SPECIALLY laid on steam trains took to the Settle-Carlisle line at the weekend marking 50 years since the last mainline steam hauled service ran in the country.
On August 11, 1968, the special excursion, the Fifteen Guinea Special, took 450 people - each paying 15gns - on a last journey before the introduction of the BR steam ban, from Liverpool to Carlisle and back.
It took four locomotives in tandem to haul the 11 coaches on the 12 hour, 314 mile journey, and thousands lined the Settle -Carlisle line, blocking the narrow roads, and armed with cameras and recording equipment to bid a fond farewell to the ‘golden age of steam’.
On Saturday, 50 years to the day, three steam locomotives - Leander, Union of South Africa and Galatea - travelled along the same route to mark the occasion.
Philip Winstanley, who took this picture of an ex LMS Jubilee Jubilee Class No. 45690 “Leander,” said: “The train has reporting number 1T57 - this was the reporting number of the original 15 guinea special, 50 years ago to the day and was the last steam hauled train on British Railways - at that time before steam re-appeared on the mainline again in 1971.
"This train was one of three which ran on Saturday, all of which traversed the Settle-Carlisle line in a southbound direction.”
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