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Gardens in the sky

‘A4’ No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley attracts plenty of attention as it prepares to depart Grosmont on March 22, during its recent spell on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

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Managing ‘Gresley’

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Newly overhauled ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35005 Canadian Pacific, minus its smoke deflectors, steam pipe cladding, nameplates and smokebox numberplate, in steam in Ropley yard on the Mid-Hants Railway on March 1. JEREMY DE SOUZA

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Canadian Pacific returns to steam at Mid-Hants

‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado passes through Skipton en route to Carnforth on March 7. EDDIE BOBROWSKI

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Tornado joins West Coast, but no-show for East Lancs gala

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Stockton & Darlington: Better than the first

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#### While it is relatively simple to re-purpose former stations, sheds and signal boxes into something else, other legacy structures are a bit more complicated. Just what do you do with a redundant railway bridge, for example? _Steam Railway_ takes a look at a few notable examples to find out.

The idea of a linear park isn’t new. It probably originated in the United States, creating a public green space which is longer than it is wide. This means it is ideally suited to re-purposing landscape features such as redundant railway lines.

The first elevated linear park was the Promenade Plantée in Paris, which follows the former Chemin de fer de Vincennes which closed in 1969 after only 90 years of operation. Opening in 1993, it was designed by prominent landscape architect Jacques Vergely and architect Philippe Matthieux.

Perhaps the most famous elevated urban park is the High Line in New York – a 1.45-mile long elevated park which re-uses an abandoned section of the New York Central Railroad, and which opened in phases between 2009 and 2014. Chicago has the three-mile Bloomingdale Trail, while in Britain, Bath Linear Park re-uses a disused section of the old Somerset & Dorset Railway trackbed. What was lacking, however, was a UK equivalent of the Promenade Plantée. Enter the National Trust and the Castlefield Viaduct.

Castlefield is the ancient heart of Manchester where the Romans built their fort and where, over a millennium later, George Stephenson laid out the first inter-city railway and its station at Liverpool Road. Already a vibrant transport hub thanks to the Bridgwater and Rochdale canals and their attendant warehouses, Castlefield became a key element to the expanding transport links which served the growing Cottonopolis. Even today, Castlefield is a convergence of road, rail and canal, the area being bisected by not only the main line toward Liverpool and Altrincham, but the Metrolink heading into Salford, re-using the Cornbrook Viaduct built in 1877 by the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC). Its northern partner, also built by the CLC, remained desolate and unloved from 1969 to 2022. That said, it provided the backdrop for many film and TV productions, including _Coronation Street_ and _Peaky Blinders_, where it stood in for industrial Birmingham in the 1920s.

Castlefield Viaduct was built by the Cheshire Lines Committee, a joint line administered by the Great Northern, Midland, and Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire railways (latterly Great Central). The CLC opened its new Central station in 1880, with the new viaduct being built to relieve congestion from the existing Cornbrook Viaduct by providing freight-only lines. It was estimated in 1893 that “as many as 350 or 400 trains will then pass over the structure, in each twenty-four hours” with sufficient capacity to include an additional 100 trains per hour in the future.

In order to span Castlefield, the CLC approached Heenan and Froude, the engineers who built the iconic Blackpool Tower, to construct the new 56-arch viaduct. The 330m long viaduct was completed in 1893, and one Manchester newspaper report declared it “a triumph of engineering skill”, and stated that “some notion may be formed of the nature and importance of \[the viaduct\] from the fact that the total cost has amounted to £250,000.” The _Manchester Evening News_ in June 1893 reported that the new viaduct was load-tested by parking 12 locomotives “representing an average weight of seventy tons each” on the eight-span steel viaduct during its inspection by the Board of Trade, “and gave satisfaction.”

Following disuse in 1969, time and a lack of substantive maintenance had not been kind to the viaduct, something not helped by Manchester’s wet weather. In the care of what was then British Railways Board (Residuary), the Grade II-listed structure was by the early 21st Century in poor condition with rusting metal and rotting concrete being observed falling from it. Given the risks, BRB(R) established a project to make it safe, but owing to the number of affected property owners, consultations and planning approvals took around a year until work could begin to repair the iconic structure. This also included an ecological survey, looking for any bats which called the disused viaduct home and thus had to be protected, as well as the abundant plant life on the bridge deck, and for any rare or protected species. Thankfully there was neither, and work began in 2009, descaling, removing flaking paint and corrosion products; making brick work and pointing safe, removing plants and roots, and waterproofing the deck. Although – due to the small budget available – this was a short-term fix, the 2009 programme of works safeguarded the future of the viaduct, enabling it to become Britain’s first elevated urban linear park, thanks to the intervention of the National Trust.

Inspired by the New York High Line, during 2021 the National Trust unveiled plans to turn the Castlefield Viaduct in to a 150-metre-long linear urban park, albeit a temporary one, at a cost of £1.8 million. The Castlefield ‘Sky Park’ is the result of the partnership between Highways England (which cares for the structure), the National Trust, and the Castlefield Forum, the local community group.

Worked carried out on the viaduct included strengthening the deck, as in the words of Highways England engineer Fiona Smith who has responsibility for the structure: “The viaduct’s iron structure has more than enough strength to support the visitor centre and the hundreds of daily visitors walking over the top of it. But the deck that previously carried the railway tracks wasn’t designed to entertain so much weight. Our designers had to think about how they would spread the load and make sure anything heavy was supported adequately across its metal beams.” Not all the viaduct required strengthening work, but the work required listed building consent. It first opened to visitors in summer 2022 and saw 50,000 visitors during the next 12 months. This success meant that in July 2023 planning permission was extended to keep the park open until Autumn 2024. Plans for the next phase, making the park permanent as well as an extension, were announced by the National Trust in June and September 2024. Project manager Nichola Jacques described the extension was aimed at creating “a bigger, bolder and more beneficial green space” which will utilise the full length of the viaduct, to create a 330m-long linear park. The new designs also introduce a second entry and exit point on the west side of the Mancunian Way, offering a more accessible route into the park via a lift and stairway. This extended park will feature paths winding through planting which, it is hoped, will encourage visitors to slow down and connect with their surroundings – a moment of calm above the bustling city below.

The National Trust has already secured £400,000 from National Highways’ Users and Communities Designated Funds programme, and a planning application was submitted in September 2024. Manchester Council approved the application for the £3m scheme in April this year, and the National Trust is already seeking partners to fill the funding gap.

Castlefield Viaduct project manager Nichola Jacques said the approval was a “positive step towards realising our bigger plans, and those of our partners and supporters… The viaduct gives us an opportunity to create an accessible green space for the 50,000 residents living within a 20-minute walk of the area.”

Over the hills and far away in Leeds, Monk Bridge – a fragment of the former Leeds Central station – has also seen an urban renaissance. Originally built in 1847 by the Leeds & Dewsbury Railway to a design of Thomas Grainger, it was built to span the River Aire and Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Only a 200-metre section of the viaduct was preserved after closure of Leeds Central which, other than the waggon lift which forms the focus of Wellington Place, has been wiped from the cityscape of Leeds.

Thoughts of creating an elevated urban linear Park in Leeds, on the lines of the Promenade Plantée, appeared in 2017 which would see the re-use of the Holbeck Viaduct, of which more anon. Monk Bridge Viaduct was not part of this plan, but in 2019 it was ear-marked to play a crucial role as part of _The Junction_ waterside development project by Highline Investments.

The redevelopment of the former industrial part of Leeds involved the construction of five high-rise residential blocks and, crucially, the revival of the viaduct itself. Work on the viaduct began in 2022, led by the Nurture Group which saw the re-use of the deck as a linear park “complete with winding pathways, inviting seating areas, and lush greenery. The true stars of this transformation are the trees. Carefully planted to enhance the greenery, they blend harmoniously with the revitalised urban park. Multiple seating areas provide space for relaxation, while a new path encourages pedestrians and cyclists to explore and enjoy.” Access is provided through both lifts and stairs to make the park open to all users, ‘granting the public the chance to marvel at the city from a truly unique vantage point.”

