31 October 1964 - All Change

31 October 1964

Saturday 31 October 1964 was a day when cuts proposed by Dr Richard Beeching in his report 'The Reshaping of British Railways' - published by HMSO on 27 March 1963 - bit deeply into Gloucestershire's railway network. Various lines witnessed their last passenger services, with some also losing remaining freight workings and closing completely. This article deals with the 'Beeching Cuts' which reduced the number of steam turns worked by Gloucester Horton Road"" based locos and loco crews, plus the effects of dieselisation and rationalisation of services.

There had been numerous withdrawals of services before the Beeching era of course, just a couple of examples - Ashchurch – Upton –on-Severn lost its passenger trains in August 1961 and similarly Cheltenham to Kingham passengers finished in October 1962""". Both had been steam-worked to the end.

Closures and contraction of services led to Horton Road's sub-sheds Cheltenham Malvern Road and Brimscombe shutting at the end of October 1963 and Lydney+ in March 1964 with their remaining turns worked from Horton Road. The nearby ex-Midland Gloucester Barnwood++ depot closed in May 1964, with surviving locos, men and turns transferred to Horton Road, which swelled the latter's working allocation and steam diagrams, at least for a few months.

The Gloucester - Chalford auto train service,or Rail Motor as it was described in the working time table, even with its good frequency, numerous halts and popularity with the travelling public was already 'under consideration for withdrawal' before the Beeching report. 

Undoubtedly it was the most mourned loss after the last working on 31 October. The service wound its way up through the Stroud Valley about a dozen times every weekday, with plenty of stops at stations and halts convenient for the local populace, especially mums with children in prams and pushchairs, who found busses much less user friendly.

Starting from Gloucester Central there followed a dash along the main line, at up to seventy miles per hour, sometimes parallel with passenger trains out of Eastgate station, often resulting in a race between the two, and got the auto to its first stop at Stonehouse (Burdett Road) station. From there it was only just over two and a half miles to Stroud station, but the auto called at three intermediate halts – Ebley Crossing, Cashes Green and Downfield Crossing – all basic platforms.  After Stroud came Bowbridge Crossing Halt, Ham Mill Halt, Brimscombe Bridge Halt, Brimscombe, St Mary's Crossing Halt and then Chalford. The working time table shows the distance from Gloucester Central to Chalford as 16 miles 8 chains. 

On the last day, I travelled on the 5.15pm Gloucester Central – Chalford, with 0-4-2T 1472 hauling two auto trailers. There must have been delays as we arrived at Chalford at 6.15pm, 20 minutes late. The loco propelled the trailers on the return journey, which departed Chalford at 6.25pm, still 20 minutes behind schedule, with arrival at Gloucester Central at 7.05pm, the same margin of lateness.

The last scheduled service on 31 October was 10.31pm from Gloucester Central, due Chalford 11.16pm. Departure from there was scheduled at 11.20pm, with arrival back in Central at 11.55pm. Time was allowed 'to extinguish lights at Halts where required.' But it ran rather late according to this newspaper article - with everyone aboard wanting to give the service a memorable farewell - and it was 1.5am on Sunday 1 November before the train got to Central station.

Berkeley Road, on the ex-Midland route from Gloucester to Bristol, retained a rail motor passenger service to Sharpness until 31 October 1964. This was the remnant of a working which used to go across the Severn Railway Bridge to Lydney Junction, until part of the bridge structure was damaged in a shipping accident in October 1960. For some time after this disaster a schools service took the long way round, travelling via Gloucester Central station. Berkeley Road station remained open for a short while longer for stopping trains between Gloucester and Bristol, but closed on and from 4 January 1965, another victim of the Beeching cuts. The line to Sharpness continued in use for freight traffic, including 'flasks' for Berkeley nuclear power station.

Gloucester to Hereford via Ross-on-Wye lost both passenger and freight trains, with Ross-on-Wye to the branch's junction at Hereford closing completely. However freights ran for another year from Gloucester to Ross and on to Lydbrook Junction.

Hereford services remained virtually all steam to the end(!), so this made quite an impact on Horton Road's motive power requirements, with a big reduction in work for ex-GW Moguls, 'Manors' and Prairie tanks.

Stations at Oakle Street and Grange Court, which were served by both Hereford and South Wales trains, closed as did Newnham, on the main line between Grange Court and Lydney.

