60026 built in Doncaster 1937. With the names of Miles Beaver, Kestrel this locomotive was finally withdrawn in 1965; Gresley A4 class.
Stockton in Steam
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This could be the 9.17am stopping service from Leeds to Middlesbrough, returning from Middlesbrough at 12.50pm, but in view of the number of carriages, I am wondering whether this could instead have been one of the many through trains from Leeds, Manchester (Exchange),Liverpool(Exchange), Bristol and Blackpool to Newcastle via Stockton which ran on summer Saturdays in the 1950s. Some but not all stopped at Eaglescliffe but I cannot see whether this particular train has stopped in the station or not. I cannot see the engine’s number either, so no help as to its home location, but presumably it would have come on the train at Leeds or York anyway. As you say, a far cry from the present day. 70 years ago, if you missed the 8.49am northbound train from Yarm (ex-Whitby via Stokesley), you had to wait until 4.7pm for the next train!
The Loco a Raven B16 is probably working the mid morning Leeds-Middlesbrough train and would work back after servicing at 51B. This service went over to multiple-units in the late fifties. A far cry from todays hourly service.
I remember the name Miles Beevor on Gresley Pacific 60026 as it was the first time I ever saw an A4, or Streak as we called them. My father was an engine driver based at Kettering and as schoolchildren we used to travel to Cambridge on the Varsity line, now replaced with the A14 how ironic. The line crossed the main Kings Cross to Edinburgh railway at Huntingdon. I saw Miles Beevor in full flight doing about 90 and was from that moment a spotter.
The loco in question is a B16. In the useless information department, the A4 Pacific 4485 (60026 in my day) was originally named Kestrel and renamed Miles Beevor in 1947. It was taken out of service, or scrapped, in 1967. As many forums writers have alreday said, the A4 Gresley engines were known as “streaks” to us Monkey Hangers!
Hope I don”t sound pedantic but the loco is a B16.
Further to my previous comment – the loco is a Raven designed B16 & not a Gresley B16 rebuild as I first thought.
The locomotive in the picture is a class B16 and the photograph is taken at Eaglescliffe station
Photo is of a Gresley B16 mixed traffic locomotive standing in one of the the northbound platforms of Eaglescliffe station (1950-1960) – Eaglescliffe was a very large junction station with four platforms,two signal boxes (Eaglescliffe North & South) & numerous tracks & sidings – the station served trains on the Leeds Northern line between Leeds & Newcastle & also on the Saltburn to Darlington line. The platform on the left survives in use today although all the buildings have been demolished & replaced by modern bus shelters. My Dad remembers a bar on the Station platform popular with WWII soldiers returning back to their units after home leave.
I agree with Ged Hutchinson”s comment about the Streaker being the prized possession among collectors. My brother and I travelled across the footbridge over Bishopton Lane bank, close to Stockton station into Stamp St every day of our school lives. The Streaker Class A4 was shaped like The Mallard. It and The Sir Nigel Gresley Silver Fox and many others would be stood in the station waiting to travel to London. Happy day”s!!
I agree with Peter Burn. The locomotive shown in the photo is definitely not a class A4 better known to us kids as a “Streaker”. It is almost certainly a B1 class locomotive. The “Streaker” was the prized possession amongst trainspotters when I was a kid.
The locomotive pictured is not an A4 pacific and so could not be No. 60026. It would appear to be a Thompson B1 but I could be wrong.