Regeneration of the bridge has also seen the arches beneath it put to new use. Nurture Group notes that these “are set to become vibrant hubs of activity, housing bars, restaurants, and shops that will breathe new life into this historic structure.” About the transformation of Monk Bridge, Nurture Group said: “The Monk Bridge viaduct now stands not only as a testament to architectural and landscape innovation but also as a symbol of Leeds’ commitment to preserving its rich history while embracing a greener, more sustainable future.”

More ambitious than the Castlefield Viaduct or Monk Bridge is the £2m community-led proposal to turn the former Holbeck Viaduct in Leeds into a linear park. The mile-long structure which stretches from Granary Wharf in the city centre, and ends close to Elland Road – home of Leeds United – has not seen rail movements since 1988, but would be brought into community use as a green space and active travel route. The first suggestion to use the viaduct as an urban park came in the 2000s as part of the regeneration of Holbeck, and the present community-led project was begun in 2013. A pre-feasibility report was produced in 2017, which John Paddington, from the Holbeck Viaduct Project, said proved the scheme was “very much feasible.”

Constructed by the LNWR in 1882, the 92arch viaduct meanders its way through a former industrial part of Leeds and would provide a much-needed ‘green lung’ in that part of the city. As the pre-feasibility report notes, it would become a key link in the regeneration of ‘South Bank Leeds’, “providing a catalyst for development and community engagement.” Concept art shows walkways and planting along the bridge deck, with access provided by stairs and lifts to ‘create a vibrant green space for everyone to enjoy.’

Now a CIC, the Holbeck Viaduct Project has the vision to create the longest elevated linear park in Britain which would boost sustainable travel, boost the local economy and provide a much-needed green space for leisure and recreation with spaces under the arches to be developed for community and retail space. Unfortunately for the project, uncertainty over whether HS2 will come to Leeds as well as proposals for West Yorkshire Mass Transit systems meant that things have been on hold.

The Kingsland Viaduct in Shoreditch was built by the North London Railway in the 1860s to allow the railway to run into Broad Street station, next to Liverpool Street station. However, when Broad Street closed in 1986, it too closed. In recent years, the northern half of the viaduct came back into use as the London Overground, but the southern end was left derelict. But, as in Leeds, regeneration and new housing developments saw the disused part of the viaduct re-purposed into an urban park on the bridge deck, with the arches beneath becoming home to various commercial units. Access is provided with lifts and stairs providing entry to a small urban oasis next to the busy Great Eastern Street. It is laid out with paths, planters and play areas, with trees providing shade and habitats for birds.

The Bennerley Viaduct, although not a linear park per se, was restored to new life in 2022 following its closure in 1968, opening to pedestrians and cyclists at a cost of £1.7m with the funding coming from Railway Paths, the Railway Heritage Trust, and others. Saved from demolition twice in 1975 and 1980, it was placed on the Heritage at Risk register since 2007 and was thought to be in danger of collapse. A condition report was prepared in 2016 which showed the viaduct was in better than condition than previously thought, and in the following year the Heritage Lottery Fund gave a grant to the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct, a group working alongside the owner Railway Paths, promoting the history, repair and re-use of the viaduct. Finally, in 2019, Historic England provided £120,000 toward the restoration.

The wrought iron structure was in poor condition with extensive work being required to the ironwork, the bases of the piers, and abutments and partial reconstruction of the parapets at the eastern end. The embankment at the western end was rebuilt to provide ramped access from the Erewash Canal towpath, and steps were built from the eastern end. In January 2023, funding was awarded towards creating ramped access from the western end. The viaduct provides a spectacular vantage point for the Erewash valley, as well as providing nature habitats and encouraging green travel.

Redundant railway architecture may present many problems for re-use and adaptation, but as the Castlefield Viaduct and Monk Bridge show, with a little imagination and community engagement even something as unloved or as massive as a Victorian viaduct can come back into use, provide community space, green space and gardens in the sky in areas of our city centres which need them most. Castlefield Viaduct has been a triumphant success and shows there is new life in old bridges yet.

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No.60007  
Keeping a main line steam locomotive running on the national network is no small feat, particularly in the heavily regulated world of 2025. So, how does the team managing one of the scene’s undisputed celebrities – ‘A4’ _Sir Nigel Gresley_ – manage?  
**WORDS AND PICTURES: TREVOR CAMP (EXCEPT WHERE NOTED)**

‘A4’ No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley attracts plenty of attention as it prepares to depart Grosmont on March 22, during its recent spell on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. BRIAN HALL

  
It is 4.30am on a dark, chilly, damp and very misty morning as I join the westbound M62 and head up and over the Pennine hills of West Yorkshire. I need to drive 90 miles to Crewe by 7am to meet up with the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Company (SNGLC) Locomotive Engineer, Darrin Crone, for whom these early starts are a way of life.  
If everything went to plan, Locomotive Services Limited’s (LSL) own ‘A4’, No. 4464 _Bittern_, would have arrived overnight by road transporter from storage in Margate for the start of her overhaul back to operational main line working. LSL has entrusted this overhaul to the SNGLC engineering team after the team’s exceptional work in overhauling their own ‘A4’ locomotive, No. 60007 _Sir Nigel Gresley_. The boiler will be removed at Crewe for overhaul by LSL’s own boilersmiths and the rest of the locomotive would then be transported by road to LSL’s new North Yorkshire base, where she would be reunited with her tender which had gone there directly from Margate.

SNGLC Locomotive Engineer Darrin Crone (right) looks on as ‘A4’ No. 4464 Bittern is unloaded at LSL’s Crewe workshops on February 28, ahead of its long-awaited overhaul which will be managed jointly by LSL and the SNGLC.

  
Since the move from the National Railway Museum in York to LSL’s workshops in Crewe after Covid in 2020 to complete the overhaul of _Sir Nigel Gresley_, the working relationship between SNGLC and LSL has blossomed into a strong bond of mutual respect, which has benefited both teams. This bond was born early in the relationship, when LSL officials met Darrin at the NRM to discuss the future operational contract, and they saw first-hand the quality and exacting standards of Darrin and his team. This led to discussions about the _Bittern_ overhaul starting long before No. 60007’s move from the NRM to Crewe, and was an early sign of the developing working relationship.  
Darrin’s team’s knowledge, impeccable standards, professionalism, and ability led to LSL asking SNGLC to conduct the _Bittern_ overhaul and, subsequently, suitable premises near Northallerton in North Yorkshire were acquired and fitted out. The 100% oreliability of ‘SNG’ throughout 2024 was a proud achievement for the team, and with the now increased workload of the two locomotives, Darrin wants to further strengthen the team with a salaried assistant engineer.

Recently repainted into its familiar BR express passenger blue livery, Sir Nigel Gresley undergoes a successful steam test at its new Crewe home on March 8 2023.

  
**A railwayman’s oasis**  
Passing through the security gates at LSL’s Crewe locomotive depot, you are at once transported to a nostalgic period in railway history, with a Class 47 diesel engine idly ticking over, the rakes of immaculately turned-out coaches from the 194080s era, and a wonderful mix of steam, diesel and electric locomotives from an even wider range of years. There is an intoxicating aroma of railway smells that greets you as soon as you step out of the car, no doubt enhanced by the still, windless, misty atmosphere which is slowly changing minute by minute as night turns slowly into day. A railwayman’s oasis is a world away from the urban commute slowly emerging in the surrounding area, and a privileged moment to savour.  
It is now 6.35am. Almost 30 minutes early, I’m wondering if Darrin is here yet, so I call him and the answer is, “Yes, I’m in the coach, where are you?” I reply, “Walking through the running shed.” “Really? I’ll put the kettle on. Is _Bittern_ there yet?” “No, I can’t see her,” I disappointedly respond, and you cannot really hide a ten-wheeled trailer and tractor unit carrying 103 tons of locomotive in the car park (168 tons with tender). So, climbing into our support coach, I am met by Darrin with my cup of tea from the adapted kitchen in the guard’s area. We retire to the warmth of the oil-filled radiator comfort of the First Class compartment that is often Darrin’s second home, and lament over the missing locomotive.  
After half an hour or so, we open the curtains to find the night has now turned into day and the floodlit scene is beginning to be replaced by long shadows of light and dark from the shafts of low sunlight piercing through the morning mist. Yes, as if by magic, _Bittern_ has arrived! The huge transporter has completed its overnight trip and is being expertly reversed down the several hundreds of yards into position to unload its precious cargo. My job of photographically documenting the event and Darrin’s job of overseeing the unloading with LSL staff could now begin, and it is only 7.30am!

