Modern Traction Miscellany

Saturday 22nd February

Rail movements in progress at Scunthorpe steel works

We welcomed Ian McInnes from Teesside for our February meeting.  Using a combination of his own transparencies, some from Raymond Rourke and other sources, a large number of images covering the period 1975-2000 were viewed.  Beginning with industrials, Scunthorpe steelworks featured a Yorkshire Engine Company DE 0-6-0, Croft Quarry a Thomas Hill 0-6-0 and diesel shunters at Henry Boot’s yard.  Several of Cl.03, 07 and 08 featured and a Cl.14 preceded a number of Cl.20s in various liveries.  A Cl.24 on suburban ECS at Kings Cross preceded a Cl.27 participating in a Tyseley open day, while uncommonly, a Cl.31 and a Cl.56 were recorded at Waterloo.  Representatives of Cl.31, 33, 35, 37, 40, the early Warships, Cl.44, 45, 47, 50, 55, 56, 58 and 60 were followed by 73133 The Bluebell Railway, several electrics including Cl.85 and Cl.86 and newly built Cl.90 and Cl.91s.  A second-generation Pacer DMU and a Cl.153/156 combination were viewed.  This was a most interesting and colourful presentation, displaying a large number of now vintage and withdrawn locomotives which reflected the vast number of different services they were employed on compared with today’s railway.