The first indoor Meeting of the winter season of the Cornwall Railway Society takes place on Saturday September 13th 2025
Jim Collins presents
'Spanning a career of 47 Years on the railways'
Not to be missed
Jim Collins presents
'Spanning a career of 47 Years on the railways'
Not to be missed
At the Wesley Memorial Hall Redruth commencing at 18.30 hrs
NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 61
Burnley, 3rd August 1968
Michael L. Roach
Most enthusiasts, of any age, know that the first weekend of August 1968 was a major landmark in the history of Britain's railways with the closure of the last few steam sheds and the dieselisation of the last few steam-hauled freight and passenger trains which were all in the north-west of England. A friend and I decided we ought to be there to witness this major event. He was Patrick S. Rae (1937-2007) originally from Solihull, then living in Plymouth, and soon to move to Sidcup within a year or two, and spending half his life there on the outskirts of London.
There were to be a number of railtours that weekend and we would aim to photograph some of them out in the Lancashire countryside and to visit at least one steam shed, so we would need a car. We headed north on Friday 2 August 1968 leaving Plymouth after an early lunch. It was 160 miles of the A38 to Junction 8 of the M5 at Strensham where (I think) the motorway started in 1968. I had started to use colour slide film four days earlier at Longleat, which was far later than most photographers, due to financial considerations. It was an Ilford 20-exposure film which I probably chose because of their plastic mounts. People had warned me about Ilford colour results but I think the attached scans are good for the age of the originals. For the second film I switched to Kodak Ektachrome which had been my friend's first choice for some time. By a strange twist of fate the first colour photo of a railway engine was an electric one and not a steam engine. We stopped at Keele Services and there in the car park was a brand-new electric loco on a trailer starting out on the first stage of a journey from a local factory to the Pakistan Western Railway. It was a 25KV engine of 3,070 horse power and weighed 44 tons without its bogies. The trailer was being hauled by a Pickfords Scammell tractor unit registration ULY 904 which has survived into preservation.
Where we found bed and breakfast has been lost in the midst of time. Next morning we moved on to Burnley which we approached from the west along the A678 and A679 and it was while passing through the village of Rishton that we saw something that I had not witnessed for nearly 20 years and have not seen since and that was the daily milk being delivered by horse and cart. In the late 1940s our milk was delivered every day of the week by horse and cart in Salcombe Road, Plymouth; but then fuel of all types was in short supply and rationed, and petrol rationing did not end until 26 May 1950. There are a few small breweries that still use a horse and dray for very local deliveries e.g. Hook Norton in Oxfordshire. As we approached Rose Grove, Burnley it was to find an LMS 2-8-0 8F no. 48393 of Rose Grove Shed drifting down the grade heading east past Rose Grove Shed (at 10.56am). 48393 was hauling empty steel mineral wagons which had probably delivered coal to Huncoat Power Station just three miles away. This was an opportunity too good to miss so we decided to give chase which would not be difficult at the speed that the train was travelling at. The engine took water and we saw it next at Gannow Junction (11.15) where it forked right for the Calder Valley and the Yorkshire coalfield. From Gannow Junction there is a 5-mile climb on gradients of 1 in 68/71 to Copy Pit which enabled us to overtake the train as the 8F had 60 empty wagons in tow. It was seen passing Holme Chapel (11.30) and at Copy Pit Summit (11.40am) where 48191 passed in the opposite direction. My notes do not make clear whether 48191 had banked the train we were chasing or not.
We returned to Burnley to make our one and only visit to a steam shed during our visit to Lancashire and that was Rose Grove which was located on the north side of the line just east of Padiham Junction and just west of Rose Grove Station and two miles west of the centre of Burnley. The shed was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and opened in 1899 and was one of just three steam sheds to survive until the very end of steam. The others were at Carnforth and Lostock Hall (Preston). The shed was orientated east – west and just outside the rear wall of the shed passed the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and it was from the canal that the shed obtained the water for the steam engines. When an engine arrived at Crewe Works for overhaul the first action was to drain the water from the tender or the side tanks. It was said that the men draining out the water could always recognise a Rose Grove engine without looking at the shed plate by the fish that came out with the water. History does not record whether the fish were dead or alive. We were not alone that day as we toured the shed as there were lots of enthusiasts making their last visit to a steam shed, which was typical of track and buildings that had seen 70 years of use in a smoky environment.
