Jubilee Jaunts

'JUBILEE' JAUNTS

My favourite engines were 'Jubilees'. I was always pleased to see members of the class, particularly rare ones for the Cheltenham area. The regulars in the mid to late 1950s were shedded at Bristol Barrow Road, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield Millhouses and Leeds Holbeck - they worked the main expresses between Bristol, Birmingham and the north. For example, on Saturday 4 July 1959, I saw twelve 'Jubilees' at Cheltenham and all were from the aforementioned depots. However 'Jubs' from other sheds did put in appearances in the summer months on holiday trains, and with excursions, pigeon specials, seasonal parcels trains, also occasionally on the regular passenger and freight workings.

Main line diesels started working on the ex-Midland Birmingham – Bristol route through Cheltenham from June 1961, gradually taking over express passenger, freight and parcels trains. Whilst some of the regular 'Jubilees' were transferred elsewhere, other sheds with rostered workings on the line received them. Burton-on-Trent had a big batch, while Saltley had some as well, so those became common. They were often 'Jubilees' displaced by modernisation fn the West Coast and Midland main lines, which made the local railway scene in Cheltenham more interesting with a greater chance of seeing formerly rare 'Jubs'.

Allocation details have been taken from the comprehensive listings in 'The Jubilee 4-6-0s' by Ray Townsin, published by the RCTS.

The following list records the seventy-nine 'Jubilees' shedded at Bristol Barrow Road, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield Millhouses" and Leeds Holbeck from the mid-1950s onwards and at Burton and Saltley in the 1960s which I regard as regular at Cheltenham. Some were common for only a few months as withdrawals and transfers due to increasing dieselisation of traditional duties were made. Others were around for many years. " Including Canklow and Darnall to which 'Jubs' were transferred after Millhouses closed at the end of 1961.

45557;45561;45562;45564;45565;45566;45568;45569;45570;45572;45573;45575;45576;45577;45579;45584;45585;45589;45590;45593;45594;45597;45598;45602;45605;45607;

45608;45609;45610;45611;45612;45614;45615;45616;45617;45618;45619;45620;45622;45626;45627;45631;45633;45636;45639;45641;45647;45648;45649;45650;45651;45653;

45654;45656;45658;45659;45660;45662;45663;45664;45667;45668;45670;45674;45675;45676;45682;45683;45684;45685;45690;45694;45697;45699;45700;45709;45712;45721;

45725;45739.

Here are confirmed sightings – mostly mine - at Cheltenham of 'rare' or notable Jubilees from other depots between 1960 and 1964, with their home shed and the trains being worked if known. The sightings include some 'Jubs' which were once common but had subsequently moved to 'rare' sheds. I have also added observations from the 1950s that were reported in Gloucestershire Railway Society (GRS) newsletters and in notes made by Ben Brooksbank (BB). I have additionally consulted the book 'Organised Chaos' about Bath Green Park shed, published by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust;the website 'Bristol Steam 1964' compiled by Patrick O'Brien; and the website 'Shed Bash UK'. Finally, there is an appendix listing duties performed by Bristol's 45685 'Barfleur' during a fortnight in August 1963 when it was on stand-by covering for absent or failed diesel locos; and 'Jubilee' observations at Cheltenham on Friday 3 April 1964.

'Silver Jubilee' of 5A Crewe North has arrived at Cheltenham Lansdown on the 'Thames-Avon-Severn' railtour on 12 October 1963. Waiting in the bay to take over here for the run to London Paddington was 'Castle' 7005 'Sir Edward Elgar'. 

6 October 1963 45552 'Silver Jubilee' of 5A Crewe North was in Bristol  having worked a railtour from London. On 11 October it had 1E64, 8.40am Bristol – Sheffield, doubleheaded with Burton's 45598 'Basutoland'. Possibly 45552 only went to Worcester as it headed the 'Thames-Avon-Severn' railtour next day from there  to Bromsgrove, Camp Hill, Birmingham New Street, then down the 'Old Road' through Dunhampstead to Cheltenham Lansdown where 'Castle' 7005 'Sir Edward Elgar' took over. On 11 June 1964 'Silver Jubilee'  was photographed on an up freight at Churchdown, with '3X08' from a previous working, possibly a pigeon special, chalked on the smokebox.

15 January 1963 45553 'Canada' of Crewe North had charge of 3V20, 1.32pm Derby – Bristol parcels.

9 January 1962 45554 'Ontario' of 8A Liverpool Edge Hill shed was seen on an afternoon working, possibly the 1.45pm Gloucester – Birmingham stopping passenger. A year earlier, on 17 January 1961, it was photographed passing Barnwood on a northbound freight. On 6 March 1963 the same loco, Crewe North based at this date, was on a down freight, likely to have been 4V78 11am Crewe – Bristol West Depot, which was routed via Worcester, Honeybourne and Cheltenham Malvern Road. On 13 March 1955 when allocated to 16A Nottingham the engine was involved in not very successful trials of unbanked trains up the Lickey Incline.