Another change which diminished steam workings, though did not involve cessation of services, was diversion of Cheltenham to Swindon and London trains to the former Midland station at Gloucester Eastgate. The track layout at Standish Junction a few miles from Gloucester was altered, allowing trains from Eastgate to cross over to the Swindon line (1). Up to 31 October 1964, these services called at the ex-GWR Gloucester Central station, necessitating a reversal, and motive power between Cheltenham and Gloucester was usually steam, with diesel taking over at the latter. The change meant diesels worked through from Cheltenham - though during November there were occasions when the up and down 'Cheltenham Spa Express' was steam worked between Cheltenham and Gloucester^.

On 31 October, the last official steam worked down 'Cheltenham Spa Express' was hauled from Gloucester Central to Cheltenham Spa St James by 2-6-2T 4100. Interestingly, the Local Trip Working Time Table shows that the diagrammed power for the following passenger trains was a 'Small Prairie' 45XX 2-6-2T, not the 'Large Prairie' 41XX: 6.55am St James - Swindon; 8.10am St James - Paddington, the up 'Cheltenham Spa Express'; 11.45am St James - Swindon; 9.5am Paddington - St James; 1. 30pm St James - Swindon; 4.55pm Paddington - St James, the down 'Cheltenham Spa Express'. The class had made a comeback to the area in September 1963 with 4564 and 5518 reallocated to 85B, with 5518 being replaced by 5545 in June 1964.

Churchdown station between Gloucester and Cheltenham was another closure on 31 October 1964; until that date the station had ten up and thirteen down trains stopping on weekdays, including the early morning Gloucester Eastgate – Sheffield, the DMU to Leamington Spa, a couple of Birmingham New Street/ Worcester to Gloucester Eastgate services and several trains to and from South Wales.

Freight only lines were also hit by the cuts. Though closed to passengers in August 1961, the Ashchurch – Upton branch saw freight activity to Upton until the end of June 1963; after that trains only ran between Ashchurch and Tewkesbury. The branch was served off train 7B02, which left Worcester Yard at 8.35am, arriving Ashchurch at 9.12am for shunting as required; it was the return journey of 7H33, 5.0am Gloucester Barnwood Sidings to Worcester Yard daily freight, diagrammed throughout for a class 57XX 0-6-0PT, but actually using a variety of types. The branch freight departed  Ashchurch at 10am, arriving Tewkesbury at 10.10am, leaving at 10.40am, with arrival at Ashchurch at 10.50am. After more shunting at Ashchurch as required – this could include traffic for the Army camp just along the former Evesham branch – 7B02 left at 11.40am, due into Gloucester New Yard at 12.17pm.

There was a report in the October 1964 'Footplate' newsletter of the Dowty RPS as follows:' Lifting of the line between Upton and Tewkesbury has commenced. There is still a freight service from Ashchurch to Tewkesbury and quite an interesting variety of steam locomotives are seen on this from time to time, but it seems unlikely the line will remain in use for much longer.' This prophecy proved correct, with the service ceasing on 31 October 1964.

Locos were required for shunting, pilot and steam heating duties, including at Cheltenham St James and a 45XX Prairie tank was often on this duty after the class, represented by 4564 and 5518, made a welcome return to the area during 1963.  5518 was withdrawn in May 1964, when 4564 was joined by 5545 with the latter being the last withdrawn around the end of October. The locos did a goodly amount of passenger work, including the Cheltenham Spa Express, with pilot duties forming part of these turns ^^.

7029 Clun Castle was transferred to Horton Road in October, as was 7022 Hereford Castle.

After 31 October 1964

After the cuts, there was surplus steam power at Horton Road, and a number of withdrawals took place, with some engines also stored at the closed Barnwood loco depot until their final journeys to scrapyards.

7808 Cookham Manor was transferred to Horton Road in November. It had previously spent quite a few years in the 1950s and early 1960s at Gloucester and Cheltenham Malvern Road, so it was good to get it back.

Passenger Turns

Several steam worked stopping passengers operated between Gloucester and Bristol until withdrawal on and from 4 January 1965 (2) when stations between Gloucester and Mangotsfield were closed (3).

Stopping trains Gloucester Eastgate(G) – Bristol Temple Meads (Btl)*:

2B74 G – Btl : 6.33am; 7.30am; 9.30am; 12.40pm SO; 4.18pm; 5.20pm;

2H74 Btl – G: 6.47am; 9.15am*; 12.46pm SO; 3.45pm SX; 5.45pm; 10.5pm SX; 10.15pm SO.

