A1s on the WCML
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:49 am
Does anyone know the background to Holyrood and North British's operation on
the West Coast Main Line in the early '50s ? I remember seeing them regularly
over several months.Could it have been for comparison trials and if so, what
was learned ? Or perhaps they were simply making up a shortfall of the Stanier
pacifics.From memory, I only ever saw them northbound on, I think, the
London - Birmingham - Glasgow service.
Should have searched this excellent forum more thoroughly ! I'm grateful to 'Sassanid' for a post from 2010 which references an Eric Treacy photograph of North British on Shap which I've now traced. It's a typical Treacy shot depicting North British seemingly effortlessly pulling fourteen coaches up Shap and captioned as follows:
"In 1951-3 three Class A1 Pacifics, Nos.60152/60/61, were shedded at Glasgow Polmadie for comparison with Stanier Pacifics
on the route south to England. On one turn they worked only as far as Carlisle, but they also covered a lodging turn to Crewe
on the up ' West Coast Postal ' and the morning Birmingham-Glasgow train back, with which No. 60161 North British is climbing
to Shap Summit."
This confirms my sightings further south and presumably of Holyrood on the same roster. I wouldn't have seen the up trains on the 'Mail' - way past my bedtime ! Perhaps Auld Reekie was the one to remain on Scottish duties.
Still no trace of contemporary accounts/anecdotes of their performance on this exacting route over Shap and Beattock, they surely must be out there and would make fascinating reading, particularly from the footplate crews' perspective. I wonder what the Stanier crews made of them ! Carry on searchin'!
the West Coast Main Line in the early '50s ? I remember seeing them regularly
over several months.Could it have been for comparison trials and if so, what
was learned ? Or perhaps they were simply making up a shortfall of the Stanier
pacifics.From memory, I only ever saw them northbound on, I think, the
London - Birmingham - Glasgow service.
Should have searched this excellent forum more thoroughly ! I'm grateful to 'Sassanid' for a post from 2010 which references an Eric Treacy photograph of North British on Shap which I've now traced. It's a typical Treacy shot depicting North British seemingly effortlessly pulling fourteen coaches up Shap and captioned as follows:
"In 1951-3 three Class A1 Pacifics, Nos.60152/60/61, were shedded at Glasgow Polmadie for comparison with Stanier Pacifics
on the route south to England. On one turn they worked only as far as Carlisle, but they also covered a lodging turn to Crewe
on the up ' West Coast Postal ' and the morning Birmingham-Glasgow train back, with which No. 60161 North British is climbing
to Shap Summit."
This confirms my sightings further south and presumably of Holyrood on the same roster. I wouldn't have seen the up trains on the 'Mail' - way past my bedtime ! Perhaps Auld Reekie was the one to remain on Scottish duties.
Still no trace of contemporary accounts/anecdotes of their performance on this exacting route over Shap and Beattock, they surely must be out there and would make fascinating reading, particularly from the footplate crews' perspective. I wonder what the Stanier crews made of them ! Carry on searchin'!