6 September 2024 ‘End of Steam on British Railways 1966-67’ by Michael Smyth.

At our first meeting of the 2024-25 season on 6th September, we were pleased to welcome Michael Smyth of the Cambridge Branch to present The End of Steam on British Railways, Part 1, 1966-67.
A native of Leeds, Michael had been inspired to take up photography by Colin Gifford’s ‘new approach’, and thus, armed with a 2¼” square format camera loaded with Tri-X black and white film, he had set about recording the final years of steam in the north of England in similar style.
Michael’s presentation focussed mainly on the West Riding of Yorkshire during the period from mid-1966 to the closure of the last steam shed in the area on 1st October 1967. We began with views of Wakefield Kirkgate – gantries of semaphore signals and an unending procession of mineral trains in and out of Healey Mills Yard headed by filthy WD 2-8-0s, all surrounded by an urban, industrial landscape which has long since disappeared. We were then treated to a wonderful selection of views around the area including evocative light-and-shade scenes in Manningham shed, a Black 5 on the final steam working of the Devonian at Bradford Forster Square, Fairburn 2-6-4Ts on the last day of operation of Leeds Central station, and various views of the last three B1s in service, 61306, 61030 and 61337. The Midland main line through Armley and Kirkstall was clearly one of Michael’s favourite stretches of line, and several views were featured, including 8Fs and Black 5s on the well-known Heysham to Hunslet oil tanker train.
We took a quick look at the Carnforth area which in 1967 still saw significant steam working, Britannia 70023 ‘Venus’ and 9F 92233 were featured, both ex-Western Region engines which drew appreciative comment from the Bristol audience! Views at Hest Bank showed the steam age infrastructure, long since disappeared following electrification in the early 1970s.
Back to Leeds again, beginning with the King’s Cross trains now using City station, followed by a series of atmospheric views in Holbeck shed, where District Motive Power Superintendent Tom Greaves had ‘collected’ steam locomotives and kept them going in the Leeds area. One famous working was the 10.17 Leeds to Carlisle – always a Jubilee in the summer of 1967 – which was pictured at several locations including Carlisle, Skipton and Shipley, the latter still with its Midland signal posts carrying LMS arms.
A visit to the North East took in sheds at West Hartlepool (with its primitive, manual coaling facility), Sunderland (J27s in the roundhouse) and a nicely-framed loco portrait at Tyne Dock. The last steam workings around Sunderland, Ryhope Colliery Junction, and the Silksworth Colliery branch were covered, featuring the ubiquitous J27s with lengthy rakes of mineral wagons.
Returning to Yorkshire, Bradford Exchange saw two booked summer Saturday 08.20 departures (to Skegness via the GN route and to Bridlington departing via the L&Y), but they rarely both left on time, and it had taken Michael several attempts before finally obtaining a shot of them departing (almost) simultaneously. Various other interesting workings in the Leeds/Bradford area were covered, including more views of the last three B1s, Black 5 45428 arriving at Armley Moor framed by decrepit steam age infrastructure, and a very atmospheric contre-jour picture at Marsh Lane. The final weekend of steam featured an immaculate Kohlapur, specials worked by Clun Castle and Sir Nigel Gresley, finishing with the final steam working from Bradford on the Sunday afternoon, 1st October – a departure for King’s Cross worked by 2-6-4T 42152 to Leeds.
An evening of wonderfully atmospheric monochrome photographs of a kind very difficult to emulate nowadays following the disappearance not only of steam, but also of the traditional railway infrastructure and the industrial environment in which the railway operated at that time. We look forward to Part 2, covering the North West.