Passing the array of sidings for ironstone traffic, Thompson B1 61105 strides through Charwelton in May 1953. Hailing from Top Shed, 61105's life spanned nearly twenty years - impressive for a B1 - & ended its career as a stationary boiler for carriage heating at Parkeston Quay.

Crossing Marple Viaduct, Robinson C14 67447 runs bunker-first with a stopping service in 1953. Being a Beyer Peacock build, it was fitting that at this time 67447 hailed from 39A Gorton - having been reallocated from the ex-GNR 37C Bradford Hammerton Street Shed on 14th May 1950.

Lining a bit cramped for its Robinson lines, Mexborough-allocated D11/1 62666 Zeebrugge sits at Lincoln Shed in September 1953. Built 2 months before Grouping, 62666 had been loaned to the Southern Region at Nine Elms in October 1950 & would be reallocated to Lincoln next month.

Shortly before WW2, heavy discussion was given to removing the inside cylinder on some Jubilee to both increase boiler capacity & address inside big end constraints. The weight savings would've allowed for reboilering with 2As, but easing CE restrictions made this unnecessary.

In 1923, Horwich prepared diagrams for petrol engines operating simple, lightweight 4-wheeled vehicles. Although definitely a look to the future, it was almost immediately quashed by conversions of road buses being cheaper & their engines' performances being rather lackluster.

A parochial scene little changed over the decades, J21 65110 sits at Rothbury Turntable on the titular branch preparing for a return run up to Scotsgap in 1953. Even pre-BR the branch had been a scant job; during WW2, it was a prime spot to hide away stored stock from the Blitz.

Looking a bit dingy, Thompson B1 61108 comes through Rugby Central in June 1953. Having been in service for 6 years, it would go in for overhaul at Cowlairs by month's end pending reallocation to St. Margarets that August, leaving with a 1952-built 100A boiler courtesy of 61086.

A full head of steam, D20/1 62347 is turned round on the interestingly stockaded Garsdale Turntable in October 1953. Hand-operated in an area prone to high winds, a protective windbreak of sleepers was constructed after an engine spun round for hours with crews unable to stop it!

Running bunker-first with a suburban rake, Robinson C13 67403 enters Romiley Oakwood in 1953. Built by Vulcan Foundry in April 1903, 67403 was allocated to 39A Gorton Shed & would be withdrawn from there on 19th April 1955 - bringing 52 years (& 19 days) of service to a close.

Its buffers' coat all but tarnished, N1 69430 runs round at Yeadon with the SLS/MLS West Riding Railtour on 6th September 1953 bound for Shipley. The tour had left from Leeds City 19 minutes down & by this point had managed to lose another 10; a rather leisurely venture this was!

As part of Stanier's standardization plans, the 4-6-0 that would become the Black Five carried 3 cylinders & motion off the Royal Scots. Discarded in favor of a 2-cylinder layout, another loss was the curious GWR safety valve bonnet - evidently not done with Stanier's permission!

Upon Hughes' retirement, the Mikado was resurrected as a 4-cylinder compound following a party sent to France immediately upon Fowler's ascendancy in October 1925. All 4 cylinders, both HP & LP, driven off the same axle, its boiler was the forerunner of that on the Royal Scots.

Awaiting to embark with the SLS (N.W. Area)/Manchester Locomotive Society West Riding Railtour, N1 69430 looks smart with painted buffers at Leeds City on 6th September 1953. 69430 had been the first N1 built, heavier & distinguished by longer tanks and a lack of condensing gear.

Smokebox more scorch than paint, Heywood D40 62275 Sir David Stewart, still in Gill Sans, is shot passing a Baronial-style hotel with the 14.55 Craigellachie-Boat of Garten by J. B. McCann in November 1953. A youthful 33 years, this Keith engine had just two years left in it.

With a Pullman rake almost trailing out of sight, A4 60025 Falcon is photographed by J. B. McCann running hard as it flies through Finsbury Park in June 1953. It'd visited Doncaster once since its repaint into Brunswick in December 1952, having had a Light Casual in April 1953.

Passing over a waterway choked with overgrowth, Reid D30/2 62435 Norna crosses a viaduct on the Border Counties line near Chollerton in 1953. With 38 years of service between its frames, 62435 would call from 64G Hawick Shed until withdrawal on 9th December 1957 four years later.

Carrying a somewhat scorched smokebox in 1953, Robinson C13 67423 runs round at Hayfield for a return along the eponymous branch to the mainline at New Mills & thenceforth to Manchester. Shedded at 39A Gorton, 67423 would be reallocated to 36D Barnsley Shed on 29th December 1956.

By Grouping, the Toton-Brent coal runs needed more adequate power and a 4-cylinder simple Mikado arose with discussions of boosters based on US practice. By the end of 1924, Anderson had achieved a shift to a 3-cylinder layout but exorbitant axle loadings predicated articulateds.

Henry E. O'Brien, having kept his post of Electrical Engineer with the LMS at Horwich in 1923, embarked almost immediately on plans to electrify the Crewe-Carlisle section of the WCML. With damning tests, he published his findings but Euston, displeased, had him resign in 1924.

With signs of use hiding its youth, Thompson B1 61371 passes Oxford in 1953. Built by NBL in October 1950, 61371 had not been the first locomotive to be allocated that number; the honor having been Robinson B7 1371's which carried its LNER number until withdrawal in January 1949.