Darrin Crone leans from No. 60007’s cab.

  
**Opportunity of a lifetime**  
A few weeks later, I get the chance for a longer chat with Darrin over a coffee, lemon drizzle cake and his beloved Jammie Dodgers. He freely admits he loves his work as he is being paid for doing what would be his hobby had he any other job. How good is that? Having spent 10 years watching him work at his hobby, I can also freely admit to knowing how good that is for him. It does all seem very glamorous, but it comes with a huge chunk of responsibility and commitment. He tells me a story from an incident on one main line trip when disaster was narrowly averted. About to collect several hundred passengers who have all spent several hundred pounds to ride on the main line behind ‘SNG’, he noticed the air pressure gauge for the coach braking system rising uncontrollably. A fix was required or the trip would be cancelled at the eleventh hour as no back-up steam locomotive was available. The compressed air system is a modern addition for the hostile environment of a 1937-built steam locomotive, and it was designed for the comparatively clean environment of a diesel locomotive. The control valve is underneath the cab floor above, over which coal is constantly being transferred from tender to firebox, so could it be coal dust in the valve? There’s only one way to check, and the clock is ticking. Run late and you risk a network fine, not to mention delaying main line services. So, Darrin and his support crew got a wrench and removed the cover to check. Staying calm and thinking logically, he finally breathed a huge sigh of relief as, at the second attempt, he found and removed an offending single speck of dust, which was enough to affect the valve seal, thus allowing the pressure to return to normal.  
The mental demands and stress put the job way beyond being just a hobby. Staying calm under pressure is an absolute necessity; panicking is not an option. Even when being watched by the locomotive crew and traction inspector while looking at their watches.  
This job is not for a railway enthusiast with engineering ability, but for an engineer with railway enthusiasm. Someone who knows his Whitworth from his metric, his left hand from his right hand, and can drill and tap out.  
Darrin does have the support of volunteers: Richard Swales, who is CME (Chief Mechanical Engineer), Andy Barwick and Phil Gillespie, all of whom are qualified ‘Duty Engineers.’ Not forgetting the other volunteers, along with the excellent team at LSL. But the addition of a full-time assistant engineer is now a priority. Like Darrin, any assistant would have to be extremely flexible regarding hours worked and availability, as well as being comfortable in periods away from home when on tour and/or visiting heritage railways, as the accommodation is often a compartment in the support coach.

Darrin cleans No. 60007’s distinctive streamlined smokebox ahead of a Steam Dreams tour from York to Edinburgh on November 23 2023. Keeping the ‘A4’ fit aesthetically is just as important as looking after it mechanically.

  
**Attention to detail**  
Darrin talks me through the long hours of a hypothetical operational railtour day. A departure from a London terminus would require relocation of the locomotive from the Crewe base (after the Fitness to Run – or FTR – assessment has been completed and signed off) at least the day before to the London LSL facility in Southall, necessitating an overnight stay after a probable late evening arrival followed by an early morning start around 5am. A comprehensive locomotive inspection and preparation – which includes oiling and cleaning, stoking the overnight warming fire to raise the boiler pressure to operational level, running and checking all the systems are working correctly – would then be required. Hopefully, everything goes to plan, so when the footplate crew of driver and fireman arrive, you are all set to go and collect the coaching stock on the timings of the distributed network pathway, so any last-minute problems need to be resolved quickly. You have a scheduled path to keep, not to mention a platform of fare-paying customers not to disappoint. You will stay for the duration of the trip, offering the footplate crew engineering support and being available as and when needed, particularly at all the water stops. The corridor tender of ‘Gresley’ comes in extremely useful here, offering the ability to move from the footplate to comfortable seats in the support coach.

Darrin Crone gets his hands dirty inside Sir Nigel Gresley’s firebox in February 2016, while its overhaul was under way at the National Railway Museum in York.

  
It is an oasis of comparative calm, offering a chance for a cuppa and even a Jammie Dodger, or possibly a few minutes snoozing after the full-on, hectic earlier 24-or-so hours, even though you are always listening to the sound of the locomotive listening for anything out of the ordinary.  
And so, the first half of your Duty Engineer shift has passed. All has gone well, so nothing much left to do except the whole thing again for the return journey. After an exceptionally long day, the passengers disembark at their final destination, but you are not finished just yet, as the locomotive needs to be returned to Southall and, ultimately, back to Crewe, depending on the schedules, which may require a longer stay away. This is anything but a regular job, but an incredibly special role which comes with huge responsibilities yet offers exceptional job satisfaction. If your circumstances allow you to make what can be a career-defining commitment – as Darrin did at the age of 50 when he felt his engineering career needed a fresh challenge – this could be your opportunity.

Darrin Crone climbs up underneath between the main driving wheels with an oil can to attend to one of Sir Nigel Gresley’s small ends at Crewe on May 12.

  
The days when people see ‘SNG’ in operation are sandwiched between many days of maintenance, preparation, testing and many auditable levels of certification/accreditation, including FTR. Darrin explains that the FTR test is a very demanding examination carried out by an independent examiner, and it is usually left until the day before a trip, so the clock is ticking if anything requires fixing. But he goes on to point out that you really can’t do an FTR any earlier, as the fire needs to be lit and the boiler brought up to pressure to carry out the test. Unlike a diesel or electric locomotive, where you can just switch it off, it would be expensive, time-consuming and simply not practical to do that with a steam engine. As important as it is, the FTR is just one of the many procedures that are routinely carried out to enable main line operations.

Darrin Crone, with the smokebox door open ready to be cleaned out of ashes, discusses future work with LSL’s Mark O’Brien.

  
There are many procedures that need to be undertaken and administered to follow operational fitness and safety. A major attribute, and a big part of Darrin’s job that goes on in the background unnoticed by the fare-paying passengers or the trackside enthusiasts, is administration involving the ability to work with the many other bodies involved, which is as important to the job as the hands-on tasks. Another often commented on factor is the excellent cosmetic condition Darrin absolutely insists ‘SNG’ is kept in by his team of volunteers, supervised by his own acute attention to detail. I can attest to this, having on occasions put my camera down only to find it quickly replaced with polish and cleaning rags. He sets the bar high in all aspects of looking after ‘SNG’, and this will undoubtedly not have gone unnoticed by LSL which will not for one minute expect anything different with _Bittern_. While it’s still some way off, there is a palpable excitement of seeing both _Sir Nigel Gresley_ and _Bittern_ running together. The experience gleaned by Darrin and his team from the Covid-interrupted overhaul of No. 60007 will be invaluable during the overhaul of _Bittern_, which will undoubtedly be aided by the excellent support and help available from the LSL team.

  
**Clean and unclean**  
The move from the NRM’s workshops in York to complete No. 60007’s overhaul at LSL in Crewe was brought about by Covid-19 delaying the overhaul and the NRM’s own redevelopment plans. The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust was incredibly grateful for the LSL gesture offering its facilities to complete the overhaul, which gave the opportunity for the teams to work together and familiarise themselves with each other before the return to traffic in 2022.  
A new learning curve evolved as the operations from a main line depot on busy main lines is vastly different from the operations on a heritage railway line. One of the key issues was volunteer availability, as with most of the team based in North-East England, overnight, two-day or longer visits became the norm instead of the usual oneday visits to Grosmont. The Crewe base eventually attracted some new volunteers who lived nearer and could do the usual one-day visits. However, the new North Yorkshire base will require teams at both locations, initially working on _Sir Nigel Gresley_ at Crewe and _Bittern_ in North Yorkshire.