On Thursday 19 November 1964 Patrick O'Brien recorded Horton Road's 7034 Ince Castle on the 3.45pm Bristol - Gloucester and Oxley's 5056 Earl of Powis on the 4.18pm Gloucester - Bristol - the 'Castles' would have passed each other between Stonehouse Bristol Road and Coaley Junction.

An interesting turn which remained steam after 4 January 1965 was the 12.7am Sundays only Manchester - Plymouth sleeper train, routed via Worcester and Gloucester. Robert Pritchard took a picture in the early hours of 10 January showing a very run down 7024 Powis Castle of Oxley shed on the train at Worcester Shrub Hill. It is stated this was the last scheduled passenger turn for a 'Castle'.

There was also was a Crewe-Bristol and return class C parcels via Worcester and Gloucester in the early hours, worked by an Oxley loco -  'Castles' were regularly used during 1964 until these were withdrawn in early 1965.There was a Horton Road connection as an 85B loco crew worked the up parcels from Gloucester Eastgate to Dudley via Worcester.

After that time, I have no reports, but 'Grange' 4-6-0s, 'Black Fives' and, in Summer 1965, 'Britannia' 4-6-2s were based at Oxley and could have worked these trains, which were shown in the Working Time Table as being steam hauled.

Above left: Ivatt class 2 2-6-0 46401 waits at Eastgate with the 4pm stopper to Temple Meads on 24 October 1959, shortly before it was transferred away from Gloucester.

Above right: BR Standard class 4 4-6-0s replaced 2P and Compound 4-4-0s and here is 75009 near Haresfield on 21 May 1960. In autumn 1961 the 75XXX were replaced by Standard class 5 73XXX 4-6-0s. Ex-GW locos were also used on the stoppers in 1964. Photo Coltas Trust.

Eastgate - Worcester services continued, stopping at the only open intermediate stations of Cheltenham Lansdown and Ashchurch. From Worcester to Birmingham New Street locals continued with regular steam haulage using locos from various depots including Gloucester  – these were 7.50am Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester Eastgate; 5.25pm Birmingham New Street to Gloucester Eastgate; 4.46pm Gloucester Eastgate to Birmingham New Street; 7.4pm Gloucester Eastgate to Birmingham New Street.

26 January 1965 was not a good day for the 4.46pm ex Gloucester Eastgate. It arrived in Cheltenham Lansdown behind local engine Collett 0-6-0 2242, which was unusual motive power as normally a Midland loco worked the service. The train never left, as the coaches were shunted into the down platform at 5.55pm and the service cancelled at 6.30pm with 2242 being declared a failure. It was towed to Gloucester whilst the empty coaching stock headed north behind tender-first Stanier 2-8-0 48060.

Visitors from rare depots could turn up - one evening stopper had Black Five 45193 of 10J Lancaster Green Ayre on 12 February 1965. Ex GW locos appeared regularly on the down evening stopping train – examples being 2-6-2T 6155 of 85A Worcester on 27 March 1965; 4-6-0 6956 Mottram Hall, a Gloucester engine, on 15 April 1965; 4-6-0 7919 Runter Hall of 85A on 9 June 1965.  Sundays also saw steam working – the 7.47am Gloucester Eastgate to Birmingham New Street had Black 5 44843 of 21A Saltley on 14 March 1965.

From 14 June 1965, there were no dedicated Birmingham – Gloucester stoppers, being replaced by DMUs working Birmingham to Worcester with a separate DMU service between Worcester and Gloucester. Thus another big chunk of steam working disappeared.

A Saturdays only working up the Stroud Valley, 12.25pm Gloucester Central to Swindon and 5.33pm return, had steam until 12 June 1965, after which a new timetable came into force and the train no longer ran. BR Standard class 3 2-6-2T 82039 appeared on the service on 5th June**. It was also seen going light engine through Cheltenham Malvern Road station on 9 June, possibly heading for a duty at St James. Five of the class were transferred to Gloucester in May 1965, but were little used.

7029 Clun Castle, shedded at Horton Road and the last working 'Castle', became much in demand for railtours and special duties. It worked the last regular steam-hauled passenger out of Paddington on Friday 11 June 1965, the 4.15pm to Banbury. Next day, the loco appeared at St James and took excursion train 1Z50 to Weston-Super-Mare.

7029 was also specially rostered for the last steam-worked Summer Saturday passenger up the Honeybourne line on 4 September 1965 (++). The train was 1M39, 12.30 Penzance to Wolverhampton, due at Malvern Road station between 19.17 and 19.22^^^.