July 1957 (GRS) 45556 'Nova Scotia' of Crewe North headed a Summer Saturday holiday train.

20 May 1961 45558 'Manitoba' from 26F Patricroft was at Bath Green Park shed on 16 May with a defective injector. What train it had worked into Bath is not known. After repair, 45558 was originally booked on the up 'Pines Express' of 20 May, but worked 1E64 8.40am Bristol – Sheffield instead. Three days later it was photographed at Gloucester on train 1525, Bristol – Bradford.

45558 'Manitoba' was a rare visitor from Patricroft when photographed at Eastgate station on 23 May 1961. The reporting number of 1525 was quite

short lived. The all numbers style, 1525,  - as opposed to the more regularly used alphanumeric style, such as 1N25 -  was shown in the Western Region

working time table for the period, but as far as I can recall, rarely appeared on steam locos working inter-regional trains in this area. Photo Roger Smith.

27 December 1951 45559 British Columbia of 10C Patricroft brought the down 'Pines' into Bath on this day.

20 May 1961 45560 'Prince Edward Island' of 8A Edge Hill was on the down 'Devonian'. Also seen again on 22 May 1961.

18 May 1963. 45563 'Australia' of Patricroft had a lightweight load of just one van on a pigeon special. This was a particularly interesting working, because the loco dropped off its van at the ex-GWR terminus at Cheltenham St James. It may have come down the Honeybourne line to end up there. Later in the day, I saw it on the ex-GW Gloucester Horton Road shed, rather than the ex-Midland Barnwood depot, which was again unusual. Recently I acquired a photo showing this loco hauling one van. There is no information with the picture and it does not appear to be near Cheltenham – but I wonder if it might have been taken on 18 May 1963 earlier in the journey. 

3 January 1963 45567 'South Australia' was on 1V43 11.53am York – Bristol, an hour late at Cheltenham in the very wintry conditions that prevailed for a large part of the first quarter of the year. The loco had a few days previously been transferred to 6C Birkenhead shed on loan for three weeks from Crewe North, and was the former shed's first and only 'Jubilee'. Already it had been borrowed by another shed for an out of course working. The next day, 45567 returned north on 1N84 1.40pm Bristol – York, doubleheaded with Saltley's 44962. 45567 was back again on 8 January with the down 'Cornishman' 1V33 8.10am Sheffield – Penzance. All these workings were deputising for unavailable diesels. Birkenhead wasn't seeing much of its on loan engine! Having been reallocated to Crewe North, it was back in Cheltenham on an up freight, probably 4N29 4.48pm Bristol – Leeds, on 28 January.

1 January 1963. Only qualifying as 'rare' because it was now shedded at 89A Shrewsbury was 45572 'Eire' on 1N59 7.25pm Bristol – Newcastle mails. 45572 had been a long-time Bristol Barrow Road engine until displaced by diesels and being shuffled off to Shrewsbury in September 1961. It was good to see a return to its former stomping grounds. On 17 January 'Eire' was seen again on 'the up 'Cornishman', 1E24. It was back next day with 1V36, 7.8am Bradford – Bristol before going north again with 1E71, 7.45pm Fridays only Bristol – Sheffield.

12 September 1961 45574 'India' of 24E Blackpool shed seen on an unidentified working. Loco had been a Blackpool engine since 1937!

24 December 1960 45575 'Madras' was a 14B Kentish Town engine when it came through Cheltenham on an unspecified working, possibly a Christmas extra. On 12 August 1961 it had the Saturdays 1V27 6.40am Leicester – Paignton. In December 1961, it transferred to Derby and later Burton so became very common. 

14 January 1963 45577 'Bengal', with a similar history to 45572, was on a down fitted freight. 9 February saw it on the down 'Cornishman'.

31 May 1953 45578 'United Provinces' was on Bristol Barrow Road shed; it was Carlisle Kingmoor based.

July 1957 (GRS) 45582 'Central Provinces' of 10B Preston hauled the 4.48pm Bristol – Leeds fast freight on one occasion this month.

11 October 1963. 45583 'Assam' from 8B Warrington shed was observed light engine at Cheltenham heading for Gloucester Barnwood shed where it received a repair to a carriage warming pipe.

8 March 1963 45584 'North West Frontier' had been loaned to 21A Saltley during this week from Blackpool where it had been allocated since September 1952. Today it was on the 7.4pm Gloucester – Birmingham stopping passenger. Blackpool got it back in May 1964, after loans to Saltley and Willesden.

15 December 1962. 45586 'Mysore' was a 5B Crewe South engine, which worked 3X07, a Christmas parcels train. It was spotted on 28 May 1964 working the 7.10pm Birmingham - Gloucester stopper then returning north straightaway  light engine. It also appeared at Cheltenham on 9 April 1961 when allocated to 21D Aston.