Nigel Hoskison writes up his water analysis reports.

  
Since ‘SNG’ came back into traffic in 2022 after overhaul, she has been working a mix of main line and heritage railways, recently returning to LSL at Crewe from a very successful few weeks on the NYMR. The stay on the NYMR was very well supported by the NYMR team and the trust’s own volunteers. The return to Crewe was delayed due to unseasonal dry weather, creating a lineside fire risk and affecting steam train operations. Ultimately, this led to a return journey in light steam coupled with an LSL Class 37 diesel providing the main power.  
A few days later, I also went back to Crewe where Darrin requested that I observe additional behind-the-scenes work. Phil Gillespie had been assigned the task of cleaning out the smokebox ashes and Nigel Hoskison walked me through the technical water testing process. Two opposite ends of the cleanliness scale; I was incredibly protective towards my camera and lens from the gritty ashes of the smokebox cleaning, while the water analysis and treatment had to be done in a far cleaner environment. Nigel explains that he carries out three tests which are all aimed at preserving the working life of the boiler by reducing as much as possible the effects of corrosion and contamination. Tests are carried out not only from the water in the boiler but the water in the tender, as the water characteristics change from area to area. The three tests are a pH test and treatment, which is carried out to minimise acidic corrosion; TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and treatment to reduce ‘priming’ (foaming), which left untreated reduces the steam-making capability of the boiler; and a tannin test and treatment to control dissolved oxygen thus reducing the effects of corrosion.  
Darrin then took me down into the pit below ‘Gresley’ where, armed with an oil can, he disappeared up between the main drive wheels to lubricate a small end, and I tried valiantly to follow with my camera without a great deal of success. Darrin had planned to carry out work involving the removal of the connecting rods today, but that would have to wait due to availability of volunteers on the day. Nonetheless, the day gave me a good insight into the behindthescenes maintenance requirements of operational working compared to my many previous days documenting the work during the overhaul in my book, _The Overhaul Picture_. The work at Crewe will now continue at a pace as the new season of main line trips fast approaches – Darrin estimates that for every hour running, there is 100 hours of maintenance and preparation.

Ian Foot (centre) presents SNGLT CME Richard Swales (left) and Darrin Crone (right) with a genuine ex-SNCF Flaman speed recorder during a ceremony at Pickering on March 27.

  
**Authenticity first**  
The mix of main line and heritage railway work averages 40 days a year, constituting a little over 10% of a year. Not a lot, you may think, but that does not tell the full story. You need to factor in all of the maintenance and tasks to be undertaken by the small team of Darrin and his volunteers compared to the large teams that British Railways and the LNER had available, and the fact that the locomotive is nearly 90 years old and far more complex than when built, with the addition of modern equipment such as On-Train Monitoring and Recording (OTMR) and the air system adding to the tasks.  
There is pressure for even more additions, but the trust wants to maintain authenticity. For example, the aforementioned air system is only for coach braking; the locomotive itself is still authentically vacuum-braked, and there are also plans to refit a recently acquired Flaman speed recorder which was in use prior to the Smith’s speedometer in 1959.  
The requirement for more advanced technology for main line operations will, inevitably, increase. This will strain the trust’s policy of staying as authentic as possible and will create a tipping point of whether to relax the policy and allow more technology in order to stay main line compatible, or stay authentic and only run on heritage railways which do not require all the higher levels of technology. There is currently a nice balance between main line and heritage running, but there will no doubt be decisions to be made and bridges to cross further down the line (pardon the puns). But for now, if you want to ride behind a main line steam locomotive on a main line you should, as Darrin told me, “Make hay while you can, and do so sooner rather than later.”

Sir Nigel Gresley in gleaming 1950s condition speeds north along the East Coast Main Line at Gamston Bank, south of Retford, with a recreation of the ‘Tyne-Tees Pullman’ on April 6 2024. ALAN WEAVER  
  
**Info**  
There is always room for more volunteers at both bases, so if you have the time and are interested in volunteering, or you are a suitably qualified engineer looking for a career-changing opportunity and feel you could meet the requirements of the full time Assistant Locomotive Engineer position, Darrin would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Darrin at _:a[darrin.crone@sirnigelgresley.org.uk]{href='mailto:darrin.crone@sirnigelgresley.org.uk' }_

**PART ONE**  
Fifty years ago, BR remarkably allowed steam to run to Shildon under its own power for the big S&D 150 event. HOWARD JOHNSTON witnessed it all, and now tries to rediscover the key exhibits.

Strict health and safety rules were a lower priority in 1975 when BR allowed uncertified steam locos back onto its main lines to attend the ‘Rail 150’ Cavalcade and Exhibition at Shildon during the Bank Holiday week of August 24-31.

Those were the days when inspections were not so rigorous to secure ten-year certificates. Indeed, it has been speculated that a couple of the locomotives that notched up hundreds of miles to get to the show had not even had their boilers lifted after coming out of Barry scrapyard. Having devoted months of logistical planning to get the engines and vintage rolling stock from across the country, including Scotland, BR had such confidence in the owners that it didn’t give much thought to diesel haulage. As with the Rainhill exhibition five years later, it was a treat for linesiders that can never be repeated.

Crowd management was also in its infancy half a century ago, and the organisers must be congratulated because there were no mishaps of any consequence, even though an estimated 250,000 travelled to the North East for the spectacle. Steam had only ended on BR steam seven years previously in August 1968, and few were prepared for the sight of more than 30 polished engines running past them in a two-hour long show. However, whose bright idea was it to set out the tiered seating facing directly into the searing sun, which made photography near-impossible? People on the other side of the track who had not paid admission got the best views.

Eric Treacy, Bishop of Wakefield and one of our most revered steam photographers, was among those overwhelmed by having such close contact with engines he recalled from the 1940s and 1950s. He also admitted his disappointment at a few notable absentees. He mourned the lack of an LMS ‘Duchess/Coronation’ 462, but there were none available (No. 6229 _Duchess of Hamilton_ was fresh out of Butlin’s holiday camp at Minehead and in a shabby state, and No. 6233 _Duchess of Sutherland_ was still at Bressingham). Also missing, he said, were a GWR ‘Castle ‘or ‘King’, because of weight and gauge clearance issues perhaps?

Those with a keen eye for celebrities at the private/press launch would have noticed British film actor Kenneth More, artist and engine owner David Shepherd, Bishop Treacy, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ creator and author the Rev Wilbert Awdry, and photographer Derek Cross. _Flying Scotsman_ owner Alan Pegler was also there, and part of the Cavalcade commentary team.

There was a universal dislike of BR’s prototype Class 252 High Speed Train, which arrived filthy and was too long to go through local carriage washers. Attempts to clean it by hand made matters worse because the handful of quickly allotted staff could only reach window height. Its appearance as the climax of the three-mile Cavalcade from Shildon to Heighington was met with loud ‘boos’.

At the end as well as the start, there were no crowd dispersal issues as people were routinely shuttled back to Darlington in sixteen 12-car DMUs.

Fifty years on, it is significant that one of the highly burnished Cavalcade engines – SR ‘S15’ No. 841 ‘Greene King’ – no longer exists, having been condemned with twisted frames, and surrendering its boiler to a classmate. The prototype High Speed Train has been also been disbanded, and one of its power cars was broken up in 1990. All the main line diesels that hauled the excursion trains have been scrapped (with two exceptions – Class 47s Nos. 47596 and 47727), and most of the shuttle DMUs likewise. Very few of the BR Mk 1 support coaches that arrived with steam are also still with us.

And 2025? Anyone considering assembling a similar locomotive line-up today would experience great difficulty. Many of the 1975 engines are unfit to run, have changed hands once or several times, and are at new locations. A handful have current main line certificates, but the rest are on static display in museums.

