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Childhood Memories Of Trains

My understanding is that the Kings hauled the trains from Paddington to Wolverhampton LL and the lighter engines then took the trains on the rest of the way. Barmouth Bridge was definitely a ruling factor but I think the rest of the Mid Wales lines had weight restrictions of some sort.
I never remember Kings on the Cambrian Coast Express when I was a spotter, always a Castle to Snow Hill. Same period it was always a Manor from Shrewsbury onwards. I don't remember any Manors being allocated to Wolverhampton so I assume the Castle would be run to Shrewsbury, I seem to remember the Manors coming on at Shrewsbury when I was there. However towards the end of steam on the WR anything could happen, even a King on a freight train!
 
I never remember Kings on the Cambrian Coast Express when I was a spotter, always a Castle to Snow Hill. Same period it was always a Manor from Shrewsbury onwards. I don't remember any Manors being allocated to Wolverhampton so I assume the Castle would be run to Shrewsbury, I seem to remember the Manors coming on at Shrewsbury when I was there. However towards the end of steam on the WR anything could happen, even a King on a freight train!

This video
1960s Steam Banbury to Brum shows several Kings. It says that the London Birmingham/Wolverhampton expresses were worked by Kings until 1962. I can remember the up Cambrian Coast Express double headed one Saturday afternoon by two Kings. I have been told that even after the diesels took over, Wolverhampton continued to steam 6 kings each day for months in case any of the diesels broke down.
 
Fragmented memories, everyone is right, King or Castle from Paddington, engine change usually at Wolverhampton, but occasionally, we had the surprise (1948/51) of the King/Castle coming off at Snow Hill and a Manor or two going on, one apparently would be dropped off at Wolverhampton/Wellington/Shrewsbury. Certainly (hearsay) we were told that two Dukedogs would be put on and on one occasion my Dad and I did the Shrewsbury to Barmouth leg behind a pair. Also the occasional 2-6-0 of the 4300 class blue weight code was used I believe. Please correct me if I am wrong because I am certain the Paddington one in the late afternoon came in with a Manor and a prairie tank on. But memory plays tricks, the conversations on the forum often are the spur to remembrance.
Bob
 
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I think one can always find exceptions to the norm in regard to operation of locomotives from 1960 to the end of steam. I am thinking more of what locomotives were normally assigned to do. The MAIN purpose of the King locomotives, which were assigned to Laira, Old Oak and Wolverhampton was to operate the Paddington expresses. My point is that before the rundown of steam locomotives it was not usual to see them on workings they were never designed for. Shedmasters towards the end of steam must have had a hard time finding serviceable locomotives as BR reduced maintenance and many locomotives were just withdrawn on shed due to unserviceability. There is no end of pictures of express passenger locomotives operating freight trains for instance post 1960.

The most interesting example, I think, of locomotives operating services they were never designed for is the Pines Express which were very successfully operated by Standard 9Fs, built for heavy freight trains, on the old Somerset & Dorset line to Bournemouth
 
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I think one can always find exceptions to the norm in regard to operation of locomotives from 1960 to the end of steam. I am thinking more of what locomotives were normally assigned to do. The MAIN purpose of the King locomotives, which were assigned to Laira, Old Oak and Wolverhampton was to operate the Paddington expresses. My point is that before the rundown of steam locomotives it was not usual to see them on workings they were never designed for. Shedmasters towards the end of steam must have had a hard time finding serviceable locomotives as BR reduced maintenance and many locomotives were just withdrawn on shed due to unserviceability. There is no end of pictures of express passenger locomotives operating freight trains for instance post 1960.

The most interesting example, I think, of locomotives operating services they were never designed for is the Pines Express which were very successfully operated by Standard 9Fs, built for heavy freight trains, on the old Somerset & Dorset line to Bournemouth
But what a sight those 9Fs were, did not still follow Snow Hill towards the end of steam, lived in Plymouth with a view of the start of Hemerdon bank, remember well the last day of steam at Laira and then two days later a King without name or number pulling one of the Warship powered expresses up Hemerdon, but remember from the period 1948/51 at Snow Hill the boredom as every engine we saw was one we had seen before or the joy as something quite unexpected came through and back to another set of posts a Southern Spam can on the Portsmouth train, because one day it would be an all green train and the next day GWR shod. Usually the engine was a Hall though not a King or a Castle. Did anyone ever 'cop' King John at Snow Hill, my only missing King and then saw it at Reading.

Bob
 
In 1940's our garden backed onto North Warwickshire line which was also only used by the smaller engines. Had to go to Tyseley to see King, Castle and County Class locos.
 
