When did BR axe steam trains on coal lines?

[mr williams]

Hello

This is my first posting as I am sure there are people out there who will be able to assure me that I have not been hallucinating for the past 40 years.

Every website or reference book says that BR axed steam engines in 1968 (except for Vale of Rheidol etc!).

Was this only for passenger services? The reason I ask is that I remember steam-hauled coal trains as late as 1971. My grandparents had retired and were living a few miles outside Pontypool in South Wales and we used to go and visit them regularly. There was a coal line running right past their house (what had originally been the Newport - Pontypool Crane St - Blaenavon High Level - Brynmawr line) and a couple of miles further on, a branch line - no more than four miles or so in length - came off it and ran to a local colliery, which I think was called "Blaensychan", and it was this short line where I remember the steam trains.

Although they were about two miles away, you could clearly see them chugging along. The reason I know they were still running in 1971 was because it was the year I changed schools and having passed the 11-plus I was taken to see them to proudly show off my new uniform!

The steam trains were certainly gone and that section of track lifted by the end of 1972.

Sadly my grandparents died not long after so aren't around to confirm it but over the years many a train buff has shaken their head and said I must be mistaken about the year, and I can find no record of it anywhere else.

So can somebody assure me that I'm not going ga-ga?

 

[Greenback]

Steam traisn were running through Pontardulais in the early 1970's/ I know, I saw one on level crossing in 1972 when I was six! However, I understand that this was a colliery line operated by the NCB. As such, they were not BR steam locomotives!

 

[mr williams]

This was only ever a colliery line so that probably explains it!

Thanks

 

[Greenback]

The NCB ran steam locos through the 1970's until the early 1980's IIRC. I forget which colliery it was near Pontardulais, but there was a short bramch running south across the main road to join up with the Swansea District Line.

As a child I used to love being driven through the town as it had good chances for seeing trains!

 

[sprinterguy]

Although Greenback has already covered the explanation, the private NCB colliery lines have always held a big fascination for me, as there used to be many miles of the NCB system in my local area, so I'll add a little bit:

There was no steam on the national BR network after 1968, but the National Coal Board operated a network of private branches connecting up the pits and collieries either with ports or exchange sidings adjacent to BR lines, primarily in north east England, south Wales and the Scottish central belt. These were exempt from the steam ban imposed on BR as they were a completely seperate undertaking owned by the NCB, although by the end of the sixties the NCB were also in the more gradual process of replacing the traditional steam locos with principally 0-6-0 diesels: They introduced a lot of Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 diesel shunters, and Ashington colliery in Northumberland became home to a large number of ex-British Railways class 14 locos bought by the NCB.

The NCB continued to use steam locos regularly into the mid 70s, but with the increasing rate of closure of the pits as well as gradual dieselisation, the steam locos began to be increasingly phased out: In the north east, a J94 0-6-0ST had the honour of becoming the last operational steam loco in revenue earning service in County Durham, when it was withdrawn from the South Hetton Colliery Railway in 1982, and diesels took over for the remaining six years of that lines' operation.

 

[fsmr]

Although Greenback has already covered the explanation, the private NCB colliery lines have always held a big fascination for me, as there used to be many miles of the NCB system in my local area, so I'll add a little bit:

There was no steam on the national BR network after 1968, but the National Coal Board operated a network of private branches connecting up the pits and collieries either with ports or exchange sidings adjacent to BR lines, primarily in north east England, south Wales and the Scottish central belt. These were exempt from the steam ban imposed on BR as they were a completely seperate undertaking owned by the NCB, although by the end of the sixties the NCB were also in the more gradual process of replacing the traditional steam locos with principally 0-6-0 diesels: They introduced a lot of Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 diesel shunters, and Ashington colliery in Northumberland became home to a large number of ex-British Railways class 14 locos bought by the NCB.

The NCB continued to use steam locos regularly into the mid 70s, but with the increasing rate of closure of the pits as well as gradual dieselisation, the steam locos began to be increasingly phased out: In the north east, a J94 0-6-0ST had the honour of becoming the last operational steam loco in revenue earning service in County Durham, when it was withdrawn from the South Hetton Colliery Railway in 1982, and diesels took over for the remaining six years of that lines' operation.