To me as a transport enthusiast and a civil engineer the one thing that Burnley is known for is the Burnley Embankment which carries the Leeds and Liverpool Canal across the valley to the east of the town centre; and which is one of the seven wonders of the British Waterways system. It is in good company with the likes of Anderton Boat Lift and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The Burnley Embankment is three quarters of a mile long and up to 60 feet (18 metres) above the surrounding ground. It took the navvies five years to build (1796 – 1801) and cost £22,000 – a bargain. I have only been back to Burnley once since 1968 and that was in 1996 when staying at Greenfield which has a railway station on the line from Manchester to Standedge Tunnel and Huddersfield.
We were at Rose Grove Shed from 1.30pm to just after 3.00pm that day and saw 29 steam engines. Many were dead and condemned but there were also 10 in steam. Only one engine came onto shed while we were there and that was 48715 at 2.00pm. Here is a list of engines on Rose Grove Shed applicable at 3.00pm on Saturday 3 August 1968:
Stanier 5MTs in steam
45156 (formerly Ayrshire Yeomanry)
Stanier 5MTs condemned
44899, 45096, 45350, 45382, 45447 (5 no.)
Stanier 8Fs in steam
48191, 48278, 48393, 48400, 48423, 48519, 48715, 48727, 48773 (9 no.)
Stanier 8Fs condemned
48062/115/247/257/323/384/410/448/451/665/666/715/727/730 (14 no.)
48773 was used on an LCGB railtour next day, with 48519 as standby. 48773 returned light engine from Carnforth at the end of the day, Sunday 4 August 1968, and was the last steam engine to arrive on Rose Grove Shed for attention.
The next day we spent the morning on the platform at Manchester Victoria Station where most, if not all, of the last-day railtours were routed. In the afternoon we were out in the Lancashire countryside about half a mile south of Entwistle station on the Bolton to Blackburn line and not far from Sough Summit. The summit lay at the top of a seven mile steep climb of which some five miles was at a constant 1 in 73. Four of the specials traversed the line while we were there, and all were double-headed. The last to pass was the RCTS Special which had started at Euston at 08.35 and was the longest train of the day at 13C. When it passed us it was running 169 minutes late; and so we took our last photos of the RCTS Special at 16.16 and headed for home 300 miles away.
In conclusion I think we very very lucky and privileged to come across one of the last steam-hauled freight trains on 3 August 1968. Freight trains still pass along this route with many timetabled but most of them are Q or run as required. There are few power stations left in Britain and even fewer using solid fuel as opposed to gas via a pipeline, but one of those is Drax which uses mostly imported biomass. One of the docks where the biomass is unloaded is Liverpool and some of the trains from Liverpool to Drax are routed via Burnley and Copy Pit.
There were to be a number of railtours that weekend and we would aim to photograph some of them out in the Lancashire countryside and to visit at least one steam shed, so we would need a car. We headed north on Friday 2 August 1968 leaving Plymouth after an early lunch. It was 160 miles of the A38 to Junction 8 of the M5 at Strensham where (I think) the motorway started in 1968. I had started to use colour slide film four days earlier at Longleat, which was far later than most photographers, due to financial considerations. It was an Ilford 20-exposure film which I probably chose because of their plastic mounts. People had warned me about Ilford colour results but I think the attached scans are good for the age of the originals. For the second film I switched to Kodak Ektachrome which had been my friend's first choice for some time. By a strange twist of fate the first colour photo of a railway engine was an electric one and not a steam engine. We stopped at Keele Services and there in the car park was a brand-new electric loco on a trailer starting out on the first stage of a journey from a local factory to the Pakistan Western Railway. It was a 25KV engine of 3,070 horse power and weighed 44 tons without its bogies. The trailer was being hauled by a Pickfords Scammell tractor unit registration ULY 904 which has survived into preservation.
Where we found bed and breakfast has been lost in the midst of time. Next morning we moved on to Burnley which we approached from the west along the A678 and A679 and it was while passing through the village of Rishton that we saw something that I had not witnessed for nearly 20 years and have not seen since and that was the daily milk being delivered by horse and cart. In the late 1940s our milk was delivered every day of the week by horse and cart in Salcombe Road, Plymouth; but then fuel of all types was in short supply and rationed, and petrol rationing did not end until 26 May 1950. There are a few small breweries that still use a horse and dray for very local deliveries e.g. Hook Norton in Oxfordshire. As we approached Rose Grove, Burnley it was to find an LMS 2-8-0 8F no. 48393 of Rose Grove Shed drifting down the grade heading east past Rose Grove Shed (at 10.56am). 48393 was hauling empty steel mineral wagons which had probably delivered coal to Huncoat Power Station just three miles away. This was an opportunity too good to miss so we decided to give chase which would not be difficult at the speed that the train was travelling at. The engine took water and we saw it next at Gannow Junction (11.15) where it forked right for the Calder Valley and the Yorkshire coalfield. From Gannow Junction there is a 5-mile climb on gradients of 1 in 68/71 to Copy Pit which enabled us to overtake the train as the 8F had 60 empty wagons in tow. It was seen passing Holme Chapel (11.30) and at Copy Pit Summit (11.40am) where 48191 passed in the opposite direction. My notes do not make clear whether 48191 had banked the train we were chasing or not.
