THE FINAL WEEKEND– THE LAST DUTIES
For those who sought them out, steam duties were many and varied over the final three days, and this list attempts to chart most of them, although it may not be exhaustive.
These engines are positively known to have worked during the final week of BR steam (there may have been a few others): 44709/35/81, 44806/09/71/74/77/88/94/97, 45017/25/55/73, 45110/34/56, 45206/12/31/60/68/87, 45305/10/18/42/88/90, 45407, 48167/91, 48278, 48340/48/93, 48400/23/76/93, 48519, 48665/66, 48715/23/27/30/65/73/75, 70013, 73069, 75019/27/48.
FRIDAY AUGUST 2 From Carnforth
44735 5.45am Carnforth-Heysham freight 44709 7.00am Carnforth-Windermere and Kendal coal, and 10.30am return – the last steam from Windermere.
44781 8.28pm Barrow-Preston mail.
44877 7.55pm Lancaster-Carnforth freight. 45025 Inspection saloon duties.
45231 7.10am Carnforth-Waterslack Quarry-Grange-over-Sands ballast. 45390 8.55am Barrow-Carnforth soda ash empties and general freight, then 1.00pm to Skipton. 48493 3.05pm Bolton-Heysham Harbour-Warrington Arpley.
48665 12.35pm Carnforth yard-Burneside trip and return.
48715 12.55am Carnforth-Burnley freight. 75019 7.10am Carnforth yard-Heysham Moss Sidings and Harbour.
75048 6.10am Carnforth yard, Ulverston trip and shunt.
From Lostock Hall
44874 12.30pm Farington Junction-Deepdale trip. 45073 6.50pm Preston-Carnforth and 10.30pm Carnforth-Moston.
45110 8.15am Rose Grove-Colne parcels. 45212 7.50am Farington Junction-Preston Docks, 11.45am Maudland-Dock Street and shunting. 45260 7.30am Farington Junction-Horwich Works, 9.25pm Preston-Liverpool Exchange passenger, then light to Lostock Hall. 45287 10.05am Ribble Sidings-Heysham freight, then to Lostock Hall.
45318 11.20am Farington Junction-Chorley-Ribble Sidings.
48723 11.30am Farington Junction-Lostock Hall trip.
From Rose Grove
45156 Blackburn Darwen Street-Clitheroe shunt. 48167 Copy Pit banker, 7.05pm Burnley Central-Moston, 11.28pm Brewery Sidings-Blackburn – last steam over Blackburn-Bolton line.
48191 12.40am Rose Grove-Farington Junction freight and 6.53am to Healey MIlls. 48278 10.50am Burnley Central-Wyre Dock coal, 2.35pm return empties.
48340 Copy Pit banker.
48393 Copy Pit banker and local ballast. 484008.55 am White b irk Power Station Bicker shaw Collier y coal empties, then light engine with brake van to Rose Grove. 48423 1.30pm Rose Grove-Wyre Dock coal, 4.40pm return to Preston NU yard, then Healey Mills freight as far as Rose Grove – last steam from the Fylde.
48493 2.15am Rose Grove-Preston freight, 3.05pm Heysham Harbour-Warrington Arpley. 48519 5.55pm Rose Grove-Burnley trip.
48666 Copy Pit banker, derailed on arrival at Rose Grove and withdrawn. Had been booked for railtour, now taken out by 48773. 48727 3.40pm Burnley Central-Burn Naze coal, 9.45pm Preston NU-Rose Grove empties – last steam to Burn Naze.
48773 5.20am Preston NU-Healey Mills.
SATURDAY AUGUST 3 From Carnforth
44709 9.15am Carnforth-Kendal. 44735 7.25am Carnforth-Heysham freight. 45134 Carnforth-Lancaster Castle shunt. 45231 7.10am Carnforth-Lancaster, then Waterslack Quarry-Farington Junction ballast special, return light engine. 45342 6.25am Carnforth yard-Barrow freight, return light.
48665 12.55am Carnforth-Burnley freight. 75019 6.45am Carnforth-Heysham, Giggleswick, Lancaster Quay, Carnforth, Heysham Harbour – last working by the class, last BR freight.
From Lostock Hall
44806 Preston ballast, then station pilot and sleeper coach heating.
45212 8.50pm Preston-Blackpool South – penultimate BR steam working. 45318 Farington Junction shunt and local freight, 9.25pm Preston-Liverpool Exchange – last timetabled BR steam passenger duty. 45407 8.15am Rose Grove-Colne parcels.
From Rose Grove
45156 Light engine to Lostock Hall for railtour. 48191 Copy Pit banker – the last one. 48340 12.40am Rose Grove-Farington Junction. 48393 Rose Grove-Padiham & Huncoats trip. 48400 7.15am Rose Grove-Padiham-Whitebirk trip. 48715 Rose Grove-Ribble Sidings freight extra, then light engine to Rose Grove – last steam freight on East Lancashire line. 48278 Copy Pit banker.
48773 1.30am Healey Mills-Rose Grove.
AUGUST 4
Prepared for railtours – 44781, 44871/4/94, 45017/25, 45156, 45305/90, 45407, 48476, 48773, 70013, 73069.
From Carnforth
48773 Light engine to Rose Grove after railtour – last steam via Blackburn.
From Lostock Hall
48493 Farington Junction ballast shunt – last normal Lostock Hall freight duty, last BR freight.
From Rose Grove
48519 Standby for 48773, yard shunting – last steam at Rose Grove.
Sources:
John Bircham, Keith Cole, and the late Alan Castle