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Royal Scots on the Calder Valley

In September 1962 with dieselisation of the Settle Carlisle complete and the summer holiday period over, Holbeck's Royal Scots were transferred to Low Moor shed.   However as the class were banned from the Liverpool Exchange route from Wigan Wallgate, there was only one train through the Calder Valley on which they could be used.   This was the morning (about 7.15am) Bradford to Manchester Victoria stopper which then formed the 9.12am Victoria to Southport.   The loco returned on the 1.30pm Southport to Leeds and Bradford Express.   I was living in Guildford from late August to mid November but on one Saturday I had to return north to attend a friend's wedding.    I managed both a colour and black and white shot of 46130 on the Bradford to Southport train taken at Gypsy Lane, Castleton.   By mid November the locos had all left Low Moor never to return and went to Mirfield where they were used as freight locos.   At Whitsuntide 1962 two excursions over Copy Pit were in the hands of Mirfield Royal Scots.   I only photographed one of them, 46130 again, between Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge.   Two other notable visitors on Calder Valley excursions that day were two rare Jubilees, 45656 "Cochrane" and 45725 "Repulse" recently transferred from Millhouses shed at Sheffield to Canklow.   I have no other recollection of Mirfield Royal Scots straying into Lancashire either via Copy Pit or Rochdale apart from 46145 on an RCTS excursion Leeds to Llandudno which I saw but didn't photograph on a very wet Sunday; and 46113 on the Scotswood to Red Bank vans photographed by Gavin Morrison at Sowerby Bridge but I think these two occurences were whilst the locos were still at Holbeck.   Unfortunately my detailed diary for 1962 is missing.

There were a fair number of Royal Scots used on Todmorden to Victoria stoppers and vice versa over the years but that's another tale.


 

Contact Information

STORM

Meeting Place: Woolworths Social Club
Gipsy Lane
Castleton
Rochdale
OL11 3HA

Meeting times

2pm

2nd Tuesday in Feb, April, June, August, Oct and December,in The Blue Pits Inn, 842 Manchester Road, Castleton, Rochdale, OL11 2SP