We returned to Burnley to make our one and only visit to a steam shed during our visit to Lancashire and that was Rose Grove which was located on the north side of the line just east of Padiham Junction and just west of Rose Grove Station and two miles west of the centre of Burnley. The shed was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and opened in 1899 and was one of just three steam sheds to survive until the very end of steam. The others were at Carnforth and Lostock Hall (Preston). The shed was orientated east – west and just outside the rear wall of the shed passed the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and it was from the canal that the shed obtained the water for the steam engines. When an engine arrived at Crewe Works for overhaul the first action was to drain the water from the tender or the side tanks. It was said that the men draining out the water could always recognise a Rose Grove engine without looking at the shed plate by the fish that came out with the water. History does not record whether the fish were dead or alive. We were not alone that day as we toured the shed as there were lots of enthusiasts making their last visit to a steam shed, which was typical of track and buildings that had seen 70 years of use in a smoky environment.
To me as a transport enthusiast and a civil engineer the one thing that Burnley is known for is the Burnley Embankment which carries the Leeds and Liverpool Canal across the valley to the east of the town centre; and which is one of the seven wonders of the British Waterways system. It is in good company with the likes of Anderton Boat Lift and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The Burnley Embankment is three quarters of a mile long and up to 60 feet (18 metres) above the surrounding ground. It took the navvies five years to build (1796 – 1801) and cost £22,000 – a bargain. I have only been back to Burnley once since 1968 and that was in 1996 when staying at Greenfield which has a railway station on the line from Manchester to Standedge Tunnel and Huddersfield.
We were at Rose Grove Shed from 1.30pm to just after 3.00pm that day and saw 29 steam engines. Many were dead and condemned but there were also 10 in steam. Only one engine came onto shed while we were there and that was 48715 at 2.00pm. Here is a list of engines on Rose Grove Shed applicable at 3.00pm on Saturday 3 August 1968:
Stanier 5MTs in steam
45156 (formerly Ayrshire Yeomanry)
Stanier 5MTs condemned
44899, 45096, 45350, 45382, 45447 (5 no.)
Stanier 8Fs in steam
48191, 48278, 48393, 48400, 48423, 48519, 48715, 48727, 48773 (9 no.)
Stanier 8Fs condemned
48062/115/247/257/323/384/410/448/451/665/666/715/727/730 (14 no.)
48773 was used on an LCGB railtour next day, with 48519 as standby. 48773 returned light engine from Carnforth at the end of the day, Sunday 4 August 1968, and was the last steam engine to arrive on Rose Grove Shed for attention.
The next day we spent the morning on the platform at Manchester Victoria Station where most, if not all, of the last-day railtours were routed. In the afternoon we were out in the Lancashire countryside about half a mile south of Entwistle station on the Bolton to Blackburn line and not far from Sough Summit. The summit lay at the top of a seven mile steep climb of which some five miles was at a constant 1 in 73. Four of the specials traversed the line while we were there, and all were double-headed. The last to pass was the RCTS Special which had started at Euston at 08.35 and was the longest train of the day at 13C. When it passed us it was running 169 minutes late; and so we took our last photos of the RCTS Special at 16.16 and headed for home 300 miles away.
In conclusion I think we very very lucky and privileged to come across one of the last steam-hauled freight trains on 3 August 1968. Freight trains still pass along this route with many timetabled but most of them are Q or run as required. There are few power stations left in Britain and even fewer using solid fuel as opposed to gas via a pipeline, but one of those is Drax which uses mostly imported biomass. One of the docks where the biomass is unloaded is Liverpool and some of the trains from Liverpool to Drax are routed via Burnley and Copy Pit.
New electric loco for Pakistan Western Railways seen at Keele Services on the evening of Friday 2 August 1968. The 1958 11-litre Scammell tractor unit survives in preservation. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
8F no. 48393 is leaving Gannow Junction for Copy Pit at 11.15am on Saturday 3 August. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
48393 passes Copy Pit signal box at 11.40am. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The gradient profile for the 5-mile climb from Gannow Junction to Copy Pit Summit.