18 January 1964. 45588 'Kashmir' of 12A Carlisle Kingmoor worked 1V28, 3am Leeds – Bristol. The following day, 'Kashmir' was returning north with 1N68, 4.45pm Bristol – Bradford, but failed at Gloucester with injector problems, so came off the train to receive attention at Barnwood shed.

11 May 1964 45590 'Travancore' was on 1V67 1.8pm Leeds – Cardiff. Being based at Warrington made this an out of course working. 45590 left the following morning on 1E10 6.45am Gloucester – Sheffield. In earlier years, the engine was on the LMR Midland Division, so was quite common in Cheltenham.

24 October 1962 45591 'Udaipur' of Crewe North shed had charge of an up freight. Five years earlier on 3 August 1957 it had M246 12.15pm Weston-Super-Mare – Sheffield.

13 March 1964 45592 'Indore' from 10A Carnforth shed was on the 4.48pm Gloucester Eastgate - Birmingham New St  local passenger train.

19 November 1964 45595 ''Southern Rhodesia' shedded at 6G Llandudno Junction  was on the 4.50pm Bristol St Philips - Leeds fast freight. 

August 1957 (GRS) 45596 'Bahamas' of 12A Carlisle Upperby was on a pigeon special. It had a similar duty on 5 June 1959 when it brought a pigeon special from Glasgow to Cheltenham High Street. This working seemed to be an annual event at least up to 1962 and often had rare motive power. Now preserved with a double chimney, fitted in May 1961, 45596 had a single chimney on these two recorded appearances. However on 18 June 2022 and 27 August 2022,  the still double chimney fitted loco worked a Paddington - Worcester and return special  through Cheltenham.

18 May 1962 45599 'Bechuanaland' of 2B Nuneaton shed had 1V69, probably a relief to the regular Newcastle – Cardiff service. In June 1957, whilst a 12A Carlisle Upperby engine, 45599 worked a Summer Saturday passenger train.

April 1957 (GRS) 45600 'Bermuda of 10C Patricroft had an Easter relief train.

20 June 1964 45601 'British Guiana' of 26A Newton Heath shed headed 1N84 2.15pm Bristol – York. 'Bristol Steam 1964' recorded it as having got to Bristol on an overnight passenger 1V80 from Manchester via the North and West route through Shrewsbury and Hereford. It was also in Cheltenham on an up local passenger on 25 January 1963.

15 February 1963 45604 'Ceylon' from 24L Carnforth was in charge of 1V45, 12.20pm Newcastle – Bristol. It was seen heading north light engine on 17 February.

18 May 1957 (GRS) 45613 'Kenya' of 12A Carlisle Upperby was on a pigeon special this day. There is a report that it travelled light engine from Bristol Barrow Road to work the northbound 'Pines Express' from Bath Green Park on 7 November 1960, at which date it was an 8A Edge Hill engine.

5 May 1961 45614 'Leeward Islands' from 14B Kentish Town was reported to be on the 7.25pm Bristol – Newcastle mails. By the end of 1961 it was a 17A Derby engine and became a common sight.^

16 March 1963 Several 'Jubilees' were loaned to Saltley from Crewe North starting this month, including 45617 'Mauritius' seen on a down local passenger. On 15 June 1957, the GRS reported 45617 on a troop special.

September 1957 (GRS) 45621 'Northern Rhodesia' from 67A Glasgow Corkerhill was reported on an unspecified working. In earlier years it was a Sheffield Millhouses engine and was seen on Barnwood shed on 29 June 1947.

27 March 1963. 45622 ' Nyasaland' had just been transferred to Burton from Kentish Town this week and did not take long to appear in Cheltenham with an evening working, possibly the Burton – Bristol beer train, 4V54.

25 March 1963 45623 'Palestine' was on 1V67 1.8pm Leeds – Cardiff, which the loco worked to Gloucester Central. A Newton Heath based engine.

16 May 1963 45624 'St Helena' from Nuneaton arrived on 3V20 today. On 29 July 1961 it was a 2A Rugby loco when it worked 1X79 Coventry – Bath.

20 February 1963 45625 'Sarawak', a Carnforth based loco, was on 1V38, 10.28am Sheffield – Bristol. Like 45624, this passed through Cheltenham on 29 July 1961, with 1N87,11am Newquay – York; at that date it was a Crewe North engine.

45625 'Sarawak' was a Carnforth loco which appeared on 20 February 1963 on 1V38, 10.28am Sheffield – Bristol. During the harsh winter that year, many locos from rare depots appeared on the Birmingham - Bristol line, often substituting for unavailable diesels as in this case. Photograph taken from Cheltenham High Street Signal Box by Robin Stanton.

