CARNFORTH 10A

(Above) The last steam-hauled train on British Rail ran on 11th August 1968. Two days later on Tuesday 13th August I visited Carnforth Shed to view what was left. The shed had officially closed to steam, but there were a few diesels present but no other enthusiasts and very few staff. The weather was poor being very dull, but I took what photographs I could. On arrival at Carnforth, not wanting to trespass, I went along the public footpath that skirts the western perimeter of the shed area and took a few photos over the hedge. First a general view of the shed yard. To the left can be seen a few locos already purchased for preservation, behind the turntable road and to the right a Class 40 is standing outside the shed. Although the shed had closed to steam, it was still operating as a diesel depot. (Below) Metro-Vick Co-Bo D5711 awaits its next turn of duty while 44781 and 44758 await their demise

(Above) End of the line for 44709. BR steam officially ended on 11th August 1968 - well, not quite, as there were still pockets of steam operations. The Vale of Rheidol Narrow Gauge Railway, then still owned by British Rail was still 100% steam. Also there were still several steam powered breakdown cranes stabled at various points around the system. Here we see the Carnforth based steam crane awaiting its next callout top-left of the photo.

(Below) A member of the shed staff saw me and invited me onto the site. Evidently the shed master had spotted me trying not to trespass and the member of staff was sent to show me around. The remaining shed staff from the steam side were busy preparing the locos for their final journey. This included emptying the boiler and tender of water and shovelling out the coal into waiting wagons. The eagle-eyed might spot a shovelful of coal in mid-air from the tender of the 'Black 5'!

(Above) One of the stars of "The 15 Guinea Special" No 44781 should have been preserved but missed out. It was purchased by a film company and moved to The Audley End to Bartlow Branch in East Anglia where it was disguised as a far east tank engine. It was then "blown up" and derailed in the making of the comedy film "The Virgin Soldiers" after which it was scrapped. A dreadful end for a famous Stanier Black Five. (Below) LNER Class B1 No 61306 waits on the preserved road for a bit of TLC with 42085...

(Above-Below) BR Standard Class 4 No. 75043 waits its turn to visit the scrapman. (Below) One of the Standard Class 4 fitted with a double chimney was eventually scrapped but it lives on as a Bachmann 00 gauge model.

(Above-Below) A Standard Class 4 No. 75027. This loco survived into preservation on The Bluebell Railway. Not so lucky was Stanier 'Black 5' No 45394 acting as a buffer stop!

(Above) Winners and losers...Stanier 'Black 5' No 44758 awaits its call to scrap. (Below left-right) Already purchased for preservation is Fairburn 2-6-4T No 42085 and preserved Ivatt Class 2MT No 46441