HOLYHEAD BRITS - 70045 - 70049 remembered.

During the 50's and 60's Holyhead shed was allocated with five "Britannia" class locomotives.

70045 'LORD ROWALLAN'
70046 'ANZAC'
70047 [unamed]
70048 'THE TERRITORIAL ARMY 1908 - 1958'
70049 'SOLWAY FIRTH'

70045 - 70049 were fitted with BRID tenders which held 9 tons of coal and 4725 gallons of water
which made them suitable for hauling the "Irish Mail" from Euston to Holyhead.
After they were transferred from Holyhead they never settled down at their different depots, and were
never looked after the same as they were by the staff at Holyhead, as some of the photos below clearly show.

70030 'William Wordsworth' - 70031 'Byron' - 70032 'Tennyson' - 70033 'Charles Dickens' came new to Holyhead
between November and December 1952, but within a month they were transferred to Longsight due to their inadequate tender
water and coal capacities which made them unsuitable for the long distance running of the Irish Mail.
They all had BRI tenders which only carried 7 tons of coal and 4200 gallons of water.

Below is a short history of each of the Holyhead Brits 70045 - 70049 plus some photographs
of each engine in different locations.

70045 'LORD ROWALLAN'

Entered Traffic. June 14th, 1954.

Named at Euston Station, June 14th, 1957, by Lord Rowallan, Chief Scout.

70045 was Intended to have had the name

" Midland " applied, but ran unnamed until June 1957.

ALLOCATIONS

Holyhead. June 1954. Crewe North. November 1959. Camden. December 1959.

Newton Heath. January 1960. Neasden. September 1961. Aston. June 1962.

Holyhead. December 1962. Wolverhampton. June 1965. Banbury. September 1965.

Carlisle Kingmoor. ( Final Shed ) January 1966.

Withdrawn. December 1967.

Sold for Scrap to

T.W.Ward, Beighton. March 1968.

70045 at the naming ceremony at London Euston, performed by the Chief Scout of the British Commonwealth
and Empire in the 1950's Lord Rowallan.

70045 at Carlisle alongside 9F 92017 in September 1967. Final Days!

70045 enters Chester. 1958.
Photo J Carter.

"Britannia" 70045 with "Coronation" 46240 'City of Coventry' at Edge Hill depot (circa 1959).
Photo Jim Carter.

70045 takes water at Wigan. 9th Sept 1967.
Photo J.Chapman.

Mike Henney provided this next shot below with a short description of how he came to obtain it.

70045 on Crewe South (5B) June 6th 1966.

I had been to Crewe for a medical with a view to getting a job on 'the railway'.

Failed medical. Deaf in one ear. (Ended up getting a job delivering telegrams for the GPO on motorcycle.
Expected to fail their medical also, but got through.) So I thought I might try my luck at getting round 5B.

I had been to the works and 5B with permits a week or so earlier, so I finished film off
in my instamatic on this day with 70045 & 46512.

Mike has also sent an email, which is reproduced below, which describes his visit to 5B and also lists the recorded
engines from his notebook from that day, which is a unique trip into the past.

Many thanks Mike for sharing these evocative memories.

Geoff.

I've dug out my notebook for this visit. Was not sure whether I got round all of the shed.

Based on what I noted, I think that I must have managed it.

In case anyone is interested, the following were noted: (Numbers shown in order listed in notebook).

Must have gone round fairly quickly as some* numbers are only just readable!

48554 43058* 70024 D2910 45139 12022 47530 45027 48477 73026 45276 92129 45056 45147 15000 45154* 45003 78010 44684
48556 92228 48537 43034 43113 75054 45345 70028 45437* 92078 48261 44762 45372 44677 70045 92073 45075
45118 44765 48674 D3245 48054 46512 70036 44669 92088 70014 92166 92011 45393 44981 70053 D3801 44838 44821 47521
48089 D3083 42715 48331 48356 48092 D1673 47482 D1736 D217 D1860 D2221.

I make that 6 Brit's on shed. The 9F shown in the shot with 70045 must have been 92073.

Again, according to notebook, I may also have got into Crewe North, as the following were noted,
unless I saw them from the north end of the station?

D1711 D1519 D1753 D1617 D5008 D1635 *E3046 ? 78036.

