If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

The last steam train in March 2020

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by torgormaig, Apr 27, 2020.

  1. Richard Roper

    Richard Roper Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2006
    Messages:
    1,310
    Likes Received:
    1,355
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Librarian
    Location:
    Just up the road from 56E Sowerby Bridge
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    That opening statement in itself is an extremely sobering thought - Not a nice one at all.

    Richard.
     
  2. 46223

    46223 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2011
    Messages:
    6,376
    Likes Received:
    5,750
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Lancs
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    November 1968. Not too sure of the exact date but I think it was on Friday the 15th. Here she is at Heap Bridge.

    n_1.jpg
     
  3. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,078
    Likes Received:
    4,893
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Not exactly the last steam train at Swanage, as there was driver experience the following day, but the last passenger service to depart from Swanage was the 15:20 on March 14.
    80104 seen from a busy Station Road, running round for the final passenger service, and then ready to depart.
    Wonder when we see the next passenger service leave the station? IMG_4812.JPG IMG_4814.JPG
     
    torgormaig likes this.
  4. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2007
    Messages:
    35,121
    Likes Received:
    20,773
    Occupation:
    Training moles
    Location:
    The back of beyond
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Steam was at work in industry during those years, 4472 was out on the main line and some early heritage lines were definitely operational.

    Edit : Beaten to it by others.
     
  5. City of truro fan

    City of truro fan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2015
    Messages:
    783
    Likes Received:
    84
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Honiton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The government has got quietly what it’s wants no more coal burnt on a large size so the coal factory’s will close without them having to make them. All the groups and museums that use government money also close to its just been enough To kill of the groups that can’t go on without grants and them giving them money. We probably open back up soon now that they have killed of all the low money making people everywhere
     
  6. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,330
    Likes Received:
    11,666
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Several things with that statement but I'd like to know how do you 'make coal'?
     
  7. LMS2968

    LMS2968 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2006
    Messages:
    2,987
    Likes Received:
    5,084
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Lecturer retired: Archivist of Stanier Mogul Fund
    Location:
    Wigan
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    You cut down a forest, bury it in the ground and sit back for a few million years . . .
     
  8. City of truro fan

    City of truro fan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2015
    Messages:
    783
    Likes Received:
    84
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Honiton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Mines
     
  9. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,103
    Likes Received:
    57,432
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Would be something of an irony if that turned out to be one of the last steam locomotives to run anywhere in the country!

    Tom
     
  10. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,941
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Who's got the negative vibes man now?
     
  11. Richard Roper

    Richard Roper Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2006
    Messages:
    1,310
    Likes Received:
    1,355
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Librarian
    Location:
    Just up the road from 56E Sowerby Bridge
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I think that's being a little over-cynical, given the current situation... I think the Government are well aware of how much money Heritage Railways generate under normal circumstances... I think they have slightly bigger fish to fry at the moment. Let's leave the political side until we're through this mess.

    Richard.
     
    Spamcan81, andrewshimmin, jnc and 3 others like this.
  12. Steamie Boxes

    Steamie Boxes Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2017
    Messages:
    696
    Likes Received:
    614
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Apprentice Enginner at NYMR
    Location:
    Cumbria
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Ravenglass was running on the 19th March (albeit on a very reduced timetable)
     
  13. sgthompson

    sgthompson Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2008
    Messages:
    3,861
    Likes Received:
    9,238
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Tobacco manufacturing
    Location:
    Kendal
    Sad to think this was the last mainline steam run until things get back to some sort of normality.
     
    Richard Roper likes this.
  14. SteveA

    SteveA Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2006
    Messages:
    263
    Likes Received:
    238
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Sunny Norfolk
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Last steaming on the NNR was 92203 on a footplate experience day on the 20th of March.
     
  15. Richard Roper

    Richard Roper Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2006
    Messages:
    1,310
    Likes Received:
    1,355
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Librarian
    Location:
    Just up the road from 56E Sowerby Bridge
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Excellent footage, and I'm sure it will all be possible again, just not for a while...

    Richard.
     
    240P15 likes this.
  16. andrewshimmin

    andrewshimmin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2011
    Messages:
    1,761
    Likes Received:
    2,160
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    We obviously do need to use far less coal, globally. Indeed we are doing so nationally: the UK has just gone a record 18 days without coal generated power.
    However this is quite separate from the negligibly small amount of coal used for heritage purposes including railways.
    Yes, as coal becomes less used for other things it's likely to get more expensive.
    If we're sensible in how we discuss the matter with the powers that be, and keep reminding people of the leisure, educational, and other benefits of steam, we'll get a hearing, and appropriate exceptions if necessary.

    Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
     
  17. simon

    simon Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2006
    Messages:
    11,567
    Likes Received:
    5,224
  18. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2007
    Messages:
    35,121
    Likes Received:
    20,773
    Occupation:
    Training moles
    Location:
    The back of beyond
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    That's called mining, i.e. digging out what's already there. You no more make coal than you make iron ore or any other mineral deposit.
     
    andrewshimmin and ghost like this.
  19. City of truro fan

    City of truro fan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2015
    Messages:
    783
    Likes Received:
    84
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Honiton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I had a friend from the mine towns and they called the mine the coal factory it was a local way of putting it
     
  20. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    4,445
    Likes Received:
    6,546
    Oh Dear - I seemed to have messed this thread up a bit by not being specific enough in the title. I intended it to be about the last steam operations before the Covid 19 lockdown. That is the final moves around the heritage railways in March this year. There are other threads for the last steam trains in 1968, at the end of nationalisation in 1988 and the future once this is over. This is just intended to be a snapshot of the events that overtook with great rapidity last month. I have amended the thread title to be more specific.

    Peter
     
    35B, MattA, marshall5 and 3 others like this.

Share This Page