Wigan Album

What the hell were they thinking I wonder? Here you have a locomotive named after the county capital... and they scrap it!

Another steam disaster.

'Twas that 'glorious' decade - the '60's. The Mantra seemed to be a constant repetition of 'Out with the old and in with the new'; Personally, i'd add 'but do it very, very quickly and very, very badly, be it transport policy or architecture'

This was one of the LMS Princess Coronation Class of locomotives, designed by William Stanier. They were built at LMS Crewe Works between 1937 to 1948 and 38 were made. `City of Lancaster`, LMS No.6243, BR No.46243 was built in June 1940 and withdrawn from service in Oct.1964. It was the last streamlined loco of its class to have its casings removed. Three have survived :- `Duchess of Hamilton`, `Duchess of Sutherland` and `City of Birmingham`. The `City of Birmingham` is in the `Think Tank` museum in Birmingham.

Great times yes, but I bet the drivers of to-day in their comfy cabs would love to oil the inside motion of an steam engine like that,or any other, at 3 o'clock on a Monday January morning, with the wind whistling up their overalls ! Still, they were beautiful engines and a joy to behold in motion or at rest,

Steven, on a brighter note regarding this loco. There is nice shot of her pulling a fitted freight past Ince Moss Junction in 1964. "London Midland Steam, The Closing Years" by Allan Heyes.

I called here in 1963 when 46238 City of Carlisle was there, also B1 no. 61206, late of Woodford Halse on the former Great Central main line, and Jubilee 4-6-0s nos. 45623 Palestine and 45681 Aboukir.
Indeed, on yet another visit later in the year, I found no. 46243 City of Lancaster in company with two more B1s, and Jubilees nos. 45623 Palestine and 45681 Aboukir. Oh, how we cursed at the repeated sightings of such locos. in our younger years. These visits to scrapyards were proving to be so remorseful!