30 June 1963. 45627 'Sierra Leone' headed an up fitted freight. While common in the area in previous years when it was allocated to Derby and Sheffield Millhouses, the loco had been a 27A Bank Hall engine since February 1962, which made it an unusual visitor.

9 August 1958 (BB) 45628 'Somaliland' from 14B Kentish Town had the down 'Devonian' on this summer Saturday.

15 March 1963. 45631 'Tanganyika' was from Crewe North, always a Western Division engine, until this loan to Saltley, so it was previously rare in the area. It brought an up local into Cheltenham in the evening. 45631 was reallocated to Crewe North from Saltley in August 1964, but only to get withdrawn.

21 January 1963. 45632 'Tonga' of 9B Stockport shed was certainly a rare sight this day on 1V36, 7.8am Bradford – Bristol, returning with 2M74, 6.30pm Bristol – Birmingham. In BR days it was virtually always allocated to sheds in the north-west. 45632 was seen again next day heading north with 1N59, the important 7.25pm Bristol – Newcastle mails.

18 April 1964 45633 'Aden' of Warrington shed was on 2M73 7.4pm Gloucester – Birmingham passenger. Also noted on 12 March 1963 just loaned to Derby from Carnforth, working 3V20,1.32pm Derby – Bristol parcels. Following the loan to Derby 'Aden' was transferred to Warrington in July 1963. Humphrey Household photographed the loco at Hatherley in May 1937 on a Bristol - Sheffield express when it was named Trans-Jordan. 

26 August 1955 (BB) 45634 'Trinidad' of Crewe North headed an up Fridays only express 274 Bristol – Sheffield. On 26 May 1964 it headed 4N18 2.55pm express freight from Bristol St Philips to York. 

22 June 1963. A visitor from Newton Heath was 45635 'Tobago' on a 10 coach troop train, 1X47.

19 April 1963. Another visitor from Newton Heath 45642 'Boscawen' hauled 3V20 today. 45642 had been shedded at Newton Heath throughout the BR era. In LMS days however it was a Bristol engine between December 1935 and February 1937. Famously it swapped identities with 5552 'Silver Jubilee' in April 1935.

7 July 1962 45643 'Rodney' from Crewe North shed headed 2H73, 4.10pm Gloucester – Worcester local. On 1 February 1963 'Rodney', now allocated to Nuneaton shed, was on 1V28, 3am Leeds – Bristol.

28 August 1961 45646 'Napier' shedded at 55C Farnley Junction since 1952, was on an unidentified working.

5 September 1964 45652 'Hawke' of Warrington was on 3V20, Derby – Bristol parcels; three days later it went north on the 4.45pm Gloucester Eastgate - Birmingham New St passenger.. Ten years earlier on 17 July 1954 when it was a 9E Trafford Park loco, 45652 worked the up 'Devonian'.

2 March 1963. 45653 'Barham' was another loco freshly loaned to Saltley, this time from Blackpool, where it had been shedded since April 1943. Today it worked the 5.25pm Birmingham - Bristol passenger. Like 45584, it went back to Blackpool in May 1964, having spent all the loan period at Saltley.

15 August 1964 45661 'Vernon' a recent transfer (its first in BR days) to 55A Holbeck from Newton Heath was on 1N48 9.0am Paignton – Leeds. It came down on 1V14, an overnight train from Bradford to Newton Abbot. Although latterly a Holbeck loco, it probably never became common, being withdrawn in May 1965.

13 March 1964 45663 'Jervis' had been both a Bristol and Derby engine in the 1950s, but at this date was allocated to 8C Speke Junction. According to 'Bristol Steam 1964' it worked 4V48 Washwood Heath – Westerleigh and 5M27 Bristol St Philips – Derby today.

5 May 1964 45664 'Nelson' also from Speke Junction shed hauled an up freight in the evening. On 26 October 1964 it headed 1V67 1.8pm Leeds – Cardiff by which date it was shedded at Warrington. 45664 returned north early next morning on the 2.34am Gloucester Eastgate - Sheffield parcels. A Millhouses engine during the 1950s, thus was not uncommon in that era.

16 June 1960 45665 'Lord Rutherford of Nelson' of 67A Glasgow Corkerhill had M283, 10.44am Sheffield - Bristol passenger.

8 March 1963 45666 'Cornwallis' of Crewe North was reported on an unidentified down working. Other rare 'Jubs' seen this day were 45584 and 45653. The latter two became common, but not 45666.

27 August 1962 45669 'Fisher' of Nuneaton shed was the motive power for an up early evening freight. On 14 May 1960 when 'Fisher' was a Willesden engine, it got as far as Gloucester on a special class B working, 1.10am Crewe – Templecombe, but failed with injector problems which were attended to at Gloucester Barnwood shed.

 'Fisher' of 1A Willesden depot shouldn't have been at Barnwood on 15 May 1960 - it should have worked through to Bath Green Park the previous day on what was probably a troop special from Crewe. But it had injector problems at Gloucester, being replaced by 'Crab' 2-6-0 42799. The engine awaits fitters' attention in this photo by Roger Smith.