### **Main line, museum, and worse: What’s happened to the exhibits?**

_(Engines listed in order of appearance)_

#### **1975 No. 1** **_Locomotion_** **replica**

**1975:** Beamish  
**2025:** Ruddington  
**Status:** Operational  
A replica of the engine that hauled the first train over the S&DR in September 1825 was constructed at Beamish to deputise for the fragile original, which was clearly unable to be steamed for the Cavalcade. The creation of engineer Mike Satow, it has been widely travelled, including to the United States and Japan. Following recent restoration, Locomotion has been running trials on the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) at Ruddington. Its axles and chimney have been replaced, and firebox and motion repairs carried out. Beamish

#### **Bagnall ‘Austerity’ 060ST NCB No. 2502/7**

**1975:** Seaham  
**2025:** Marley Hill  
**Status:** Awaiting overhaul  
Industry was represented by a Hunslet-design ‘Austerity’ originally built for the Ministry of Supply (Works No. 2779, No. WD75256 at the Longmoor Military Railway), from Vane Tempest Colliery at Seaham, which closed in 1993. It was repainted with striped bufferbeams. The engine is now ‘Gamma’ at the close-by Tanfield Railway, and is stored at Marley Hill shed, painted black as its No. 20.

#### **LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 4767 (44767) ‘George Stephenson’**

**1975:** Thornaby  
**2025:** Carnforth  
**Status:** Under overhaul  
Ian Storey’s unique ‘Black Five’ with Stephenson link motion was named ‘George Stephenson’ at Shildon on August 25 by William Whitelaw MP (grandson of an LNER Chairman, and later Conservative Deputy Prime Minister) to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, and it still carries the plates. No. 44767 has visited many preserved lines since then and enjoyed long periods on the main line, including many stints on the Fort William-Mallaig run. Last steamed in 2014, it was sold to the West Coast Railway Company in 2018, and new cylinders and a tender tank are on the repairs list. Thornaby

#### **NER ‘T2’ 080 No. 2238 (63395)**

**1975:** NYMR  
**2025:** NYMR  
**Status:** Under repair  
The unglamorous LNER ‘Q6’ heavy freight engine arrived at Shildon from Grosmont in a trio that also included ‘K1’ No. 2005 and ‘P3’ No. 2392, having recently undergone a mechanical overhaul and large flue tube replacement. The journey included a stop at Thornaby depot for attention to its tender. Withdrawn in 1982, it returned to steam again in 2008. It is currently being fitted with a new right-hand cylinder, after its original item failed in May 2023, and the 0-8-0 is expected to return to service soon. NYMR

#### **NER ‘P3’ 0-6-0 No. 2392 (65894)**

**1975:** NYMR  
**2025:** NYMR  
**Status:** Operational  
The last of a class of 115 sturdy engines that saw out North Eastern steam in September 1967, the ‘J27’ spent many years allocated to York. After an initial overhaul, it was withdrawn immediately after the cavalcade for boiler repairs, and has been on hire to such diverse places as the Llangollen, Bo’ness & Kinneil, and Nene Valley railways. Its most recent overhaul was completed in 2018, outshopped in BR condition as No. 65894 with a new tender body and steam-heating equipment, and was repainted into the LNER condition as No. 2392 in 2023.

#### **LNER ‘K1’ 2-6-0 No. 2005 (62005)**

**1975:** NYMR  
**2025:** Carnforth  
**Status:** Under overhaul  
The restoration of the engine that precariously finished up its BR career as a stationary boiler was completed by NELPG members at Thornaby depot a year before the cavalcade. It was painted in non authentic lined-out LNER Apple green livery, later changed to standard BR lined black. No. 62005 has been a main line stalwart over the ensuing decades and a regular sight on the West Highland line. Last steamed in 2021, it is close to the end of a half-million-pound rebuild that includes major firebox work and new tyres, and should be back in service later this year, returning to its familiar ‘Jacobite’ duties. NYMR

#### **Caledonian Railway ‘439’ 0-4-4T No. 419 (55189)**

**1975:** Falkirk  
**2025:** Bo’ness  
**Status:** Operational  
The popular (and colourful) Scottish McIntosh ‘439’ class suburban passenger tank had already been restored, in 1971, before it was selected for participation at Shildon, and it partnered LNER ‘D49’ No. 246 Morayshire for the exhilarant main line run south. The 0-4-4T has been a roving ambassador for the Scottish Railway Preservation Society over the years, having paid visits to such diverse places as the Churnet, Chinnor & Princes Risborough, Bluebell and Spa Valley railways. Its most recent overhaul was completed in October 2018 and it is currently being repainted into LMS Crimson Lake as No. 15189. Falkirk

#### **LNER ‘D49’ 4-4-0 No. 246 (62712)** _**Morayshire**_

**1975:** Falkirk  
**2025:** Bo’ness  
**Status:** Under overhaul  
The ‘D49s’ were once common in the North East, but _Morayshire_ – the final ‘D49’ in BR service – ended its working life in Scotland, from where it steamed from on August 4 1975 with Caledonian No. 419 and three vintage coaches Eyebrows were raised at _Morayshire_’s distinctive, almost dayglow, shade of LNER green paint. The 440’s original Falkirk base was closed in favour of the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway in 1979, and No. 246 continued running on the main line until 1983. Last steamed in 2015, its overhaul is currently ongoing at Bo’ness.

**1975:** Tyseley  
**2025:** Tyseley  
**Status:** Awaiting overhaul  
As London Transport No. L94, No. 7752 famously hauled the last steam train on the ‘Met’ in June 1971 and was repainted in full GWR unlined green for the 1975 cavalcade. It travelled under its own power from Tyseley, combining with Ivatt ‘2MT’ No. 41241 and a rake of three Keighley & Worth Valley coaches at York. Since then, No. 7752 has run often on the main line and worked on other railways, but bowed out of traffic in late 2021 for overhaul.

#### **GWR ‘Manor’ 460 No. 7808** _**Cookham Manor**_

**1975:** Didcot  
**2025:** Didcot  
**Status:** Static display  
Although the longest preserved ‘Manor’ and the only one of the nine survivors to have been purchased directly from BR, No. 7808 is not on any priority list to return to steam in the foreseeable future, having last been used in 1983. _Cookham Manor_ was in sound mechanical shape for its 500-mile round trip from Didcot to the North East in 1975, arriving in splendid fashion at the head of a rake of five veteran coaches.

#### **GWR ‘Modified Hall’ 460 No. 6960** _**Raveningham Hall**_

**1975:** Carnforth  
**2025:** Margate  
**Status:** Awaiting overhaul  
It only took three years to restore this wartime ‘Hall’ from Barry condition to become a Shildon Cavalcade participant, and a few questions were asked about its overall suitability after it failed twice on its journey north from its then-base at Carnforth. It was a familiar sight on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire, Severn Valley, and West Somerset railways over the intervening years. No. 6960 last steamed in July 2021 and its currently in storage at owner Jeremy Hosking’s One:One Collection in Margate, awaiting its turn in the overhaul queue.

#### **LNER ‘V2’ 262 No. 4771 (60800)** **_Green Arrow_**

**1975:** Carnforth  
**2025:** Danum Gallery, Library & Museum, Doncaster  
**Status:** Static display  
The Gresley ‘V2’ was shunted from pillar to post in the eight years following its initial restoration into LNER Apple green at Doncaster in early 1963. Once intended for display at a museum in Leicester, it was returned to working condition at Norwich shed, and later based at Carnforth for main line use from 1973. It was therefore easy for it to motor over to Shildon with four support coaches. Carnforth Time was called for _Green Arrow_ in 2008 owing to its cracked cylinder monobloc, and in February 2021 it was relocated to the Danum Gallery, Library & Museum at Doncaster. Although the National Railway Museum has not ruled out a return to steam, as yet there are no plans to overhaul No. 4771.

