IN retrospect, the summer of 1962 was pivotal in the annals of British locomotive history. The balance between steam and diesel power started to weigh more heavily in favour of modern traction, as ‘Deltics’ held sway on the East Coast Main Line, swathes of the United Kingdom saw steam only infrequently, and the locomotive doyens of the ‘Big Four’ railway companies began their inevitable trudge to the scrapyards. It was to be the last summer of the ‘Kings’ and, while steam was to hang on another six years, each year to 1968 would see fewer strongholds in which refuge could be sought.
One might think this turning point would have been the subject of Practice and Performance articles at the time. Delving into The Railway Magazine archive, O S Nock was concentrating on the new motive power but railing against the fading of the light, saying that his log of ‘Hymek’ Type 3 No. 7009 on a hefty 14-coach Bristol-Paddington express had not started from Bath as briskly as some ‘Castles’. The message was that most steam locos could match the output of their replacement diesels at far less capital expense, and it would have been more effective to develop steam technology until and unless electrification was possible. Who is to say he was wrong, but perhaps that development of steam technology had actually taken place with the Standard locomotives of the early 1950s until the strategy had… run out of steam? However, the concerns of current commentators that IETs on diesel power scarcely match the IC125s they have replaced is little different from those expressed when English Electric Type 4s ousted ‘Coronations’, or double-chimney ‘A3s’, let alone ‘A4s’. Mr Nock did concede defeat to ‘Deltics’ though, but only on performance, not cost.
Some of my 1962 summer was spent on a wooden fence opposite Huddersfield Hillhouse steam shed. Locals were formed of Metro-Camm DMUs, expresses were formed of smart but soulless Trans-Pennine six-car DMUs or Type 4 diesels. Tank engines still operated local parcel trains, ‘Black Fives’ and ‘Jubilees’ all the ‘extras’, ‘WDs’ and Stanier ‘8Fs’ most of the freight. But was that the growl of an English Electric Type 3, late one evening on an up coal train, drifting on the still night air as I fell asleep?
New Street to Derby
Those who were more mobile in pursuing their railway interests were treated to a wide variety of available motive power to record. Looking at the collection Ted Patten has donated to the Railway Performance Society archive, he sampled a staggeringly wide variety of traction.
Starting on Ted’s home ground of Derby, steam was still to be found among the new diesel ‘Peaks’ on cross-country workings, especially on the relief trains, which continued to interest enthusiasts as late as the 1980s by providing Class 25s and their like. The 1962 equivalent of the Class 25s were the 841 Stanier Class 5s (the full fleet having been reduced by one the year before following the collision of No. 45401 with ‘Jubilee’ No. 45630 Swaziland at Dallam).
The range of steam performance was far wider than we would expect nowadays of course, depending on the condition of the locomotive, its fuel and the motivation of the crew. There were no prizes for making up time other than personal satisfaction, but that paid no bills. On Saturday, August 9, 1962 Ted joined the 12.37pm Birmingham-Leeds relief at New Street; an eight-coach load of some 245tons tare, 250tons gross, hauled by Saltley ‘Black Five’ No. 44805 in the hands of Grimesthorpe driver Bruce, on diesel timings.
Departure was just 17sec late on a 44min schedule to Derby that included 3min recovery time. Speed had reached 67mph approaching Water Orton when there was a severe brake application to 51mph through the station. 65mph was resumed through Tamworth, rising to 69mph at Barton & Walton before taking the Burton-on-Trent restriction at a cautious 40mph, possibly signal checked. After reaching 60mph at Repton & Willington, where what was definitely a signal check to 25mph intervened, Stenson Junction was passed at only 39mph as driver Bruce accelerated to touch 69mph even after Pear Tree & Normanton station. This was not quite enough to be right time at Derby; 65sec late (see Table 1).