10 August 1961 45670 'Howard of Effingham' of 2A Rugby shed hauled an inter-regional excursion, 1X69.It was seen on another extra,1X61, on 3 March 1962 and again with 1X70 on 16 July 1963. 45670 hailed from the Western Division until December 1963 and transfer to Derby, after which it became a regular through Cheltenham for most of 1964.

June 1957 (GRS) 45671 'Prince Rupert' of Newton Heath shed was observed on a Summer Saturday working.

13 March 1963. 45676 'Codrington' was another new loan to Saltley from Crewe North, working 3V20 parcels train. All these loans helped to make up for diesel shortages on the North East / South West route, due to the freezing cold winter weather experienced in early 1963.

10 August 1957. 45678 'De Robeck' from 5A Crewe North was seen and photographed at Bromsgrove about to tackle the Lickey, probably on a Summer Saturday train.  

September 1957 (GRS) 45679 'Armada' of 68A Carlisle Kingmoor was on an unspecified train at the start of the winter timetable. Also seen on Bristol Barrow Shed on 6 January 1946 when it was a 17A Derby engine and 12 June 1949 when it was Sheffield Millhouses based.

9 February 1962 45680 'Camperdown' from 12B Carlisle Upperby depot had 1V43, 12.52pm York – Bristol.

19 December 1962. A 'Jub' from 41A Sheffield Darnall was 45683 'Hogue' working 1M22 2.40pm Bristol – Nottingham. Previously a 41C Sheffield Millhouses engine which in fact was very commonly seen in Cheltenham, always, always dirty. Worth noting here because this may have been its swansong, being withdrawn just ten days later, along with all other Eastern Region based 'Jubilees'.

25 June 1960 45687 'Neptune' of 67A Glasgow Corkerhill depot was reported on a Bradford – Paignton working. It also had the down 'Pines Express', 10am Manchester – Bournemouth on 29 June, returning north next day on the up 'Pines Express', 9.45am Bournemouth – Manchester. Unfortunately although I was around on 29 June I missed seeing this loco.

25 August 1957 (BB) 45688 'Polyphemus' of 3B Bushbury had a down special, W718, with a large round smokebox headboard proclaiming 'The Life Boys', photographed by Ben Brooksbank at Ashchurch.

Late 1950s 45691 'Orion' of 12A was seen at Gloucester by Chris Baldwin, possibly on the down 'Devonian'.

27 August 1963. 45695 'Minotaur' hailed from Farnley Junction, but was utilised for this Holbeck turn, 1V28 3am Leeds – Bristol today. Allocated to Farnley Junction since September 1952, an appearance at Cheltenham was certainly noteworthy as 'Jubilees' from that shed were rare in these parts.

20 August 1960 (BB) 45696 'Arethusa' of 5A Crewe North was another rare summer Saturday loco on a regular train, the up 'Pines Express'.

6 May 1964 45697 'Achilles' was on 1E64 8.40am Bristol – Sheffield having just transferred across Leeds from Farnley Junction to Holbeck. From being rare, it became just another Holbeck engine. However I didn't see it until 15 August 1964 when it worked the summer Saturday 1V40 9.5am Bradford - Paignton, a regular turn for a Holbeck 'Jub'. I think this was the last 'Jub' that I copped in Cheltenham.

5 January 1963 45700 'Amethyst' hauled 1V28, 3am Leeds- Bristol. On 7 January 1963 the loco went north on 4N29 4.48pm Bristol – Leeds fast freight. It was a Newton Heath engine, although went on loan to Derby at the start of March 1963 for a few months.

26 January 1957 (GRS) 45701 'Conqueror', another Newton Heath engine, took a football special to Cardiff.

23 July 1960 45702 'Colossus' of Newton Heath shed worked M216 9.15am Weston-Super-Mare – Sheffield. It was also seen in Cheltenham on 18 April 1960 with an unrecorded working. The GRS reported 45702 in April 1957 on an Easter relief working.

24 September 1963 45703 'Thunderer' of Blackpool shed was on 1V28, 3am Leeds - Bristol. It was seen again on the 5.25pm Birmingham - Bristol local passenger on 20 June 1964 when shedded at Carnforth. 'Thunderer' had also been spotted on 4 June 1960 when it was a Carlisle Upperby engine and doubleheaded a Glasgow – Cheltenham High Street pigeon special with 'Black Five' 45130 of Crewe South. The latter failed with injector problems and 45703's return north on the pigeon train empties was doubleheaded with '9F' 92216.I also saw it on an unspecified working on Sunday 5 July 1959 when it was a 5A Crewe North engine.