#### **LNER ‘B1’ 460 No. 1306 (61306) ‘Mayflower’**

**1975:** Carnforth  
**2025:** Crewe  
**Status:** Operational  
The expected treat of the arrival at Shildon of ‘Mayflower’ double-heading GWR No. 6960 _Raveningham Hall_ on August 11 1975 failed to materialise because the ‘Hall’ was taken off at York with a hot box. The BR-built ‘B1’ had been transformed with a repaint from BR black to smart LNER lined Apple green with a red nameplate. The ‘B1’ has since had extensive main line use, and changed hands a number of times, notably to Gerald Boden, David Buck and, in 2022, to Jeremy Hosking. It is now part of his Locomotive Services Group and a regular sight at the head of Saphos Trains railtours.

#### **LMS ‘8F’ 280 No. 8233 (48773)**

**1975:** Severn Valley Railway  
**2025:** Severn Valley Railway  
**Status:** Static display  
The remarkable Second World War and BR end of steam veteran already had seven years of preservation service under its belt by the time of the 1975 cavalcade, having arrived at the Severn Valley Railway direct from BR in full working order, and it hauled trains during its official reopening in May 1970. After some necessary mechanical attention, the Stanier 280 appeared at Shildon in the guise of No. 8233, its original LMS number, and worked from the SVR to Shildon with Ivatt ‘4MT’ No. 43106 and three coaches in tow. No. 48773 has since enjoyed several stints in traffic, as well as main line use from the late 1980s until 2000, but has been silent since its boiler ticket expired in January 2008. It is currently on show at The Engine House at Highley; an estimated £1 million is needed to revive it. Severn Valley Railway

#### **War Department ‘Austerity’ 2 10 0 No. 600** _**Gordon**_

**1975:** Severn Valley Railway  
**2025:** Severn Valley Railway  
**Status:** Static display  
A somewhat colourful entry owing to its blue and red livery, applied while in service at the Longmoor Military Railway, _Gordon_ (named after General Gordon of Khartoum) was intended for war service overseas, but never made it beyond Southampton. Initially restored at the SVR in 1972, it did, however, get to Shildon, under its own power, and again to Rainhill in 1980. The Riddles 2 10 0 has had two ‘tickets’ in preservation, from 1972 until 1984, and 1990 until 1999, and is another static exhibit at the SVR’s Highley Engine House. An eventual return to steam is currently a long-term prospect.

#### **Metropolitan Railway Bo Bo No. 12** _**Sarah Siddons**_

**1975:** Ruislip  
**2025:** Ruislip  
**Status:** Operational  
Mentioned for completeness is the Metropolitan Railway electric locomotive _Sarah Siddons_, which needed a tow from London to Shildon behind Class 25 diesel No. 25263, It came with a 1973 Piccadilly Line three-car unit, consisting of vehicles Nos. 165, 365 and 565, and the engine was towed in the cavalcade by ‘WD’ No. 600 _Gordon_. It is still a main line engine (it was repainted at Eastleigh last year) but has not run since 2019.

#### **LNER ‘A4’ 4 6 2 No. 4498 (60007)** _**Sir Nigel Gresley**_

**1975:** Philadelphia  
**2025:** Crewe  
**Status:** Operational  
The ever-present 100th Gresley ‘Streak’ was in fine fettle for its participation in the 1975 cavalcade (in LNER Garter blue livery), having only recently returned to main line action following the lifting of BR’s infamous steam ban in 1971. Bowing out for overhaul the month after the cavalcade, _Sir Nigel Gresley_ has been an almost omnipresent sight on the main line and heritage railways in the years since, and emerged from its most recent overhaul in March 2022. However, it hasn’t appeared in LNER Garter Blue since the mid-1990s, having carried lined BR blue almost exclusively ever since, aside from a brief stint in LNER wartime black,

#### **GNR Stirling ‘Single’ 422 No. 1**

**1975:** NRM, York  
**2025:** NRM, York  
**Status:** Static display  
The iconic GNR single wheeler was not in steam at the cavalcade, but hauled by No. 4498 _Sir Nigel Gresley_. There had been a minor scare when it was derailed on the Darlington turntable soon after arrival on August 22, but no damage was done. A favourite of the late John Bellwood, the NRM’s CME, No. 1 was remarkably returned to steam at the Great Central Railway from 1981-82, and at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from 1983-85, before bowing out for good. Now a static exhibit again, one aesthetic change from its appearance at Shildon in 1975 was being paired with an authentic Stirling tender in May 2014, having spent decades paired with a non-authentic Sturrock vehicle.

#### **LNER ‘A3’ 462 No. 4472 (60103)** _**Flying Scotsman**_

**1975:** Carnforth  
**2025:** York  
**Status:** Operational  
Although it was already world-famous, Flying Scotsman had to compete for attention at Shildon with so much else to see. The engine had steamed in from Carnforth with LNWR 240 Hardwicke for company. The ‘A3’s’ career since 1975 is well documented and not worth repeating at length here, but its latest overhaul was completed in October 2022 and, after over a year spent on the side lines at both the National Railway Museum in York and Locomotion, Shildon, it has recently returned to full operational condition. However, it is as-yet unknown whether it will play an active role in the ‘Railway 200’ festivities, and it last appeared in single-chimney condition as No. 4472 in March 1993. Carnforth

**1975:** York  
**2025:** Shildon  
**Status:** Static display  
In its early years, the LNER was good at saving historic engines, and express passenger No. 910, the first of a class of 55, was laid aside for the 1925 S&D centenary procession. It had also appeared at the 1875 event. The 240 was present again half a century later for a third time, albeit not in steam but coupled behind _Flying Scotsman_. The engine remains in the National Collection, and after a spell on display back on ‘home territory’ at Kirkby Stephen East on the former Stainmore Route from 2011 until 2024, it is currently receiving cosmetic attention at Locomotion, Shildon.

#### **GNR ‘C2’ 442 No. 990** _**Henry Oakley**_

**1975:** York  
**2025:** York  
**Status:** Static display  
Britain’s first proper ‘Atlantic’, which always keeps the name of the Great Northern Railway general manager in our minds, had the honour of hauling Stirling ‘Single’ No. 1 along the East Coast Main Line to Shildon. No. 990, the first of Henry Ivatt’s 20 ‘Klondikes’ created the Doncaster family likeness that continued beyond his successor Gresley and right to the end of the LNER’s existence. Withdrawn from regular service in 1937, No. 990 was briefly reactivated at BR’s behest for two ‘Plant Centenarian’ railtours marking the 100th anniversary of Doncaster Works in 1953 before returning to static display. Revived for the 1975 cavalcade, it remarkably ran at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway from 1977-78 before bowing out for good. It is currently on display at the NRM in York.

In **Part 2,** we will continue exploring the 1975 locomotives, with details of the static exhibits, and the fate of some of the coaching stock.

Hybrid engines and bi-mode locomotives are nothing new. One of the most notorious examples of early experimentation into multiple fuels and ways of driving a locomotive was the Kitson-Still locomotive of 1928. Today largely forgotten, was this one-off 262T a total failure, or simply ahead of its time?

Main line steam came to an end in August 1968, rather later than many railway engineers had predicted at the start of that century. Around 1900, Francis Webb of the LNWR stated that the West Coast Main Line would be electrified within the next 10 years, while Vincent Raven made more concrete plans for the electrification of the East Coast Main Line between Newcastle and York, and Newcastle and Carlisle, and even built a locomotive.

But their hopes would take much longer to fulfil, largely thanks to the impact of the First World War and the Great Depression. How Britain’s railways eventually divested themselves of steam was the result of decades of political wrangling and engineering development, sometimes leading to dead ends and much wasted money on the way. One such dead end was the Kitson -Still locomotive.

Anyone who has stood next to a steam locomotive, or has worked on one, will know how hot they are. This is because, even with the boiler lagged, heat is still lost through thermal radiation. The external combustion engine is notoriously inefficient. Fuel is burned outside the engine – in the case of a steam locomotive, to boil water which makes steam. Heat, and thus energy, is lost at multiple stages, and doesn’t do any useful work of driving the engine.

Indeed, a reciprocating simple expansion non-condensing steam engine has an efficiency of between 1% to 7% at best. This is because the steam only pushes the piston once before it’s exhausted up the chimney; it has not given up all its energy, and like most of the heat from the fire, goes to waste. Energy is also lost through mechanical losses in converting the reciprocating motion of the piston in the cylinder to the rotary motion of the wheels.