The first engine photographed at Rose Grove Shed was 8F no. 48773 which was looking clean and very presentable because it was going to work an LCGB railtour the next day. The engine has an interesting history including working in Iran and Egypt. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Black 5 no. 45156. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
8F no. 48666 with 48191 behind. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
8F no. 48715 had come onto shed at 2.00pm and is seen here two minutes later. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Three minutes later and 48715 has moved up beside the ash heaps where the fire was mostly thrown out before the engine entered the shed at 2.15pm. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The rather typical interior of a steam shed. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Looking east out of the 6-road shed there is the normal array of notice boards; a chap who looks like the shed master; several railway enthusiasts; 48773 again. It was like an unofficial open-house at Rose Grove Shed that day. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
A general view looking west. On the horizon are the cooling towers of the Huncoat Power Station. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks as always Mike - some atmospheric photographs from the final days of steam.
For more of Michaels articles, please click here.
For more of Michaels articles, please click here.
The Camel Challenge
At The Bodmin Railway
The Camel Challenge is on!
On Friday 5th September 2025, 3 of our amazing team— Clare, Emma & Lizzie — plus a very brave driver (the one in charge of the brakes!) — will be tackling a wild and historic sponsored challenge… aboard Camel, our vintage 4-wheeled, hand-propelled cart!
The mission - an incredible 24 miles , that's 16 round trips from Bodmin General to Walker Lines and back — the same as an epic All-Line journey!
The ladies are raising funds for a revamp at Boscarne Junction station and green for everyone to enjoy, as well as our family friendly exhibition coach.
Camel is no ordinary trolley — it’s a quirky piece of railway history with roots that may date back to the 1870s! Once used locally as a permanent-way and inspection cart, it has survived through Southern, LSWR, BR… all the way to its preservation here at Bodmin. These days, it’s kept safe at Bodmin General and brought out for special occasions — like this!
But don’t be fooled by its elegant looks... Camel is heavy, wobbly, and tough to push — so this challenge is no easy ride.
Come along and cheer on the team and soak up the atmosphere. Every push, every wobble, every mile makes a real difference to improving the experience for all our visitors.
We're wishing Clare, Emma, and Lizzie the very best of luck as they take on this truly unique challenge — one (very wobbly!) cart ride at a time.
On Friday 5th September 2025, 3 of our amazing team— Clare, Emma & Lizzie — plus a very brave driver (the one in charge of the brakes!) — will be tackling a wild and historic sponsored challenge… aboard Camel, our vintage 4-wheeled, hand-propelled cart!
The mission - an incredible 24 miles , that's 16 round trips from Bodmin General to Walker Lines and back — the same as an epic All-Line journey!
The ladies are raising funds for a revamp at Boscarne Junction station and green for everyone to enjoy, as well as our family friendly exhibition coach.
Camel is no ordinary trolley — it’s a quirky piece of railway history with roots that may date back to the 1870s! Once used locally as a permanent-way and inspection cart, it has survived through Southern, LSWR, BR… all the way to its preservation here at Bodmin. These days, it’s kept safe at Bodmin General and brought out for special occasions — like this!
But don’t be fooled by its elegant looks... Camel is heavy, wobbly, and tough to push — so this challenge is no easy ride.
Come along and cheer on the team and soak up the atmosphere. Every push, every wobble, every mile makes a real difference to improving the experience for all our visitors.
We're wishing Clare, Emma, and Lizzie the very best of luck as they take on this truly unique challenge — one (very wobbly!) cart ride at a time.
To support their efforts, click here
Our best wishes to the team - good luck!
Wintertime HST
Phil 'Shattered' Smith
43090 leads a Virgin Trains service away from a snowy Bristol Parkway in 2001. Copyright Phil Smith.
A lovely scene - many thanks, Phil.
Trenowth Trains
Jon Hird
Despite the title of this article, the first photograph is infact slightly west of Trenowth. 43189 and 43198 cross Fal Viaduct heading west with 2C20 on 27.08.2025. Copyright Jon Hird.
Now at Trenowth, 802020 scurries east with 2E15 (the 1250 Penzance - Exeter St. Davids). 27.08.2025, copyright Jon Hird.
A short while later, I was rewarded with another 'Castle Class' HST. 43098 leads 2P16 with 43042 on the rear. 27.08.2025, copyright Jon Hird.
Spinning around for a going-away shot of 43042 tailing 2P16 as the train heads on towards Fal Viaduct. 27.08.2025, copyright Jon Hird.