‘CRABS’ ON THE CENTRAL

‘Crabs’ Nos. 42769/84/847/72/97 were allocated to Annesley shed (recoded from 38B to 16D following transfer from the Eastern to the London Midland Region) in January 1959. They displaced Gresley ‘K3’ 2-6-0s Nos. 61856/975/80, ‘J39’ 0-6-0s Nos. 64739/47/98/955 and Robinson ‘J11’ 0-6-0s Nos. 64359/439, all of which were put into store. The Hughes-Fowler ‘Moguls’ were mainly used for freight and parcels work on the Nottingham Victoria-Marylebone ‘London Extension’, with occasional appearances on semi-fast passenger trains – but they did not stay for long, all being transferred to Burton in June and July 1960.