The 17.00 Central to Cheltenham St James, five coaches, was usually steam-hauled until the official end of steam for Horton Road's own allocation and sometimes with 'foreign' engines. Dave Smith fired an 80XXX 2-6-4T on the train on one occasion, it was probably 80037 of 83G Templecombe which came to Horton Road in September for repairs utilising the shed's wheel drop, so this was its running in turn after repair. On 24 September it was B R Standard class 5 73013 of 2D Banbury; the following day another stranger appeared, 'Black Five' 45454 of 1H Northampton, but just being reallocated to 2D. An exception, according to 'Railway Observer' magazine, was 27 November with the service worked by 0-6-0 diesel hydraulic D9521!

Although overwhelmingly DMU or diesel loco hauled, there was a regular steam working from Central station at 05.45 to Cardiff General and 17.45 return, the last time being 13 November 1965 with 7829 Ramsbury Manor.

Clun Castle was back in London on 27 November 1965 for a BR promoted 'last steam from Paddington' special which also visited Gloucester. On 11 December it was the Brimscombe banker, but regained some dignity when called upon to replace a failed diesel loco on the 06.55 Cheltenham - Swindon passenger.

The Christmas period brought forth extra parcels trains which had a chance of being steam - certainly Standard class 5 73157 went down to Bristol on one on 15 December.

A couple of post - Christmas steam passenger workings reported were a 'Black Five' with 1V72 13.54 York - Cardiff on 28 December, getting on for two hours late, while 45186 was on 1V30 06.10am Derby - Bristol on 30 December, about 40 minutes down.

I saw Cookham Manor on the 17.00 from Gloucester Central, with five coaches, on Christmas Eve 1965. Clun Castle was reported as working the service on 30 and 31 December, which I did not see. Nor did I see the working on New Year's Day 1966, but at least one report says it was again Clun Castle.

Though booked for a DMU, Brush Type 4 diesel D1901 worked the last scheduled passenger for Malvern Road and St James on 1 January 1966, the 20.30 from Swindon, arriving St James at 21.45, returning to Gloucester at 22.15, not stopping at Malvern Road. (There were no passenger trains in or out of St James on Sunday 2 January 1966.)  Thus St James station became another casualty of the Beeching cuts, being closed for passenger services on and from 3 January 1966 (^^), as was the nearby Cheltenham Malvern Road.

Freight Turns

A 57XX 0-6-0PT was rostered for the Cheltenham St James to Honeybourne and return freight. The class also had numerous duties at Lydney and on various Forest of Dean branches, including Cinderford and Coleford/ Whitecliff Quarry.

The bigger 94XX 0-6-0PT class was still hanging on at the end of October, with one diagrammed for the 6.50pm Cheltenham St James to Gloucester New Yard transfer freight. This could be quite a lengthy train – I once counted 71 wagons on it, hauled by 9471.

In 1965 the loco off the 17.00 Central - St James passenger worked back on this freight - Bill Potter took a picture of Clun Castle tender-first in St James yard on the duty - might have been 29 July when I saw Clun on this working at Hatherley.

The large Prairie tanks of the 41XX class were still needed to assist trains, including diesel hauled ones, up Sapperton bank.

There were also some longer distance freight and parcels workings for ex-GW tender locos based at Horton Road.

Though Gloucester to Hereford trains were no more, there was still freight working for another twelve months from Gloucester to Ross-on-Wye and then four and a half miles to Lydbrook Junction on the Ross – Monmouth line, from which passenger services had been withdrawn in January 1959. Two Collett 0-6-0s, 2242 and 2287, were transferred from Hereford to Horton Road for these workings, but both were withdrawn in May 1965 and the last freight train on 29 October 1965 had BR Standard 2-6-0 78006 in charge.

There were two diagrammed turns for ex-Midland 4F 0-6-0s shedded at Horton Road". One was the Gloucester New Yard to Sharpness freight, the other was New Yard to Quedgeley plus two trips to Hempsted with coal for Gloucester Gasworks. Another New Yard to Quedgeley tripper was booked for a 57XX 0-6-0PT. New Yard to Coaley Junction and Dursley had a BR Standard class 2 2-6-0, as did the branch freight to Stonehouse, Stroud and Nailsworth.

