Trainspotting

Crewe in the 1950's
 
Trainspotting on the West Coast Main Line in the 1950's was high in excitement. And nowhere more so than Crewe. From 1951 to 1953, I must have been a dozen times. I always went to north end, and stood on the footbridge, from which it was possible to see the freights on the independent lines, known as the "Muck Hole" to the spotters. And there were tantalizing views of Stanier Pacifics on Crewe North shed which could be seen, but not identified. Some brave souls would try their luck, walking down from the footbridge, then running down the outside of the shed hoping to reach the yard, but they rarely made it without being ejected. 

In my early spotting days, I never kept my notes. Once the numbers were underlined in my "Combined ABC", that was it. But from 1954 onwards all that changed. I have complete records from mid 1954 onwards. And who would imagine that over half a century later, the collection of notes would be my one of my most prized possessions. 

But two records of shed visits in 1953 somehow escaped unharmed. One of which was a Locospotting tour, by coach, to Crewe. 
 
 STAFFORD, ALSAGER, CREWE NORTH and CREWE WORKS TOUR: 
In 1953 (my notes are undated, but information subsequently received indicates it was August, possibly the 16th), I was accompanied by my father on a Birmingham Locospotters club coach tour to Stafford shed, Alsager shed, Crewe North shed, and Crewe Loco Works.
Below is what we saw. Additionally, 46231 Duchess of Atholl was seen passing through Stafford station on a  northbound express. The only time I ever saw the loco.
 
  STAFFORD SHED  (5C):   On shed were Patriot 4-6-0 no 45547 (not named), Class 5MT 4-6-0 45050 & 45187, Class BR 4MT 4-6-0 75014, Class 8F 2-8-0 48453, 48707, 48768, Class 2P 4-4-0 40461, Class 4F 0-6-0 43992,  LNW 0-8-0 49229, 49277, Class 4MT 2-6-4T 42309, 42441, 42482.

  Total 14 locos  
 
  ALSAGER SHED  (5A):   On shed were Class 4F 0-6-0 44063, 44177, 44300,44450, 44595, Class 4MT 2-6-4T 42566, 42611, Class 3F 0-6-0T 47595.

   Total 8 locos  
 
  CREWE NORTH SHED (5A):  On shed were:
 
46225 Duchess of Gloucester 45502 Royal Naval Division
46238 City of Carlisle 45506 The Royal Pioneer Corps
46247 City of Liverpool 45510
46248 City of Leeds 45524 Blackpool
46249 City of Sheffield 45529 Stephenson
46250 City of Lichfield 45543 Home Guard
46251 City of Nottingham
46203 Princess Margaret Rose 45578 United Provinces
45583 Assam
46106 Gordon Highlander  45586 Mysore
46134 The Cheshire Regiment 45631 Tanganyika
46148 The Manchester Regiment 45634 Trinidad
46151 The Royal Horse Guardsman 45684 Jutland
 
Class 5MT 4-6-0 44683, 44685, 44708, 44758, 44764, 44765, 44766, 44770, 44808, 44870, 45006, 45025, 45033, 45074, 45089, 45092, 45110, 45256, 45283, 45307, 45316, 45347, 45349, 45448, Class BR 4MT 4-6-0 75004, WD Class 2-8-0 90289, Class 8F 2-8-0 48257, LNW 0-8-0 49357, 49410, Class 5MT 2-6-0 42889, 42925, 42952, 42974, Class 4P 4-4-0 41067, Class 2P 2-6-0 40413, 40447, 40567, 40659, 40660, 40676, Class 2MT 2-6-2T 41262.   

Total 65 locos 
 
  CREWE LOCOMOTIVE WORKS (5A):  In the Erecting Shop, Paint Shop, and Yards were: 
 
46222 Queen Mary 45525 Colwyn Bay
45533 Lord Rathmore
70033 Charles Dickens 45545 Planet
45565 Victoria
72001 Clan Cameron 45572 Eire
45579 Punjab
46111 Royal Fusilier 45591 Udaipur
46112 Sherwood Forester 45610 Gold Coast
46123 Royal Irish Fusilier 45630 Swaziland
46129 The Scottish Horse 45660 Rooke
46133 The Green Howards 45675 Hardy
  45695 Minotaur
45508 45708 Resolution
45513 45734 Meteor
45515 Caernarvon
 
Class 5MT 4-6-0 44728, 44781, 44815, 44824, 44846, 44871, 44883, 45003, 45013, 45028, 45041, 45042, 45047, 45070, 45109, 45247, 45250, 45354, 45376, 45495, WD Class 2-8-0 90187, 90241, 90260, 90281, 90412, Class 8F 2-8-0 48254, 48344, 48772, LNW 0-8-0 49117, 49140, 49402, Beyer-Garratt 2-6-6-2T 47990, 47997, L & Y 3F 0-6-0 52093, 52212, 52218, 52441, 52464, 2F 0-6-0 58321, 58336, 58343, Class 4MT 2-6-4T 42140, 42222, 42223, 42256, 42297, 42484, 42540, 42553, 42617, 42628, 42629, Class 2MT 2-6-0 46408, 46432, New Construction BR 2MT 2-6-2T 84003, 84004, 84005, 84006, 84007, 84008, 84009, 84010.
 