*Do not recall there being facilities at 5A for electric loco's

Cheers, Mike.

70045. September 1967. (unknown location)

70045 waits alongside 46257 'City of Salford' with the Irish Mail at Euston. May 10th, 1958.
Photo R.K.Taylor.

70046 'ANZAC'

Entered Traffic June 22nd, 1954.

Named "Anzac" September 1959. Was originally to be named

" London & North Western."

ALLOCATIONS

Holyhead. June 1954. Crewe North. November 1959.

Longsight. February 1960. Willesden, September 1961.

Aston. April 1962. Holyhead. December 1962.

Crewe North. February 1965. Holyhead. June 1965.

Banbury. September 1965. Carlisle Kingmoor. January 1966.

Withdrawn. July 1967.

Sold to G. H. Campbell & Co, Airdrie. November 1967.

70046 near Stafford. Summer of 1958, double - headed with an unidentified "Semi".

Royal Scot No.46148 'The Manchester Regiment' double - headed with 70046 near Chester.
June 10th, 1963. Photo J.Carter.

70046 with Holyhead (6J) plate passes King`s Langley. August 17th 1957.

70046 'Anzac' on 6G in 1963. Photo Michael Jones.

70046 before being named Anzac. September 1959. J.Wilkinson.

70046 enters Birmingham New Street. March 1961.
Photo M.Mensing.

70046 on Irish Mail at Chester. Sept 1956.
Photo S Wainwright.

70047 (unamed)

Entered Traffic. June 25th, 1954.

Named. Never carried a name, but "Lancashire & Yorkshire" had been originally allocated.

ALLOCATIONS

Holyhead. June 1954. Crewe North. November 1959.

Holyhead. August 1960. Willesden. June 1961.

Carlisle Kingmoor. September 1961. Willesden. October 1961.

Aston. March 1962. Willesden. December 1963.

Holyhead. January 1964. Wolverhampton. June 1965.

Banbury. September 1965. Carlisle Kingmoor. January 1966.

Withdrawn. July 1967.

Sold for scrap to G.H.Campbell & Co, Airdrie. December 1967.

70047 near Shotton. August 1960.
Photographer unknown.

70047 at Crewe. July 1st 1966. Photo. G.W.Sharpe.

70047 on Irish Mail near Crewe. August 1955. Photo S Wainwright.

70047 passes Watford Junction. April 27th, 1963.
Photo R. Adley.

70048 'THE TERRITORIAL ARMY 1908 - 1958'

Entered Traffic. July 8th, 1954.

Named at Euston. July 22nd, 1958.

ALLOCATIONS

Holyhead. July 1954. Crewe North. December 1959.

Newton Heath. January 1960. Neasden. September 1961.

Annesley. June 1962. Willesden. October 1962.

Llandudno Junction. December 1962. Holyhead. December 1962.

Aston. April 1963. Willesden. December 1963.

Carlisle Depots. October 1964 to December 1966.

Withdrawn. May 1967.

Sold for Scrap to J. Mcwilliam Shettleston. September 1967.

70048 naming ceremony at London Euston

70048 on the way to Euston for the naming ceremony.

At Willesden MPD on July 23rd 1958 after the naming ceremony at Euston.

Up Irish Mail pauses at Crewe. 70048. circa Mid 1950s.
Photo. Gordon Coltas.

Edge Hill Shed. April 1963. 70048. Photo John Corkill.

70048 leaves Chester. May 24th 1959. Photo S Wainwright.

70048 passes Salford. June 1960. Photo J.Carter.

70048 named at Euston.

70048 on Irish Mail near Crewe. August 1954. Photo S Wainwright.

70049 'SOLWAY FIRTH'

Entered Traffic. July 28th, 1954.

Named, "Solway Firth" in May 1960.

ALLOCATIONS

Holyhead. July 1954. Crewe North. November 1959.

Newton Heath. February 1960. Neasden. September 1961,

Annesley. June 1962. Holyhead, December 1962.

Aston. May 1963. Crewe North. October 1963.

Willesden, March 1964. Carlisle Depots. October 1964 to December 1966.

Withdrawn. December 1967.

Sold for scrap to, J. Mcwilliam. Shettleston. April 1968.