Fifteen Guinea Special

The 1T57 'Fifteen Guinea Special' was the last main-line passenger train to be hauled by steam locomotive power on British Railways on 11 August 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban that started the following day. It was a special rail tour excursion train organised for the occasion from Liverpool via Manchester to Carlisle and back, and was pulled by four different steam locomotives in turn during the four legs of the journey (with two engines sharing the third leg).

Name

The Fifteen Guinea Special was so named because of the high price for tickets on the railtour (15 guineas = £15 15s 0d in pre-decimal British currency) (£15.75). Ticket prices had been inflated due to the high demand to travel on the last BR steam-hauled mainline train.[1]

Route and locomotives

The 15 Guinea Special at Barton Moss on the last leg from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street hauled by Stanier 5MT 45110.

The railtour started at 09:10 from Liverpool Lime Street. It was hauled by LMS Class 5 45110 to Manchester Victoria, arriving 8 minutes late at 10:42. No. 45110 was replaced with Britannia Class 70013 Oliver Cromwell – the last steam locomotive to be overhauled by BR – and the train departed for Carlisle at 11:06. The train arrived at Carlisle, 33 minutes late, at 15:29.[2]

For the first part of the return leg, two LMS Stanier Class 5 locomotives, 44781 and 44871, double-headed the train back to Manchester Victoria. The train departed Carlisle at 15:44 – 14 minutes late – and arrived in Manchester at 19:00, 12 minutes late.

Re-joining the train at Victoria station, 45110 then worked the remainder of the journey back to Liverpool Lime Street, arriving only 9 minutes late at 19:59.[2]

Significance

The end of steam-hauled trains on British Railways was a turning point in the history of rail travel in Britain. The BR steam ban was introduced the day after the railtour, on 12 August 1968 to enable Oliver Cromwell to make one last positioning run back to Norwich and on to Diss for preservation. This made the Fifteen Guinea Special the last steam-hauled passenger train to be run by BR on its standard gauge network (though BR would continue to operate three steam locomotives on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol line until it was privatised in 1989). Thereafter, all mainline trains in Britain would be hauled by either diesel or electric power. There was however one mainline steam locomotive to which the ban did not apply, Flying Scotsman due to Alan Pegler having secured a clause in the purchase contract when she was purchased from BR in 1963. The only other opportunity to view mainline steam locos in operation was on privately owned heritage railways.

Since the "return to steam" in 1971, privately run charters have again been allowed to run on the mainline provided that the steam locomotive has received necessary certification.

Several other railtours had already marked the end of steam haulage on other parts of the British (not UK) network. During most of these railtours, the Fifteen Guinea Special included, the line was flanked with large crowds[1] due to the high level of interest generated by their impending withdrawal and of course the popularity amongst rail enthusiasts of steam engines and the belief that it was highly unlikely that they would be allowed back onto the network, although in the event steam specials on BR lines were introduced only three years later in 1971.

Preservation

All but one of the locomotives that hauled the train passed into preservation. 45110 now resides on the Severn Valley Railway and has been named RAF Biggin Hill. 44871 is currently mainline operational and resides on the East Lancashire Railway and 70013 Oliver Cromwell is now part of the National Collection and was restored to mainline running in 2008. It is based on the Great Central Railway. The only one not preserved LMS Black 5 no 44781 was used for filming of the film The Virgin Soldiers at Bartlow in Essex, for which it was derailed and hung at an angle for visual effect. After filming was completed, an antique dealer enthusiast from Saffron Waldon purchased her, but was unable to find the amount quoted by BR to recover the engine and re-rail it. So she was then sold for scrap to Kings of Norwich and cut up on site.

As well as the three locomotives, two BR Mark 1 TSO coaches used in the train, numbers 4933 and 4937, have also been preserved on the East Lancashire Railway at Bury, itself not too far from the route of the original railtour.

Re-runs 2008–2013

2008 was the 40th Anniversary since '1T57' and end of steam on British Railways and to celebrate a re-run of the tour ran on Sunday 10 August (as 11 August was a Monday in 2008). It again ran from Liverpool Lime Street-Newton Le Willows-Manchester Victoria-Carlisle-Manchester Victoria-Newton Le Willows-Liverpool Lime Street.

2013 marked the 45th Anniversary of '1T57' and as 11 August was on a Sunday there was to be a second re-run. However due to the original route from Liverpool to Manchester via Newton Le Willows being shut for engineering works the tour had to be diverted along the route via Warrington Central to Piccadilly which hadn't seen steam traction since 1968.

The 2013 route ran from Liverpool Lime Street-Warrington Central-Longsight-Farington-Settle-Carlisle & Carlisle-Settle-Darwen-Longsight-Warrington Central-Liverpool Lime Street.

Locomotives to run and routes

Original Locomotives and Routes

2008 Re-Run Locomotives and Routes

2013 Re-Run Locomotives and Routes

LMS Class 5 45110 was not involved in the 2008 re-run as its mainline certificate had expired. However, 45110 ran over the Severn Valley Railway on 11 August 2008 with a special 1T57 service. The loco remained in service until the end of August 2008, when an extension to its ten year boiler ticket expired. The engine has since been on static display, first at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, and then at The Engine House at Highley.

LMS Class 5 45305 was allocated to the original train back in 1968 for the Liverpool to Manchester legs of the trip but failed the night before with a collapsed firebox brick arch and was replaced by 45110.

References

  1. 1 2 ANON (May 2008). "1968 and All That". Railway Magazine 154 1285: 18-19
  2. 1 2 Route Timings Accessed 13 April 2008.

External links

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