Total 87 locos 
  In the mid to late 1950's, I rarely went to Crewe, instead taking up lineside positions in either the Madeley, Standon Bridge, or Norton Bridge areas, courtesy of my father, who did the driving. But in 1956, I went on an Ian Allan Locospotting railtour to Crewe (70032 from Birmingham to Crewe and return). Crewe North and Crewe Works visits were included. And in March 1958, my then girlfriend's younger brother, a keen spotter, asked me if I would take him to Crewe. So on Saturday 15th March, we were on the 9.15am from New Street. The main feature of the day was the excellent timekeeping on the West Coast Main Line. 
 
   SATURDAY 15th MARCH 1958: CREWE STATION 
 
  NORTHBOUND TRAINS 
 
10.37/10.44 46159 called on 9.15am Birmingham-Liverpool (11-6) 2 early/time
10.54 dep 45722 left on TC 9.15am Birmingham-Manchester (9) 2 late
11.03/11.12 45422 called on 6.40am Euston-Windermere (9) 2 late/2 late
11.32/11.40 45740 & 46141 called on 8.30am Euston-Liverpool (16-13) 2 early/time
11.59 arr 5921 arrived on Shrewsbury-Crewe Mail [Loco change]
12.08 dep 45705 left on 12.08pm Crewe-Blackpool (8) time
12.18 dep 45418 left on 12.18pm Crewe-Liverpool (7+3v) time
12.37/12.48 46229 called on 10.00am Euston-Glasgow (13-10) 9 early/time
12.40/12.57 44741 called on 8.15am Bristol-Manchester (9) 3 late/12 late
12.59 dep 46129 left on Mail ex Shrewsbury (28v)
12.51 arr 70031 arrived on 11.25am Birmingham-Glasgow (11) time [Loco change]
1.02 dep 46253 left on 11.25am Birmingham-Glasgow (14) 2 late
1.04 dep 45591 left on 1.03pm Crewe-Chester (5+3v) 1 late
1.32/1.43 44759 called on 12.10pm Birmingham-Manchester (11) 4 early/time
1.40/1.53 46257 called on 10.40am Euston-Carlisle (13) 4 early/1 late
2.10 dep 45521 left on 2.10pm Crewe-Liverpool (6) time
2.14/2.24 45735 called on 10.50am Euston-Blackpool (15-6) 4 early/time
2.35/2.45 46235 called on 11.45am Euston-Manchester (15-11) 4 early/time
2.39 dep 44761 left on TC 10.50am Euston-Holyhead (9) 1 late
3.02 dep 75012 left on 3.00pm Crewe-Chester (4) 2 late
3.05 dep 45633 left on TC 11.45am Euston-Workington (8) time
3.19/? 46123 called on 12.30pm Euston-Liverpool (13) 2 late/?
 
  SOUTHBOUND TRAINS 
 
10.58 pass 46200 passed on 10.10am Liverpool-Euston (12) 3 late
11.01 pass 44907 passed on up Cunard Special (8)
11.08/11.23 45516 called on 10.15am Liverpool-Bournemouth/Birmingham (11) 7/10 late
11.08/11.27 44937 called on 10.15am Manchester-Bournemouth/Birmingham (7) T/3 late
11.08/11.30 45643 called on 9.10am Llandudno-Euston (9-10) 6 early/time
11.34 arr 45528 arrived on 6.10am Carlisle-Crewe (?) 1 early
12.05 arr 75012 arrived on 8.10am Holyhead-Crewe (10) 8 late
12.07/12.13 46100 called on 10.00am Blackpool-Euston (13) 4 late/time
12.42/1.12 45623 called on 11.45am Manchester-Plymouth (9) 4 early/time
12.45 arr 46120 arrived on 8.30am Carlisle-Euston (13+2v) 9 early [Loco change]
1.00 dep 45528 left on 8.30am Carlisle-Euston (13+2v) time
12.55/1.09 45249 & 45413 called on 11.40am Liverpool-Rugby/Birmingham (11) 6 early/T
1.02 arr 80040 arrived on 12.24pm Chester-Crewe (3) 4 early
1.29 pass 45413 passed on Football Excursion (11)
1.50 arr 45633 arrived on 11.00am Windermere-Crewe (8) time
2.21 arr 46159 arrived on 1.05pm Liverpool-Crewe (10) time
2.29/2.35 45062 called on 12.15pm Blackpool-Birmingham (10) time
2.39 pass 46239 passed on 10.00am Glasgow-Euston (11) 1 early
2.42 arr 80059 arrived on 2.02pm Chester-Crewe (5) 1 late
2.54 pass 45534 passed on 2.10pm Liverpool-Euston (12) 1 early
3.15/3.24 46138 called on 11.00am Holyhead-Euston (12) 2 early/time
3.20 arr 46234 arrived on 10.05am Glasgow-Birmingham (13) 5 early [Loco change]
3.33 dep 46136 left on 10.05am Glasgow-Birmingham (12)
 
And that was the last time I visited Crewe purely as a trainspotter. Though from the late 1970's onwards, I must have "changed at Crewe" hundreds of times.