27 April 1960 45710 'Irresistible', a long-time Newton Heath resident, came through Cheltenham with an unspecified working, while on 3 May 1960 it was reported on the down 'Pines Express'. On 25 June 1963 it went north through Cheltenham on 5M25 5.20pm Bristol – Water Orton.

6 July 1963 45716 'Swiftsure', recently transferred to Newton Heath from 26B Agecroft, headed 1V67,1.8pm Leeds – Cardiff, returning north light engine the following day. Just over a year later, on 18 July 1964, it had IN40 10.20am Newton Abbot – Bradford, and this time was a very recent transfer to Holbeck. Fitted with a Fowler tender, the loco was withdrawn at the end of the 1964 summer service, so only worked from Holbeck for a few weeks. Chris Baldwin travelled from Bristol to Gloucester behind 45716 at an earlier date, 16 July 1960, on the 7.25pm Bristol - Newcastle mails, when the loco was allocated to 12A Carlisle Kingmoor.

6 August 1963. Bank Hall's 45717 'Dauntless' was rare today on 1V28 3am Leeds – Bristol. It returned north later in the day on 4N18 2.55pm Bristol – York Dringhouses, one of the top express freights on the line and rostered for diesel haulage. It had been seen at Bristol before, on 30 January 1959, though I have no details of the working that day. 45717 was a Bank Hall engine for virtually the whole of its BR life and only lasted until October 1963.

June 1956(GRS) A pigeon special was hauled by 45718 'Dreadnought' from 68A Carlisle Kingmoor.

July 1957 (GRS) 45720 'Indomitable' from 67A Corkerhill was on a Summer Saturday working, a rare loco indeed. Nevertheless, Chris Baldwin recorded it again in the locality, working the 'Devonian' on 20 July 1959.

22 April 1964 45721 'Impregnable' recently transferred to Burton from Crewe North was appropriately working 4V54 Burton – Bristol beer train. On 1 August the loco was unusual on 1M39, 12.10pm Penzance – Wolverhampton Low Level, which it worked from Bristol up the Honeybourne line through Cheltenham. The train was normally a GW loco. On 21 August 1955 45721 was seen on Barnwood shed.

8 December 1960. 45723 'Fearless' of Carlisle Upperby was at Temple Meads on a parcels special. Not known whether it came via Cheltenham and Gloucester, but it is certainly possible.

27 July 1960 45724 'Warspite' of Carlisle Kingmoor was recorded by Chris Baldwin on the 7.25pm Bristol - Newcastle mails.

20 August 1960 45729 'Furious' of Carlisle Kingmoor reported on 5M25 4.30pm Bristol St Philip's to Water Orton class D freight.

18 March 1961 45730 'Ocean' of Carlisle Kingmoor was on M304 8.40am Bristol - Sheffield passenger.

45729 and 45730 had been Kingmoor engines since 1937.

28 November 1964. 45739 'Ulster' was a long-time Holbeck engine, but by this date had gravitated to 56A Wakefield, making it a rare shed for a 'Jub' when it appeared at Cheltenham on 3V20, Derby – Bristol parcels.

8 June 1962 45742 'Connaught' of Carlisle Upperby shed worked pigeon special 3X24, the annual one from Glasgow, depart 11.30pm Thursday to Cheltenham High Street, arrive 11.59am Friday via Stourbridge and Worcester,then  went light engine to Gloucester. The load was 14 vans and two van specials. The train  returned north at 12.5pm on the Saturday.  'Connaught' was in the area again on the last day of 1962 with 1V67, 1.8pm Leeds – Cardiff.

The depots to which these 'rare' Jubilees were allocated were: 2A Rugby; 2B Nuneaton; 3B Bushbury; 5A Crewe North; 5B Crewe South; 6C Birkenhead; 8A Liverpool Edge Hill; 8B Warrington; 8C Speke Junction; 9B Stockport; 10A Carnforth; 10B Preston; 10C Patricroft; 12A/68A Carlisle Kingmoor; 12B Carlisle Upperby; 14B Kentish Town; 24E Blackpool; 24L Carnforth; 26A Newton Heath; 26F Patricroft; 27A Bank Hall; 41A Sheffield Darnall; 55C Farnley Junction; 67A Glasgow Corkerhill; 89A Shrewsbury.

The listings show that, in later years, certain trains were worth looking out for in the hope of spotting rare 'Jubilees'. In particular 1V28 3am Leeds – Bristol, which ran between 10 September 1962 and 14 June 1964 (previously 1V28 started at Derby), and 1V67 1.8pm Leeds – Cardiff, a new service initiated on 10 September 1962*, could see rare engines, and not just 'Jubilees'**, turned out by Holbeck shed. These trains were supposed to be diesel turns, but were a good bet for steam haulage. Among the rare sightings on 1V28 were 45717 'Dauntless' from Bank Hall shed and 45695 'Minotaur' of Farnley Junction, both in August 1963, while 45703 'Thunderer' had the working on 24 September 1963 and hailed at that date from Blackpool shed.

