Railways of Telford by David Clarke

Author:David Clarke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crowood

In the 1960s, the freight traffic on the Stafford to Wellington section was frequent, with trains to and from Donnington MoD depot, coal trains from Granville Colliery, as well as through freights. Here, an unidentified Black Five in 1964 approaches the platform ends of Trench Crossing in the Stafford direction. D. CLARKE

One of Stafford shed’s Fowler 2-6-4 tanks, no.42381, runs into Hadley station with a Stafford to Shrewsbury train. In the background, the Sankey works dominate the skyline. D. CLARKE

Another Stanier 2-6-4 tank, no.42488, was seen on a Stafford train and in the early 1960s a most unusual set of coaches was seen leaving Shrewsbury behind Fairburn 2-6-4 tank no.42224, which consisted of two ex-LNER Thompson coaches and an ex-LNER articulated two-coach set, all in what looked like ex-works condition. How this set of coaches came to replace the usual three coaches of ex-LMS ’57 vintage is a complete mystery to the author.

One of the unusual classes of locomotive seen on the Shrewsbury to Stafford and return stopping trains was BR Standard Class 6 Clan Pacific no.72008 Clan Macleod in July 1954. The locomotive had been at Crewe works for attention and was then sent to Shrewsbury on a running-in turn. It then appears that Shrewsbury shed sent it to Stafford and back before the engine returned to Crewe.

However, from the 1950s to 1962, ex-LMS rebuilt Class 7 4-6-0s would be seen on the stopping trains being used on a fill-in turn. The 11.25am Shrewsbury to Stafford would be worked by a Class 7 and upon arrival at Stafford the locomotive would then work to Birmingham. The 3.10pm Shrewsbury to Stafford would be worked by an Edge Hill Class 7, which had arrived at Shrewsbury on a Manchester to Plymouth train. The locomotive would then work back to Shrewsbury from Stafford before picking up an express at Shrewsbury back to the North West. In 1962, the author spotted nos 45531 Sir Frederick Harrison, 45535 Sir Herbert Walker, 46119 Lancashire Fusilier, 46135 The East Lancashire Regiment and 46148 The Manchester Regiment at Trench Crossing.

Not only Edge Hill rebuilt Class 7s were seen. In 1954 one of Holyhead’s rebuilt Scots, no.46129 The Scottish Horse, was seen leaving Shrewsbury with a Stafford train and it appears to have been common practice for Shrewsbury to have sent a Class 7 loco to Stafford and back as a fill-in turn. Examples include nos 46118 Coldstream Guardsman of Crewe North, 46124 London Scottish of Edge Hill, 46148 The Manchester Regiment of Crewe North and 46166 The London Rifle Brigade, also of Crewe North. Other motive power seen included Britannia Pacific no.70023 Venus on a Stafford to Shrewsbury train.

One of the more unusual engines seen on these services was Southern Region Standard Class 5 no.73087 Linette. During the summer, a once a week service from Wolverhampton to the south coast and its return service would effectively strand the Southern Region locomotive in the West Midlands for a week; it seems to have been borrowed by Shrewsbury shed as the loco was seen a number of times.

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