Demolition of railway infrastructure and removal of rails was taking place in the county, with associated works trains. On the line from Cheltenham Lansdown Junction to Andoversford, 2-6-2T 6128 had a short train on 6 December 1964, while six days later, the works train was in charge of BR Standard class 2 2-6-0 78004. New Year's Day 1965 saw 4-6-0 7808 Cookham Manor on the section. This loco had traversed the route from Cheltenham to Andoversford and over the ex-MSWJ to Cirencester, Swindon Town, Andover and Southampton many times in its life. There seemed to be a determined effort in early 1965 to finally clear everything away on this section, which had closed to regular traffic over two years earlier, on and from 15 October 1962. Other workings noted in January 1965 were: 0-6-0 2242 on 9th; 4F 0-6-0 44123 on 11th – most unusual motive power for the line, but a Horton Road based loco following closure of the ex-Midland Gloucester  Barnwood depot; 78004 on 14th; 4-6-0 4929 Goytrey Hall on 20, 25 and 27th. 0-6-0PT 8471 was seen on 2 February (shortly before withdrawal), while2-6-2T 4100 was used on 6 and 10 February – after this date, only a short section of track remained to be removed, between Lansdown Junction and Hatherley Road bridge.

Whatever the booked power was for a particular turn, other types of engines were utilised as 1964 turned into 1965 and the pace of withdrawals accelerated. The Worcester – Gloucester pick up freight already mentioned, headcode 7B02, had a variety – 7034 Ince Castle(+) on 19 June 1965 (withdrawn from service shortly afterwards); 4F 44264 on 26 June; 6869 Resolven Grange – not a Horton Road engine – on 3 July; 7829 Ramsbury Manor – newly transferred to Horton Road – on 10 July (on this date the train included dead 0-6-0PT 7734 which had been stationary boiler at Leamington Spa shed). Of course, this working no longer trundled along the branch from Ashchurch to Tewkesbury – it would have been interesting to see a 'Castle' at the latter place! (As an aside, a 'Castle' did actually appear at the Tewkesbury branch platform at Ashchurch – but that's another story….)(*).

Geoff Plumb took a photo of BR Standard class 4 75003 of 85A Worcester at Ashchurch with a demolition train on the Evesham branch on Sunday 4 July 1965.

On Friday 3 September, the day before 7029 Clun Castle hauled the last Summer Saturday passenger up the Honeybourne line, it was put on the Worcester - Gloucester pick-up turn. Dave Smith was fireman, but his driver let him drive it on the return. Dave recalls leaving Ashchurch with no less than seventy wagons on that occasion.

Christmas parcels trains could produce steam workings - a notable sight on Monday 6 December was that of 55A 'Jubilee' 45697 'Achilles' arriving in Eastgate from the north with a parcels extra and going on to Horton Road shed. It was very rare to see a 'Jubilee' in Gloucester by this date. 

The End of All Steam Working

The allocation of Horton Road in December 1965 - some were already withdrawn or in store -  was: 0-6-0PT 3675; 3759;3775;4680;4689;9672;9680. 2-6-2T 6141;6160. 4-6-0 7029;7808;7829. 0-6-0 44269. 2-6-0 78001;78006. 2-10-0 92007;92230(**) ;92244;92246;92250.

92244,92246 and 92250 were present on 12 December 1965.

The last 4F 44269 was in store and did not work right up to the end. It was fired by Michael Davis on 23 November at Gloucester Central on carriage heating duties, may well have run later than that as he said it was in good condition. Then, most unexpectedly, another 4F was on Horton Road shed on Tuesday 7 December 1965 - this was 44311 of Bolton shed, seen by both Mike Davis and Keith Bannister. Why was it there? Was it to take over from 44269? Did it work in on a freight? Did it do any local freight work? In any event it seems to have soon gone away again, spending several months working from Barrow-in-Furness! Mike Davis says BR Standard 2-6-4T 80037 came from Templecombe to take over from 44269 on the Hempsted branch working, also seen on Horton Road on 7 December.Did 80037 ever do that? It went back to Templecombe from where it was withdrawn in March 1966.

Various other withdrawn locos were present including 4100, 4698, 6924 (an 81F Oxford allocated loco), 7816 and 78004. (BR records indicate that 6924 was used as a stationary boiler, at an unknown location.)

A few more observations from the dying days of Horton Road's steam allocation – 92250 shunting in Barnwood yard on 14 December, whilst on 15 December I noted 7808 Cookham Manor at Berkeley Road with the Sharpness branch freight; 2-6-2T 6160 shunting the Ministry of Defence sidings at Quedgeley; 3759 in steam on shed; 44269 in store.

On 27 December Patrick O'Brien noted 7029 acting as Gloucester Eastgate station pilot.