There were originally 191 'Jubilees', but 45637 'Windward Islands' was written off after the Harrow disaster in 1952, leaving 190 which could have visited Cheltenham and Gloucester in the years under review.

The 'common' ones listed earlier totalled seventy-nine.

The 'rare' ones listed totalled sixty-one and were: 45552;45553;45554;45556;45558;45559;45560;45563;45567;45574;45578;45582;45583;45586;45588;45591;45592;45595;45596;45599;45600;45601;45604;45613;45621;45623;45624;

45625;45628;45634;45635;45642;45643;45646;45652;45661;45665;45666;45669;45670;45671;45678;45679;45680;45687;45688;45691;45695;45696;45701;45702;45703;45710;45716;

45717;45718;45720;45724;45729;45730;45742.

Even rarer of course were the fifty 'Jubilees' not recorded at all, at least in BR days: 45555;45571;45580;45581;45587^^;4;45603;45606;45629^^;45630;45637;45638;45640^^;45644;45645;45655;45657^^;45672;45673;45677;45681+;45686;

45689;45692;45693;45698^^;45704;45705;45706;45707;45708;45711;45713;45714;45715;45719;45722;45723;45726!!;45727+;45728+;45731;45732;45733"";45734;45735=;

45736=;45737;45738;45740;45741. ( =the two rebuilt 'Jubilees') 

Any sightings of these in the Cheltenham/Gloucester area from the 1950s onwards gratefully received. Although some were Scottish based during the period, others were allocated to English sheds and had a decent chance of straying onto the Birmingham – Bristol line. Quite possibly some got to Bristol on the North and West route via Shrewsbury and Pontypool Road, but never appeared at Gloucester or Cheltenham. One such was rebuilt 'Jubilee' 45736 'Phoenix' which got to Bristol via the North and West, returning with the 8am Bristol Temple Meads to Manchester on 18 September 1962. 

Though summer 1964 relief trains were still pretty steamy, the influx of Brush Type 4 diesels that year gradually took over remaining steam passenger and parcels work on the ex -Midland Birmingham – Bristol line and by the start of 1965, any 'Jubilee' through Cheltenham was rare. I only saw three, all shedded at Leeds Holbeck. 45608 'Gibraltar' was on an up evening stopping passenger on 11 January. Possibly this had worked down on 1V67 1.8pm Leeds – Cardiff. Old favourite 45660 'Rooke', a former Bristol Barrow Road engine, had an unrecorded working on 31 January. After that, nothing. So it was a big surprise to observe 45626 'Seychelles' going north light engine through Lansdown station on Wednesday 25 August 1965 just after 1pm. It was photographed on Worcester loco shed later the same day.

In the summer of 1965, passenger workings with steam were uncommon on the Midland route, but luckily summer Saturday reliefs on the 'other' Birmingham – Bristol route, the ex-GW one via Stratford-on-Avon and Honeybourne, were very much steam worked which kept the interest alive at Cheltenham. I am not aware of any passenger trains on either route being 'Jubilee' hauled that summer, though perhaps 45626 mentioned above had worked down on a passenger. I will be pleased to hear about any such sightings.

Surely one of the last 'Jubilee' workings at Cheltenham and Gloucester was on Monday 6 December 1965 when 45697 'Achilles' of 55A worked down to Gloucester Eastgate with a special Christmas parcels train. Michael Davis, a fireman at Horton Road shed, noted it there. 

Footnotes:

^ 45614 was featured in a British Pathe film - 'The Engine Driver', made in 1947 when it was a Kentish Town engine. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikKSxDFEyho

^^ Some not recorded in BR days were very common in earlier times, being shedded at the 'regular' depots. 5629 was at 22A between 1939 and 1947. 5698 was seen at Ashchurch by Ben Brooksbank on 5 August 1939 on a northbound express - not too surprising as it was a 17A Derby engine at the time, as was 5587 from 1939 to 1942, with other stints at Holbeck. 5595 spent some years at Holbeck, while 5640 was at Derby. More surprising was that 5657 was a Gloucester 22B engine for about five months in late 1940/early 1941 - Ben Brooksbank noted it as such on 5 April 1941 at Ashchurch with a down special passenger working.

+ From Ben Brookbank's wartime observations at Ashchurch: 5681 of 5A had a troop special on both 19 and 20 April 1944;5727 of 12A Carlisle Kingmoor was hauling the 10.20am York - Bristol on 22 September 1943; 5728 from the same shed was on the 9.45am Bristol - Bradford on 23 August 1942.

* 10 September 1962 marked the start of a completely revised timetable – 'As a result of more high-powered diesels becoming available many improvements, both in service and journey times will be possible' - according to a BR leaflet. Amongst the changes, the 'Cornishman' went via Birmingham New Street instead of Snow Hill and started at Sheffield, not Wolverhampton. And the 'Devonian' ran non-stop both ways between Bristol and Birmingham.

