‘CRAB’ AND ‘B12’ STAR IN GREAT CENTRAL A
Crimson Lake ‘Crab’ No. 13065 and Apple green ‘B12’ No. 8572 got 2018 off to a colourful start at the Great Central Railway’s Winter Steam Gala on January 26-28. The hire of No. 13065 from the East Lancashire Railway marked the first appearance of a HughesFowler 2-6-0 on GC metals for over 50 years, Annesley shed having briefly received an allocation of five examples in 1959/60 following the transfer of the route to the London Midland Region (see panel). Conversely, the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society’s Holden-designed 4-6-0 was making a return visit – but its first in 20 years. The LNER machine’s previous appearance on the GCR was from December 1997 to February 1998 – before the Loughborough- Rothley double track was fully commissioned for passenger use, although it did run in parallel with Apple green ‘B1’ No. 1264 for photographic charters (SR215). On the Saturday, No. 13065 chalked up a preservation first when it worked the ‘Windcutter’ mineral wagons – the first time a ‘Crab’ has hauled a rake of the 16-ton vehicles since the last of the class were withdrawn in January 1967. Such trains were the staple work for these engines in one of their last strongholds – the Ayrshire coalfield – until Ayr shed’s final examples were withdrawn in October and November 1966. This particular re-creation was unplanned, however; it arose because the ‘Windcutter’ rake remained in use in the afternoon, instead of being swapped with the mixed goods as diagrammed, owing to delays when a passenger was taken ill on the 10.30am departure from Loughborough and an ambulance had to attend. Six resident engines were in steam: Ivatt ‘2MT’ No. 46521, ‘Jinty’ No. 47406, ‘8F’ No. 48624, recently overhauled ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 68067, Riddles ‘2MT’ No. 78018 and ‘9F’ No. 92214. Only ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6990 Witherslack Hall did not appear as hoped – because it had no pistons, with new ones being machined at Tyseley. Despite poor weather on the Saturday, GCR plc Chairman Richard Patching said that it was “still a half-decent day commercially”, but the Friday and Sunday were “in revenue-earning terms, probably on a par with the launch of Tornado in 2008. “Operationally it was very good – apart from the delays on Saturday, but by the end of the day we were about back on time – and the support crews on the visiting engines enjoyed themselves.”