The last regular steam passenger at Cheltenham in late 1965 was the 17.00 Gloucester Central – Cheltenham Malvern Road and St James, which saw a variety of locos, including GW Prairie tanks, 7029 'Clun Castle', various 'Manors', 'Black Fives', even an 80XXX 2-6-4T (^) once, which were rare at Cheltenham.

On and from 3 January 1966, though Horton Road no longer had a working steam allocation of its own, all locos having been withdrawn, steam from the Midland Region travelling down the Ashchurch and Honeybourne lines continued to come on shed for servicing – 65 different locos were reported in one week in January.As well as Midland engines, Eastern and North Eastern Region based locos still came to Gloucester and at least one working Southern Region loco was at Horton Road in February, possibly from the Bristol or Bath line. (Other Southern locos were seen in Gloucester well into 1967, but being towed to scrapyards in South Wales.)

Saltley shed, Birmingham, with plenty of workings to and through Gloucester, had a steam allocation until March 1967. Even closer, the ex-GW shed at Stourbridge was part of the London Midland Region and retained a steam allocation until closure in July 1966, again with workings to Gloucester. Tyseley shed, Birmingham, kept steam until closure in November 1966 too. Also Bath Green Park had working steam until March 1966. 

After St James was shut, the 17.00 from Gloucester continued running, but to Lansdown station. Despite the official closure of Horton Road to steam, it was worked by a 'Black Five' a few times during January 1966. Having heard that the service had been hauled by 44966+ of 6D Shrewsbury on 17 and 18 January I went to Lansdown station on 19 January to see the train. Yes, it was a diesel, a 'Hymek' I seem to recall…

But it wasn't a wasted journey. The station announcer informed intending travellers that 1V43,12.25 York – Bristol, was running late and being hauled by a steam engine! 1V43 turned up at 17.51, 85 minutes late, behind 'Black Five' 45211 of 55A Leeds Holbeck on nine coaches and departed towards Gloucester four minutes later. That was the last steam hauled class '1' train I saw at Cheltenham.

The last steam hauled class '2' passenger I saw was on 22 January, when the 17.00 from Gloucester had 'Black Five' 44683 of 5B Crewe South on five coaches.

The Monmouthshire Railway Society reported steam freights from Gloucester to South Wales, light engines from Gloucester to Avonmouth Docks for special freights to the LMR and on extras on the Swindon line. Sundays seemed to be good for steam workings, with coal being transported to power stations.

On 26 February 1966, I saw four locos in steam on Horton Road: 48177, 48700, 92137 and the most interesting, B1 61035 of 50A, which worked in with an Immingham - Severn Beach tanker train. Also still here were a dozen of Horton Road's final steam allocation, all withdrawn and awaiting despatch to scrapyards: 3675;3759;4689;6141;6160;7829;9672;9680;78001;78006;92244;92250. 7808 was also present, destined for preservation. 7029 had already gone to Tyseley for preservation.

As 1966 wore on, steam working gradually faded away. The last regular working that I am aware of was on the Honeybourne line, the 21.45 Birmingham Snow Hill - Bristol Temple Meads parcels, due through Malvern Road at 23.07. The steam loco, usually a Stanier 'Black Five' 4-6-0, came off at Gloucester and, after turning on the triangle, went north at 03.00 from Gloucester Eastgate on the 01.35 Bristol - Birmingham Moor Street parcels. Steam finished on this turn at the end of July, as far as I know - three observations towards the end: 45287 on 19 May and 9 June; 44860 on 1 July.

The 'Railway Observer' reported that 44780 shedded at 2A Tyseley worked 1V53 08.00 Wolverhampton - Ilfracombe on Saturday 16 July 1966 probably coming off at Gloucester as it was photographed on Horton Road shed. Norman Preedy photographed it later that day at Engine Shed Junction, Gloucester going north on 3X33 empty coaching stock.  

On Saturday 13 August, 7808 Cookham Manor,the last steam loco at Horton Road and stored since working BR turns in December 1965, left the depot to travel in steam to its new home, the Dowty Railway Preservation Society site at Ashchurch. Intriguingly, movie footage taken from 7808's footplate on this occasion includes a brief glimpse of a 'Black Five' at Engine Shed Junction heading some passenger stock on a down working - according to 'Railway World' magazine the loco was 45493 of 2D Banbury (which retained a steam allocation until 3 October 1966). Seems there could be late steam workings yet to be uncovered....

By September 1966, working steam at Gloucester was virtually extinct and its demise was undoubtedly hastened by those 'Beeching Cuts' nearly two years earlier and further implementation of the National Freight Train Plan at the beginning of August.

