Last years of steam in the North West

The December meeting of the Branch featured the AGM and was followed by a presentation from David Fowler of Blackburn who took the small audience through a series of superb black and white images of a variety of steam trains as well as depictions of the atmosphere of the railway at that period of time.

Starting at Manchester Victoria and Exchange there were images of daily life on the platforms as well as the variety of trains passing through the stations and banker locomotives for assisting the climb to Miles Platting. We then moved to the Blackburn area where the predominance was a variety of freight trains and local passenger services as well as excursion trains operating from West Yorkshire to Blackpool mainly behind Jubilees as well as the occasional B1.

Images of trains at Ribble Sidings and Farrington Junction on the West Coast Mainline featured next followed by a brief visit to Preston Docks which were very busy at the time. Then images from Birkenhead included the daily through train to Paddington and the many freight locomotives occupying the shed. The massive iron ore trains at Bidston Docks were next followed by images across the Mersey at Liverpool Lime Street and Exchange stations. Then Preston and finally a visit to Rose Grove shed in 1968 marking the end of the steam era.

A most entertaining and informative show reminding those attending of the rich variety of locomotives and trains spotters enjoyed in the North West as steam finally made its last gasps.