And dont forget the National Grid operated steam locos at its now defunct Castle Donnigton Power station, i believe into the 90s
The site manager was a fan of steam.

 

[sprinterguy]

And dont forget the National Grid operated steam locos at its now defunct Castle Donnigton Power station, i believe into the 90s
The site manager was a fan of steam.

Oh yeah, I think they had a pair of Peckett 0-4-0 saddle tanks, that ended their days painted in a very pleasant Powergen light blue livery.

 

[Dampflok]

Couple of shots on my site of the line to Blaensychan Colliery, which did operate a former GWR 0-6-0PT No. 7754 for a while, so you're not imagining the trains you saw, though as stated by others this was an NCB line:





Images are "clickable" to take you to larger pictures on my site, with full captions, if you would like to.

Cheers, Geoff

 

[4SRKT]

And don't forget that main line steam in the UK didn't completely disappear until June 1971 when NIR withdrew the last two ex-NCC 2-6-4T locos nos 4 and 53. These had been retained along with some others of the class to top and tail spoil trains between the quarry at Magheramorne and the construction site of the M2/M5 coastal motorway in North Belfast. They even made the odd appearance on passenger workings long after main line steam had disappeared everywhere else.

 

[ObservationCar]

Maybe this should be in the trivia forum then, but when was the last time a timetabled passenger train was operated by a steam loco?

 

[Greenback]

Nice photos dampflok/Geoff!

 

[4SRKT]

Maybe this should be in the trivia forum then, but when was the last time a timetabled passenger train was operated by a steam loco?

I believe it was on 31st March 1970 when NIR 2-6-4T no 53 worked passenger trains between Belfast York Road and Whitehead.

 

[ObservationCar]

I should have put it on the trivia forum, it was 1999, a steam train replaced a Scotrail 156 on a Fort William to Mallaig portion of its Glasgow to Mallaig journey as part of the Highland Railway Festival in 1999

http://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs99.htm Gives more info, but does not say the exact service, but it was reported in the rail press back then

 

[sprinterguy]

Wasn't there a slightly more recent West Highland Line PLANDAMPF, similar to 1999, where a steam train took over scheduled services in a planned fashion in place of 156s? Around 2002 perhaps? Though maybe I am just thinking of ObservationCars' example, and the years have just passed quicker than I would like!

To an extent, the WHL "Jacobite", and "Scarborough Spa Express" would count as regular, timetabled, steam hauled passenger trains...

 

[E&W Lucas]

Maybe this should be in the trivia forum then, but when was the last time a timetabled passenger train was operated by a steam loco?

NYMR to Whitby, under Open Access arrangements, earlier today!

 

[Max]

NYMR to Whitby, under Open Access arrangements, earlier today!

NYMR Whitby services are even shown on NR Live Departures so I would have definitely thought that they count!

 

[Dampflok]

Nice photos dampflok/Geoff!

Thanks Greenback, glad you liked them!

The colliery near Pontardulais you are thinking of is probably Graig Merthyr - the engine shed stood just on the south side of the level crossing in Pontardulais. This line ran a "passenger" service for the miners, running at shift changeover times, the accommodation for the passengers just being converted boxvans...

I do have a few shots of this line as well, I'll look them out and try and get them on my site in the near future.

Couple of shots to illustrate the NIR spoil trains mentioned above, worked by the "Jeeps" WT Class 2-6-4Ts - there were some wonderful signals too!





Don't forget that the Ex-GWR pannier tanks operated by London Transport also worked until June 1971 over LT lines that were shared with BR in some cases - shot here, though this was taken in 1966:



Clickable images, as per usual.

Cheers, Geoff

 

[Greenback]

Yes, it was Graig Merthyr - now you've mentioend the name it rings a huge bell! I looked at the old maps of the area a few years ago to try and trace the colliery and the railway line as all I knew was the LC in Bont! IIRC it closed in 1977 or 1978.

 

[Dampflok]

A few pictures on the line from Pontardulais to Graig Merthyr now on my site, starting with this one:



followed by another three at the moment - more shots from the line to add. Image is "clickable" to take you to the larger image on my site.

Cheers, Geoff

 

[Bittern]

Nice to see that Steam has never truly faded away from the main line, even during the BR ban.