More observations of steam at Gloucester in 1966 can be found in the articles on this site:

Jim Irwin's Gloucestershire Railway Memories; Keith Bannister's Gloucestershire Railway Memories and Mighael J Davis - Diary of a Teenage Railwayman. 

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The 'Railway Observer' reported that an Ivatt class 2 2-6-0 worked a freight (possibly an engineers train)  down the Honeybourne line through Cheltenham to Gloucester on 4 January 1967 - Saltley shed still had working steam at that date.

A recent communication from a local correspondent provides information on an even later 'proper' steam working.  A  Crewe- Bristol parcels had Black 5 45297 worked by a Horton Road crew between Worcester Shrub Hill and Gloucester Eastgate in the last week of August 1967. 45297, a 5B Crewe South engine, was detached at Gloucester, took water at Horton Road then  returned  north. A Crewe- Bristol parcels in the working time table for 1965/66 was 3V23, which came via Bescot to Worcester, due away from there at 02.00, stopping at Cheltenham Lansdown for 10 minutes with arrival at Eastgate at 02.56. Don't know if it was still running in the same times in August 1967. (Crewe South shed closed in November 1967.)

A positive freight development in 1967 was the opening of rail connected coal concentration depots (CCD) at Cheltenham High Street and Stonehouse Bristol Road (4). Both are mentioned in the local trip workings below.

The Cheltenham Tewkesbury Road CCD, run by Cawood Solid Fuels Ltd, utilised part of High Street goods yard and included a wagon tippler and coal stocking area. Opened in August 1967, the first loco was a 1947 John Fowler 0-4-0 diesel hydraulic, rebuilt by Thomas Hill and supplied by Fred Watkins (Engineers) Ltd of Coleford. About May 1973, it was joined by a 1959 Thomas Hill built 0-4-0 diesel hydraulic, which probably did most, if not all, the work from there on. Rail traffic ceased around 1985, with the locos scrapped or sold off. 

The Stonehouse depot was operated by the Stonehouse Coal Concentration Co Ltd, again opening in 1967. It was situated on the former branch to Dudbridge Junction and had a conveyor, coal drops and a coal stocking area. Shunting was done by an 0-4-0 diesel mechanical, from Drewry Car Co/Vulcan Foundry, built in 1947. The depot was closed by 1988, with track lifted the following year, when the loco moved to Western Fuels in Bristol.

Footnotes:

""" BR wanted to withdraw Ashchurch - Great Malvern services, both passenger and freight, from November 1952, but did not get approval, so just trains between Upton and Great Malvern ceased at that time. After that, the passenger service from Ashchurch through to Upton was minimal, two from Upton and only one from Ashchurch on Mondays to Fridays. On Saturdays there was an additional service and was the only day it was possible to do a round trip starting from Ashchurch. Ashchurch - Tewkesbury revelled in the luxury of five round trips, with an extra one on Saturdays.

Cheltenham - Kingham had six round trips Monday - Saturday, which compared favourably with earlier years, and provided a good service to London, with a change at Kingham, off some services.

"" In February 1964 Horton Road had an allocation of 36 locos: 2 'Castle' 4-6-0; 11 'Hall' 4-6-0; 3 53XX 2-6-0;2 BR Standard class 4 4-6-0; 4 51XX 2-6-2T; 2 45XX 2-6-2T; 3 94XX 0-6-0PT; 4 57XX 0-6-0PT; 5 14XX 0-4-2T to cover 23 turns. 

+ In February 1964 Lydney had an allocation of 8 locos: 1 53XX 2-6-0; 4 57XX 0-6-0PT; 3 16XX 0-6-0PT to cover 6 turns.

++ In February 1964 Barnwood had an allocation of 19 locos: 2 Stanier 8F 2-8-0; 9 BR Standard class 5 4-6-0; 3 BR Standard class 2 2-6-0; 3 4F 0-6-0; 2 14XX 0-4-2T to cover 14 turns.

(!) The Hereford branch passengers did see the occasional diesel - the Steam Museum, Swindon, has a photo of a 'Hymek' on 2H90 Hereford - Gloucester at Ballingham station.

(1) Approval for this alteration had been given in a Parliamentary Bill in 1960. The same Bill also gave approval for a new marshalling yard at Brookthorpe, which was to commence near Tuffley Junction and extend for about one and a half miles southwards on the east side of the Gloucester - Standish Junction line. The yard was never built. In 1957 it was announced the yard would be sited between Churchdown and Engine Shed Junction, Gloucester, but a 'public outcry' caused that plan to be amended. 