Conversely, internal combustion engines burn their fuel inside the engine, usually in a cylinder which means more of the fuel is available to do work – invariably, push a piston up and down, just as the steam does in a steam engine. This makes them much more fuel efficient, from 11% to 45%. Even the least efficient petrol engine is more fuel-efficient than a steam engine.

Although the first known practical usage of an internal combustion engine goes to the Franco-Swiss engineer Francois Isaac de Rivaz in 1804, it is arguably German inventor Niklaus Otto who is best remembered for his work with internal combustion engines, developing the four-stroke cycle in 1876. The four-stroke cycle works like this: admission, compression, power, exhaustion. Or: suck, squeeze, bang, blow. The four-stroke cycle increased the efficiency and power output of the internal combustion engine.

Two main types of internal combustion engines were developed: petrol and diesel, the latter developed by Rudolph Diesel. Both work on the four-stroke cycle devised by Otto but differ in how the fuel is ignited to create the power stroke. With a petrol engine, an electric spark is used, but in the diesel engine the air in the cylinder is compressed, and as it is compressed it heats up to a high temperature, at which point the fuel is injected and immediately combusts, providing the power stroke. Diesel engines have a drawback in that they tend to be larger and heavier than petrol engines, offset by being far more fuel efficient. Diesel has a higher calorific value than petrol which means engines need less fuel to operate, but how they use the fuel is more efficient as well. Diesels also tend to have a higher torque which makes them excellent for moving heavy loads. Plus, the lack of an electrical system can make them more robust and reliable.

Compared to steam engines, which require hours to warm up and raise steam, as well as the filthy process of disposal at the end of the day, internal combustion engines offer virtually instant power. They also only really need one operator: there’s no need for a driver _and_ a fireman. How these engines power the wheels varies. The final drive from the wheels can be mechanical-electrical, where the engine is coupled to a generator which provides current for electric traction motors; or hydraulic, using a torque converter.

Thanks to cheap labour and sitting on millions of tons of high-quality coal, Britain was slow to move to new technologies. However, the Great Depression, rising labour costs, and roads starting to compete with rail led to many railway companies looking to reduce their overheads.

Many British locomotive companies started to investigate the new internal combustion technology. Kerr, Stuart of Stoke-on-Trent built Britain’s first purpose-built standard gauge diesel locomotive in 1929, a narrow-gauge version having been produced the year before. Happily, both have survived into preservation. Kerr, Stuart advertised its revolutionary new products as labour and cost-saving giving, in the words of one of its advertising brochures “fifteen shillings change” from every pound. Metropolitan Vickers, in association with British Thomson-Houston, built the first diesel-electric locomotives in Britain in 1932 for the Ford Motor Company, the same year the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds produced its first diesel-mechanical shunters for the LMS. Other longstanding Leeds engine builders such as Hudswell, Clarke and John Fowler were also quick to adapt to the new technology.

But while diesel locomotives were considered suitable for shunting, due to their low speed and that the technology was still unproven, Kitson & Co. of Leeds decided to perhaps hedge its bets and developed a wholly unique hybrid steam-diesel locomotive which combined two tried-and-tested technologies – a locomotive it hoped would have an application outside of the goods yard, and be able to run on the main line.

Yet, as the company’s Colonel Kitson Clark noted, irrespective of the transmission used – hydraulic, mechanical, or electric – the steam engine had one major advantage: it could deploy maximum torque upon starting. That torque, however, drops off as the locomotive and its train accelerate. Conversely, the internal combustion engine is at its most efficient when running constantly at its ideal load and speed. In other words, both types of propulsion had major advantages and disadvantages. The Kitson-Still was designed to unite the best of steam, and the best of diesel into a unique hybrid machine.

Kitson & Co. was begun in a converted mill in Hunslet, Leeds, in September 1837 by James Kitson, Charles Todd, and David Laird. Kitson and Todd were both alumni of the Round Foundry in Leeds, which built the first commercially successful locomotives for the Middleton Railway in 1812.

Under the guidance of James Kitson and later his second son – another James, later Lord Airedale – the firm was always ready to diversify its portfolio building steam trams and railmotors. It also specialised in the articulated Kitson-Meyer, a rival to the mighty Beyer, Garratt. But, unlike its neighbours in South Leeds, Kitson didn’t really investigate the possibilities of internal combustion. After the First World War, the firm saw a huge decline in orders for steam locomotives and, while it had sufficient orders to stay afloat, these were difficult times for Colonel Kitson Clark. It is likely that the Kitson-Still demonstrator was seen as the saviour for the firm, but it was also the straw which broke the camel’s back.

> “It is likely that the Kitson-Still demonstrator was seen as the saviour for the firm, but it was also the straw which broke the camel’s back”

The basis of the Still engine was to overcome the poor power-to-weight ratio suffered by many early diesel engines. Steam would start the engine, and act as a booster when needed, but the main fuel was diesel, which could present cost savings compared to a conventional engine of either type.

In other words, it had twin advantages of being able to deliver maximum torque at starting (thanks to steam) and change over and run on diesel with the engine running at its optimum speed and load. The Still hybrid thus offered a way forward at a time when steam was, if not dying, then starting to lose its edge and the new diesel technology was still untested and suffering from reliability issues.

The Still hybrid engine used double-acting pistons, one side operated by diesel fuel and the other side by steam. The engine was started using steam, and once running, diesel was injected into the diesel side of the cylinder, the steam supply shut off and operated on diesel alone. The engine had been patented in 1917 by William Still and announced to the technical press two years later. In the original version, waste heat from the diesel engine exhaust, and hot water from cylinder water jacket was used to boil the water to generate steam, doing away with the need for a separate boiler and firebox.

The engine was put into commercial production and found use as a marine application powering vessels of the Blue Funnel Line built in 1924 and 1928 respectively. Although their builders, the Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Company of Greenock, had promised cost-saving through the use of the new technology, the requirement to carry marine engineering officers certified with both steam and diesel engine qualifications – meaning extra crew members and wages – and the extra complexity with consequent higher maintenance costs offset the fuel savings. Thus, after a short while, conventional diesel engines were later installed in their place. At this point, warning bells should have started to ring.

But unheeded they went. In 1926, Kitson & Co. saw potential for the Still engine in a railway setting. The resulting locomotive would be technically brilliant but, to paraphrase George Stephenson, used “too much ingenuity.”

The Kitson-Still project was led by Colonel Kitson Clark, who took a deep personal interest in the project. To assess the Still engine, one was purchased and installed in the machine shop at the Airedale foundry. This test bed was inspected by several notable engineers during the development period, including Sir Nigel Gresley who also showed great interest in it.

This was not the first time that a Still engine had been studied for railway use. Former LNWR CME H.P.M. Beames of the LMS had, in 1920, investigated the Still engine as a possible locomotive power-plant, but financial and other constraints meant the company was unable to fully look into the project.

The Kitson-Still locomotive was in steam parlance a 262T, but perhaps could equally be described as a 1-C-1. Propulsion was via an eight-cylinder horizontal engine with the cylinders arranged in two banks driving a central crankshaft. Gears, a layshaft, and coupling rods transferred power to the three driven axles. Steam was supplied from a small-diameter oil-fired boiler. The exhaust from the diesel engine fed through tubes in the boiler, and the boiler water also circulated through the cylinder cooling jacket. This gave a remarkable high level of thermal efficiency, of around 40%. This was far more than conventional locomotives which could manage around 7% at best, and Kitson was quick to extol the virtues of its new locomotive in terms of cost-saving.

The engine was started using steam from the boiler and, once it had reached around 5mph, could be switched over to diesel. The design meant that the locomotive could be operated as a conventional steam engine using steam in the cylinders, or diesel, or when a ‘boost’ was needed as fully hybrid. Steam was also used to power ancillaries such as the brakes, and the whistle. The maximum design speed was 43mph, but as test crews got to know the locomotive better, speeds of around 55mph were regularly achieved.

