London Area
Until about 1964, LMS steam was a fairly common sight on cross-London wagonload freight onto the Central and the South Eastern sections. Most locomotives were ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0s and ‘8F’ 2-8-0s. However, there were still plenty of exceptions, particularly in the early 1960s. For example, a very unusual visitor to Hither Green in November 1960 was a Caprotti ‘Black Five’, No. 44748, of Longsight shed.
Until the mid-1960s, LMS types could be seen on duties extending deep into the SR’s Eastern and Central Sections. Whit Sunday 1961 saw ‘Jubilee’ 4-6-0 No. 45650 Blake arrive at Brighton on an excursion from Leicester, only for it to be discovered (this not for the last time) that ‘Jubilees’ were not passed for operation on the Central Section. Another classic SR incursion took place on October 19 1961, when ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 44916 worked through via East Croydon to West Worthing with an excursion from Berkhamsted, the locomotive working onwards to Brighton shed for servicing.
The Hughes-Fowler ‘Crab’ 2-6-0s were not common on Central or Eastern Section workings, but No. 42785 reached Hither Green on a freight on July 26 1961. It was announced in early 1962 that such workings were banned, presumably due to the availability of Crompton Type 3 diesel power. However, this seems to have been fairly ineffective in practice for some time afterwards. Also, on August 11 1962, three ‘Black Fives’ hauled relief holiday services from Brighton or Eastbourne to Leicester and Stoke-on-Trent, having previously brought the empty stock south from the LMR and then stabled overnight