(2) 4 January 1965 was the day 'British Railways' became 'British Rail' and introduced its new blue corporate livery and double arrow logo.

(3) A steam worked service remained throughout most of 1965 between Bristol Temple Meads, stations to Mangotsfield and Bath Green Park.

^ The up 'Cheltenham Spa Express',8am from Cheltenham, was worked by steam on Thursday 4 March 1965. Due to heavy snow the D10XX rostered for the job could not get to Cheltenham in time and 0-6-0PT 3677 which had been steam heating the stock was used to take the train to Gloucester (information thanks to Jim Irwin who was the fireman on this occasion).

* Per Bristol Railway Archive http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/forum, reproduced here:' I believe that the 9.15am Bristol - Gloucester became a DMU turn. The engine off this turn normally returned on the 4.18pm Gloucester to Bristol. When the 9.15am was dieselised Barrow Road sent a LE to Gloucester at 10.50am to form the return working. They generally used the 'Castle' class 4-6-0 off the early morning Crewe parcels which later left Bristol at 11.25pm back to Crewe (via Gloucester and Cheltenham, non-stop), train 3M00. This would have been the final regular 'Castle' passenger train into Bristol. (One example - Wednesday 11 November 1964, when the loco was 7019 Fowey Castle.) It finished in early January 1965 when the local stations to Gloucester were closed.' (The down parcels was 3V23 10.45pm Crewe - Bristol, via Worcester, stopping at Cheltenham between 2.34am and 2.44am and Gloucester Eastgate between 2.56am and 3.5am.It was shown as still steam hauled in the Working Time Table commencing 14 June 1965).

^^ There was a notable working on 15 May 1964 when the up Cheltenham Spa Express between Gloucester and Cheltenham with 13 coaches was headed by a tender-first BR Standard 4-6-0 73019 and small Prairie tank 4564. Another noteworthy date was 2 June 1964 when the same train, with nine coaches, had Midland 4F 0-6-0 43887 as motive power. Both these occurrences happened after the closure of Barnwood loco depot in early May and illustrated that any loco on Horton Road shed could appear on any working.

** Pete Evans was a passenger on this train hauled by 82039 when it failed at Stroud with injector problems and was assisted to Swindon by 4100. 82039 made the return journey without problems.

(++) See article 'Summer Saturday Surveys at Cheltenham 1957-1965'.

^^^ The working time table starting on 14 June 1965 used the 24 hour time format – 05.45 - not am and pm. A photo of this train is in the Summer Saturdays at Cheltenham Survey article.

" Of course 4Fs also appeared on other turns, such as the Worcester - Gloucester pick-up. Geoff Plumb took a photo of a shunting movement on 4 July 1965 - a Sunday, so that was unusual in itself - of 4F 44269 in Ashchurch yard, the wagons being shifted included military road vehicles to or from the Army camp. Being a Sunday, this activity might have been in relation to the Civil Engineers; BR Standard 75003 was also photographed that same day at Ashchurch with an Evesham branch demolition train.

(+) By this time 7034 had a small plate in the cab which read 'RESTRICTED WORCESTER FREIGHT ONLY' (information from MIAC website)

(*) See article Messrs Dowty's Private Siding, Ashchurch.

(**) 92230 was withdrawn from 85A Worcester shed on 31 December 1965, though not allocated there - it may have failed while on a train. It was still dumped there on 31 March 1966. Information from http://www.worcesterlocomotivesociety.co.uk

(^^) Were there any other appearances by a Brush Type 4 at St James? A daily local freight working from Gloucester to St James, Malvern Road sidings and High Street sidings continued into 1966 usually hauled by a 350HP diesel shunter. A date of 3 June 1966 has been quoted for the cessation of freight at St James, probably just coal traffic at the end; another source gives the closure date as 31 October 1966. 

Locos seen in Sharpness Docks scrapyard on 5 September 1964, all GW types: 1006;1027;2842;2852;2872;4087;4701;4924;4996;5262;5943;5954;5986;7009;7015;7037, plus a partly cut-up 'Castle' not identified.

(4) Under Dr Beeching coal supplies to private sidings serving smaller coal merchants were discontinued, being replaced by block train workings to a small number (only 292 nation wide) of specially built `House Coal Concentration Depots'. These were built from about 1965 and all were completed by about 1970, some were operated by BR whilst others were operated by larger coal merchants.