200]

Thank you, very helpful information.

 

[Harvester]

After SR steam ended in July 1967, the region’s withdrawn steam engines were moved to the closed Salisbury and Weymouth sheds for storage, pending disposal. It was well into 1968 before these dumps were eventually cleared of nearly a hundred locos with only three surviving. Two, 41312 and 80151, ending up at Barry hence eventual preservation, while 30072 was sold privately.

 

[Bevan Price]

Many locos at Lostock Hall in August 1968 remained there in store well into 1969. I think it was also a few months before Carnforth was cleared of withdrawn steam locos. Elsewhere, withdrawn locos were parked in random sidings until sent for scrap. Preserved 41708, and its withdrawn sisters were parked for a while in a siding south of Rotherham Masborough station, for example, and several locos - mainly 3F 0-6-0T were parked in a siding just outside St. Helens Shaw Street (as it then was).

One of the unluckiest locos must have been Black 5 no. 44888 which was cleaned to attend Derby Works Open Day in August 1968 - but then went for scrap.

 

[Strathclyder]

The 1966 RCTS Locomotive Stock Book gives Caledonian 123, GNoSR 49, Highland 103 and North British 256 at Kipps. GWR railcar 4, Great Eastern 1217, LT&SR 80, and Midland 118 and 158A at Hellifield.

Was just coming to ask about these specifically. Is there any record in that book of where G&SWR 9 was stored after withdrawal, but before moving to the Museum of Transport in 1966? I assume that she was stored at Hafod Colliery where she worked since the LMS sold her.

 

[Gloster]

Was just coming to ask about these specifically. Is there any record in that book of where G&SWR 9 was stored after withdrawal, but before moving to the Museum of Transport in 1966? I assume that she was stored at Hafod Colliery where she worked since the LMS sold her.

She was at Oswestry Works in 1963, probably for restoration, and at Polmadie at the end of 1965. Whether she had been elsewhere in between and only been brought to Polmadie as a preparation for going into the museum I know not.

 

[Strathclyder]

She was at Oswestry Works in 1963, probably for restoration, and at Polmadie at the end of 1965. Whether she had been elsewhere in between and only been brought to Polmadie as a preparation for going into the museum I know not.

That seems most likely. Cheers for the info.

Am glad her significance was recognized and was saved, but I really do wish, naively I know, that more G&SWR locos survived into preservation.

 

[Rescars]

That seems most likely. Cheers for the info.

Am glad her significance was recognized and was saved, but I really do wish, naively I know, that more G&SWR locos survived into preservation.

Sadly the LMS disposed of most of them quite early on. A Baltic tank would have been quite something to witness!

 

[Strathclyder]

Sadly the LMS disposed of most of them quite early on. A Baltic tank would have been quite something to witness!

All fell foul of the LMS standardization policy didn't they?

A G&SWR Baltic tank would've been a prime candidate most definitely had they survived. Up there with a North British Atlantic in my view; Midlothian's ultimate fate was so predictably tragic. An alternate reality has her squirrled away at Glasgow Works alongside Highland 103 after withdrawal, ensuring her ultimate survival when BR restores several pre-grouping locos to steam in the late 50s.

 

[Harvester]

One of the unluckiest locos must have been Black 5 no. 44888 which was cleaned to attend Derby Works Open Day in August 1968 - but then went for scrap.

The unluckiest of all must have been Drummond 4-4-0 54398 Ben Alder, scrapped after surviving 14 years in store after its withdrawal in 1953. IIRC A4 60012 was unlucky too as BR gifted it to Australia after withdrawal, but their Government refused to pay for transportation!

 

[Merle Haggard]

The unluckiest of all must have been Drummond 4-4-0 54398 Ben Alder, scrapped after surviving 14 years in store after its withdrawal in 1953. IIRC A4 60012 was unlucky too as BR gifted it to Australia after withdrawal, but their Government refused to pay for transportation!

As far as 54398 goes it had been rebuilt with a Caley. boiler but someone realised that there was as LSWR (I think) loco still in service with a boiler design similar to the original HR design, and one was put aside. There was also the story that the shed foreman at the shed it was stored at (??Kipps) was asked to send a list of stored locos. at his shed, and he included it on the list along with withdrawn locos - of course, showing it with its BR number. Someone in the Stores Controller's office just copied out the whole list and put it out to tender for scrap. But that might just be trying to explain it away.
54398 was put aside for preservation before the compilation (about 1962- 3) of the list of locos to be officially preserved in the 'National Collection'.. Curiously, this list seemed to be rather heavy on Southern locos compared to the other railways, but, ironically, many of the locos. on the official list have either never steamed or have on only a few occasions. Private preservation seems to be much more successful in that regard.

 

[Pigeon]

IIRC A4 60012 was unlucky too as BR gifted it to Australia after withdrawal, but their Government refused to pay for transportation!

Well, quite; traditionally it's the British government that pays for that.

 

[Strathclyder]

The unluckiest of all must have been Drummond 4-4-0 54398 Ben Alder, scrapped after surviving 14 years in store after its withdrawal in 1953.

Ben Alder's fate is really a head-desker all things considered, right up there with Midlothian's.

 

[NER1621]

ironically, many of the locos. on the official list have either never steamed or have on only a few occasions. Private preservation seems to be much more successful in that regard.

There’s a difference between curating steam locomotives in as original final condition as possible as objects in a museum, and endlessly rebuilding them with new material to allow them to be operated. Both approaches to historic vehicles are valid and both have their plus and minus points in terms of contributing to public history. But the purpose of the “official list” was to select museum objects, not to create a reserve motive power pool for heritage railways.