** 'Black Five' 44889 of 24C Lostock Hall had charge of 1V28 on 30 July 1963, another shed not normally represented at Cheltenham.

!! 45726 'Vindictive' of 8B Warrington was at Bristol on 28 July 1964 and prepped to work the 8.55pm Avonmouth - Lawley Street freight. 

"" 45733 was seen at Kings Norton south of Birmingham on the Gloucester line  on 30 June 1964 with a 'down Workman's train'  - but it is not known whether it got into Gloucestershire on that occasion. 

 45684, a rare loco which became common for a while. 'Jutland' was a 5A Crewe North loco when pictured passing Hatherley Signal Box with 4F 44534. By December 1963, it had gravitated to Derby and was a reasonably familiar sight until October 1964 and transfer to Bank Hall, Liverpool. Photo Robin Stanton.

APPENDIX

Bristol's 45685 'Barfleur' - a fortnight in August 1963.

After main line diesels came to the Birmingham – Bristol route in summer 1961, Bristol Barrow Road's fleet of nine 'Jubilees' was reduced to just three: 45682 'Trafalgar'; 45685 'Barfleur'; 45690 'Leander'. They continued to find employment until withdrawal in the first half of 1964, acting as stand-by engines ready to cover for diesel shortages.

I have notes mostly from my own observations of a fortnight's work for 'Barfleur' in August 1963, showing that it was keeping quite busy. Theoretically all regular weekday class 1 passenger trains on the route were diesel hauled.

45685 'Barfleur' working a down express across Lansdown Junction in summer 1963. Photo Stephen Mourton collection

Thursday 8th August saw 45685 working 1E64 8.40m Bristol – Sheffield, a modestly loaded passenger train. This was steam fairly often at the time. If a diesel was available for the turn, it seems it was often held back for more onerous duties.

Saturday 10th August had 'Barfleur' returning home on 1O91, the 7.35am Nottingham – Bournemouth service, which it worked to Bristol. No longer routed over the Somerset & Dorset, the train left Temple Meads for Westbury and Salisbury en route for its destination. It was a regular weekday service as far as Bristol.

Sunday 11th August and 'Barfleur' was heading north again with 1N84, 2.15pm Bristol – York.

Its return working is unknown to me.

Wednesday 14th August had 45685 working 1E61 1.10am Bristol – Sheffield mails. This was an important train, on which steam haulage was pretty rare by this date, so was probably due to a diesel failure.

It returned home later that day or on the 15th.

Friday 16th August was a repeat performance on 1E64 8.40m Bristol – Sheffield,

Saturday 17th August, 'Barfleur' performed a mundane duty, 2H73 7.37am Worcester – Gloucester stopping passenger. In earlier years, there were turns whereby a 'Jubilee' would meander down from Sheffield on various stopping trains to get to Gloucester or Bristol before returning north on an express.

Sunday 18th August and 45685 hauled 1N68 4.45pm Bristol – Leeds and Bradford, a fairly tightly timed express.

It may have worked through to Leeds, being next seen on:

Wednesday 21st August with 3V20 1.32pm Derby – Bristol parcels train, usually heavily loaded. This was very often steam-hauled instead of a diesel.

'Barfleur' was withdrawn on 1 April 1964, having been allocated to Bristol Barrow Road for the whole of its BR existence.

The aforementioned 3V20 parcels train at Hatherley in summer 1963 with 'Jubilee' 45668 'Madden' whose home depot was 17B Burton.

Photo Stephen Mourton collection

'Jubilee' observations,with five of the class on the evening of Friday 3 April 1964, the last time I saw this many at Cheltenham.

45597 'Barbados' on the diesel diagrammed 1V67 1.8pm Leeds - Cardiff, running 30 minutes late - around 6pm.

45557 'New Brunswick' headed 3V20 1.32pm Derby - Bristol parcels.

45631 'Tanganyika' had 2V74, 5.25pm Birmingham - Bristol stopping passenger.

45653 'Barham' with a down fitted freight, probably 4V54, 4.20pm Burton to Bristol.

45564 'New South Wales' had 1N59, 7.25pm Bristol - Newcastle mails,12 carriages,31 minutes late into Lansdown at 9.10pm, presumably a diesel had gone missing. (I have a note that the 11.50am York - Bristol,1V43, which supplied the loco for 1N59 was worked by 'Black Five' 45052, after a diesel failure, running 93 minutes late at Cheltenham.)

(Steam on 1N59 was very unusual by April 1964, however there was a later occasion I have recorded - D35 failed at Gloucester while on this train on 20 November 1964 and it was taken forward 27 minutes late by 45608 'Gibraltar'.)

45597, 45564 and 45608 were 55A Leeds Holbeck based, whilst the other three were from 16F Burton shed.