In 1940's our garden backed onto North Warwickshire line which was also only used by the smaller engines. Had to go to Tyseley to see King, Castle and County Class locos.
We used to buy the 41/2d (four penny halfpenny) return to Tyseley to get on to Snow Hill and every so often get on one of the locals, and return straight away changing platforms. They were sometimes spotter unfriendly, it usually worked ouy 50% of the time Platform 6 (Tunnel end) the rest Platform 1 Wolverhampton end.

Bob
 
In 1940's our garden backed onto North Warwickshire line which was also only used by the smaller engines. Had to go to Tyseley to see King, Castle and County Class locos.
My backyard was the same but I did spend lots of time, especially in school holidays near the line and along the canal. I saw most of what the GWR had to offer (1943 - 1954) naturally except for a King. All other GWR named locos, and a big variety of 0-6-0PT's, 2-6-0's, 2-8-0's. ROD's, USATS and the grim 90XXX austerities all passed by at one time or another. Others, mainly passenger, were 2-6-2T, for a short time diesel railcars and in 1951 I saw the Royal Train. I can date that, as I had a home-made Festival of Britain flag flying. Admittedly the Castle and County (10XX) were not common but maybe it was The Cornishman that they hauled.
 
i remember getting the train many times from the old snow hill..stratford...evesham where my aunt lived and of course the yearly holidays to rhyl...love steam train travel and of course they go slow enough so that you can actually see the lovely views instead of just a blur..nice and comfy too with plenty of leg room no good of course for todays travellers life is too fast nowadays...which reminds me i must do the severn valley run again this year :) so for me i will stick to steam :D :D we are so lucky to have so many running up and down the country
 
In the 1950s I raced my bike a lot around Banbury and a few times took the train back to Brum after racing events so I may well have been on this very train. They had a baggage car in the back that had hooks that you hung your bike on real neat and safe.
 
i remember getting the train many times from the old snow hill..stratford...evesham where my aunt lived and of course the yearly holidays to rhyl...love steam train travel and of course they go slow enough so that you can actually see the lovely views instead of just a blur..nice and comfy too with plenty of leg room no good of course for todays travellers life is too fast nowadays...which reminds me i must do the severn valley run again this year :) so for me i will stick to steam :D :D we are so lucky to have so many running up and down the country
true lyn. seven valley my young grandchildren loved it on them steamers. and the1940s.get up
Special Events 2020 - Severn Valley Railway
 
Does anyone remember the daily coal or coke train to Windsor Street Gasworks?
This originated in the Chesterfield area and was usually hauled by an 8F 2-8-0 from Westhouses shed.
In the early 60s it as invariably held at Four Oaks waiting for signals. I often used to visit the footplate.
In earlier years the loco was an ancient 2F 0-6-0 and boy, did that struggle with the grade from Butlers Lane to Belwell Lane
 
Does anyone remember the daily coal or coke train to Windsor Street Gasworks?
This originated in the Chesterfield area and was usually hauled by an 8F 2-8-0 from Westhouses shed.
In the early 60s it as invariably held at Four Oaks waiting for signals. I often used to visit the footplate.
In earlier years the loco was an ancient 2F 0-6-0 and boy, did that struggle with the grade from Butlers Lane to Belwell Lane
 
As an Aston fireman in the late 50s early 60s I think the trains you mentioned was the Lichfield day pick-up. The coal trains were picked up from Lichfield after being left by Burton men who then took a train of empties wagons back to Derby. From Aston we used to travel light engine to Lichfield we then spent a couple of hours shunting, about 12 o'clock we would start working back with a mix train to Shenstone where we again did some shunting, dropped off some wagons and pick-up some empties we then preceded to Fouroaks where we again shunted, we could be there for an hour or two, we then set off to Sutton where we shunted, dropping off wagons and picking up empties, our last stop off was Erdington, shunted, pick-up empties, we now set off for Aston Goods where we ran round the train and push it into the goods yard. That's us done, back to Aston, finished. The Diesel shunter a Aston goods would then shunt the coal wagons into Windsor St Gasworks. The engines that we used on these trains were mostly: Class 8s, 5s, and Crabs.
 
I went to BVGS and at the bottom of the playground but before the playing field was the Sutton Coldfield - Lichfield railway line, mainly the day long tank engine drawn passenger services, Lichfield to New Street. The engines were I believe Stanier 2-6-2T numbered 70 upwards. However there were a few goods trains drawn by 0-6-0 tender engines regularly used the line, this was 1947 to 1952.

Bob
 
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