PART TWO
In the first part of this feature, published in the last issue of Heritage Railway, I mentioned steam finishing on our industrial sites… or so we believed at the time! Who would have ever thought we would see steam locomotives returning to places like Onllwyn, and even the Ford car plant at Dagenham?
Industrial locations have produced some unique charter events, and there was a steam freight on the national network and London Underground in a similar style to the German plandamphs. How some of these events ever took place is difficult to now understand. There were clearly some very well-connected organisers who were in a position to convince railways, factories and industrial companies that photographic charters are good public relations and publicity.
Four of these in particular must stand out: Onllwyn, Grassington, Fords and B12 4-6-0 No. 61572 hauling a freight on the London Underground. It sounds unreal in today’s times.
Some days become memorable, for example Q1 No. 33001 and Dukedog No. 9017 Earl of Berkeley on a long freight on the Bluebell Railway, M7 No. 30075 on the Swanage Railway (the day starting with snow, followed by sunshine), the Bowes Railway, Beamish Museum, and the North Yorkshire Moors
Railway with Q6 No. 63395. There are many more – not just with freights, but with passengers too.
In the beginning, all organising was done by post and payment by cheques... remember those?