Denoted KS1 by Kitson, the Kitson-Still made its first public appearance on April 22 1928 at an exhibition of locomotives and rolling stock organised by the LNER as a charity fundraiser at Leeds New station. Some 21,000 people attended, raising over £540 for the NER ‘Cottage Homes & Benefit Fund.’

After the exhibition, KS1 was put on trial between Leeds and Wakefield, its train consisting of a six-wheel observation saloon and six articulated coaches, given a gross weight of 118 tons behind the drawbar. These trial runs showed that the boiler was sometimes short of steam, and the driver could not judge the position of the crank so that it occasionally stopped top-dead centre. Modifications made at the Airedale Foundry were designed to cure this problem and the boiler pressure was raised from 180lb/sq. in to 200lb/sq. in.

Following the completion of this work, KS1 went out on test again, between Darlington and Starbeck, near Harrogate. The LNER dynamometer car was sent with it to record its performance: test runs on August 8/9 and 14/15 1928 were to assess oil and water consumption. Further runs were made on September 24 and 28, and October 1/2 to assess its reliability with loads which were progressively increased from 183 tons (including the dynamometer car) to 403 tons. It managed to restart this load on a 1in33 gradient from a signal stop.

The LNER report on these test runs shows that KS1 had a higher fuel consumption than Kitson had hoped, or as demonstrated from stationary test runs on rollers at the Airedale foundry. The high fuel consumption led the LNER to carry out rolling resistance tests on the locomotive, by pulling it ‘dead’ behind the dynamometer car which concluded that it had a much higher rolling resistance than a contemporary steam locomotive or diesel-electric locomotive: “This severe handicap, combined with the poor boiler performance, accounted for the inadequate results obtained from this locomotive.”

After this, the locomotive returned to the Airedale Foundry and no further runs were undertaken until 1933. After further modification, KS1 was moved to York. It operated a daily freight service between York and Hull, leaving York at 12.50pm via Market Weighton and then the 4.50pm return working via Selby and Church Fenton. On these trains, the dynamometer car was again used to record results, but still they were not as good as the manufacturer had hoped for. Despite this, it was found to consume about a fifth of the fuel (by weight) compared to a typical coal-burning steam locomotive. In its marketing and development, Kitson planned to target those countries with good oil supplies but little or no coal.

But things for Kitson were looking bleaker and bleaker. Development of the Kitson-Still locomotive had taken the best part of 10 years and had consumed resources, both financial and technical, that the firm could little afford to waste. The project grew ever-more complicated as the firm tried to make the locomotive work, pinning all its hopes on the experimental machine. Finally, in 1934, the receivers were called in and, after 97 years, time was called on Kitson & Co.

The Kitson-Still locomotive was just too complicated. And, like many other internal combustion locomotives suffered from a poor power-to-weight ratio, weighing 88.4 tons, and its power output of 800bhp under diesel power and 1,000bhp under steam and with a combined output of 1,300bhp compared poorly with both conventional steam locomotives and the rapidly evolving diesel. It was heavy, weak and expensive. Even if the project had succeeded, given the cost and complication of the locomotive, it would be unlikely that the oil-rich coal-poor colonies and territories for which Kitson & Co. intended it would have been able to afford or maintain them for very long. A more robust, simple design would have been preferable.

Unlike many of its contemporary prototype and experimental locomotives, in traffic KS1 never failed mechanically and always completed its journeys. The biggest problem with the locomotive was its weight. It was too heavy and too well-engineered for purpose, and this ate into the energy output, rendering any savings through extra efficiency redundant. Had the weight been less but with the same power output, the savings would have been larger and the locomotive more attractive to potential customers.

The engine also suffered from being built at the wrong time. The Great Depression took its toll on all businesses in the 1930s and development of the Kitson-Still certainly slowed, with the locomotive being effectively being stored for five years, from 1928-1933. This gave other manufacturers and railway companies the time needed to develop other forms of internal combustion locomotive, which gave them the advantage over the Kitson-Still.

As railway historian Ken Hoole wrote: “Unfortunately, its protracted trials delayed its development long enough to enable the ordinary diesel locomotive to gain ground and the Kitson-Still engine was put aside, to become another memory.” The final word perhaps goes to Andy Hardy: “With the development of other forms of internal combustion locomotive and transmission systems, it was obvious that the Still system was not an economic one to pursue. However, the locomotive must be considered a success. The technology was investigated and developed to build a working locomotive, one that undertook both test and commercial trains without fuss or failure.”

> “The Still engine in both railway and marine application was too complicated, and this complication ate up any possible cost savings”

But the demise of Kitson & Co. wasn’t quite the end of the story for the Still hybrid locomotive. One Captain Durtnall took out a patent from a similar hybrid engine developed in Italy which was trialled in Britain in 1923 on a demonstrator built by Hawthorn, Leslie. It was not a success, and the chassis was used as the basis for a conventional 060ST, _Stagshaw_, now preserved at the Tanfield Railway.

Schneider Frères in France proposed a 480 version at the same time Kitson were building KS1 in Leeds. It was 45 feet long overall and weighed in at 90 tonnes. Unlike the Kitson-Still, it used a two-stroke rather than four-stroke cycle and had at first four, later six, cylinders. Its starting characteristic was improved by admitting steam on both sides of the piston, and had a maximum design speed of 90kph. But despite its size, its power output was only a meagre 1,250hp. So, as with the Leeds example, it never entered revenue-earning service, something of an _éléphant blanche_. Various attempts to utilise the technology were made in the USSR, Switzerland and the USA, but none of them were a success.

The Kitson-Still locomotive was a brave attempt to revitalise a dying firm. Kitson & Co. – like many other firms after it, such as Beyer, Peacock – stuck with steam for too long. They failed to innovate and embrace new technology.

And, when they did, jumped on the wrong bandwagon. The Still engine in both railway and marine application was too complicated, and this complication ate up any possible cost savings. It was heavy, underpowered and expensive. While, at the time, it looked like a viable future, the slow pace of development of the Kitson-Still locomotive compared with the rapid evolution of the diesel locomotive (either with mechanical or electric drive) meant that it would always be obsolete no matter how well Kitson got it to work. It was completed at a time when the LMS was trialling diesel shunters from multiple builders and when the LNER was experimenting with Armstrong-Whitworth’s diesel electric 1-Co-1main line locomotive.

The writing was on the wall for steam globally: France had electrified in 1923; America and Germany began to dieselise in the 1930s, challenging steam’s monopoly, and petrol-electric railcars were also in use. The Kitson-Still remains a unique example of ingenuity by one of Britain’s oldest locomotive-building firms.

**PART TWO** (Missed part one? :a[**Read here**]{href='https://www.steamrailway.co.uk/blog/features/the-stars-of-1975/' })  
Fifty years ago, BR allowed steam to run to Shildon under its own power for the big S&D 150 event. HOWARD JOHNSTON reveals that some invited engines – including National Collection ‘Battle of Britain’ _Winston Churchill_ – didn’t make it.

More than 30 of our most famous steam locomotives ran in the cavalcade at the ‘Rail 150’ festival at Shildon on August 31 1975. But it can now be revealed that the original intention was to have more than twice that number.

Bulleid ‘Battle of Britain’ 4 6 2 No. 34051 _Winston Churchill_ was on the initial invitation list, a rather bold move considering that it has still not been steamed 50 years later. LNER ‘A2’ No. 60532 _Blue Peter_ and GWR ‘Castle’ 4 6 0 No. 4079 _Pendennis Castle_ were two other celebrity no-shows because they could not be got ready in time.

No matter. Months of meticulous planning ensured that the week-long festival, the third of its kind after 1875 and 1925, was an outstanding success, thanks to the dedication to detail by British Rail staff at all levels, and private railways and owners who willingly loaned the exhibits. The key criteria was that the locomotives could run to the North East under their own power (road haulage of large railway items was in its infancy, and BR certainly did not have the resources to provide diesel haulage). There was the added challenge of finding enough qualified drivers and firemen some seven years after the end of regular steam in the North West.

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